Learning to listen : Listening To Our Lord

Study Guide

The following may help you reflect further on the message
(the points could also be used as a discussion guide at fellowship groups)

  1. Using Matthew 7:21-27 as a guide, discuss the following statement: The most important principle in listening is not what you hear, but how you hear, and more important how you apply what you hear.
  2. We are all led by someone (even if it is our instincts or inclinations). Why is it important to be led by the God who made us, loves us, cares for us, and wants the best for us? How does this come out in Matthew 7:24-27?
  3. How do you understand and apply what Jesus said in Matthew 7:22: Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord… we prophesised in your name; we cast out demons in your name; we performed miracles in your name?
  4. Read Philippians 2:9-11 and then discuss how the Lordship of Christ emerges from the life and death of Christ. How does Jesus fulfil his Lordship today?
  5. Discuss the following: If Jesus is Lord then we should obey him. We don’t have to wait for conviction. We don’t even have to understand the command. Jesus is Lord, and when he speaks, we should listen and obey. How does this work out in John 13:13 and v17?
  6. Why is it important to see that the foundation in the illustration in Matthew 7:24-27 is not the Word of God, our faith in Christ, or even the Lord himself. In this particular illustration, the foundation on which we build our lives is obedience to Christ. How can we ensure that this happens? See also James 1:22-24.
  7. How do you understand and apply the well-known expression in 1 Sam­uel 15:22: To obey is better than sacrifice.
  8. Discuss the important link between John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3. How should this encourage us in our daily walk with God?