BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 46

Where Is Integrity?

Luke 16:1-18

There was a story on the news today of a teacher who has been charged with fraud and theft.  Who were her victims?  They were the children entrusted to her care in the classroom.  She is accused of stealing books and supplies over a period of time.  This kind of incident shakes our trust in mankind.  Over the last year there has been charges that the governor our state has received gifts and money from a man who hoped to receive favors for his company from their close friendship.  Both he and his wife have been indicted by the Federal government.  The president according to the polls has lost the trust of the people because of making false statements about one of his primary pieces of legislation. The question then becomes is there anyone who has integrity?  It seems that our political system has been compromised.  This is symptomatic of the lack of the moral fiber that once permeated our society.  It would be great if we could once again have leaders who rise out of a culture that view  honesty as a way of life.  Men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln grew up in that kind of environment and went on to lead this country during very difficult times.

The church is certainly not exempt from this problem.  All we have to do is look at the scandals that have been reported over the years.  Because of the immoral actions of some leaders in the church people have lost their trust in them. Then there are the cults who present all kinds of false teaching in order to enhance their hold on those who do not take the time to study God’s Word for themselves and take time to discern the accuracies of the teaching they hear.  This is not a new phenomenon. The writers of the New Testament wrote about this issue over and over again. Jesus in our lesson today also had to make it clear how He felt about such behavior.

Luke 16:1

Jesus had directed His previous conversation toward the religious leaders.  He then turned to His disciples to share the next parable. The scene was set for them.  The parable began with the description of two primary characters.  There was the rich man who may have been an absentee owner who had turned over the management of his assets to a man who may have been a slave.    

1. Why did Jesus sometimes turn exclusively to His disciples? (It was something He specifically wanted to teach the disciples.)
2. Why would He exclude the religious leaders? (They would not listen to what Jesus had to say.)
3. How might this tie in with the previous parables? (Remember how Jesus left the elder son? (The jury was still out whether those men would respond to the teaching of Jesus.)
4. Why would this situation have been familiar to the disciples and all of the people? (This was a common practice in Israel and had been spoken about in other parables.)

Luke 16:2

The owner received some disturbing news about the manager.  Evidently he had been mismanaging the possessions under his care.  This is the very thing of which the prodigal son was guilty.  The slave had wasted the assets of the rich man.  He may have made some bad investments or even used them for his own personal gain.  There is even the possibility of fraud in which he directed funds into his own personal accounts.

1. Why did the owner have to hear from others what the manager was doing? (He may have been absent during the time the activity was going on.)
2. What did it mean for him to accuse the manager of squandering his property?
3. How may the man been mismanaging his master’s assets and have not been caught previously? (Those defraud others do it in small amounts so it will not be missed.)
4. What would indicate that he had been doing something illegal as to oppose to just being incompetent? (The owner may have forgiven him for lack of business savvy but not criminal activity.)

Luke 16:3

The response of the manager shows a total lack of regard of his master. Of course, when he was misusing what was not his he had never considered that his actions would result in his dismissal from his position.  The only thing that bothered him was the uncertainty he faced concerning his future.  He immediately determined that he was too weak to dig and to proud to beg. His life of ease had ill prepared him to do any physical work. 

1. How did he view his master? (As a means to and end.  There was no respect for him.)
2. What was the last thing he thought would happen to him?
3. How did his attitude match that of so many today? (There are no consequences to our actions.)
4. What did he really mean by being too weak to dig and ashamed to beg? (There was a lack of humility in those words.  Those tasks were beneath someone of his stature.)
5. How would you describe those who have the same attitude today?
6. In what ways are so many ill prepared to face the challenges of today?
7. What happens to a society that has lost the will to work or the humility to take any job to provide for themselves?
8. What are some positions that you would refuse to do?

Luke 16:4-7

The unscrupulous manager came up with a plan to ensure his future.  He contacted all of those who worked his master’s land and owed him rent.  Rent on land in that day was paid by giving a certain amount of the harvest as payment.  Possibly unknown to the owner of the land the manager continued to handle some of the accounts. Being in charge of the accounts the manager called all of those who owed the master to him.  He then made a deal that would make them grateful to him and active participants in his scheme. Later when he might need help he could be assured that they would help him.  Because they agreed to the arrangement he could blackmail those who did not cooperate with him.  They were allowed to pay only a portion of their debt and he wrote off the rest and considered the debt paid in full. He set the following payment plan. To the one who owed:

• One hundred measures of oil he only had to pay fifty
• One hundred measures of wheat he paid eighty

 

Their actions meant they were just as much a thief as the manager.

 

1. What do you think of the actions of the manager?
2. How was he able to continue to working on the accounts? (He must have been very familiar with those who owed money so he was able to go behind his master’s back in carrying out his plan.)
3. What do you think of the men who owed the money?
4. What were the possible consequences of their decision to defraud the owner of what was rightfully his?
5. What are the consequences of actions that you have done that are like what the men did?

