CELL NOTES 6/7/09

ICE BREAKER

How do you get on with dogs?

THEME

Breaking down barriers: Inclusion

Reading; Matthew 15 : 21 – 28

SERMON OUTLINE

1) Different scenarios ( Preacher in Fargate, hoodies in the car park, arguing parents on the Moor, new faces in church) How do I react?

2) Canaanites were seen by the Jews as lowest of the low, and as bitter enemies.

3) Disciples hear Jesus refer to the woman as a dog – but he uses the word for a family pet, rather than  a nuisance scavenger. Woman thus responds in terms of how a pet may be provided for.

4) Huge compliment for her faith – the word for “great” is the origin of “mega” (This in contrast to Jesus’ criticism of Peter’s faith in 14 : 31.)

5) The disciples put up barriers to try and keep the woman away - an illustration of the human instinct to make judgements and create barriers. Is your first reaction to a new person, “God loves this person”?

6) Our desire to be in the inner circle, and terror of being left outside ( like being picked for the football team), and our tendency to create ever more “inner rings.”

7) What rings do we have at church and elsewhere?  How do we subtly include or exclude people? Who do you talk to at coffee time on a Sunday morning?

8) Jesus broke down barriers and opened the kingdom to all – not just those He had something in common with.

9) Do people comment on the church being friendly, out of surprise – it was not what they had expected?

10 ) So who do I share my “crumbs” with, and how? Who have I dismissed as being not worthy, or prejudged as being somebody who will reject my faith, or me? Do I put things in the way of others which make it hard for them to enter the kingdom?

11) “His kingdom is shamelessly inclusive.”

QUESTIONS OF APPLICATION

At a general level – what has God said to you in the last couple of weeks? How has your Bible reading / prayer time been?

1) Read the passage. What did God say to you on Sunday, and what strikes you most forcibly reading the passage today?

2) When have you felt included or excluded?

3) When have you gone out of your way to include somebody, or a group, or to exclude them?

4) When did you last have a conversation with a new person at coffee time in church?

5) Who are you sharing your crumbs with?