Reflection Questions: Luke 19:11-27

For the message, Dont Waste Your Life given by Pastor John Ferguson
at New City Church of Calgary on January 15, 2017
These discussion questions are designed primarily to help you apply the message from the Scriptures
by helping you think through application to your personal life, your church life, and your citys life.
You can use these by yourself for reflection, or with your family or small group for discussion.
To review the sermon, go to NewCityChurch.ca/sermons

INTRODUCTION
Pray. Take a moment to pray asking God to guide you in reflecting upon the Scripture text.
Read the Scripture text: Luke 19:11-27
A summary of the sermon: The buzz around Jesus is reaching a fever pitch as he approaches Jerusalem. In his final
stop in Jericho, hes aware of this buzz and the wrong ideas the crowds have about what kind of king he will be and what
his kingdom is all about. Hes not going into Jerusalem as a conquering king, but as a suffering king who will be enthroned
on the Cross.
So Jesus tells a story to help them understand something that will only make sense after he is crucified, raised from the
dead, and ascended to heaven; namely, that He will go away and then return with all authority in heaven and earth. In the
mean time, his disciples will need to do the business of his kingdom, proclaiming the gospel and making disciples.
Key Points:
Jesus tells this parable to correct their misunderstanding and expectations about his kingship and his kingdom.
Key to interpreting the parable: The noblemen is Jesus who goes to a far country (heaven)x to receive the crown
rights to the kingdom of this world. His servants are his disciples who have been entrusted as stewards to about his
business. The enemies in this story are those who dont want Jesus to rule over him.
Jesus wants to be able to say to us, Well done, good servant! And the overwhelming disproportionate nature of his
reward is meant to tell us something about his great big, generous heart.
Key principle: Faithfulness is rewarded with greater opportunities and greater responsibilities.
Key Quote from the Message:
Charles Spurgeon, I do want to get a heavy crown in heaven--not to wear, but to have all the more costly gift to give
to Christ. And you ought to desire the same, that you may have all the more honours, and so have the more to cast at
his feet.
Bottom Line:
Apart from Jesus, you and I will waste our lives.

QUESTIONS
1. How does this text speak to your life?
Followers of Jesus are meant to see themselves in this parable as the servants who have been entrusted with a
stewardship (the mina is the gospel business we are supposed to be engaged in) and are making the most of it.
How does this bring clarity to what Jesus expects of us?
What does this text teach us about the heart of Jesus?

 In light of this parable, how would you answer the question, What kind of me is God calling me to be? In other
words, how does this text challenge you to invest your life for Christ?
Brainstorm the ways in individuals can invest their lives for the sake of the gospel.

2. How does this text speak to us as a church community?

What would it look like for us a church community if we really grasped the idea of stewardship? What would we
need to change? What would we need to repent of?

Brainstorm the ways in which our church community could make sure it keeps the mission of Jesus central.
3. How does this text speak to our city?
How does this text challenge our city to change who / what it lives for? In other words, how does this text challenge
our city to not waste its life?

What kind of new life / future in Christ is this text calling our city to experience?

How do you think Calgary would be different if every Christian saw their lives as a stewardship of the gospel?

CONCLUSION QUESTION
What is the one thing you want to take away from this study to remember or to make a change in your life?

PRAYER
What are some ways you can turn what you are learning into prayer? List them as bullet points.

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