Luke 16:8

Surprisingly the master praised the manager for his actions. He seemed to admire how shrewd the man was in carrying out his plan.  His reaction shows that the owner himself was also a man of the world. Jesus’s lesson was that the men and women who operate according to the standards of this world have a much greater passion to achieve their goals than those who claim to be godly individuals are at seeking those things that benefit themselves and others.  The world seeks the temporal with great diligence.  The church falls short of striving for those things of eternal value. 

1. What does the attitude of the owner say about him? (He was also a man of the world and admires the methods of anyone who can make money even if done illegally.)
2. What was the lesson Jesus was trying to teach? (Men of the world have more passion trying to obtain their goals than those of the church.)
3. Why do church members lack the passion for the teachings and ways of Jesus? (We have possibly become too much a product of the world.)
4. What should we take away from the words of Jesus?
5. What are the long lasting consequences of taking the two different roads described in this verse?

Luke 16:9

This is a description of those, who like the prodigal son and the manager who try to obtain friends by the use of the wealth he has.  In the case of the manager he prepared for the future by making sure that there was those who would take him in after he lost his job.  It must be understood that unless treasure is saved up in heaven then a person will reap the results of an ungodly life and spend eternity in hell.  It is a choice that every person has to make, either life or death.

1. What is the major activity of much of the world? (To secure a place in the world.)
2. How do you use the things God has given you?
3. What kind of people are there who can be bought?
4. What was the difference between the prodigal son and the manager? (One squandered his money the other use someone’s else’s wealth to provide security for himself in the future.)
5. What was the end result of the actions taken by both men? (the young man found salvation while the manager gained the world and lost his soul. Both were going to spend eternity somewhere as a result of the life lived on earth.)

 

Luke 16:10-13

Jesus then got to the point of the parable.  It was the lesson He wanted His disciples to understand and the Pharisees to hear.  The whole idea of wealth was about to be turned on its head.  The Jews believed that the accumulation of wealth was proof that a man was righteous. Jesus pointed back to both the wealthy man and the manager who looked at the wealth from the perspective of the world and were not good stewards of the possession with which they had been entrusted.  Jesus says that if a person cannot handle whatever is of this world in a righteous way why would God entrust him with His eternal treasures.  It was very clear that one who is controlled by the desire to achieve worldly fame and fortune has as his master those things.  Those who seek those things from above is truly serving God.  Man cannot no matter how hard he tries can serve both equally.  Jesus even goes so far as to use the characteristics of devotion and despising to describe the relationship.  

The wealth about which Jesus spoke was not just tangible physical goods, but something just as important.  Each person has been given certain gifts and abilities by God.  To squander those is the lack of being faithful in small things.  Those gifts and abilities will be taken away if not used for God’s kingdom.  As one matures them God will provide greater and greater opportunities for him to share them with others for mutual benefit.

1. What was the point of Jesus’s parable? (He was speaking of being faithful with what He has provided.)
2. How does this fit the idea of integrity? (To misuse what He has given is dishonest.)
3. How do we fail in being faithful in little things?
4. What are the riches God has provided? (Gifts and abilities and in some cases material wealth.)
5. How does He want us to use those things?

Luke 16:14-15

The words of Jesus struck at the core of the Pharisees belief system. As mentioned above the Jews equated wealth with righteousness.  The Pharisees considered themselves to be righteous men so they felt that wealth they had acquired had been given to them because of their goodness.  When Jesus began to undermine that perception the Scriptures said that they derided him which literally meant to turn their noses at Him.  He had put them on the defensive and the only way to justify themselves was to attack the teaching of Jesus.

What Jesus said to them next in a way might be a variation of the old saying that a person can be fooled by the actions of those like the Pharisees for a while but God can never be duped.  God knows what is in the heart of every man. The very things that man substitutes for God are the very things that God will detest. He will not have anything come between Him and man.

1. Why did the words of Jesus make the Pharisees so angry? (They believed wealth and goodness went hand in hand and who was more righteous than they were?)
2. In what ways do we sometimes get trapped in thinking the same way?
3. What did they do to show contempt for the teaching of Jesus?
4. How did Jesus respond?
5. How does God feel about anything that man puts before Him?
6. What are some of the things in your life that you may have put before God?
7. How did God bring you to the point when you realized to do so was wrong?

Luke 16:16-18

From the time of Moses the Law had been the authority in the lives of the Jewish people.  Over the years the Scribes and Pharisees had significantly changed the law by incorporating into the oral and written traditions which was their interpretation of what the Law meant. With the arrival of Jesus He began preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God.  Although facing opposition from the religious leaders those who viewed as law breakers were greatly attracted to what Jesus said.  Jesus indicated to all parties that the provisions of the law were still in effect for all people.  

