Experiencing Discipleship . . . OR . . . Living the Hope

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery
February 23, 2008
Larry R Evans

There will be no class notes this week due to other responsibilities. however at the end of the quiz is "Reflections in Review" which does give a brief summary of this week's study.


Quiz for Reflection

1. Discipleship is or of an experience than a title. [Mk 8:34] True or False?

2. Choosing the right “bakery” is a life or death decision. [Jn 6:26, 27] True or False?

3. There should be no organizational differentiation in God’s Church. [Mt 18:1-4] True or False?

4. Children teach us that it is possible to believe without having all the answers to our questions. [Mt 18:1-6] True or False?

5. Jesus never calls us to discipleship, to being a follower, without giving us reasons to believe. [Mt 17:1-13] True or False?

6. Because of their devotion and commitment to Christ disciples will be protected from Spiritual deception. [Mt 24: 4-44] True or False?

7. There are times when even truth should not be shared. [Mk 8:27-30] True or False?

Reflections in Review

Someone asked Mahatma Gandhi, “If you were given the power to remake the world, what would you do first?” He replied: “I would pray for power to renounce that power.” Experiencing discipleship is not about “remaking the world.” It is not about having special powers. It is about being so identified with Christ that we carry out His will in any given experience. We do not presume to be God but rather sensitive to His leading so that we become instruments in His hands. History has shown how we use powers that we have: we fight wars, we commit genocide, we pollute the earth, we seek gain at the expense of others. We are not safe to be given more power. It’s best for God to have the power and for us to be His disciples. Some prayers are best not answered – at least in the ways we think best. Prayer teaches us about discipleship. Discipleship is both surrendering and following Christ with the openness to being sent where He leads. It is He who in the end will remake the world. The amazing twist in the whole plan is that we who have abused the powers given to us are empowered by Him in new ways. True disciples are safe to be empowered as agents of hope . . . and change. They not only speak of a different world view. They live it moment by moment in the presence of Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lessons From Would-be Disciples . . . OR . . . How to Flunk While Getting "A's"

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery January 26, 2008 Larry R Evans Quiz for Reflection 1. Commitment was so important to Jesus that He taught His disciples that they must put His mission over that of attending a funeral for a loved one. [Mt 8:21,22] True or False? 2. If we keep the commandments as Jesus instructed the rich young ruler, we will meet the criteria Jesus was stressing with this would-be disciple. [Mk 10:17-23] True or False? 3. True seekers of truth will, unlike Nicodemus, come to Jesus whether it be day or “night.” [Jn 3:2, 19-21] True or False? 4. Truth is truth. Disciples of Christ need to remember that how it is packaged is less important than making sure it is “truth” we share. [See Counsels to Writers and Editors , p.72; The Desire of Ages , p.353] True or False? Introductory Reflections Is it possible to get “A’s” and still flunk the class? Today’s study suggests that it is. We are introduced to some “would be disciples”
Read more

Lessons From Would-be Disciples . . . OR . . . How to Flunk While Getting "A's"

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery January 26, 2008 Larry R Evans The teaching notes will be posted later this week. Quiz for Reflection 1. A willingness to follow was always accepted by Jesus. [Mt. 8:19,20] True or False? 2. Jesus taught that His disciples would put His mission over attending a funeral of a loved one. [Mt. 8:21,22] True or False? 3. Jesus knew that salvation could not be attained by the works of the law which is why He pointed the rich young man away from the law. [Mt 19:16-26] True or False? 4. If we keep the commandments as Jesus instructed the rich young ruler, we will meet the criteria Jesus was stressing with this would be disciple. [Mk 10:17-23] True or False? 5. True seekers of truth will, unlike Nicodemus, come to Jesus whether it be day or “night.” [Jn 3:2, 19-21] True or False? 6. The fruit from honestly answering sincere questions is not always immediate. [Jn 19:39-40] True or False? 7. It is more imp
Read more

Preparing a People

[ There will be no additional study notes this week.] October 10, 2009 Larry R Evans Reflective Introduction It has been said that “A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.” (Marcus Aurelius Antonius). Think about that a moment in the context of our lesson for this week. God in His infinite wisdom knew precisely what unbridled human nature is capable of doing. With this large desert-wandering congregation now freed from slavery, He sought to establish a sense of community among His people—a kind of community that would stick together in the coming promised land. Wolves would arise among the sheep. He knew that. He anticipated this happening so rules were created to protect the sheep though even then His rules were open to abuse. The family unit was the foundation for this new community yet it was the very object of attack. Infidelity and distrust within the family happened and still happens today. Is there any hope? The lesson today is f
Read more