*** Study Outline Starts ***

Matt 25:13-46

Title: Real Dangers in Life

Theme: The Utmost Reality of the Lord's Coming

Goal: After this study, participants should be
reminded to reflect on his/her own life and how
insufficient it is to survive God's 2nd Coming.

Study Plan:

I. Warmup Question (15 mins):

Please tell us 1 or 2 of your talents that many among
us do not know you by.
How do you usually treat the beggars in this city?

II. Preparation (10 mins)

1. Background and Context
   a. Theme of Matthew
   b. The Olive Discourse
   c. Review of the Parable of the 10 maidens
   d. Preview the purpose of Matthew when writing
25:13-46
2. Bible Reading
3. Prayer (Xing-Zhi)

III. Developing the Text:

25:14-30

The Lord gave a parable. Parables are mysteries.
However, we can find useful clues in order to solve
the puzzle. Let us start doing some fast detective
work and collect some important evidence.

1. How well did the master know his servants?
Did the master give the servants all of his
properties?
Now, did the master expect the servants to make
money?
How much time did the servants have in order to do
that?
Did the servants know that the master will come
back to settle accounts?
Did the servants know whether they will be rewarded
/ punished?
(10 mins)

2. What were the actions of the first two servants?
What was the 3rd servants' action? What was he
thinking?
What caused him to think that his master was a
"hard man" (25:24)?
What convinced him that his master did not sow nor
scatter seeds?
(10 mins)

3. What attributes did the Lord praise the first two
servants of?
How about the 3rd servant?
Why would he consider the first two servants good
yet the 3rd wicked?
What 3 material blessings did the Lord give to the
first two servants?
How about the 3rd servant?
(10 mins)

4. Implication of this parable.
Do you consider your talents your property?
Do you see how God's existence makes us a servant?
Did you ever felt need for more talents?
Are you willing to learn to be faithful with a few
things? What things?
(10 mins)

25:31-46

1. What 3 images did Christ describe himself in this
paragraph?
What does these images indicate about the
judgement?
What is the goal of the judgement?
What is the principle of the judgement?
Whom does Jesus conform to?
(5 mins)

2. Were the 6 things difficult to do?
Did the sheep delay in their actions?
What are the fundamental attitude difference
between the sheep and the goat toward receiving their
judgement?
Did the sheep remember their actions? How about
the goats?
Do you think it is the action that leads to their
eternal belongings or their lives per sake?
(10 mins)

3. What are the rewards of the sheep? The goat?
Reflecting your life, are you like the sheep or the
goat?
How do we live the lives of the sheep?
(10 mins)

IV. Conclusion (5 mins)

Conclude with 1Th 5:1-13 (read together).

God demands our utmost faithfulness in applying what
He gives in every day life, not in big things, in a
few things, small, feasible things.  However, we
failed to do so time and again.  Are you ready for his
coming?  Who can help us out of this despair?  What
would you like to ask God for tonight?

Concluding Prayer

V. Evaluation (Brother Xu Su)