To make a point he spoke about one of the Ten Commandments that was only to be followed in a very watered down way. There were so many divorces taking place during that time that many women were refusing. Jesus meant by His words that the breaking of that commandment meant that the law was meaningless.  He did not come to eliminate the law but raise the standards of living as He had done in the beatitudes. 

1. What did Jesus mean by the Law and the Prophets? (The written word and the oral tradition that had been established from the time of Moses.)
2. What had the Scribes and Pharisees done to the Law over the years? (They had put their own interpretation on it making it oppressive for the people.  It had become almost impossible for them to be followed.)
3. What was different about what Jesus did when He came onto the scene? (He began to speak of the kingdom of God.)
4. What was His position on the law? (It was still be to upheld and not changed in any way.  The law could stand on its own without all of the oral traditions that had been added to it.)
5. What did Jesus’ teaching on the commandments do? (It raised the bar on how they should be followed.  It was the spirit of the law not the letter that was to be a guide for the way people were to live.
6. What had the religious leaders done to the law dealing with, not committing adultery? (Marriage in the Jewish culture could be ended for any reason.  A silly example could be a divorce could be granted if a wife were to burn the toast.  That would be what was considered a just cause and a writ of divorce could be given to the wife.)
7. How do you view the Ten Commandments today?

    

• Remember that the teachings of the Bible are meant for everyday living.
• Work at every task you are given as if it is being done for the Lord.
• Make sure that all you do is done with integrity
• Remember that part of the riches that can either be wasted or used properly are the gifts and abilities that God has given you.
• Do not look at any task as insignificant for God may be looking to see if by handling it you can handle greater responsibilities.
• Keep the spirit of God’s commandments and not just the letter of the law.  Your attitude is the foundation of serving God with joy.

As stewards of the greatest gift has given we are to be trustworthy in our presentation of it.  The gift of course is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Depending on our words and actions the outside world will either be drawn to the church or repulsed.  They are looking at us with a critical eye expecting us to fail as do all other entities with which they are familiar.  All we have to do is look at polls to see how few trust organizations of all types.  We need to make sure that we do everything in our power to make Christ attractive to a hurting world.  Without hope there is chaos. With hope and trust lives can be transformed.  It should be our goal to be received into the fellowship of our Father because of our desire to serve Him with all of our hearts.

The world seems to admire those who have achieved important positions, material success, and power and influence.  Sadly those who have reached the pinnacle of world recognition are quite often without peace and happiness.  All they have to offer is a temporary fix for an eternal problem.  We in the church have the good news that will provide them with salvation that is greater than all this world has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 45

Celebration of Homecoming

Luke 15:20b-32

 

The greatest times of satisfaction have been when I have found myself in the company of God’s people. I look forward each week to participating with others in discipleship and worship.  For me that joy and security of was never clearer than when I was studying to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church.  Learning about the church I was about to join made me feel as if I was part of something much bigger than I.  What I was doing was very important in my mind.  There was a security in knowing that there were those around me who were encouraging me in my growth as a young follower of Christ.  Who knew that being accepted and guided as I was would lead to the opportunities that God has given me over these years.  If I had been rejected or marginalized in those early days one has to wonder if I would still be in church today.  That thought certainly does not minimize the work of the Holy Spirit but I know that He uses people to help us along the way.

Because I believe that I belong to a much larger family than even Bethany Place Baptist I can celebrate fellowship anywhere followers of Christ are found.  I must however understand that my joy is not totally dependent on a congregation as loving and friendly as it may be.  It is God who was and is seeking me to wrap His loving arms around me and tells me that He is glad I am His son.  He is the reason for celebration because He took a young boy and gave him purpose for life.  Has everything always gone smoothly in His earthly body?  Have I always felt a part of different groups? The answer to both of those questions is no.  That however is not as important as knowing that I am part of His forever family.

It should come as no surprise to any of us how diverse the church is.  It is amazing that God can bring together people that are so different and mold them in unified body to further the His kingdom. That statement itself is somewhat simplistic because not every church truly represents Christ as God would have it happen.  The great thing about any one given body there is a real likelihood that there are those who are like both the younger and older brother.  God however loves us in spite of our differences.  One of the tasks He has given us is to make sure we do not fall into the trap of consistently being like the younger brother.  We also all certainly struggle with not becoming like the older one.  How do we go about making sure that the body at Bethany Place becomes like Christ?  

Luke 15:20

In Luke 15:19 was seen a father waiting for a son who had rebelled against him in a way that would be devastating to any parent.  The young man had wanted his father dead yet he never lost hope that the young man would come to his senses and return home.

Now his hope and faith has been fulfilled.  As he looks down the road here comes his son.  He could not know for sure why the boy had returned but it made no difference.  The prodigal child with a confession on his lips was coming.  The very fact that he was returning would indicate that something dramatically had taken place. Maybe his very demeanor let the father know that he was a changed man.  Why else would he risk the humiliation of having to come home as a failure.

