The Cost of Discipleship. AG Adult Sunday School Manual.
Memory Verse: Matthew 10:39
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it_ (KJV).
Central Truth
_Christian life requires total devotion to Christ._
The Lesson Outline
*1. Be Wholly Devoted to Christ*
A. Noble Ambition
*Luke 9:57-58*
B. Divine Invitation
*Luke 9:59-62*
2. Love Christ Above AII Others
A. Sword of Peace
Matthew 10:34-36
B. Ultimate Love
Matthew 10:37-39
3. Deny Yourself and Follow Christ
A. Opposing Views
Matthew 16:21-23
B. World or Soul?
Matthew 16:24-27
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:_
1. Understand that Jesus calls all His disciples to grow in devotion to and love for Him.
2. Evaluate the priorities of their personal lives and identify any misguided priorities that compete with their relationship with the Saviour.
3. Begin to view each day’s goals and achievements through the lens of taking up a personal cross of commitment in obedience to Jesus.
Introducing the Lesson
We naturally recoil from an invitation to die, but if we read the Bible closely, we understand that the believer’s willingness to die is not a death wish, but a commitment to Christ so intense and a love for Him so fervent that life itself becomes secondary. We are willing to make sacrifices in order to follow Him supremely.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Luke 9:57. “`And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Matthew 10:34, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than mne is not worthy of me.
38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
16:24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, lf any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever r will lose his life for my sake shall find it.“`
Commentary and Application
1. Be Wholly Devoted to Christ
A. Noble Ambition
Luke 9:57-58
The unnamed person in Luke’s narrative correctly identified the best possible path in life-to follow Jesus without wavering (Luke 9:57). Jesus’ answer may offer a clue to the ambitions that brought the would –be disciple to such a declaration. Jesus specifically alluded to the material comforts of life by way of the shelter enjoyed by foxes and birds.
His use of such humble illustrations could serve as a contrast to grandiose expectations of the person offering to follow Him (verse 58). If the road on which this encounter occurred was the road out of Samaria, as Suggested by verses 51-56, Jesus had just been rejected by a Samaritan village. Perhaps this person was contrasting his or her own perceived dedication to the Lord with that of people who had turned Him and His disciples away.
Whatever the circumstances, Jesus’ answer redirected the attention from the material to the spiritual. By implication, although following Jesus offered no guarantee of physical shelter, it offered immeasurable spiritual benefits borne out by the balance of Luke’s
narrative about Jesus’ life and mission.
The person’s response is not recorded. Perhaps Jesus’ answer did not bring discouragement, but reshaped the individual behind that anonymous voice. These verses call each of us to examine our own hearts and discern whether we have Jesus’ values in view when we promise our devotion and service to Him.
Questions for Application
How can materialism compromise unhindered service to Christ today?
What might Jesus’ statements represent, in terms of personal sacrifice, in your life?
B. Divine Invitation
Luke 9:59-62
It is important to look at the context of Jesus’ statements to the next two unnamed people with whom He came in contact (verses 59-62). By grouping these examples together, Luke served to establish a truth in that moment, rather than to illustrate a general rule for family relationships. From Genesis’ creation narrative onward, God’s Word affirms the value of family.
The Bible places great importance on grieving the dead together and on bidding family farewell. But Jesus’ lordship must always overrule standard life practices, no matter how important. One who would obey the Saviour fully must be prepared to do so at the cost of other decisions.
As with the person who offered to follow Jesus in the previous verses, these two people are unnamed, and their final decision is unrecorded. It is possible that one or both of them responded to Jesus’ reply with renewed commitment. A fanily funeral and a requested farewell might very well have been put aside and a life of service to Jesus filled with joy.
But the door is left open to an alternate conclusion. A family funeral might have seemed too important to bypass, even if it meant not walking with Christ as a result. Insisting on bidding loved ones good-bye may have resulted in family pressure to abandon the mission that wouid have brought about the separation.
