2024-06-02 Transformed: Changed from the Inside Out 01.pptx

Lesson 1 of 13 in a Heritage Bible Master Class study of "Transformed: Changed from the Inside Out"

1. Lesson 1: Transformed by Invitation June 2, 2024

2. for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened , and I will give you rest . Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, Matthew 11:28-30

3. Question 1 Matthew 11:28 – 30. How did Jesus describe life without him?

4. My translation of Matthew 11:28 The present active participle of κοπιάω (to become tired) means “exhausted as the result of strenuous labor.” ‌The perfect passive participle of φορτίζω (to be loaded down) means “having been forced to carry a heavy load up to now.” “Are you exhausted from having been forced to carry an overwhelming burden for so long? Then come to me and I will give you rest.”

5. Question 2 Did you find yourself weary, burdened, and needing rest in your pre-Christ days? How so?

6. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Matthew 11:28, MSG

7. Question 3 What do you know about the Jewish religion in Jesus’ day? How would this have sounded to the people who heard it for the first time?

8. Jesus' offer of rest for the weary and overburdened ties into the discussion of Sabbath law in Matthew 12. Jesus provides an easy yoke in contrast to the oppressive yoke of rabbinic teaching.

9. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. (Matthew 23:1-4, NLT)

10. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? (Acts 15:10, NLT)

11. The Pharisees alleged three violations of Shabbat: Reaping , threshing, and winnowing. Jesus points out three exceptions to Shabbat: H uman need ( 1 Sam 21:1-6 ); W orship ( Num 28:9-10 ); and A cts of kindness ( Hos. 6:6 ) Moreover, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (i.e. God): He instituted the Sabbath ( Gen 2:1-3 ), He commanded the Sabbath ( Ex 20:10 ), and He is the Lord for whom the Sabbath is observed ( Lev 23:3 ) Matthew 12:1-8

12. Question 4 What does Jesus reveal about himself in this text? What do we learn about being Christlike?

13. When Jesus described his “inner man,” he used only two words. He didn’t say, “I am wise and powerful,” or “I am holy and eternal,” or “I am omniscient and omnipotent.” He said, “I am gentle and humble in heart .” These are servant terms. “ Gentle ” refers to strength under control. “ Humble in heart ” means lowly—the word picture of a helper.

14. Question 5 How does Jesus describe the life of a disciple in this text?

15. “This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’” (Jeremiah 6:16, NLT)

16. Question 6 Try this on for size: say, “[your name] is gentle and humble in heart.” Does that fit?

17. Question 7 Have you found Jesus’ yoke to be easy? Honest, now.

18. If you have found Christian living to be a struggle, a pain, a duty, or an obligation, you're wearing the wrong yoke - the yoke of religion and law. Take off that yoke and put on Jesus’ yoke. It rides easy. It is a yoke of grace, love, mercy and forgiveness.

19. Question 8 Jesus calls us to be loving, joyful, and at peace. He calls us to live worry-free lives, not complain, and be perfectly honest. He calls us to be unselfish and humble. Is that easy?

20. “Your task is tailor-made to fit you.” Whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and abilities exactly. Jesus says: “My yoke fits well.” What he means is:

21. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (1 Corinthians 10:13, MSG)

22. Question 9 Back to Matthew 11:28 – 30. What is rest for your souls? What does that look like? What does that feel like?

23. Take Jesus, for example. He was busy but never hurried. He was productive but never overwhelmed. He accomplished everything God wanted him to do and still spent long, refreshing days in fellowship alone with his Father. Knowing when and how to rest is knowing when and how to acknowledge your limitations and your dependence on God. - Craig Groeschel If you’re like a lot of people, you may not even be sure what it feels like to be completely at rest. Experiencing real rest doesn’t mean that you become lazy and unproductive.

24. Question 10 How important is this? How important is rest for our souls?

25. Lesson 1: Transformed by Invitation June 2, 2024

26. Lesson 2: Transformed by Thinking June 9 , 2024

27. YOUR GENEROSITY GROWS OUR MINISTRY Make checks payable to: Heritage Bible Master Class