It is of no small interest and importance that in choosing leaders, Jesus picked from among the humbler, less-educated class of people. Christ did not choose the learning or eloquence of the Sanhedrin. Passing by the self-righteous teachers, the Master Worker chose humble, unlearned men to proclaim the truths that were to move the world. These men He purposed to train and educate as the leaders of His church. They in turn were to educate others and send them out [...]
Key Thought : Knowledge that includes an experience in faith, hardship, sanctification, and self-sacrifice along with doctrine prepares disciples to become leaders.
[Lesson plan for Discipling Spiritual Leaders March 10, 2014]
1. Have a volunteer read John 16:7-12.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. Was there more truth that the disciples needed to learn through the study of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
c. Personal Application: [...]
Read Luke 6:20-49. In what ways are both knowledge and experience revealed in these texts? That is, how are they blended here in a way that shows why both are needed, not only in our own walk with the Lord but in disciple-making, as well?
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Spiritual knowledge is indispensable for spiritual transformation. Christ Himself was regarded as the Master Teacher. In open classrooms bordered by seashores, mountains, and God’s created wonders, Christ disseminated transformative knowledge. [...]
Information was an irreplaceable component of Jesus’ message. Information alone cannot transform, but every transformation includes information. Certainly, concepts possess no inherent power for initiating change; God’s Spirit, however, working through human hearts, constitutes the irreplaceable element necessary for conversion.
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Read John 16:7-14. What is Jesus saying here that helps us to understand how limited intellectual knowledge is, in and of itself, in the understanding and experiencing of true Christianity?
Biblical knowledge coupled together with God’s [...]
Christ’s earthly sojourn was relatively brief. Therefore, the training of disciple-makers was imperative. Whom should He select? How many should He choose? Jesus’ disciples doubtless numbered in the hundreds. Should everyone undergo mass education? Christ understood that leadership was cultivated effectively within small groups, not mass-produced through lectureships. Limited numbers would be chosen for Christ’s initial graduating class.
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Study Luke 6:12-16. What did Jesus do before He chose His disciples, and why was this so [...]
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 6:12-16, John 16:7-14, Luke 6:20-49, Jer. 50:31, Isa. 57:15, Acts 1.
Memory Text: Now it came to pass in those days that those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles. (Luke 6:12-13, NKJV)
While Jesus was ever active in making disciples, He recognized [...]
The central Sofia Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bulgaria had a vision to record Sabbath school lessons and sermons to upload on the Internet for anyone to watch. They had purchased the camera and other basic equipment to operate the studio, but they needed a few more pieces of equipment. Where would they get the money to buy the needed equipment? They prayed and they searched, but they hadn’t been able to complete the studio.
Then one Sabbath after vespers, a Bulgarian [...]
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, The Great Commission, pp. 25-34; Pentecost, pp. 35-46, in The Acts of the Apostles; In the Outer Court, pp. 621-626, The Good Samaritan, pp. 497-505, in The Desire of Ages.
“A certain Samaritan, in his journey, came where the sufferer was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. He did not question whether the stranger was a Jew or a Gentile. . . .
Thus the question, Who is my neighbor? is forever [...]
In the Old Testament God wanted to be Israel’s king, but in 1 Samuel 8:5-7 Israel rejected God as their king and said they wanted to have a king like all the other nations have. Centuries later, Pilate asks the Israelites,
Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. John 19:15
So for centuries God’s own people were basically saying, “Give us any king but God!” Instead of discipling the nations, they were discipled by the [...]
Today we visit the Museum of Discipleship. We’ll take a stroll through the displays showcasing the legends of the gospel proclamation. Each room houses priceless treasures belonging to the heirs of salvation. Of particular interest today will be our visit to the Discipling the Nations gallery.
You’ll notice, as we make our way to our destination, the various hallways of honor. The Wall of Courage contains many of our Bible heroes. Joshua, David, Gideon, Moses, Joseph, Paul and Noah are just [...]
[Thought questions for Discipling the Nations March 5, 2014]
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1. “My house…of prayer for all nations.” When you find a place in your church this Sabbath for the worship service, will you think of yourself being in a “house of all nations”? How do the intense efforts of the evil one to separate us from one another in every possible way give proof to God’s far-reaching plan to draw us together in love for Him? How could it [...]
Read Romans 15:12; Acts 1:7-8; John 11:52-53; Matthew 28:19-20. What’s the essential message here, and how does this message fit in so well with the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14?
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God’s final work is incomplete until the eternal gospel expressed in the message of the three angels found in Revelation 14 has crossed every racial, ethnic, national, and geographical boundary. Without divulging the precise timing, Scripture unequivocally states that this gospel will reach around [...]
