Sunday, January 31, 2016

Lesson 02 - Discipleship - Called by God


Discipleship – what does it mean?

Discipleship means to follow the teachings of someone else. A person who does this is called a disciple.

e.g.        The Discipleship team at church decided to focus on the teachings of Jesus.

                James and John left their boats to follow Jesus to become His disciples.

                Applying Christ’s words in our lives is what makes us true disciples of Jesus.

In church, when we speak about Discipleship, we are referring to how we learn about Jesus, as well as how we can practice what He has taught in our daily lives.

So the process of Confirmation involves Discipleship.



Who were the Disciples?

When Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, He called twelve people to serve Him as His disciples. They followed Him everywhere and He taught them special things that only He knew about God. Many other people followed Jesus and there were perhaps as many as seventy disciples who traveled with Him. The Twelve Disciples, however, were the closest people to Him; some of them, like Simon Peter, were even His best friends.

How many disciples can you name?



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You can find the whole list of disciples at Matthew 10:1-4

All of the disciples listed are men. Why weren’t women listed as His disciples? Can you name some of the women who were important in Jesus’ life and perhaps should have been listed as disciples, too?

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Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John to become His disciples. They were all fishermen who caught fish for a living on Lake Galilee. Why do you think Jesus chose fishermen first to be His disciples?

Let’s a watch a video of Christ calling Peter to become His disciples

Jesus Calls Peter – The Bible – the Series  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60YCt10Zgyo



What do you think of this story?                                               ­________________________________________

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What do you think Simon Peter felt?                      ________________________________________

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What happened to the twelve disciples?

Jesus’ death on the cross, as described in the New Testament, has become one of the most famous historical events. But what happened to the 12 disciples who were his closest followers? Not as much information has survived about their fates, but here is what’s available from various sources, including the New Testament itself, apocryphal texts, early Christian historians, legends and lore.


Simon, AKA Peter: Simon-Peter, who was appointed by Jesus the leader of the new sect, is viewed by Roman Catholics as the first pope, was eventually martyred in Rome during the reign of the emperor Nero. As the story goes, Peter asked to be crucified upside down, so that his death would not be the equal of Jesus and the Romans supposedly obliged.

Andrew: According to 15th Century religious historian Dorman Newman, Andrew—the brother of Peter—went to Patras in western Greece in 69 AD, where the Roman proconsul Aegeates debated religion with him. Aegeates tried to convince Andrew to forsake Christianity, so that he would not have to torture and execute him. But when that didn’t work, apparently he decided to give Andrew the full treatment. Andrew was scourged, and then tied rather than nailed to a cross, so that he would suffer for a longer time before dying. Andrew lived for two days, during which he preached to passersby.

James (son of Zebedee, AKA James the Greater): Acts 12:1-19 says that James was killed with a sword. The newly-appointed governor of Judea, Herod Agrippa, decided to ingratiate himself with the Romans by persecuting leaders of the new sect. After James was arrested and led to place of execution, his unnamed accuser was moved by his courage. He not only repented and converted on the spot, but asked to be executed alongside James. The Roman executioners obliged, and both men were beheaded simultaneously.

John: John was the only one of the original disciples not to die a violent death. Instead, he passed away peacefully in Patmos in his old age, sometime around 100 AD. He was, however, badly burned by being thrown into a vat of boiling oil. He was rescued by his friends.

Philip: Philip, the first of Jesus’ disciples, became a missionary in Asia. Eventually, he traveled to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, where he was scourged, thrown into prison, and crucified in 54 AD.

Bartholomew: Bartholomew supposedly preached in several countries, including India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew for believers. In one account, “impatient idolaters” beat Bartholomew and then crucified him, while in another, he was skinned alive and then beheaded.

Thomas: Apparently Thomas preached the gospel in Greece and India, where he angered local religious authorities, who martyred him by running him through with a spear.

Matthew: According to legend, the former tax collector turned missionary was martyred in Ethiopia, where he was supposedly stabbed in the back by an swordsman sent by King Hertacus, after he criticized the king’s morals.

James (son of Alphaeus, AKA James the Less): According to Foxe, James, who was elected by his fellow believers to head the churches of Jerusalem, was one of the longest-lived apostles, perhaps exceeded only by John. At the age of 94, he was beaten and stoned by persecutors, and then killed him by hitting him in the head with a club.

Thaddaeus, AKA Lebbaeus, Judas or Jude: According to several stories, he was crucified at Edessa (the name of cities in both Turkey and Greece) in 72 AD.

Simon the Canaanite AKA the Zealot: Simon preached in Mauritania on the west coast of Africa, and then went to England, where he was crucified in 74 AD.

Judas Iscariot: According to Matthew 27:3-6, the treacherous apostle quickly felt remorse over his betrayal of Jesus and went to the Temple to recant. When the high priests ignored his plea, he threw down the 30 pieces of silver that he had been paid, and went off and hanged himself.  But Acts 1:15-20, gives a different and even grislier version of Judas’ demise. He says that Judas used the blood money to purchase a piece of land and then fell headlong from a high place there, so that “he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” Jerusalem residents subsequently named the place Aceldama, which means “the field of blood.”

What do you think about these stories? How much did their discipleship – following Jesus – cost them?

Jesus once told them these words: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” – Matthew 16:24-25.  

Does this make discipleship a scary thing to do?

Discipleship in the PCUSA

When people join our church, they are asked to make special promises publicly before God and the Erin congregation. When you are confirmed, you will also be asked to make similar promises. One of those promises involves discipleship. This is how it is asked and answered:

1.       Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?

Answer: I will, with God’s help.

Why are people asked to make this commitment?

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Why is it important to have God’s help in becoming a disciple of Christ?

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How do we help people become disciples of Christ at Erin Church?

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After He rose from the dead and just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave His disciples a special commandment, which has become known to us in church as the Great Commission. Here is the Bible passage from Matthew, chapter 28:16-20.

The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Why did Jesus make this the last thing that He spoke to His disciples? What was He wanting them to do?

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How does Erin church carry on that Great Commission today? How can you help to fulfill it, too?

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Do you remember how we defined the word ‘Discipleship’ at the beginning of our lesson?

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Before we finish, we are now going to watch another video about discipleship and what it means for your generation. Church is about making disciples, but not just for the church’s sake – we make disciples to go out into the world for Christ’s sake.

“What is Discipleship?”                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8ERxqCZqQ



Your Bible assignment for this week is to read the chapters 3 & 4 of the Gospel of Mark, as well as completing the question sheet. Bring it back to our next meeting. Our next meeting takes place next Sunday morning during the Sunday school hour from (9:30AM to 10:30AM).

Finish with prayer.

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