What he found instead of incrimination was the welcoming arms of a loving father. He received a kiss from father and much more.

1. Why did the father continually look down the road? (He had faith that the son would return.)
2. What would indicate that something had changed in his life? (He was willing to face the humiliation of returning home as a failure.
3. Has there ever been a time when you let pride get in the way of being reconciled to another person? Would you like to share what happened?
4. Instead of incrimination and condemnation what did he experience?
5. Why did the father respond as he did? (He could sense or just knew by the very fact the young man was returning that something had happened to change him.)

Luke 15:21-22

Even though the son tried to confess as he had determined to do. Then, as if he had not heard him, the father then issued some commands of his own to the very servants of whom the son had stated he would become one. They were told to do three which would symbolize that the son was to be reinstated into the family. The father ordered them to:

• Bring the best robe which would have been one worn by the father and put it on the son.
• Put the ring of authority on his finger.
• Put scandals on his feet that the children of slaves did not wear.

As far as the father was concerned everything done in the past was forgotten.  The man who returned was not the person who had rejected the restraints he felt were hindering who he wanted to be.  He was a different man who had been changed by the experiences that led him to repent of his ways.

1. Why did the father ignore what the son was trying to say? (He had already forgiven him before he arrived.)
2. What did the father do that showed that the son had been reinstated as a family member?
3. What did each of those things indicate about him?
4. How would you have felt if you had been that son?
5. How do you feel since God has done the same thing for you?
6. How do you think the Scribes and Pharisees would have responded at this point? (They would have had trouble with the fact that God forgave such a vile sinner represented by the son.)

Luke 15:23-24

The father did not stop there.  He did something that would have indicated that the return was a special occasion.  He had a fatten calf killed to celebrate.  Meat was not usually serve at a meal.  That day would have been one of those special events, for a son who had been lost and considered dead was alive and found. The father therefore celebrated the event with the very best he had to offer.  Like the two parables that proceeded this one many were invited to the feast by the father to be part of welcoming the wayward son back into the community.

 

1. What did the father do that showed his gratitude for the safe return of his son?
2. Who would have been invited?
3. Why was it important for others in the community to be present? (Evidence of the father’s forgiveness and acceptance of his son?
4. What are the things we need to celebrate in church?
5. What does those celebrations show about us?

Luke 15:25-27

While the celebration for the youngest son was going on the oldest son had been out in the fields taking care of running the business.  As he approached the house he heard the music and saw the people dancing.  He then turned to one of the servants to learn what was happening.  The servant informed him of his brother’s return. What triggered the brother’s response was the description by the servant of what the father had done for his son.  He told him that:

• The brother had returned.
• The father had killed the fattened calf.
• The youngest son had been received into the family safe and sound.

This was more than the older brother could take and was unwilling to join the party.  He would not accept his brother back under any circumstances.  There was no forgiveness on his part for the one who had returned from sinful living.

1. Where was the brother while the younger brother was being received back into the family?
2. Why did he not go to the father to find out what was going on? (Probably upset because a party was taking place while he was hard at work in the fields.)
3. What upset him about the servant’s description of the events taking place?
4. How do we respond when others make a great fuss over someone who is new in the church family?
5. Why are we not just willing to join into the celebrations?
6. Even at this point what does it say about the older brother? (He is willing to miss out on the celebration because of pride.)

Luke 15:28 

Once again the father reached out to one of his sons in a loving way.  He did not want him to miss out on the time of sweet fellowship.  He should be glad that his brother has come back to be a part of the family.  Because of his attitude he could not understand what had happened in his brother’s life. His younger had changed.  There seemed to be little love for the younger brother because the older one did not even want to be in his presence. 

1. Why did the father come out to the elder son?
2. What did he want the older brother to experience?
3. What did his refusal to attend the party say about his attitude towards his father? (Disrespect)
4. What did his refusal show about his attitude toward his younger brother?
5. What could he not know about him by staying outside?
6. What does it take for us to get to know what has happened in a person’s life?
7. What does our refusal say about us?

 

Luke 15:29-30

The answer of the older brother to the father’s invitation paints a picture of one who had served his father out of a sense of duty.  Through his tirade recounting all the short-comings of his brother he was using the opportunity of lashing out at his father.  He was no more grateful for what he had than the attitude the younger brother had possessed before he became a changed man.  Where the younger brother now understood what it meant to have the father’s love and forgiveness the older brother who had it all was a bitter and insecure man.  As far as he was concerned there was no place in the family for his brother because of all he had done. He had no more respect or love for his father than the younger brother but only remained looking forward to the day his father died and he would receive the inheritance.  He also knew that with the return of younger brother that his portion of the inheritance would be less because now his brother had stepped back into the picture with full rights as a son to his father. 

