Asking for a Friend #6 - What Do I Gain?
Matthew 19:16-30
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund
Part of Asking for a Friend—May 6 - June 25, 2023
June 16, 2023

Asking for a Friend App.png

Group Study Guide

Date: June 17-18, 2023
Speaker: Dr. Kurt Bjorklund
Series: Asking for a Friend
Message: #6 - What Do I Gain?

Download PDF Version

Scripture

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. —Matthew 19:16-30 (NIV)

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” —Luke 18:29-30 (NIV)

Notes

Benefits of Following Jesus

  1. Great Future Renewal (v. 28)

  2. Great Future Reward (v. 29)

  3. Great Future Reversal (v. 30)

  4. Great Right Now (Luke 18:29-30)

Study Guide

Step One: Icebreaker (Optional)
If time and resources were unlimited, what is something you would love to own?

Step Two: Open
Ask someone in your group to pray to open your time together and ask another person to read Matthew 19:16-30.

Step Three: Discuss

  1. What stood out to you the most in this weekend’s teaching? What was challenging, encouraging, or confusing to you?

  2. Looking at verse 16, what question does the man ask Jesus? How does this question show us the way this man views God? Have you ever felt this way toward God too?

  3. Jesus begins to answer the man’s question in verses 17-19 by telling him to keep the commandments which include topics like murder and adultery. How does the man respond to Jesus in verse 20?

  4. Read Matthew 5:21-22 and Matthew 5:27-28. How do Jesus’ words here in Matthew 5 help us begin to better understand the disconnect of the young man’s heart toward our sin problem that Jesus is pointing at in Matthew 19?

  5. Since being rich is not a sin, according to Jesus in Matthew 19:21-24, what about riches might cause a person, like this young man or someone today, to miss out on having a heart for Jesus?

  6. In verses 23 and 28, Jesus uses the phrase, “Truly I tell you…” - It implies Jesus has something very important to say, so pay close attention to these words. So, what does Jesus say after each, and what do you think is the meaning of these words?

  7. Take a moment to reflect on both the young man’s and your personal view of how each of you is approaching God. In what ways are they similar? Different?

  8. The title for this past weekend was “What Do I Gain?” Read verses 26-30 again and answer this question in your own words: What do I learn today from these verses that help me see / trust that choosing to follow Jesus is worth it?

Step Four: Close in Prayer