Intro to “Discipleship in the Gospels” “Knee jerk reaction questions”… (critical...

Intro to “Discipleship in the Gospels”

“Knee jerk reaction questions”… (critical thinking!)

1. What is Christianity?

2. What does the term “disciple” mean? (general)

Now apply that to Jesus…

3. What do you think Jesus meant when he said I Luke 9:23-24, “Anyone who comes after me must take up his cross and follow me…?” – What does it mean for someone to “take up their cross”?

4. Think of 1 place in Scripture where Jesus is calling those who would “come after him” to walk in a way that was “costly” to them. (may not know reference, but relate the story or incident.)


“Knee jerk reaction questions”…

5. When do we (as people in general; or you in particular) think of something as being “costly”?

6. Can you think of instances that you would say that your faith in God has “cost you” something?


Review and “Making Connections” – The Kingdom of God and Discipleship

• K is not about the “place” of God, but rather the “rule of God”. • K, then, is dynamic. It is always moving, changing, growing,

advancing.• K happens whenever and wherever men and women submit their

lives to God’s authority. K advances, because God’s rule advances!

• There is a value system of the ruler of the K (God) which we see clearly in the gospels. (Things he cares about that he asks us to care about too…)

• This “Kingdom value system” shatters the assumptions that govern our lives.

Discipleship – Def. #1 = A radical call for those who would call themselves children of God to embrace the values (truths) and actions of the Kingdom established by God. (radical call to get behind the ruler!)


Key question!! – “What do I care about and what about my life shows that I care about it?” (You will pursue that which you “care about”…)

Example: Jesus’ “Kingdom Heart” in the Lord’s prayer

1. “Hallowed be thy name… - (What does it mean to “hallow the name of God?”

* Before Jesus says anything about life on earth or the way we should live our lives, he says… “Father, your fame, your glory, your reknown is the most important thing to me!”

*** Important! – Disciples of Jesus then begin to care about the

glory of God and what that looks like in their lives.

What do we mean when we say “we are meant to glorify God?”


What do we mean when we say “we are meant to glorify God?”* Glory of God = the sum total of his manifest perfections.* I then reflect pieces of his perfection in the world. We make him “look good” in the world!

Stearns’ “The Whole in Our Gospel”:

“God’s love was intended to be demonstrated, not dictated… Our charge is to both proclaim and embody the gospel so that others can see, hear, and feel God’s love in tangible ways.” II Cor. 5

“Jesus view of the gospel went beyond a bingo card transaction. It embraced a revolutionary new view of the world, and earth transformed by transformed people, His ‘disciples of all nations’.

* Disciples which didn’t just have something to say. They had something to live.

“Discipleship in the Gospels”“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in

heaven…”

- “Lord, rule here on earth like you do in heaven! I want that!”

Key question:

Is salvation about NOW or a FUTURE DESTINATION? (II Cor. 9:13)

* In what way(s) is it about NOW?

* In what way(s) is it about “future”?

Do you think we often live like Christianity is about a “future” destination alone? Do you agree with Stearns? (pp 16-17)

“Discipleship in the Gospels”

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

* God’s “kingly rule” is fully established on earth precisely when his heart/thought are received and (happening!) by /in/thru his creation.

* What does this say about the coming of the kingdom? Is God’s vision for the world happening? Is it fully implemented yet?

Already… and Not Yet!

Discipleship Def: #2 – Matthew 6:33 = A disciple is someone who seeks first God’s kingdom (his rule/authority) and his righteousness… and then everything else is “added”. ( not “easy”, but it makes sense…”)

Discipleship in the Gospels – The “Us” (now) piece of the Kingdom coming…

“You and the kingdom coming…” (God’s heart / Your heart)* Give us this day our daily bread… (physical needs)

* Forgiveness (ours / ours of others)

* Keep us from temptation / deliver us from evil.

Bringing the kingdom to earth? Partnering with God (with our lives) , by:

* Providing for others needs, as we are provided for

* Forgiving others, as we are forgiven

* Relying on God to keep us from being polluted by evil

Lordship “IN” us… which produces action “outside” of us


Key Question: If Jesus is modeling for us that God’s rule is only fully established on the earth when people are doing and living life according to the things he cares about (the standards he has set,) is it our doing and living which ushers in God’s rule?

“Faith” as a noun = A set of truths that have been set before me that I

acknowledge as right.

“Faith” as a verb = A set of truths that I have received which actively bring

about change of action/direction.

Bible= Faith always is a VERB!


Christianity – Salvation in Christ

“Conditional” or “Unconditional”?

In what way(s) is our salvation unconditional?

In what way(s) is our salvation conditional?

In what ways do our “works” matter? Not matter?


Key Question: If Jesus is modeling for us that God’s rule is only fully established on the earth when people are doing and living life according to the standards he has set, is it our doing and living which ushers in God’s rule?

Tension of “Doing” (works) and “belief” in the call of discipleship:

A. “Kingdom Life” = Life of “Doing” (=COST)

* Mark 10:32-45 - The cost of the call! “You don’t know what you

are asking…”

* Matt. 6:14-15 – God’s forgiveness of us is in some way dependent on

our forgiveness of others.


Tension of “Doing” (works) and “belief” in the call of discipleship:

A. “Kingdom Life” = Life of “Doing” (=COST)

* Matt. 13:44-46/Luke 14:25-33 – Being prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of our commitment to Jesus. (sacrifice = “major” doing!) – Do we “make plans” for the cost?

