January 5, 2020

Matthew 1:18-21; 2:13, 19-20; 28:1-7

1. We began & ended by talking about being informed & formed by the Word of God. How do you plan to grow in your knowledge of God’s Word in 2020 & how do you hope to be spiritually formed by the truths of God’s Word in 2020?

2. Then we went through the passages given above & Pastor Nate began addressing multiple questions on the subject of angels. What are some of the major misconceptions that were addressed that you found helpful?

3. Pastor Nate said that angels are created beings with a moral judgment & intelligence that lack physical bodies. He referenced Hebrews 1:14; 2 Peter 2:4; Luke 24:39 to unpack this definition. Prior to Sunday’s message, how much of our thinking & defining of angels based on Scripture versus outside sources?

4. We also talked about the ways angels bring glory to God. Several ways were offered from the Scriptures (Dan. 8-10; 1 Tim. 5:21; 1 Kings 19; Heb. 1:14; Acts 12; Rev. 12:7-8; Luke 15:12; Rev. 5:11-12): angels deliver information on God’s behalf, deliver instruction on God’s behalf, deliver the people of God from danger, guard/protect the people of God, encourage, execute divine judgment, engage in battle, rejoice when one is saved…and ultimately exalt the Lord. Walk through some of these acts & discuss how they bring glory to God.

5. Then we received 4 warnings: never worship angels, never pray to angels, never seek angels, never affirm one who claims to have received new doctrinal revelation from God as the canon of Scripture is closed. How relevant are these warnings to our world today?

6. The final portion of the message dealt with the example given by the angels as servants of God that fulfill God’s Will promptly, joyfully, & humbly while unashamedly worshipping God. How can we encourage one another to be marked by these qualities (serving God promptly, joyfully, & humbly; worshipping God gladly & unashamedly) in 2020 as a community group?