1. What was going on in the heart of the older brother?
2. What was his attitude toward his father?
3. Why did he not want his brother to become part of the family again? (It would cost him part of his inheritance and the love of his father.)
4. How do sometimes try to hurt someone by accusing them of treating others than you have them?
5. What did he not want the brother back home? (Everything was going fine until he showed up.)
6. How would a changed younger brother affect the older? (He would be constant reminder of his prideful and unforgiving nature?

Luke 15:31-32

The father listened to the older brother patiently as he vented,  Then he with all tenderness explained to him how fortunate he had been to share in everything the father had been doing throughout his life.  His son needed to understand how much the father had actually given to him.  The final words in this parable Jesus, through the father, called on the son to rejoice with him that the younger man had been lost but found a new life.  

The parable closes with one main question unanswered.  What did the future look like for the older brother?  At the beginning of the parable it was obvious that it was the younger brother who was lost.  He represented the tax collectors and sinners the Scribes and Pharisees had grumbled about.  Jesus openly declared that there was a place for them in God’s kingdom.  To prove His point He showed how a man who was a total reprobate could be transformed by confessing and repenting of his actions. But what can be said about the older brother.  In a way he was no different than his brother.  Although he stayed put he hated his father in the same way that the younger brother did.  He had accepted all the inheritance of his father was willing to give him.  He had it all except for the fact that he his heart was not in what he was doing. He was totally alienated from his father and did not want to celebrate with him over the return of the lost.  The hardness of heart and pride in his position would not allow him to forgive and accept the fact that   people can change. The Scribes and Pharisees and the older brother were all lost because they did not want to have a relationship with the father.

 

1. How did the father feel about each of his sons?
2. How could he love them equally? (Both of them had begun the story alienated from him.  He was beckoning them both to be a part of his family again.)
3. At the end of the story who was saved?
4. How do we know?
5. Who did the younger brother represent?
6. Who were those who came to Jesus with an open heart willing to listen to all Jesus had to say?
7. Who did the old brother represent?
8. How did Jesus leave him at the end of the story?
9. What does this said of those who have an attitude like that of the Scribes and Pharisees?

    

• Work on developing a heart of the father who was willing to forgive one who had caused him deep hurt.
• Learn to recognize those who have deep needs that come into the church.
• Search your heart to see if you are like the younger son full of misguided ideas of how to live life.
• Repent of any characteristics that keep you from enjoying true fellowship with the father.
• Be careful that you do not become self-righteous like the Scribes and Pharisees who set themselves above others and lack the ability to forgive those who fell short of their standards.
• Celebrate with those who have been lost and have now found Christ.

We have a unique opportunity in a godless world to continue look for those who find themselves separated from Christ.  We are to realize that at one point in our lives we were like the younger son.  We were rebellious and self-centered.  It took life experiences to help us come to the point when we could say that we had sinned against our fellow man and God.  At that point we found God waiting for us.  He then wrapped his arms around us and invited to become part of his family.

Over the years some of us have forgotten what it was like to find that peace and joy that came from making a decision to be a follower of Christ.  We begin to think that we have all the answers for all the people who are not part of our church.  It is easy to become Pharisaic in our attitudes and actions.  God loves us even then but He continually invites back to the place where we can celebrate with Him in humility and love for others.  This is the task of the church.  We are to become disciples with a tender heart who are willing to help others become disciples also.  All who come through the doors of Bethany Place are to be welcomed with open arms whether they are those who are lost and know it.  There are others who are lost and are so self-sufficient they do not believe they have no problems.  Both are lost and both need Christ.  Let us never leave anyone with the story unfinished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 44

The Long Way Home?

Luke 15:11-20a

One of the recurring dreams I have had over the years is going back to the house in which my grandparents lived outside of Wilmington, NC.  I do not know why I find myself there.  Looking at Google Maps the only house that is still standing in that whole block that would recognize is their house.  All of the other homes have been torn down and replaced with what looks like apartment buildings.  Although I picture it as it was back when I lived there, there is no way that the time or place can truly be recreated.  As Snoopy once said, “They have built a parking lot all over my memories.” 

Even if I could return to that period in my life, I am not sure I would even seize the opportunity.  Although there were good memories it was also time of dramatic change in my family. My father left my mother during those years which impacted us economically and socially. Other than my mother the one foundation that was available to me was the church.  As I look back I realize how much the minister and the people of that church impacted my life.  A number of years ago I went back because of funeral of an uncle. The church in which I spent so many memorable times was not there.  Oh the building was there but everything was different. It had become almost Catholic like in its services. What was once a church where everyone would have felt welcomed seemed to have taken on the culture of a high church. 

What I discovered was that nothing ever remains the same except in our minds. The very thing that seemed so permanent had disappeared to be replace by something unfamiliar. To me this means that I cannot hold onto the past.  Thankfully, I have a future that is guaranteed not to change.  I do not have to attempt to go back home to the what was once familiar, but am able to look forward to what God has prepared for all followers of His Son.

