Begin with reviewing the traits of a proud person found in Psalm 10.
A. Boasts of his own desires. (3)
B. Exalts the greedy. (3)
C. Renounces God, does not seek Him, nor have Him in his thoughts. (3c-4)
D. Cannot understand Godliness. (5b)
E. Believes himself to be invincible. (6)
F. Curses and deceives with his mouth. (7)
G. Takes advantage of people. (8-10)
H. Denies the consequences of evil. (11 & 13)
Then explain these traits can be used as barometers to warn us when pride might be manifesting itself in our lives.
Teaching: Begin the study by telling the following story:
The day of his graduation from law school John's pastor approached him to offer him his congratulations. During the course of the conversation his pastor asked him, "John, what are you planning on doing after graduation?" John replied rather proudly, "Well, I thought I would begin my practice by working in the legal aid department of a big city, helping the poor with their legal problems." The pastor replied, "Great, what are you going to do after that?" John replied, "Oh, I'll probably start my own practice somewhere, concentrating in the area of corporate law." Again the questions returned, "What are you going to do after that?" "Well, I guess I'll get married, buy a house, and have children." To this the pastor replied, "What are you going to do after that?" Somewhat frustrated by the reoccurring question the student declared, "Well, after the children are all through college and I've made my fortune, I'll retire from the law practice but remain the chairman of my firm to keep a steady income. Then I plan on traveling around the world for several years." Still again the pastor asked, "What are you going to do after that?" "Well, I guess I'll sell my business, buy a condo in Florida and move there." Once more the pastor asked, "What are you going to do after that?" At this point the mood of the conversation changed. Somewhat sullen now the young man said, "Well, I guess I'll die." Then the pastor quietly asked, "And what are you going to do after that?"
* Everyone, either consciously or unconsciously, has a deep need to feel as though they are serving some purpose on this earth. It is a way of justifying their existence. What were some of the purposes John planned into his life?
1. Occupation
2. Money
3. Family
4. Retirement
5. Pleasure
6. Others
* Had John's life followed this plan, what lasting effect would it have on this world?
* How typical is John's "life plan" to the course most people's lives actually run?
Teaching: Unfortunately, the majority of people's lives on this earth, not only have no lasting value,
but worst of all, lead to an eternity in hell. The passage is certainly true, "There is a way
that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 Now have the
group turn to Matthew 28:18-20.
DISCIPLESHIP: LIFE WITH PURPOSE
Purpose: To reveal that the Christian life is a life of discipleship---Being a disciple of Christ and
making disciples of others.
Teaching: Explain that one of the many benefits of being crucified with Christ is that our search for meaning and purpose for our life has come to an end. Rather than proudly doing this ourselves and failing miserably, we gladly turn this task over to Jesus. Today we will be studying the purpose Jesus has planned for our lives.
Have the group turn to Matthew 28:18-20 and give the group some historical context for
the passage. Many people falsely believe these words were spoken by Jesus moments
before He ascended into heaven. This is not the case. Jesus ascended into heaven from
the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem in Judea (Acts 1:12) while the words of this
passage, often called the "great commission," were spoken on a mountain in Galilee
(Matthew 28:16). (NOTE: WHEN A PASSAGE IS IN PARENTHESIS IN THE
LEADER'S GUIDE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO READ IT DURING THE STUDY.
PARENTHETICAL PASSAGES ARE THERE FOR YOUR PREPARATION AS A
LEADER AND AS A REFERENCE IN CASE A QUESTION IS RAISED ABOUT THE
TEACHING.) These last few verses in Matthew are an account of just one of Jesus' many
appearances after His resurrection. Now read vs. 18 and ask the following questions:
* Why was all authority in heaven and on earth given to Jesus, even the authority to determine the supreme purposes for our life?
He willingly obeyed His Father by becoming man, dying and rising again to redeem man from his
sins.
* Did He not have such authority prior to His resurrection?
