Becoming Disciplined

Scripture Reading: Luke 14:28-33.

Memory Verse: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples in deed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32).

INTRODUCTION: There is no personal cost in becoming a Christian--everything is a free gift from God. But there is a cost to becoming a disciple--it costs your whole life. Jesus encouraged us to count the cost--in other words, to weigh up the relative values and see whether giving up everything is worth what God gives us in return. Like the pearl merchant of Matthew 13:45-46, when we find something that is worth far more than all we have put together, there is no sacrifice to give up everything we have. If you want to be a disciple of the Lord, you must be willing to meet certain conditions:
 

• Give the Lord total priority (Matt. 10:37).
• Follow the Lord (Matt. 10:38,39).
• Do without life's comforts (Matt. 8:19,20).

  Being a disciple means that all that we are and all that we have now belongs to Jesus! In the parable Jesus told in Luke 14:16-24, note the excuses people gave for not obeying the call:
 

• Possessions (verse 18)
• Work (verse 19)
• Family (verse 20)

  All that God asks from us is to be willing to put Him first in everything. God then responds to our willingness with His grace, and we soon find that we are not only willing to do God's will, but also want to. God's grace then anoints our desire and helps us to actually do what God calls us to do!

LESSON QUESTIONS:

1. What does being a disciple of Jesus mean? Mark 1:17,18; Luke 5:27,28.

2. What are eight qualities Jesus is looking for in a disciple? John 14:15,21; Hebrews 5:7,8; John 8:28-31; Luke 9:62; Acts 14:22; 1 Peter 2:19-23; Hebrews 3:1,2; John 15:8; Matthew 20:20-28; John 13:1-16, 34-35.

3. What three parts of Aaron's body were touched by the blood of the sacrifice? Leviticus 8:18-28.
Note: The ear represents listening to the word of the Lord. The thumb represents doing the will of the Lord. The toe represents walking in the paths of the Lord.

4. How is our act of consecration like the Old Testament burnt offerings? Hebrews 10:1; Leviticus 1:9-13; 8:18-21; Romans 12:1.

5. What actions must we take to be disciples of Jesus? Matthew 16:24; 2 Timothy 2:21-25; 1 Timothy 6:11,12.

6. What reward will be received by those who follow after the Lord? Revelation 14:4,5; Colossians 3:24; Hebrews 9:15; John 17:2,3.

7. What is the importance of disciplined prayer? Ephesians 6:18,19; Philippians 4:6,7; Jude 20,21; Isaiah 55:6,7.

8. What is the importance of regularly meditating on God's word? Joshua 1:7,8; Psalm 1:1-3; Proverbs 2:1-5.