Home Cell Guide (Sunday, 1st April 2018)
Home Cell
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Psalm 188:22 (ESV) Happy Easter Brethren! The Rt. Rev. Dr. Hannington Mutebi [Assistant Bishop of Diocese of Kampala] preached to the three congregations on the Topic ‘My House shall be called a House of Prayer’ and based on Zechariah 9:9-12 and Matthew 21:1-13. He reminded the congregations that Christians today have become familiar with the message on Palm Sunday and no much attention has been paid to its relevancy in the salvation history of the Church! As a heavenly King, Jesus ushered into us a Kingdom of Peace NOT violance. The Preacher reminded the Parishioners:
• That God’s House transforms all who are willing and ready FOR salvation;
• In reference to Luke 19:41-44 Bishop Mutebi informed Christians while Jesus rode on a donkey as a symbol Kingship, He on the other hand broke down in tears as he approached Jerusalem! Bishop Mutebi pointed out that Palm Sunday is NOT about pomp
and dressing to kill; rather about tears, weeping and crying just as He wept for the City of Jerusalem!
• Jesus Christ himself is weeping over our city of Kampala, Families, the Nations, Work place and Churches! His heart is saddened as illustrated in the three incidents he cried when he was on earth, i.e. when Lazarus died [John 11:35,] at Gethsemane before his crucifixion [Hebrew 5:7] and as He approached the city of Jerusalem [Luke 19:41]. The Preacher also cautioned Christians who spend much time on the prosperity gospel and forget the true essence of accessing the heavenly blessings [2 Thessalonians 3:10]. He pointed out six (6) reasons why Jesus Christ wept for the City of Jerusalem and which also grieve Him now and these include:
1) Jesus knew why those sinners would perish as a result of their willful ignorance [Vs.42];
2) At the thought of what these sinners had lost [Lk. 19:42]. They never knew that the true foundation of peace was Jesus Christ;
3) He wept for all people who are lost; Jesus Christ never lost sight of the fact that he ministered to multitudes who were made up of individuals that had needs and needed an individual savior that loved them.
4) He wept over their neglected opportunity and [Gen 6:3] rejected God! The Bishop urged Christians that God’s plan for our life will never be fulfilled until we follow His footsteps [Hebrews 3:7-8];
5) The Savior wept over their blindness [Vs.42] because the truth was hidden from their eyes;
6) Jesus wept because of their destiny since they deliberately rejected the one who would reconcile them to God and were destined for destruction in hell.
Guiding Questions and Prayer Items
1) What lessons do you draw from the above message?
2) As an individual, what burdens are on your heart which make you weep for your Life, Family, City, Nation and Church? What does Jesus Christ desire from you? [Colossians 3:1-17]
3) Raise your Voices as a Cell groupand surrender those burdens to Him. Choose to allow Jesus.