The larger point is that some of life’s choices that are not sinful in themselves have the potential to become deterrents to making better choices at the leading of the Holy Spirit. How easy it is to pursue a lucrative career over a call to ministry that pays little or to dedicate time and energy to an otherwise -heaithy activity at the expense of following Christ. When we delay or reject the voice of God, we compromise our spiritual health and forego future blessings.
Questions for Application
Besides family commitment, what are other potential detours from God’s plan for our lives?__
Why is putting Christ first in everything the key to real success in anything?_
2. Love Christ Above AII Others
A. Sword of Peace
Matthew 10:34-36
The concept of conflict is evident throughout Scripture, from the prophecy in Genesis that the Woman’s seed would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15) until Revelation’s description of the final defeat of evil (Revelation 20:7-15). Enduring peace will not be a reality until the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 21:1;22:6),
choices at the leading of the Holy Spirit. How easy it is to pursue a lucrative career over a call to ministry that pays little or to dedicate time and
energy to an otherwise-heathy activity at the expense of following Christ. When we delay or reject the voice of God, we compromise our spiritual health and forego future blessings.
Questions for Application
Besides family commitment, what are other potential deto urs from God’s plan for our lives?_
Why is putting Christ first in everything the key to real success in anything?_
2. Love Christ Above AII Others
A. Sword of Peace
Matthew 10:34-36
The concept of conflict is evident throughout Scripture, from the prophecy in Genesis that the Woman’s seed would bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15) until Revelation’s description of the final defeat of evil (Revelation 20:7-15). Enduring peace will not be a reallty until the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-22:6).
The sword Jesus has brought in the meantime (Matthew 10:34) represents the unshakable standard of righteousness against which the natural human response is rebellion. Any who will follow Christ will inevitably face opposition. And that opposition might come even from one’s closest friends and relatives.
In verses 35-36, Jesus was not saying that the desired fruit of the gospel is discord within the home, any more than He was telling would- be disciples that family funerals or heartfelt farewells were detrimental in themselves.
He was driving home the contrast between the lives of the redeemed and the unsaved. There can be no compromise with anyoneeven a parent, sibling, or trusted friendwho attempts to deter the believer from putting Christ first. And it is in putting Christ first that the believer experiences ultimate peace in his or her relationship with God.
There is a second potential contradiction to avoid when living up to this standard. The “sword” of unwavering faithfulness to Christ and complete rejection of sin cannot cut into the believer’s obedience to Jesus’ commands regarding love. Love remains the supreme evidence of the believer’s redeemed life. Love must motivate continued efforts to proclaim truth even to those who violently reject it.
Questions for Application
How have you dealt with opposition to your faith from people close to you?
How can you hold on to the peace God gives in the midst of conflict?
B. Ultimate Love
Matthew 10:37-39
Jesus first referenced love for parents as a means of demonstrating His supreme authority in the believer’s life (Matthew 10:37). In the Bible, the fifth of the Ten Commandments states: “Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12). This went hand- in-hand with following their guidance. Marriages were arranged. Family farms and businesses passsed from generation to generation. For Jesus to call on the believer to love Him more than father or mother was a demand for complete allegiance to His lordship as well.
Similarly, to love Him more than a son or daughter was to give up some measure of the authority a believer enjoyed as a parent. Loving Jesus more than a child also meant loving Him more than anything conceived as precious beyond measure. All of one’s future seems invested in one’s child. Jesus expects full faith in His plan for the future, for life and all of eternity.
There can be no room for selfish love in the believer’s life. Every personal dream and ambition is to be laid at Christ’s feet, and the cross of utter commitment to Him is to be shouldered daily (Matthew 10:38-39). The promise attached to this demand, however, is staggering in its implications. By giving up, control of our own lives, we gain the immeasurably greater life God has planned for us. Hidden within Jesus’were statement is the promise of eternal fellowship with Him.
The “more than” clause in each of Jesus’ comparisons is Important. When we love anything more than God, it js å destructive love. When we love our Saviour supremely, are transformed into people capable of unselfish love for all, far beyond any love we could express in the absence of our relationship with Christ.
