Friday: Further Study
Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ’s burdens. We cannot follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him.
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give up our darling desires, and step in Christ’s footsteps.
-Ellen G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 69.
Discussion Questions:
- Go back and look at the question at the end of Wednesday’s lesson, in regard to Luke 10:24. What are some of the things that we, living in this day and age, have been privy to witness that
many prophets and kings
would have liked to see but didn’t? What about, for example, the fulfillment of prophecies? Think about how much of Daniel 2:1-49, Daniel 7:1-8:27 were still in the future for many of those prophets and kings but are now historical facts for us. What else can you think of? - Dwell more on the words of Jesus about someone gaining the whole world but losing one’s soul. What does He mean by that? Or what about losing one’s life in order to save it? What does that mean? It’s one thing for a nonbeliever to cling selfishly to the things of this world. Why not, because that’s all they believe that they have. What else would they cling to? But why, even as believers in Jesus, those who know that this world will end and a new one will one day start, do we find ourselves so readily seeking to gain as much of this world as we can? How can we protect ourselves from this very dangerous spiritual trap?
- Read Luke 10:17-20. One can understand the excitement of these people as they saw that even demons were subject to them in Christ’s name. Look at Jesus’ response to them. What was He saying that’s so important for anyone involved in outreach to understand?
- Who are some people, besides Bible characters, whose choice to follow Christ has cost them a lot, perhaps more than most of us? In class, ask yourselves,
What did these people lose, what did following Christ cost them, and would I be willing to do the same?
(15)
Following Christ it wonderful. I have leaned to follow Christ daily meaning that whatsoever things I do I must to all to glorify his name. I am a preacher who preach the truth to those who wants to hear it, I do train and hospital ministry. This weeks leason has revieved me and it makes me to continue lifting up my cross and follow Jesus footsteps to Calvary tree, being a christian simply means to follow him daily.
"Christ has for sin atonement made; what a wonderful Savior." These words echo in my mind when I reflect on the lesson for this past week. As we deny ourselves, let us take up the cross and follow the One who selflessly bore it for us to His death. There isn't anything in this life that we can acquire that is more valuable than this gift - eternal life through Christ. All that we do should glorify Him.
-THE FISHER OF MEN'S BAIT-
In order to catch a fish one needs a bait- The purpose of the bait is to draw the fish to the catch. Jesus called in the multitude of the fish that morning using His word as the bait- What a success!!!
Well Jesus has also provided for us a bait as we fish for men and it is found in John 12:32-33 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. he said, signifying what death he should die." (KJV)
The Cross of Christ seen in prophecy and the life of His disciples is the bait for the big catch...
"They presented Christ as the one who, seeing the helpless condition of the fallen race, came to redeem men and women by living a life of obedience to God's law and by paying the penalty of disobedience. And in the light of the cross many who had never before known of the true God, began to comprehend the greatness of the Father's love." {AA 207.2}
You can also read this in connection to the above comment.
“The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing of the love
of Christ... It is that men may understand the joy of forgiveness, the
peace of God, that Christ draws them through the manifestation of His
love. If they respond to His drawing, yielding their hearts to His grace,
He will lead them on step by step, to a full knowledge of Himself, and
this is life eternal” (Our Father Cares, p. 204, para. 7).
May God help us make Jesus' demonstration of His Eternal Love on the Cross as the message for to draw all His sin stricken children out there... God Bless
All Christians have defects of character and things of this world that attract us. dying to self and taking up ones cross daily means to consecrate oneself each morning to God and ask Him for His Holy Spirit to be willing to allow Him to guide us to say no to the things of the world that attract us and to also be willing to let Him chip away the defects in our characters that tend to want to stay and be part of our unchristlike selves and then do this again at the end of each day and leave all our days accomplishments and failures at the foot of His CROSS.