Called to Discipleship by Jesus . . . OR . . . Being Seen for What We Might Become!

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery
January 19, 2008
Larry R Evans

Quiz for Reflection

1. The calling of a disciple often begins long before the formal call, “Come!,” is heard. [Jn 1:35-39] True or False?

2. Being a disciple of Christ is a private matter between Christ and the one called. [Jn 1:45] True or False?

3. The call of Nathanael’s call revealed some latent prejudice which had to be overcome. [Jn 1:45-51] True or False?

4. When building a team it is best to build around a core of well respected individuals knowing that they will be a primary influence upon others. [Mt 9:9-13; Lk 18:10,11] True or False?

5. To be a true and effective disciple of Christ we must count the cost before making the commitment to follow. [Heb 11:1; Mk 10:35-40] True or False?

6. It is characteristic of those who follow Christ to feel unworthy before being entrusted with a call to service. [Isa 6:5; Desire of Ages, p. 246] True or False?

Introductory Reflections

There is a conventional proverb that goes like this: “What you see is what you get!” (In computer language it is called WYSIWYG) When it came to Jesus calling His disciples, He saw more than what He got because He saw what each one could become. What He saw did not stop with what they were nor was it the sum of their strengths and weaknesses. It is this extraordinary belief in what others can become that speaks to the hearts of all—rich or poor, dignitaries and commoners. It gives to each a new life horizon. The doctrine of “recreation” defies human logic as much as does the doctrine of creation. Uncommon commitment to a radically new life comes from a radical call to a new kind of discipleship—a discipleship made possible by a new kind of Teacher. Those who follow as disciples of this Teacher reflect the mind of the One who called them. Note the following counsel by Ellen White when working with others: “To tell tempted souls of their guilt in no way inspires them with a determination to do better. . . Hold up before them the possibilities that are theirs. Point them to the heights to which they may attain. Help them to take hold upon the mercy of the Lord, to trust in His forgiving power. Jesus is waiting to clasp them by the hand, waiting to give them power to live a noble, virtuous life. {EG White, Christ Triumphant, p.89.2} This is reminiscent of Paul when he said,

2Co 5:15-17 “[Christ] included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! {The Message}

So when Jesus called His disciples, He was offering them a new beginning and a power to sustain that new beginning and that is the theme of our study for today.

Reflections Through Study

1. The calling of a disciple often begins long before the formal call, “Come!,” is heard. [Jer 1:4-8; Jn 1:35-39] True

It is easy sometimes to assume that we must be the architect of “winning the world” but isn’t it interesting how God puts in place events and the words of His servants to bring to us the very message He wants us to hear. Take, for example, the setting of John the Baptist preaching and naming Jesus as “The Lamb of God” at the very time when two future disciples in Jn 1:35-39 came to listen. The very message they needed to hear was preached when they were there. Coincidence or providence?

John 1:32-42

32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter). (NIV)

The calling of the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, suggests that this is a pattern of God’s work for us:

Jer 1:4-8

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. (NIV)

2. Being a disciple of Christ is a private matter between Christ and the one called. [Jn 1:45] False

John 1:43-46

3 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," said Philip. (NIV)

“Andrew seemed to have understood a vital principle of discipleship: It is neither for private use nor does it belong to a gated community or an exclusive club. Rather, it is an experience that must be shared with others.” --Quarterly, Jan. 13)

Andrew’s first response to “the good news” was to share it with his brother. The call of discipleship is never a call to isolation but into a community. The work of being a disciple, however, must recognize one vital and humbling principle: we can only reach out to another through Christ. We have nothing in and of ourselves to offer that will bring meaning and fulfillment to someone else. Note how Bonhoeffer puts it:

“We are separated from one another by an unbridgeable gulf of otherness and strangeness which resists all our attempts to overcome it by means of natural association or emotional or spiritual union. There is no way from one person to another. However, loving and sympathetic we try to be, however sound our psychology, however, frank and open our behavior, we cannot penetrate the incognito of the other man, for there are no direct relationships, not even between soul and soul. Christ stands between us, and we can only get in touch with our neighbours through him. That is why intercession is the most promising way to reach our neighbours, and corporate prayer, offered in the name of Christ, the purest form of fellowship. (pp. 109-110)

3. The call of Nathanael’s call revealed some latent prejudice which had to be overcome. [Jn 1:45-51] True

John 1:43-49

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." (NIV)

“Nathanael’s response is intriguing. His initial question, ‘Can anything good come from [Nazareth]?’ judged Jesus based on His place of origin, not His person or mission. Left unchecked, prejudice and preconceived ideas can derail discipleship. Disciples can and must learn from Philip’s response to Nathanael. He neither fussed at him nor attempted to argue with him or change his mind. Rather, he simply said, ‘Come and see.’” (Betram Melbourne in Called to Discipleship, p.28)

4. When building a team it is best to build around a core of well respected individuals knowing that they will be a primary influence upon others. [Mt 9:9-13; Lk 18:10,11] False

Matt 9:9-13

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (NIV)

Jesus clearly selecting someone on the fringes of accepted society. As a publican he was considered among the worst by the Jews.

