Luke: Follow Jesus - God Works Backstage

OUTLINE:

• Work (Luke 23:50-54)
• Wait (Luke 23:55-56)
• Worship (Luke 23:56)

QUESTIONS:

1. God often seems silent (Isaiah 45:15). When have you experienced a time where God seemed silent? How did you interpret His silence (anger, apathy, absence)?
2. (Luke 23:50-54) God’s in control of who is in control. God had been working behind the scenes long before this moment to prepare what was needed. Can you think of a time when you only later realized God had been preparing people or circumstances before you even knew you needed them?
3. We often believe that everything depends on us. Where are you tempted to carry responsibilities that really belong to God? How can you trust His goodness and providence in those areas today?
4. (Luke 23:55) God’s in control when we have no control. When God seems silent and you're forced to wait, what does your response tend to be (fear, control, self-reliance, anxiety, random activity)? How does remembering that Jesus Himself lay silent in the tomb reshape the way you view your own seasons of waiting?
5. (Luke 23:26) God is in control when I give up all control and rest. The Sabbath required everyone to stop, rest, and trust Him. What makes it difficult for you to stop, rest, and trust? What are you afraid would happen if you stopped trying to control everything? How can you surrender that control to Him and rest in Him today? (Matthew 11:28; Psalm 27:14)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE:

Luke 23:50-56

NEXT WEEK:

Luke 24:1-12