Lesson 4: WHY do we Follow?
Review Main Points from our class lessons: In your small groups, discuss the
most memorable things you have learned.
Can you express the "So what?" and the "Now what?"
· Can you remember any of the
goals we have for the class?
· Can you share what we know
about Vision?
· Can you tell your story as it
relates to the Gospel?
· Can you declare the amazing
characteristics of the One we are to Follow?
· Biblical Vision given to us
by Christ - "Go into all the world, teach, make disciples, baptizing them
and mentoring them so that they can be transformed into everything Christ wants
to see in a believer.
· Local Vision relevant to a
location. A Missional Community share the vision of Christ beyond the walls of
a building. They share in and understand each other's struggles, and spend time
mentoring and nurturing the community of believers to prepare them for
"going". A Missional Community knows where to place their priorities
and knows how to support the Plans and Goals they have set inline with God's
vision for the world.
· Personal Vision is relevant
to our talents, perspectives, social contacts, special interest groups,
families, and close friends.
Review: What should our God-ordained Vision be?
Discuss this in your small groups.
Listen to ( first 8 minutes) Follow Me by David Platt (Listen to the rest on your own)
Did you listen to Francis Chan's "The Great Commission?" If yes,
discuss with your group what you remember from that video lesson.
What is a Disciple? Not just a Follower, as many followed Jesus but where not
His
Disciples.
(10 Minutes) Build a working definition of “Disciple”. Use the Scriptures below
to
help you summarize your thoughts.
In the Lord’s own words, what are the conditions of Discipleship?
Matthew 5:13 [ Disciples and the World ] “You are the salt of the earth;
but if the salt has become
tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to
be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
Matthew 10:24 [ The Meaning of Discipleship ] “ A disciple is not above
his teacher, nor a slave
above his master.
Matthew 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said,
“Behold My mother and My brothers!”
Matthew 16:24 [ Discipleship Is Costly ] Then Jesus said to His disciples,
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross
and follow Me.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Luke 14:26 “ If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and
mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his
own life, he cannot be My
disciple.
Luke 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot
be My disciple.
Luke 14:33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up
all his own
possessions.
John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “ If you
continue in My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one
another.”
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so
prove to be My
disciples.
John 15:18 [ Disciples’ Relation to the World ] “ If the world hates you,
you know that it has
hated Me before it hated you.
John 17:13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so
that they may have
My joy made full in themselves.
John 21:24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and
wrote these things, and we
know that his testimony is true.
Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for
an entire year they met with the brethren and taught considerable numbers;
and the disciples were first
called Christians in Antioch
Acts 11:29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each
of them determined
to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.
Acts 13:52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 14:21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made
many disciples, they
returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to
continue in the faith,
and saying, “ Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
FOLLOWERS WHO LEFT
· Those who began as followers,
but did not make it to Discipleship are seen in John 6:66 “As a result of
this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore”.
· What was the reason these
followers walked away from Jesus?
Not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. "Depart from me I NEVER KNEW you!" Matthew 7:21f and John 3:3-5
It would be important for us the BE KNOWN by God.
HOW ARE WE KNOWN BY GOD? Romans 5:1-5
Reflect on Being IN
Christ (application study) – ALL ___________are found IN
Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3)
In your small group, list all the
spiritual blessing you can think of.
Are there ANY spiritual blessings
found outside of Christ?
The Holy Spirit does something
AMAZING in your Bible! He ALWAYS gives glory to Christ for every spiritual
blessings mentioned in the text. If you find a spiritual blessing, very near
and usually right next to each blessing, the Holy Spirit gives glory to Christ.
If we are full of the Spirit, will we not do the same?
Here is how the Spirit does it. He
includes a phrase that POINTS directly to Christ next to every spiritual
blessing in text. Phrases like: “In Him”,
“Through Him”, “By Him”, “In the Beloved”, “In Christ”, etc.
Assignment: Read through Ephesians 1. Underline each reference to Christ and
put a * by the Spiritual Blessing you find near that reference. Not ALL the
blessings are found in this chapter, but a huge number of blessings are found.
You can now read your Bible with a clearer understanding as you identify
spiritual blessings attributed to Christ.
EPHESIANS 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which
He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His
will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in
Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having
been predestined according to His purpose who works
all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of
your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the
Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you
a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His
power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of
the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under
His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Because
ALL spiritual blessing are found IN Christ, would it not be
important to find out HOW one is placed INTO Christ?
·
Reflect on this Scriptures to
formulate your answer: 2 Thess 1:7-9 What groups of folks will be
Lost?
·
What is the Gospel? 1
Cor 15:1-3?
·
How do we Obey the Gospel:
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?Romans 6:3-11
·
If we have been buried with
Christ, what promises do we have? Col 2:9-13; 3:4
·
If we have been raised with
Christ, what promises do we have? Col 3:1; Romans 6:4
·
What are the Spiritual
Blessings we have if we are “in Christ”? Eph chapter 1
·
What is the promise if we
call on His Name in Baptism? Acts 16: 22
·
What is the promise if we
have faith in the working of God in Baptism? Col 2:12
·
What is the problem with
“faith Only”? James 2:19, 26 & Luke 4:41
·
We must be born of both
“Water & the Spirit” What does this mean? Titus 3:5-7; Eph
5:25-26
What were some of the Old Testament Types & Anti-Types leading us to recognize
the significance of Christ's Sacrifice, Lordship, and God's Redemptive Plan.
They help us to better understand the significance of water baptism? Examples
· Noah- God cleansed the earth
with water
· Moses baptized Israel in
water 1 Cor 10:2
· Prophets, Priests, Kings,
& Judges using water to purify Israel
· Joseph cast down by brothers
into a "grave", arose to prophecy and save his people
from disaster.
· Priests – cleansed by water
before entering the Tabernacle
· Ezekiel 47:12 – water flowing
from the sanctuary.
What baptism in NOT: A work you do to prove that you are a Christian
DYING TO SELF - Kyle Idelman
NOTICE: People do not baptize themselves. Christ died to Himself in obedience
to the Father's will. The Father raised Jesus from the dead, just as someone
must bury us and raise us from the watery grave. We participate in the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and thus become a new creation in the
Kingdom of God.
REVISITING GOD's PLAN of SALVATION