* Matt. 25:31-46 – That which someone does to the “least of these” he has also done to Christ. (Parable of the sheep and the goats)

Ultimate tension!! = Those who do not “feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or give the thirsty something to drink” will not see the kingdom of heaven (NOW OR FUTURE) and will depart from the Lord’s presence forever.


DEPART FROM THE LORD? – Why? = Not merely “punishment” for something you didn’t “do”. Rather, because you didn’t “do”, it revealed their “true heart”.

Isaiah 58 – God’s heart for “justice” for the oppressed. Do I have that? Is that growing in me? (If you “know him”.. It is – Luke 6:46)

So….. End of the Spear? Bonhoeffer?

* Why do people “go”? (Bonhoeffer = stay in prison)* Why do they “not go”? (Bonhoeffer’s case = Why do some flee?)

Hebrews 11 – The secret freedom of a life WALKED in obedience.

world - “obedience to authority = bondage/no freedom”

kingdom of God - obedience = freedom

Bonhoeffer – The Cost of Discipleship

“To endure the cross is not a tragedy, it is the suffering that is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ, when it comes it is not an accident but a necessity.” - Why is suffering AND rejection a necessity of a disciple of Jesus Christ?

John 7:6-7 – “Therefore, Jesus told them, ‘The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify that what it does is evil.’ “

Jesus’ “suffering AND rejection – His message of “repentance” and “radical love” are not received.

* How well the world receives YOU is a measure of how intentionally we are walking in the way of radical love and repentance.


“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm, you will gain life.”

-- Luke 21:12-19

Promise:Make up your mind not to worry – I will give words and wisdomYou will have tribulation… - I have overcome the world

(John16:33)Don’t be afraid - My peace I give you (John 14:27)


“ Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘ a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

-- Matthew 10:32-36

Jesus – If “peace in your household” is your primary goal, then don’t follow me. Nothing wrong with pursuing peace in your house, but if it is at the expense of following me, then you’ve misunderstood why I’ve come.

What does it mean to “acknowledge Jesus”?In family? Friendships? Plans? Priorities? Things I care about?


Who Am I? – (the “tension” of the life of discipleship)

* Tension? – Tension of a life lived in which “you are not your own”.

The difficulty and self doubt of learning to “walk after Jesus”: (not simply having your sins forgiven)

“People perceive in me a life of kindness and compassion…” – (Is this who I really am?)

“I feel alone, scared. Like a weakling…” (Am I doing the right thing? Being the right thing?)

“In my head and in my heart I feel weak…”


Who Am I? – (Being “convinced”… no matter the cost)

* “It is here, in prison, that I became the man that you love…”

* When he realized that the Christian life must be lived out, actively following Jesus in a radical way of love and death of self – no matter the cost – he became a true disciple.

To “follow” him? – “True Christianity is about bearing one another’s burdens.” (=costly)

“Hope… the last temptation.” – Why?

Temptation to choose your way, the way of easiest comfort/safe way… and to lay aside the cost.

Kraybill – Successful Failures

Flags? Function?


Discipleship – Def. #3: To do life as Jesus would do it (I John 2:6) because you have answered his call to follow recognizing that his life (the life he has modeled) is most desirable. (You want it; make plans to walk it!)

Collective Identity of Christ’s life? –Symbols? (Flag of a Disciple?)

* Washbasin and Towel

* Before there was a cross or an empty tomb, there had to be a washbasin and towel. (John 13)

* Washbasin and towel – symbolic of the “active” life of love which Jesus modeled. (Now he showed them the full extent of his love…)


.Active life of love that Jesus “taught” AND “modeled” (leads to cross)

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and the second is like it; Love your neighbor as yourself. -- Matt. 19

“Greater love has no man than this: than he lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

“ The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matt. 20:28

“Now he showed them the full extent of his love…” – John 13

“Love; Lay down; Serve; Show” – A life lived, modeled…

Kraybill – Successful Failures (John 13)

John 13 – Why/how was the Son of God able to do this? (basin washing)

* Who am I? (foundational question)

* Jesus knew WHO HE WAS in relationship to the Father. (v 3)

1. Knew.. God had placed all things under his power2. Knew.. He had come from God (where he was

from)3. Knew… He was returning to God. (where he was

going)

* Creates a confidence/security in who you are/what what you’re doing.

Kraybill – Successful Failures (John 13)

What does the basin symbolize for US?

1. The surrender of self and the forfeiting of “personal rights”.

2. Kraybill = They are “tools of the trade” for the disciple of Jesus Christ. – WHY? Because they deliberately/functionally put us in a lower position.


The Cross

* The cross is the natural response to the basin, established by Jesus as the predominant way of living and ruling in this world. (Kraybill)

What did he mean? – Why? = Service/self surrender like this is so foreign to the human heart/way of doing life that it will ultimately lead you to a cross.

Cross:

1. Self death – What does this look like? (INTERNAL DECISIONS)

2. It rocks the foundation of our understanding of “the way life ought to be.” (= EXTERNAL REJECTION / world response)

Intro to “Discipleship in the Gospels” “Knee jerk reaction questions”… (critical...

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Transcript of Intro to “Discipleship in the Gospels” “Knee jerk reaction questions”… (critical...