*Questions for Application*
_ldentify ways in which your love for Christ has given greater depth to other loves._
_How would you define the act of taking up your cross to follow Jesus?_
3. Deny Yourself and Follow Christ
A. Opposing Views
Matthew 16:21-23
On Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem with His disciples, He outlined what His enemies planned to do to Him (Matthew 16:21). He said they would succeed in killing Him, then followed this announcement with the promise of His resurrection. But this good news appeared to make no impression on those closest toHim. They were’ sơ taken aback by His statement that He would die that His promise to return alive after three days missed them entirely.
Peter did not even reference the Resurrection when Matthew noted his rebuttal to Jesus. He took Jesus aside and strongly protested (verse 22). The idea here is that of a rebuke, almost as if Peter were in authority over Jesus. The disciple who had proclained Jesus to be the Messiah. only a few verses earlier, and had been commended by Jesus for doing so, Was now telling the very One he had called “the Son of the living God” that He was absolutely wrong.
Jesus replied with a strong statement (verse 23). By calling Peter.. “Satan,” Jesus addressed several issues. The name means “adversary,” so Jesus could use the term to identify and correct Peter’s opposition. The idea that Jesus’ self- sacrifice was somehow a mistake, however, could also point to satanic influence. Peter may have been responding to a tempting spiritual influence in that moment.
Jesus’ conclusion in this rebuke is a life lesson for today. Throughout the Christian life, there is a tension between limited human thinking and the wisdom and direction of the Lord.
In the same way that legitimate affection for loved ones cannot be permitted to overshadow, love for:
Christ,. even reasonable and carefully-constructed thinking must never be used over the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Questions for Application
_What do our moments of arguing with God say about our perception of Him?_
_How can we more consistently shape our thinking with the Holy Spirit’s counsel?_
B. World or Soul?
Matthew 16:24-27
Jesus’ statement in: verse 24 follows a sequence that is true at the moment of salvation, but has daily application in the life of faith., At salvation, the significant decision is made to give up control of one’s life, take up the personal sacrifices represented by Christ’s cross, and commit to follow Jesus faithfully as Saviour and as Lord.
The growing Christian constantly encounters life experiences and expressions of personal will that must be given up or reshaped in obedience. The idea of taking up a cross varies as different challenges to our faith present themselves. And following Jesus with unwavering, ironclad trust is perhaps the most difficult lesson to learn, even for the most mature believers in Christ.
Jesus’ next contrast between hanging onto and giving up one’s life can ultimately refer to dying for Him, but also connects with life goals and even daily decisions (verse 25). This concept becomes clearer with His question about material gain. Choosing profit over God’s providential leading may, in the short term, bring about outward success. But Jesus says that all possible success on the Earth for a lifetime is not worth losing one’s soul for eternity (verse 26).
Theologians throughout Church history have wrestled with the idea of whether or not a follower of Christ who has received salvation can return to an unredeemed life and forfeit that salvation. But here we see that the danger of turning and rejecting Christ is real. Note also that Jesus warns of smaller choices that forfeit a blessing or deeper work of God in a believer’s life while he or she is in pursuit of corruptible gain.
Questions for Application
_Why do you think Jesus expressed strong warnings to His followers rather than to unbelievers?_
_What are some “gain the whole world'” influences that tempt believers today?_
Call to Discipleship
By the time the disciples had spent about three years with Jesus, receiving His teachings, we might expect them to have become so spiritually mature that they scarcely needed further guidance. However, the statements Jesus made to His closest followers only days before His crucifixion show that the path of spiritual growth is long and challenging. We, too, need the Lord’s reminders to dedicate ourselves to Him without reservation. We must seek the Holy Spirit to help us root out anything that would compete with
Christ’s rightful place in our hearts. As we love and serve Him without compromise, we will continue to grow as people who deeply love and effectively serve those around us.
Ministry in Action
Give prayerful thought to declarations of purpose you have made to God in the past, and consider whether you are still moving toward fulfiling them.
As you go about your day, identify how you can more fully connect everything you do to who you are in Christ. Examine and ponder your love for the Saviour and pray for the power and desire to love Him supremely, and then reflect that love to others.
Action Point
PS: I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We would appreciate it if you could drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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