Study Guide for the week
1) (a) Is there a particular nation, community or people that you are particularly not fond of? Why? (go around the group to ask of their opinion & reasons)
(b) What would your genuine feelings be, if a calamity or a terrible event befalls them? (What example comes to our mind?)
Possible feelings
· They deserve it.
· Whatever must happen, eventually will happen- can’t be helped.
· Thank God, that is not happening with us!
· We are reminded of God’s Judgment.
· We feel concerned
· Don’t feel anything
· We are not praying enough
2) Study from the Bible, on occasions where God had planned to deal with wickedness of people by bringing destruction over them. Did God involve someone as he was carrying out His agenda? What do you think was Gods expectation in each case? What attribute of God is revealed?
3) Read Genesis 18:16-33. Romans 8:34. Even as Abraham was interceding on behalf of the people in Sodom & Gomorrah with God to relent from destroying the city, what character do we see in him that pushed him to bargain with God? How can we identify Jesus Christ as our intercessor?
4) Read Romans 6:23, 2 Peter 3:9. If the wages of sin is death & eternal separation from God, yet the Lord wants none should perish; what part can we have for the Lord to Balance His Justice with His act of mercy?
5) Read Matthew 9:35-38. Where do we find our self on this scripture?
· To pray to send laborer for the harvest
· To labor in answer to the prayer
· Both
“Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest”
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the harvest. The word used as "laborers" into His harvest," is, teachers of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God, God expects us to pray for helping hands who would preach good news to ALL.
6) Read Ezekiel 22: 30. What was the Lord seeking from his people that would turn Him away from bringing judgment over the city? What does it mean by ‘Make a wall & stand up in the gap?’
- He sought for some man to stand in the gap to uphold God’s moral standard and to shield the people from wrath, but there was no man in sight
- Seek one who will righteous & blameless.
- Seek a man who seeks the truth.
- Seek a moral man who would allow Gods mercy to flow.
7) Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Why is it necessary for us to intercede for needs beyond our scope? How can it benefit Gods kingdom at large? Discuss.
8) Ask the group to read Jonah. 3 & 4. What character of God is revealed in comparison to Genesis 18:16-33? Allow the group to dig and share their answers from these passages.
9) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those areas in our heart that block us from having concern and compassion over people that don’t mean anything to us. In faith move in to the area of intercession & prayer, where our feelings may not take us, to appropriate the Love from the cross even as we stand in the gap. Amen.
