BOUNDARIES: PERVERSE RELIGIOUS IDEAS

GROUP SESSION CONVERSATION GUIDE

RELIGIOUS IDEAS:

• “Jesus took a beating so I guess I’m supposed to as well.”
• This person who crushes my soul, “They must just be my cross to bear.” Translation? “I’m just supposed to accept the violence and offence that you bring into my life.”
• “If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer them the other cheek also.”
• “Just walk in love.” Translation? Just take anything anyone chooses to dish out at you.

This becomes a weird, twisted, perverse interpretation of the text.

1.  Let’s talk about the BIBLICAL FOUNDATION for boundaries. 

• GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF BOUNDARIES:  Through investing free moral agency into mankind. Allowing mankind to experience the consequences of their choices, without succumbing to pressure to rescue them from themselves. And without His nature of love, mercy and compassion, feeling threatened. 

• JESUS’ BOUNDARIES:  Jesus had incredibly strong boundaries – pressure projected on Jesus to rule on things like…

• RIGHT & LEFT HANDS:  “Who will be able to sit on your right and left hands” – Jesus wouldn’t rule.
  • MATTHEW 20:20-26 NKJV Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." 23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but [it is for those] for whom it is prepared by My Father." 24 And when the ten heard [it], they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to [Himself] and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”

• MOUNTAIN REST:  People’s needs depleted him, so he went to the mountain to rest and refresh.

• QUESTIONS FROM PRIESTS AND ELDERS:  They would set him up with questions to catch him, but he didn’t feel the need to answer their questions.

  • LUKE 20:1-8 NKJV Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, [that] the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted [Him] 2 and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?" 3 But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 "The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?" 5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 6 "But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet." 7 So they answered that they did not know where [it was] from. 8 And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

• HARD SAYINGS:  The many disciples were angry at Jesus saying “eat my flesh and drink my blood” and left him. Jesus felt know obligation to negotiate, sweeten the deal, or to be understood.
  • JOHN 6:59-61, 66-67 NKJV These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard [this], said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? ... 66 From that [time] many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"

• PARABLES:  Often as Jesus taught, he knew the audience wasn’t getting “it” but he decided to let them hear in parables, giving the secrets to the ones who where hungry enough to ask.
  • MATTHEW 13:10-17 NKJV And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. [Their] ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with [their] eyes and hear with [their] ears, Lest they should understand with [their] hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed [are] your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 "for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous [men] desired to see what you see, and did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it].

• RULE BETWEEN US:  “Teacher, rule between me and my brother.” Jesus said, “Who am I to rule on this?” He felt no obligation to decide, or be sucked into a triangulation.
  • LUKE 12:13-14 NKJV Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"

• DUST OF FEET:  Jesus tells the disciples, “Go to the villages and if they don’t accept your message, shake the dust off your feet and keep moving. Don’t obsess over who understands and agrees or not.”
  • MATTHEW 10:11-14 NLT "Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.

• GET BEHIND ME SATAN:  Peter challenges Jesus about going into Jerusalem to confront an oppressive, religious system. Jesus simply says, “Get thee behind me Satan.” Jesus saw that it was Satan who was pressuring him to be untrue to himself by allowing someone else’s opinion to define him.
  • MARK 8:31-33 NKJV And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

• KEYS TO THE KINGDOM:  What you allow, God will allow. Consequences of choices.
  • MATTHEW 16:19 NLT [Jesus said], “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven."

2.  What other ways have you witnessed people getting TWISTED BY BAD THEOLOGY?

• WIVES:  Women obeying their husbands (difference in submission and obedience)
• HONORING PARENTS:  Adult children honoring their parents
• LEADERS:  Christian leaders, in church and in the marketplace, feel that if a mission is challenged, or vision and values are challenged, that the Christian mandate is to soften the position to keep peace among the community.