Sometimes in the church we have a tendency to try to hold onto the past as if there is something sacred about the place from which we have come.  We forget that although it is important to remember those who have been the foundation of the church that has gone on before us that God has greater things for us if we just look to Him. What we try to be quite often collides with what God expects the church to be.  In all of our activities we will discover that we want everything that we can get from God but approach it from two different perspectives.  We either just want God to leave us alone and let us do church our way or we try to work very hard at pleasing Him so He will see how good we are and bless us accordingly.  The problem is that neither one works.  Operating this way will not joy no matter how successful we might be.  Both forget that church is all about grace that is neither to be squandered nor used for our own glory. 

Our narrative today is about two young men, not one, who needed to learn some important life lessons.  May we each see our place in this passage and what God wants us to become.

Luke 15:11

Jesus finishes the trilogy of parables directed toward the Scribes and Pharisees with the story which has been improperly titled the Prodigal Son. The beginning words of Jesus denotes that there was a man who “had two sons.” This fact is not extraordinary in itself but does give the framework for the story. It lays out the main characters who will play a major part in what is to follow.

1. Why were all three of the parables directed to the religious leaders? (They were the ones who lacked the qualities described in the each of the stories.)
2. What picture has been painted for us up to this point in the first two parables that contrasted the shepherd and the woman with the Scribes and Pharisees?
3. Why would Luke mention two sons if the story was about only one son? (It truly is a family story with all three of those mentioned playing a major role.)
4. Why would whoever put the title for this section of Scripture call it the Prodigal Son? (He was the most obvious sinner of the three.)

Luke 15:12

The actions of the younger son would have been unheard of in that culture.  There was tremendous respect for the patriarchs of the family, in this case the father of the two sons.  What the younger son was implying by his approach to his father was he wished that his father was already dead.  Usually the inheritance was distributed at the time of death.  The younger son showed a total lack of regard for his father and certainly violated the mores of the culture of that time. 

Rather than disown the son or berate him in any way he actually did what the son demanded.  The father actually went one step further by and divided his wealth, which would have consisted of primarily land and livestock, with both of his sons.  The older brother would have received two thirds of all of his father’s possessions according to the custom of the time.  This precedent was established by God at the time of Moses. (See Deut. 21:17)

1. What do you think of the younger son’s demand?
2. What did it show about his relationship with his father?
3. How would you have reacted under the circumstances?
4. In what ways have you made the same kind of demands of God?
5. What characteristics did the father show in contrast to his son?
6. What did the father do that was unprecendented? (He distributed his property while he was still alive and evidently still capable of managing his affairs.)
7. Why did the oldest son get twice as much?
8. Why was the law found in Deuteronomy 21:17 put into place?

Luke 15:13

Almost immediately he broke away from the restraints he must have felt in his father’s household and went as far away as he could possibly get from the situation.  It is obvious that he wanted to be on his own to make his own decisions in regard to his new found wealth.  The description of what he did with his money is the background for the idea of the prodigal son.  According to Merriam-Webster dictionary a prodigal is one who carelessly and foolishly spends money, time etc. It further describes him as:

• Characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure: lavish
• Recklessly spendthrift

Luke said of him that “he squandered his estate with loose living.”  In other words he spent all of his money living a completely immoral life. This kind of living can only have a tragic ending.

1. For what was the young man searching is shown by his actions? (He wanted complete freedom from all the restraints he felt living in his father’s house.)
2. For the young people. Why do you look for the day that you can get out from under the authority of your parents?
3. How well equipped was the young man to handle the new world in which he found himself?
4. What are you doing to equip yourselves for facing the dangerous and evil world that awaits you?
5. What does it mean to be a prodigal son?
6. In what ways may it be possible for others to describe us in this manner?
7. What was the end result for the young man so ill prepared to live out in a culture totally unlike the one from which he had to come?
8. What does complete freedom sometimes bring to a person’s life?

Luke 15:14

There came a time when all of his possessions were gone.  Along with his wealth the fair weather friends that he would have made disappeared also.  To make matters worse there was a complete economic collapse brought on by a famine which meant there was no one to help or any way to earn support for himself. Those like the young man find that when the evitable challenges and dark days come into one’s life that they are ill prepared to deal with them. The prodigal son had lost everything including his way.

1. What happens to those who are your friends only during the good times?
2. Why was it inevitable that this would happen? (There are those in this world who are takers and only care about you as long as you have something to give.)
3. Since Jesus was telling this parable why did He include the famine? (To show how desolate the situation was for the young man.)
4. How have you prepared for the challenges and difficult times that each person with surely face?
5. From whom do you seek direction for your life? Why?

