GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS Hebrews: The Supremacy of Christ
GROUP STUDY QUESTIONS Hebrews: The Supremacy of Christ M oney, G race, and Suffering – Hebrews 13:5-14 Read Hebrews 13:5-6. How would you define "the love of money?" How would you define "being content with what you have?" Why does God want us free from the love of money? Read I Timothy 6:6-10 to inform your answer. Is it wrong to have a lot of money, or to buy nice and expensive things for ourselves as Christians if we can afford them? Why or why not? How do we practically seek to keep ourselves free from the love of money? Read I Timothy 6:17-19 to inform your answer. In I Timothy 6:17, who do you think "the rich in this present world are?" The Apostle Paul is writing these words to the young pastor Timothy. What does the Apostle Paul tell pastor Timothy (and all pastors) to command those who are rich in this present world to do? What does it mean to be arrogant in regards to wealth? What does it mean to put your hope in wealth? Read v18 again. What does that verse mean? Being lovers of money; not be willing to share our wealth; not giving generously to God's work is greed. Why do you think greed (like gossip) is not talked about very much? Almost like it's an "acceptable" sin for American Christians. Look at I Corinthians 6:9-11. What do we learn about the sin of greed in these verses? Go back to Hebrews 13:5-6. What is the reason given in v5 for why we should keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have? How does knowing God will never leave us nor forsake us help free us from the love of money?
How does saying with confidence, "The Lord IS MY helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" help free us from the love of money. Read vv7-8. How should the lives of leaders – those who speak the word of God to us – impact our lives? (Specifically as it pertains to our finances because that is the context of the verse) How does knowing Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever help free us from the love of money (because – again – that's the context of this verse)? Read vv9-10. What do you think the strange teaching was in this church? What is it that strengthens our hearts according to v9? What is our "heart?" How would you define grace? How does grace strengthen our heart? They were looking to the dietary laws of the old covenant to strengthen their hearts. It's a form of legalism. It's when we look to our own good works, our effort, or our list of "do's and don'ts" to attempt to strengthen our heart and make ourselves more acceptable to God. Why is this so easy for us to slip into? He says in these verses that their adherence to the old covenant dietary laws are of no value to them, and those who rely on those things have no right to eat at the alter (of grace). What do you think he means by this? Read vv11-14. Why do you think the high priest didn't eat the animals that were sacrificed on the Day of Atonement? They burned those animals outside the city. And so Jesus also suffered outside the camp. We are called to go to Him outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. Jesus was not crucified in the holy city of Jerusalem, but outside of it – on the trash heap of Golgotha to add humiliation to His suffering. He did this to make us holy. We are called to go to Him outside the camp and bear the disgrace He bore. What do you think that means to us today as American Christians?
How does saying with confidence, "The Lord IS MY helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" help free us from the love of money. Read vv7-8. How should the lives of leaders – those who speak the word of God to us – impact our lives? (Specifically as it pertains to our finances because that is the context of the verse) How does knowing Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever help free us from the love of money (because – again – that's the context of this verse)? Read vv9-10. What do you think the strange teaching was in this church? What is it that strengthens our hearts according to v9? What is our "heart?" How would you define grace? How does grace strengthen our heart? They were looking to the dietary laws of the old covenant to strengthen their hearts. It's a form of legalism. It's when we look to our own good works, our effort, or our list of "do's and don'ts" to attempt to strengthen our heart and make ourselves more acceptable to God. Why is this so easy for us to slip into? He says in these verses that their adherence to the old covenant dietary laws are of no value to them, and those who rely on those things have no right to eat at the alter (of grace). What do you think he means by this? Read vv11-14. Why do you think the high priest didn't eat the animals that were sacrificed on the Day of Atonement? They burned those animals outside the city. And so Jesus also suffered outside the camp. We are called to go to Him outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. Jesus was not crucified in the holy city of Jerusalem, but outside of it – on the trash heap of Golgotha to add humiliation to His suffering. He did this to make us holy. We are called to go to Him outside the camp and bear the disgrace He bore. What do you think that means to us today as American Christians?