Jesus exercised His authority as the Son of God prior to His resurrection, and this authority was
easily recognized (Matthew 7:39 & Mark 1:27). However, as a reward for His sacrificial
obedience God the Father delivered to Him all authority in heaven and on earth.
* What three objectives did Jesus establish for the Christian disciple in verses 19-20?
A. Making disciples, also known as evangelization. (vs. 19)
B. Teaching disciples, also known as discipling. (vs. 20a)
C. Enjoying the presence of Christ. (vs. 20b)
Review with the group the following definitions which are basic to this
study:
="A person who has been reborn by God's grace and is consciously striving to sharpen the
reflection of Christ in his life through the study and application of God's Word." 1 John
2:6 (especially: "walk just as He walked") Illustration: A projector lens projecting an
unclear image can be adjusted for greater clarity. Our witness to Christ is like that
unclear image, it needs to be clarified from time to time.
="Sharing with others the good news of the salvation that is available in Jesus."
="The process of helping another disciple grow in his relationship with Christ through the
teaching and application of God's Word."
* What are some of the prerequisites for a person's taking Jesus' command to "go" seriously?
An individual's willingness to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (see definition above), a personal
conviction in the area of Biblical truth, and a love for those perishing in their sins.
*Can Jesus' command to "go" be fulfilled if we limit our witness to family and friends?
Jesus isn't commanding us to witness only to family and friends, although His command includes
them. When the word "go" is combined with "all people," it becomes obvious we are to search
out people to whom we might witness, not wait for them to come to us. Every unbeliever in our
community is a prospect. When these labors are combined with our support of world missions,
we are fulfilling the command to make disciples of all people.
* Where might we "go" to find people to whom might we witness?
A. The nuclear family (our own household)
B. The extended family (any relative)
C. Church members
D. People at work
E. Neighbors
F. Brief acquaintances: people we meet in the grocery store, at sporting events, etc.
G. Old acquaintances
H. Prospects found while going house to house
I. Others?
*Is the "teaching" mentioned in this verse the mere communication of Biblical facts?
God's Word is to be taught with the intention of its being observed!
Explain that the Greek verb "to disciple" in verse 19 literally means "to
teach with the intent of experiencing or applying," even as the
combination of words in verse 20 clearly declares.
* Who might disciple us?
Any other Christian with greater maturity in an area of the Christian walk than ourselves.
*How would you know if someone were qualified to disciple you?
As this passage lists "the how to's" of discipleship, it is also listing the traits of a good discipler.
Besides having greater maturity than yourself in the area of growth being sought, a discipler
should also joyfully accept Christ's authority over his life, diligently seek to save the lost, study
God's Word daily, and be able to apply it to his life, as well as the lives of others.
* Whom might we disciple?
The sources are as vast as the opportunities to witness listed in the previous listing of evangelism
prospects. If we can assist a person in their walk with the Lord we can disciple them.
Have the group turn to the diagram on the back of the lesson outline.
Man #1 illustrates the teaching of Matthew 28:18-20. (#2 & #3 will be used
later.) At the top of the diagram is Jesus, who has all authority on heaven and
earth. He evangelized His disciples (straight lines on the diagram represent
evangelization) then He discipled them (the wavy lines represent discipling).
They, in turn, evangelized people, teaching them how to be disciples and how to
disciple others. The discipleship process continues to this very day. The chief
authority in the Christian's life is Jesus. He evangelizes and disciples us through
other disciples. As His disciples we evangelize and disciple others who in turn
evangelize and disciple others.
Man #2 illustrates what happens when the authority of Christ is rejected in a
person's life. (He loses the joy of leading others to Christ, and those whom he
might have discipled miss the growth opportunity. Continued rejection of Christ's
authority can result in the loss of one's salvation.)
* What sins might be the cause of a person's refusal to witness or disciple another person?
Ignorance: Some people just haven't been taught what their purposes are in life.
Pride: Some people are just exalting their own will above God's.
