Following the Master: Discipleship in Action

Sabbath School Class—A Life of Discovery
March 1, 2008
Larry R Evans

Class teaching notes will be added later in the week.


Quiz for Reflection

1. The disciples learned what kind of illness to tell and not to tell Jesus about for healing. [Lk 4:38,39] True or False?

2. The faith of others can determine the outcome of a crisis for someone else. [Lk 15:17-26] True or False?

3. Theological discussions can inhibit healing. [Lk 5:21-24] True or False?

4. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to bring peace to a divided world. [Mk 9:50; Jn 14:25-27; Lk 12:49-53; Mt 10:34] True or False?

5. If we truly have love for our friends and family nothing will be able to separate us. [Mt 10:24-25] True or False?

6. When our life is threatened by sickness or an intruder of any kind, the Bible teaches that we should not seek to preserve it. [Mk 8:35-37] True or False?

7. Discipleship reaches its goal once we develop an abiding/close relationship with Christ. [Jn 15:1-5; Mt 28:18-20] True or False?

8. As disciples of Christ, we can be assured of salvation if we have followed Him wherever He has led despite the hardships which we may have encountered. [Eph 2:8-10; 1 Cor 13:3] True or False?

9. Because of the inevitability of division in the home and in the world we should not strive to be peacemakers. [Mt 5:9; Rom 5:1-8] True or False?

Reflections in Review

Everything changes, it seems, when we follow Jesus but nothing more significantly than our own world view. We begin to see ourselves and others differently (2 Cor 5:16) because of our understanding of how Jesus sees us. He often works to change us before He changes circumstances, events or others. When He changes our world view, we not only see ourselves differently, we see God differently. We begin to grasp that even when we were not following Him, He was with us . . . and for us. This realization prompts a similar response from us for others. As a renewed hope takes root, a new respect and concern for others grows. A compassionate respect is developed for those who struggle, whether it is with illness, with temptation, with a lost faith or for those who have never known Christ. Hope exudes from us. Like a magnet we are attracted to the hopeless. We can’t help but believe in the possibility of changed lives even when present observable evidence seems illogical. (2 Cor 5:7). We take them to Christ as disciples of old did. Prayer is the “weapon” of choice preceding our own words of hope and encouragement. Unfortunately, this world view, enmeshed in hope, is not always appreciated by others. Faith, hope and love can create divisive resistance and ferocious opposition as they did with Jesus. They can divide but the three dominating qualities of a new world view remain and will remain for all eternity. They are, after all, part and parcel of following Jesus.

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