Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Those who enter the kingdom depend on Jesus completely and treasure him supremely.

I. Who enters: those who depend on Jesus completely (vv. 15-17)

II. Who enters: those who treasure Jesus supremely (vv. 18-30)

III. How Jesus makes entry possible: suffering in our place (vv. 31-34)

IV. How entry looks: dependent faith produces joyful following (vv. 35-43)

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 18:15-43

1. Jesus exhorts us to receive the kingdom of God like a child, in complete dependence. How does this help us in entering his kingdom?

2. What’s the opposite of being like a child in approaching God? How could/does this show up in your life?

3. Wealth isn’t evil, but it is a danger. How is wealth a powerful rival to God?

4. Where do you struggle when thinking about money? Greed? Discontentment? Jealousy? Overreliance on it for security? What might you do or change to grow in this area?

5. Those who follow Jesus give up much now, but also receive much now. If you follow Jesus, what good things have you already experienced because you are a part of God’s kingdom now?

6. It was asked in the sermon, “Do you see Jesus’s love?” What does it mean to see His love, and how does it help us enter his kingdom?

7. The blind man at the end of the passage is a picture of the one who enters the kingdom. How do we live our lives marked by the kind of joyful following that the blind man exhibits upon being healed?

8. What is one specific thing that keeps you from entering the kingdom? Self-righteousness? Pride? Wealth that consumes your life? How do you flee from it?

9. How can we live in such a way that witnesses to unbelievers about the goodness of entering the kingdom of God?

Prayer

Entering the Kingdom