Bible study
The great news for some of you is that all the verses are the same! 🎊🎉 But I did decide to add one additional question… Are you a fan or a disciple? Rather than offering YOUR own response this time around, I strongly encourage each of you to take time to reflect on the topics we’ve discussed so far (i.e. studying and obeying the Word of God, standing up for truth in every situation, finding your identity in Christ, etc.) and ask the Holy Spirit to give you HIS answer. Should make for an interesting discussion!
To make things easier, I’m reposting all of the key verses and questions below.
Key Questions:
- What is the mission of every disciple?
- What is the price of failing at our mission?
- Why should any of us care about the price of failure?
- Are you a fan or a disciple?
Key Verses:
- Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
- John 3:16-21
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:16-21 ESV
For the Men of God:
- The Messengers - Romans 10:9-17
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” Romans 10:9-21 ESV
- The Seed and the Soil - Luke 8:4-15
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:4-15 ESV
- Lasting Fruit - John 15:5-8
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you Love one another as I have loved you. Greater Love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will Love one another. John 15:5-17 ESV
Brad’s thoughts
What is a disciple and what is their mission
A disciple is one who walks with Jesus, not just the twelve apostles > And it happened in these days He went out to the mountain to pray and he was spending the night in prayer with God. And when he became day, He called His disciples and [He] chose twelve from them, whom he theb called the apostles. > Luke 6:12-13
Our mission is to GO: preach, heal, and Love - as we were first taught, healed, and loved. God has given his grace that we may be empowered and emboldened to do miracles in his name, but only to those that will listen (after the cross, this is opened to all who will listen, including gentiles) > Then, after He summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits so they can cast them out and heal every disease and every sickness… 5 Jesus sent these twelve after he commanded them, saying, “on the way, do not go to the heathens and do not enter a Samaritan city, but go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And while you are going, preach saying ‘the kingdom of the heavens has come near.’ You must continually heal sickness, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You took freely, now you must freely give. > Matthew 10:1, 5-8
Failure can come in several ways:
- Not obeying, or staying put
- God calls those that share his “treasured possession.” What does that make us if we don’t share?
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” > Exodus 19:5-6 ESV
- Keeping the light under a bushel
You are the salt of the Earth: but if salt would become tasteless, how will it become salt again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown outside, to be trampled by men. A city laid out on a mountain is not hidden and they do not light a lamp and place it under a bushel, but upon the lamp stand, and it gives light for all those in the house. Your light mist now shine like this before all mankind, so that they would see your good deeds and glorify your father, the one in the heavens > Matthew 5:13-16
- Not taking God seriously
These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
2 Peter 2:17-21 ESV
The price is twofold:
- we condemn others to hell by our inaction
- As a result, our compassion is shown lacking, which calls our faithfulness into question
We Love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I Love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not Love his brother whom he has seen cannot Love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also Love his brother. 1 John 4:19-21 ESV
Or, in the words of Jesus: > You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. > Matthew 5:48 ESV
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-20 ESV
What does failure look like?
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
Romans 11:13, 16-24 ESV
Tags: 2019, 24, discipleship, men, Sept, YP