First Baptist Church Delray

Sermon Application Questions

January 11, 2026

Pastor Steve’s Message: “The Unleavened Life”

Scripture: Luke 12:1-12 (ESV)

Review the Exegesis of the Scripture

Read Luke 12:1

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were

trampling one another, he (Jesus) began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the

Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

1. How does leaven affect dough when you are preparing to bake bread?

2. How did God use leaven as a symbol of sin and pride in preparation for Passover

according to Exodus 12:15?

Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out

of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh

day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

3. What did Jesus call people who pretend to be more than they are, claiming to be godly,

but refusing to follow Jesus?

4. What did Jesus warn the people about being around the hypocritical Pharisees?

Read Luke 12:2–3

(Jesus continues,) “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be

known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you

have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”

5. Does hypocrisy really work? Will the truth eventually come out at some point, in this life

or the next?

6. What about our human nature lures us to be hypocritical?

Read Luke 12:4–7

(Jesus continues,) “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have

nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has

killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two

pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all

numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

7. Can what others think of us truly help or hurt us in light of eternity?

8. Why should we only care about what God thinks?

Read Luke 12:8–12

(Jesus continues,) “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man

also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be

denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will

be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when

they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious

about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you

in that very hour what you ought to say.”

9. Who will Jesus receive in heaven?

10. Who will Jesus not receive in heaven?

11. Is forgiveness available when a believer “speaks a word against the Son of Man,” that is,

falls into sin due to human frailty?

12. Is forgiveness available when a person “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit,” that is,

rejects the saving work of God through Jesus’ death on the cross and refuses to repent

and believe?

13. What assurance did Jesus give us for times we face persecution?

Make Personal Applications of the Scripture:

14. What kinds of crowd-pressured leaven exists in our lives today?

a. Going to church on Sunday but living like everyone else on Monday

b. Condemning the sins of others while committing similar sins in private

c. Claiming to be saved by Jesus while intentionally dishonoring Him in your private life

15. Imagine breaking free of the tyranny of the crowd: What if your actions were driven by

fear of Jesus and respect for Jesus?

16. Will you determine to remain aware of ways the world draws you into hypocrisy? And to

remain aware of ways your human nature draws you into hypocrisy?

17. Have you been living in intentional sin, knowing it’s wrong, but justifying it claiming that

Jesus will forgive you? Will you stop essentially denying Jesus and repent?

18. As an exercise in living an unleavened life, bring to mind a problem you are struggling

with and ask yourselves these questions:

a. How can I let the fear, respect and worship of Jesus rule my actions?

b. How can I ruthlessly remove the leaven of hypocrisy that rises from the pressure of

the crowd?

c. How can I fear only Jesus because He is the one who determines my eternal

destination?

d. How can I think eternally, not temporally?