Luke 15:15-16

For the Jew this man had reached the bottom.  A Jew was not to have anything to do with swine. They were one of the animals declared unclean in the Mosaic Law.  The son who once had all that he needed from his father now had to go to work for a hog farmer.  The only job the man had to offer was the lowly position of feeding pigs.  What made it even worse, in the mind of the prodigal son the hogs were being fed better than he was.  He was at the point of eating what the pigs left over.  Oh how sad how far the young man had fallen.  There is one other point that Jesus made.  All of those who had benefited from the lavish spending were not around to offer him any assistance. They either were in the same condition in which he found himself or they just chose to ignore him since he was now poor.

1. How do we know that the man had reached the very bottom in his life?
2. What was Jesus trying to show about the man’s condition?
3. How do we know when a person is a true friend?
4. How would the Pharisees now view that man? (As the lowest of sinners.)

Luke 15:17-19

Luke wrote that there reached a point when the young man understood what he had done and the predicament in which he now found himself.  He realized that things at home had not been as bad as he thought.  He concluded that the servants that worked for his father were better off than he was at that point.  Not believing that his father would forgive him for his actions he decided the best plan was to see if his father would be willing to hire him.  Before he even left for home he thought out what he would say when he arrived there. 

He would confess the horrible mess he had made of things.  At best he hoped that his father would forgive him enough to give him a job. He did not even feel worthy of being called a son or having the rights of son-ship.  Although his confession was to start with sinning against God it had to begin with the way he had treated the one who loved him, his father.  As John said in 1 John that unless you love the person who you can see, there is no place in your heart to love for the heavenly Father.

1. What does it mean to come to one’s senses?
2. What did the prodigal son understand about his situation?
3. Why did he not think that his father would not restore him to the relationship as son?
4. Has there ever been a time in your life that you did not know whether someone would be willing to forgive you? What were the circumstances?
5. Why was it important for him to come to the decision that he needed to confess his sins to his father? (There can be no restoration without confession and forgiveness.
6. What was the best result he could hope would come out of his confession? (To be forgiven enough to be hired.)

Luke 15:20a

The son put his thoughts into action.  He started the trip home.  Of course he did not know what he might face but he knew that nothing good was going to come out of the situation in which he found himself.  If nothing else he knew in his heart that he no longer wanted to be separated from his father even if it meant that he would be there as a hired servant.

1. Why was it important to start out on the trip back to where his father lived?
2. How often have you made a statement or promise and not followed through with any actions?
3. What were the consequences in your life?
4. What did the young man now understand about his father?
5. When may been a time in your life that you were unwilling to start the journey back to God because you did not believe He could truly love someone like you?

Luke 15:20b

While the son was probably full of anxiety, his father had been waiting with anticipation of the time his son would return.  Because he continued to look down the road on which his son departed it would appear that he had no doubt that one day that he would return the same way.  On the particular day about which Jesus spoke, the father’s faith became reality as he saw, in the distance his lost son approaching.  The man then did some that would have been out of character for the patriarch of the family.  He pulled up the garment, as Peter and others did, so that it would not impede his progress and he ran to his son and embraced him out of compassion.

There are those who have written that the son appeared before his father with the smell of the pig pen on him.  The father would have totally ignored the filth and odor because of his great love for his son.

Another possibility might be that along the way the son had cleaned himself up to appear before his father clean.  He would not want his father to be distracted by his appearance.  In that condition he would have been more acceptable to him.

Both are possible pictures of the human condition.  Man may approach God with the full awareness of his sinfulness and be surprised that God forgives him and accepts him into His family.

To view it another way is to see man’s attempt to pretend that he has in his own power cleaned himself up to the extent that he believes that God will accept him based on his own merit.  This will not work because no one can ever cleanse himself own his own from his sinful ways.

At this point in the parable the Scribes and Pharisees would have congratulated themselves on not being like the younger son.  They saw that the tax collectors and sinners matched their idea of those outside the will of God.

Continuing next week a different story will emerge as Jesus continues the parable.  He will deal with both the younger and older brother in light of their relationship with the father.

1. Why would the son be anxious about the impending reunion with his father?
2. Why would the father continue to look for the errant son? (He believed that one day he would return home.)
3. What did the son plan to do when he returned to the father?
4. What did the words he planned to use say about his spiritual condition?
5. In what way was it an acknowledgement of his sinful nature?
6. What were the two ways he may have prepared for the moment he met his father? (See what was written about either remaining like he was at the time he fed the pigs or cleaning himself to be more presentable.)
7. Of the two which are the ways you have approached God?
8. How would put your approach in modern terms?
9. Did either address the issue of sin? Why or why not?

    

• Take time to consider whether there are material possessions that get in the way of loving God.
• Think about your relationships with your family and ask if there is any thing standing between you and them.  If so seek to be reconciled with them.  Life is too short for the things of this world to cause friction and division among you.
• Look at your life to see if your actions have caused hurt to anyone.
• Confess and repent of your part in any family division.
• Seek to be reconciled to those who have been injured by your words or deeds.
• Understand that it may take a long time to heal old wounds so do not expect that everything will be as it once was for a while.
• Confess your sins to the Father who ultimately the One who you have disappointed.  Seek His forgiveness and restoration.

