Matthew 14: 1 - 12

Pastor Brian McGuffin

Introduction

How often have you had to deliver the truth/the facts to someone about a situation who did not want to hear it? What was that experience like?

Scripture

Matthew 14: 1 - 2  ESV

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. 

Discussion Questions

1. Pastor Brian talked about various reasons why people don't want to trust Jesus. He used four words to describe the reasons he saw in the account of John the Baptist's execution:

            guilt, fear, sin, and manipulation

a) What did those 4 terms mean?

b) What are some reasons that you think keep people from trusting Jesus?

2. a) How do you define: 1) sin      2) forgiveness           3) repentance?

b) If you were talking to someone who was not a Christian, and you managed to talk about  the Christian faith, how would you define those words to them?

3. a) How do you define truth?

b) Are there truths you find it hard to accept? Are these truths part of your faith?

c) Can you share the truth about Jesus even if it will cause you to lose/impair relationships with your family or friends?

d) What blocks are there in your life that stop you from sharing your faith and its truths?

4. a) Have you ever felt manipulated in life or in a relationship?

b) Have your friends or family ever tried to manipulate you into acting against your faith, especially when you were young in your faith?  How did you get through that experience?

5. a) What are some things that cause you to fear?

b) How has fear caused you to avoid change in your life?

c) Were you fearful to become a fully committed Christian? Why or why not?

6. As Christians, sometimes we feel guilt that haunts us over our life - things we've done that we know were wrong, perhaps even things we did before we became a Christ follower.

 a) What are some verses in the Bible that assure us that God completely forgives us?

 b) What can help us to be the person God wants us to be?  (Think of several things that help us grow in our faith.)

 c) What do these verses tell us about growing in faith? 

            1 Timothy 3: 16 - 17            Philippians 4: 6 - 7

7. If you struggle with being the person you know God wants you to be, read Romans 7 beginning at verse 14. These verses talk about how the Apostle Paul struggled with sin. Then read Romans 8 to find out how the Holy Spirit helps each one of us.

Struggling with Guilt?

Read the following article taken from gotquestions.org

 How should a Christian deal with feelings of guilt regarding past sins, whether pre- or post- salvation?

Answer: Everyone has sinned, and one of the results of sin is guilt. We can be thankful for guilty feelings because they drive us to seek forgiveness. The moment a person turns from sin to Jesus Christ in faith, his sin is forgiven. Repentance is part of the faith that leads to salvation (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 3:19).
 
 In Christ, even the most heinous sins are blotted out (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 for a list of some unrighteous acts that can be forgiven). Salvation is by grace, and grace forgives. After a person is saved, he will still sin, and when he does, God still promises forgiveness. “But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).
 
 Freedom from sin, however, does not always mean freedom from guilty feelings. Even when our sins are forgiven, we still remember them. Also, we have a spiritual enemy, called “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10) who relentlessly reminds us of our failures, faults, and sins. When a Christian experiences feelings of guilt, he or she should do the following things:
 
 1) Confess all known, previously unconfessed sin. In some cases, feelings of guilt are appropriate because confession is needed. Many times, we feel guilty because we are guilty! (See David’s description of guilt and its solution in Psalm 32:3-5.)
 
 2) Ask the Lord to reveal any other sin that may need confessing. Have the courage to be completely open and honest before the Lord. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
 
 3) Seek to make restitution, where possible, of the sins committed against others. Zacchaeus, in repenting of his sin, promised the Lord, “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8). This is part of the “fruit in keeping with repentance” that John preached (Luke 3:9).
 
 4) Trust the promise of God that He will forgive sin and remove guilt, based on the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9; Psalm 85:2; 86:5; Romans 8:1).
 
 5) On occasions when guilty feelings arise over sins already confessed and forsaken, reject such feelings as false guilt. The Lord has been true to His promise to forgive. Read and meditate on Psalm 103:8-12.
 
 6) Ask the Lord to rebuke Satan, your accuser, and ask the Lord to restore the joy that comes with freedom from guilt (Psalm 51:12).
 
 Psalm 32 is a very profitable study. Although David had sinned terribly, he found freedom from both sin and guilty feelings. He dealt with the cause of guilt and the reality of forgiveness. Psalm 51 is another good passage to investigate. The emphasis here is confession of sin, as David pleads with God from a heart full of guilt and sorrow. Restoration and joy are the results.
 
Finally, if sin has been confessed, repented of, and forgiven, it is time to move on. Remember that we who have come to Christ have been made new creatures in Him. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Part of the “old” which has gone is the remembrance of past sins and the guilt they produced. Sadly, some Christians are prone to wallowing in memories of their former sinful lives, memories which should have been dead and buried long ago. This is pointless and runs counter to the victorious Christian life God wants for us. A wise saying is “If God has saved you out of a sewer, don’t dive back in and swim around.”

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