[NOTE: Publican—A proprietary collector of internal revenue for Rome. Instead of collecting taxes directly, through its own officials, the Roman government auctioned off the privilege within a province or a city to a wealthy citizen who paid a stipulated sum, irrespective of how much he was later able to collect, whether more or less.” --SDA Dictionary, p.891]

“The Pharisees had judged Matthew according to his employment, but Jesus saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth. Matthew had listened to the Saviour's teaching. As the convicting Spirit of God revealed his sinfulness, he longed to seek help from Christ; but he was accustomed to the exclusiveness of the rabbis, and had no thought that this Great Teacher would notice him.

Sitting at his toll booth one day, the publican saw Jesus approaching. Great was his astonishment to hear the words addressed to himself, "Follow Me." Matthew "left all, rose up, and followed Him." There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work.

So it was with the disciples previously called. {E.G. White, The Desire of Ages, p.272-273}

When it came to building His “team of closest associates” Jesus did so irrespective of social class or public opinion. He built a team around values and in this case a willingness to surrender everything for the mission which would soon be entrusted to them.

[Note the following counsel for all would be disciples who wish to bring hope and healing to a world bent on self-destruction:

“A Christlike nature is not selfish, not unkind, and will not hurt the souls of those who are struggling with Satan's temptations. It will enter into the feelings of those who are tempted that the trials and temptations shall be so managed as to bring out the gold and consume the dross. This is the practice which God appoints to all. In this, Christ's school, all may learn their lessons daily, both teachers and pupils, to be patient, humble, generous, noble. You will all have to seek God most earnestly in prayer mingled with living faith, and the molding hand of God will bring out His own image in your character. Temptations will come, but not overcome. But through grace found in opening the heart to the knock and voice of Jesus, Christian character and experience are growing more and more beautiful and heavenly. Let us bear in mind that we are dealing with souls that Christ has purchased with infinite cost to Himself. O tell the erring, God loves you, God died for you. Weep over them, pray with them. Shed tears over them, but do not get angry with them. They are Christ's purchased possession. Let every one seek a character that will express love in all his actions.” Ellen White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p280]

5. To be a true and effective disciple of Christ we must count the cost before making the commitment to follow. [Heb 11:1; Mk 10:35-40] False

The answer may be hard to swallow for some. Doesn’t the Bible say, “ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- Luke 14:27-28 NKJV? So before a person accepts Christ shouldn’t he consider what he will have to give up, how he will be able to afford to do all that God asks of him or her! Wouldn’t that be the responsible approach? What do you think?

Heb 11:1

11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NKJV

“Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend—it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do. Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where y ou are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension transcends yours.” (Bonhoeffer, p. 103)

Mark 10:35-40

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared. NKJV

6. It is characteristic of those who follow Christ to feel unworthy before being entrusted with a call to service. [Isa 6:5; Desire of Ages, p. 246] True

Isa 6:1-5

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (NIV)

When we speak of discipleship we must do so with caution. Becoming a disciple is not the same as filling out an employment application form. It is not the same as putting our name in a raffle hoping that our name will be drawn. We are standing on holy ground. We are standing in the presence of Christ. The shadow of the cross falls upon our pathway. Heaven and earth meet in the call and acceptance of the invitation to become a disciple of Christ’s. It is a weighty responsibility but with all of the expectations come both privilege and promise: God is with us!

Note these words from Ellen White,

“It was the same presence of divine holiness that had caused the prophet Daniel to fall as one dead before the angel of God. He said, "My comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength." So when Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Daniel 10:8; Isaiah 6:5. Humanity, with its weakness and sin, was brought in contrast with the perfection of divinity, and he felt altogether deficient and unholy. Thus it has been with all who have been granted a view of God's greatness and majesty. {The Desire of Ages, p. 246}

Peter exclaimed, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man;" yet he clung to the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from Him. The Saviour answered, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." It was after Isaiah had beheld the holiness of God and his own unworthiness that he was entrusted with the divine message. It was after Peter had been led to self-renunciation and dependence upon divine power that he received the call to his work for Christ.” {The Desire of Ages, p. 246.4}

Reflections in Review

The call by Jesus to follow Him is no ordinary invitation. The issuing of this call is unique in that the One calling knows far more about us than just our strengths and weaknesses. He knows what we can become under His care and guidance. Secondly, the call received is no ordinary acceptance. Its demands are seldom fully understood at first. Those who accept the call do so despite the hardships involved because the acceptance is foremost the acceptance of the Person Jesus. It is then, and from this perspective, that a life of discipleship begins and foremost a life of companionship with the One who calls. Bonhoeffer says it well: “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Moving from a mere psychological motivation Ellen White penetrates the meaning of calling and the making of disciples when she wrote: “God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if they will yield themselves to Him. . . . The weak vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind and character. Through a connection with Christ we will have clearer and broader views. His discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. He who longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened by the life-giving power of the Sun of righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God.” (The Desire of Ages, p.251)

The greatest honor which can be given to us is the invitation to be a disciple of Christ’s. With the challenges associated with the call comes the assurance of Jesus, “I am with you.”