Doubt: Some people forget Christ lives through them and He is ready, willing, and able
to empower them to fulfill what He asks them to do. So they doubt their ability to accomplish these commands.
Man #3 illustrates what happens when an individual accepts the authority of
Christ, evangelizes but refuses to be a discipler. (People are saved but left in
spiritual infancy.)
* Explain that most congregational ministry's discipling efforts are limited to Bible classes and
worship---they never establish a ministry of discipling in their midst. What advantages does
person to person discipleship offer that can't be found in larger group studies?
1. Close fellowship between two believers.
2. Increased objectivity in self-evaluation.
3. The discipler can hold the disciple accountable for specific learning and application of Scripture.
4. Personal matters may be discussed, prayed about, and handled by Scriptures.
Finally, have the group turn to John 14:21 and show them from the passage that
loving obedience to the Savior results in, not the end of a person's life, but the
path to a fuller and more intimate relationship with Him. A person who loves
Christ will want to obey Him. As he obeys Christ, Christ manifests His power
through him resulting in a more personal relationship, greater love for the Savior,
etc. This growing relationship between the disciple and His Savior continues until
it is perfected in eternity. Have the group share some personal experiences as to
how their loving obedience to the Savior led to His manifesting Himself and His
power to them in a special way, which in turn led to a more intimate relationship
with Him. Also, with the understanding we now have of discipleship, have the
group rewrite the story of John.
1. Someone who knows me well would probably say the center of my attention, the firstfruits of my time, commitment, and affections is held by:
1. Occupation
2. Money
3. Family
4. Pleasure
5. Church
6. Possessions
7. God
8. Other?
2. There's no question that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ because I am born again, and am consciously striving to sharpen the reflection of Christ in my life through the study and application of God's Word.
True or False
3. Prior to today I have actively "sought out" people to whom I might witness. True or False
4. The last person with whom I shared Christ with was __________. The last person with whom I could have shared Christ was __________.
5. Some reasons why I hesitate to share Christ are (List and then check the valid ones):
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. The last person I formally discipled, that is, established a regular time to meet and upon our
meeting taught the Scriptures and how they might be applied was __________.
7. In what areas might you be qualified to disciple another person? (Examples: doctrine, witnessing, admonishing, victory over specific sin, encouraging, finances, etc. Remember, such discipling must be from God's Word.)
__________________________________________________________________
8. Which person in the discipleship diagram best reflects your role in God's kingdom prior to this day: #1 #2 #3. Which will it be from now on?
Day 1
* Review Lesson 3 using the Leader's Guide.
*Be able to explain in detail the discipleship structure Jesus reveals in Matthew 28:18-20.
* Memorize the definition of a disciple.
* Be sensitive this week to those people the Lord places in your path to whom you might witness, disciple, or who might disciple you.
Day 2
* Quickly review the Lesson 3 material by questioning each other on its content.
* Memorize Matthew 28:18-20
* Using the witnessing opportunity list found on page 4 of the leader's guide as an aid, make a list of the people to whom you need to seek opportunities to witness.
Day 3
* Memorize the definition of evangelism.
* If the story of your life was used to start this week's study instead of the story of John and his pastor, how would it have gone? How do you hope it will be different ten years from now.
* Review your memory work.
Day 4
* Memorize John 14:21
* Study the passage so that you can explain its every phrase and apply it to your life and the lives of others.
* Discuss why this is an important passage to know and when you might use it.
Day 5
* Use Acts 18:24-28 as a devotion. Find the parts of discipling we studied this week in the passage. Is discipling only a one- on-one process? How might discipling be done in the home, at work, through the church, etc.? What does this passage say about lay involvement in discipling?
* Discuss your spiritual weaknesses and someone you might ask to disciple you in these areas. Can you and your study partner possibly disciple one another?
Day 6
* Share with your study partner some of the opportunities to witness and/or disciple you recognized and took advantage of this week.
* Review all your memory work of this study: Proverbs 16:18, Galatians 2:20, Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:21, the definition of pride, a disciple, evangelism and discipling.