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LESSON 7

*February 9 - 15

Preparation for Discipleship

Read for This Week's Study:

Memory Text: 

This Week at a Glance: 

How did Jesus prepare His disciples? What principles can we learn for ourselves regarding discipleship from what He said to them before sending them out? What can we learn from the Sermon on the Mount that is crucial for discipleship? What kind of opposition should disciples of Christ expect?

*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 16.

The Appointing of the Apostles

Mark 3 begins with Jesus entering a synagogue and healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, one of His famous Sabbath healings. A great irony is found in these texts (Mark 3:1-12): the rulers sought how they might kill Him, while great multitudes of people flocked after Him. One group feared His power; another coveted to be blessed and benefited by it.

Read Mark 3:13-18. What was happening here? See also Luke 6:12-16.  

From both accounts, it seems that at some point Jesus got away from the great multitude that followed Him, taking with Him a select group of disciples. From among this group of disciples, He then picked out twelve to do the work of apostles.

For this task, Jesus chose the ones He wanted. This implies, as we have seen, that the initiative resides with Him. He extends the call; we respond. This means that we must be available for service, in whatever capacity we are called to serve in.

How do disciples and apostles differ? Disciples were learners. They followed a master to study with that master. The term apostle comes from two Greek words apo and stello, implying "to send from." An apostle was an ambassador or emissary sent to represent a master or a kingdom. While both a disciple and an apostle are students, an apostle received additional training to be sent forth as a representative of the master or organization.

Jesus appointed the twelve so that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. Matthew says that, He "gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (Matt. 10:1, NIV). It appears He chose them to provide trained workers to assist in caring for the large throngs that flocked wherever He went (adapted from The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 322).

How content are you with the work that you are doing for the Lord? Should you be doing more? Could you be doing more? What is holding you back? In most cases, is it not your own pride and selfishness?

The Sermon on the Mount

Many see the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as Jesus' inaugural address, in which He outlined the ethics of His kingdom. It is also, in many ways, a manifesto of discipleship, for it holds the keys to being a faithful disciple of Christ.

Read Matthew 5:1. What was the background of the sermon? To whom did He immediately give it?  

Who knows how many books have been written expounding upon this sermon? For our purposes, we want to look at what things in it are especially pertinent to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Read Matthew 5:13-16. What is the message there for us, as disciples of Christ? Why are these words particularly important to us as Adventists, given our understanding of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12?  

Read Matthew 6:5-13. What important lesson is Jesus giving us here for discipleship?  

Read Matthew 6:19-21. Why are these words, in many ways, the essence of what true discipleship is about? Ask yourself, "Where is my treasure [That is, Where is my heart], in heaven or on earth?" If you do not like the answer, what can you do to change?

The Sermon on the Mount, Continued

As said in a previous lesson, one of the greatest struggles we face as a church is retaining new members, keeping them in the flock after we baptize them. All this is linked with the theme of discipleship, the theme of teaching people what it means to be a follower of Christ, a citizen in His new kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is filled with illustrations and teachings that all disciples of Christ must learn to follow. As we continue studying the sermon, ask yourself, "How can I apply these teaching in my own life? Also, how can our church better teach these things to new members, to make them better disciples of Christ?"

Read Matthew 7:1-5. What important lesson, and warning, is given there that is crucial for all disciples of Christ to learn? What does it mean not to judge?   

Read Matthew 7:15-20. What message is Jesus giving to His disciples here? As you read these texts, ask yourself, What kind of fruit am I, myself, bearing?    

It is one thing to profess being a follower, a student, or a disciple of Christ; it is another to be one. As we seek to make disciples, or to be good disciples ourselves, we must not forget the clear words of Jesus in the following texts.

Read Matthew 7:24-27. Why is it important to understand what Jesus is saying there? What issues are, literally, at stake here? How do we understand these words with the other Bible promises of salvation being by faith and not by works?

Instructions for a Missionary Tour

Jesus' promise that His disciples would be fishers of men (Matt. 4:19) was not immediately fulfilled. At first they observed His activities. While ministering in Galilee "preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness," He saw the crowds and had compassion on them, "because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matt. 9:35, 36, NIV). He commented to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few," and invited them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers (vs. 37, NIV).

Read Jesus' words to the twelve (Matt. 10:1, Matt 10:5-11:1). What principles are found in these words that would apply to us today in our work of seeking to make disciples?  

There is a lot that Christ's modern-day disciples could learn from these texts. One thing, however, that should come through clearly is that witnessing for Christ is not going to be easy. There is going to be opposition, turmoil, and even, in some cases, persecution. Thus, we should not be surprised when these things come. What should concern us is when they do not.

Read again the texts for today. What kind of opposition, turmoil, and suffering should we expect? In what ways have you experienced in your own life some of what Jesus said here almost two thousand years ago?  

Jesus did not promise His disciples an easy time of it. The history of the church proves just how accurate His words were. Yet at the same time, even amid these warnings, the Lord gives these men wonderful words of encouragement and hope. Read those words, those promises, and claim them for yourself. What can you take from them that you need in particular for yourself right now?

Mission of the Seventy

Luke alone mentions that Jesus appointed seventy disciples, whom He sent on a missionary tour (Luke 10:1-23; see also Exod. 24:1, 9). In many ways, His instructions were similar to what He gave to the twelve. After instructing them, Jesus sent them two by two to the towns and places He was about to go. It appears that their mission was preparatory to Jesus' own. In a sense, they were to prepare the way for people to accept Jesus when He came. How does that fit in with what we are to do today in helping prepare people to meet Jesus?

What was the advantage of sending them two by two? What can we take from that for ourselves today?   

Luke 10:17 says the seventy returned from their mission with joy because "the devils are subject unto us through thy name." No doubt, they must have been thrilled at the power given them through Jesus, and they acknowledge that it is His power. Jesus, though, while acknowledging the power given them, tells them to rejoice about the thing that really matters.

Read Luke 10:20. Why did Jesus say this? What message is there for us in these words, as well?   

Doing great deeds in the name of Jesus is no guarantee of salvation (Matt. 7:22, 23), as some will one day find out. Spiritual position, church authority, even great success at winning souls, are not the things that really matter. What really matters is having our names written in heaven, names that are not blotted out (Rev. 3:5), because a name written in heaven means eternal life through Jesus.

Further Study:  

Discussion Questions:

What kind of discipleship program does your own local church have? What are its strong points? Its weak points? What practical steps can your church make to be stronger in the area of discipleship?      When a person joins your local church, what can you do, personally, to help disciple that person along? What specific gifts might you have that can be of help? Also, what about your Sabbath School class itself? What role can and should it have in the discipling process?      Discipling takes disciples, those who know what it means to follow Jesus, to learn from Jesus, to be an imitator of Jesus. What did you learn this week from the texts we looked at that, if applied in your life, could make you better prepared to disciple new members?

Join the SSNET moderated email discussion group.  You are also warmly invited to join a group discussion of this lesson Sabbath morning with your local Seventh-day Adventist congregation.

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