LESSON 1

MEMORY VERSE

‘And he said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’. Matthew 4:19

BIBLE PASSAGE

Luke 14:25-33

INTRODUCTION

Becoming a disciple of Jesus involves a divine process which demands an “Ultimate Commitment” to follow Him in total obedience to the Holy Spirit daily. “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” Luke 9:23. God is only committed to those who are committed to following Him at all costs in total compliance with the principles Jesus taught. It is a journey to grow unto the fullness of His Person Colossians 2:9-10, Ephesians 4:13.

LESSON OUTLINES

1. VOLUNTARY DISCIPLESHIP
2. SPIRITUAL MENTORSHIP
3. OBEDIENCE IN DISCIPLESHIP

VOLUNTARY DISCIPLESHIP

It is God’s holy desire to make us become like Him and He has put in place the instrument of discipleship to achieve this, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 9:23. However, God will not override our will or force any one to come to Him. Jesus knew no one could come to God except through Him, yet He did not threaten or force His Disciples to follow Him (…”IF any man will come after me, LET him…”). It’s a very personal choice, no one must be cajoled, coerced or forced into it. Pastors and leaders should only expose their church members/followers to every opportunity to become true disciples and grow in Christ. They should not force anyone into discipleship to Christ for their personal gains i.e of increasing membership/financial. To voluntarily “come after” Jesus involves:

• i. Conviction backed up by response – Jesus did not commit Himself to the Disciples, but they chose to believe in His Name because they had conviction through His deeds John 2:23-25
• ii. Peculiarity in following Jesus – Peter in John 21:15-25
• iii. Pace in following Jesus -Thomas in John 20:19-20 and 24-29
• iv. It is a voluntary decision; it is NOT based on assumption – Ruth in Ruth 1:16-18 / Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-21 / Matthew in Matthew 9:9 / Peter in Mark 10:28 / Luke 5:1-11
• v. It is a conscious choice and non-coercive, so one can withdraw anytime – John 6:59-70

SPIRITUAL MENTORSHIP

• i. Spiritual mentors are mature believers in Christ that we can model our Christian life on even as they continue to follow Christ daily. They are helpers on our journey of following Jesus; they are to connect us to God directly to become like Jesus Galatians 4:1-2
• ii. Provide guidance to the people John 1:19-37
• iii. The disciples followed the examples of Jesus (as a man) and learned from Him directly – Matthew 4:18-23
• iv. Submission to the spiritual mentors God provides to us aid the process of our growth in the character of Christ Galatians 4:1-2 / Luke 6:40
• v. Paul and Silas mentored Timothy the young disciple. Acts 16:1-5

Romans 14:5-8 – It is especially important that we allow the Holy Spirit to fully persuade us that these mentors are from God as we follow them. ONLY true disciples of Jesus can make disciples for Jesus 2 Timothy 2:1-2.

OBEDIENCE IN DISCIPLESHIP

• i. The focal point in following Jesus is learning to obey God daily in details as found in His Word, His Instructions, His examples, His Will, etc John 10:27-30.
• ii. The Knowledge of Christ develops in us as we learn to obey Him in everything Matthew 28:16-20.
• iii. Obedience helps us to respond to God’s grace in faith Romans 1:5.
• iv. However, learning simple obedience to those in authority over us in Discipleship; forms a basis for our total obedience to God and in following Jesus Romans 13:1-2.

Those who truly love God are always ready to obey Him in all things. Our daily prayer must be “Lord, teach me from my heart to say Your Will be done (My God, My Father, While I Stray – Charlotte Elliott).

CONCLUSION

Following Jesus is an unconditional surrender to God in all areas. Believers are encouraged to pray, trust the Holy Spirit to lead them to follow the right mentors that will guide them in following Jesus the right way. Consistency and continuity in reading the word of God are key to following Jesus and being His disciples indeed.

FURTHER READINGS

Mon: Matthew 10:34-39, Tue: Acts 4:13, Wed. 2 Timothy 3:10-12, Thurs: Mark 10:29-30, Fri: Romans 15:5, Sat: Luke 14:26-27, Sun: John 12:25-26

WORKBOOK ACTIVITIES / QUESTIONS

1. Discuss what involuntary discipleship can lead to?
2. What are the dangers of not following Jesus or His mentors correctly? (Gehazi and Judas Iscariot)?