One of the things that we need to continue address in our churches is how we can be unified in Christ.  As has been said before this not mean uniformity.  What it does mean that we are to look to Jesus as the Head of the Church and we are part of the body.  To injure someone or to want to have our own agenda succeed at the expense of others is to show the kind of disrespect the younger son had for his father.  He forgot that to waste his life as he did seeking his own way splintered the relationship of his family.  If we always look at our own actions in light of how Jesus would have us live we can overcome many obstacles that are put in our path.  Let us make sure that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in our fellowship.  By doing so we will put aside the fruits of the flesh and be the Church God has called us to be. 

Next week we will look at the father’s relationship with both of his sons. Will he accept the seemingly wayward son and what will it mean for the older brother who has not been mentioned much up to this point.

Lesson 43

Luke 15:1-10

That Which Was Lost

One of the most frustrating things for me is to lose something.  I can remember as a child not be able to find a hat that someone had given me.  It was an old flight hat like the pilots we see in old war movies wore.  To me it was a treasure then one day it disappeared.  I searched and searched the place where I had kept it to no avail.  It was gone.  To this day I think that one of my parents threw it away afraid I might catch something from it.  There is another instance that sticks in my mind the sixty some years later.  I had sent off for a badge that had a secret compartment in it.  It could be gotten when a number of box tops were sent in to the cereal company along with postage of course.  I was quite proud of that trinket.  One day I took it to school and made the mistake of leaving it in my coat pocket.  Yep, you guessed it someone helped themselves to it while I was in the class room.  No amount of searching in the pockets of that jacket could restore what I had lost.

Thankfully there is the one thing that cannot be lost.  It is my relationship with Jesus.  Somehow He found me and restored me to a place in His forever family.  There are many others that need what was given to me.  When I do not share the good news I deprive them of the blessing that was extended to me by someone else along the path of my life.  I have benefited from their faithfulness. Unlike them I have often not witnessed to others even when presented the chance because for no other reason than being a timid believer.  Paul told us in 2 Timothy 1:7 that, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

Timidity is one of the real foes of sharing one’s faith and ministering to others.  I remember back when our church was involved in the FAITH evangelistic strategy that I would rather facilitate the training than to actually go out on visitation.  I have never been what people called a confrontational Christian.  There are those, of which I am not one, who can seem to strike up a conversation anywhere anytime and have the lost come to faith in Christ.  Even after receiving the training I never was comfortable going up to a stranger’s home and expecting them to be welcoming to the message the FAITH team had to share.  I do find enjoyable and meaningful those times when I have the opportunity to talk about the Bible with those who are open to hearing the message contained in its pages.  This does not mean that I am indifferent to those who need to know Christ.  I would want everyone to be saved.  Sadly, if it is left up those like me not many will be saved.  I do pray for opportunities to share God’s word in the way He has equipped me.  Each of us have different gifts and abilities.  God can have us reach out in many ways.  The one excuse I do not have is to keep what God has shown me to myself.

A whole church can become apathetic to the dire condition of the lost.  Even back when we were doing FAITH the percentage of people who actually participated was a small in comparison to the total    membership of the church.  It was a time of great opportunity to witness to our friends and neighbors.  Rather than reaching out beyond our four walls we were content with what we had available for us inside the church.  Sadly, we are seeing in our society the results of this attitude, as the number of people not attending any church and identifying themselves in that way is increasing while many denominations find themselves in a declining mode.  One thing is sure.  People will only respond to those things that they believe are important.  Because we have not done the job very well, we as the total body of Christ are beginning to reap the results.

Luke 15:1

In the Jewish culture the most hated individuals, outside the Romans themselves, were the tax collectors.  These men were usually corrupt in their dealings with their own people.  Because they were given license to collect as much tax as they wanted as long as Roman got its share.  This made many of them very rich, but unhappy.  Those men as well as every other kind of sinner who was unable to keep the law were the very ones coming to hear the message that Jesus was preaching.

1. Why were the tax collectors so despised by the populace?
2. What did the Roman government allow them to do?
3. Why would these men come to hear Jesus? (All their wealth they were lonely, unhappy miserable men.)
4. How did the Romans feel about those men? (They were only tools to accomplish the dirty job of taxing the people)
5. To whom was Luke referring when he spoke of sinners? (They were those individuals who were unable to keep the law as the religious leaders laid it out before them.)
6. Why did they also come to hear Jesus? (In His message they saw hope for themselves.)
7. In which of the two groups did you see yourself at one point?
8. Which of them committed sins of commission and which sins of omission?

Luke 15:2

The religious leaders took a dim view of Jesus associating with the undesirables of society.  They did not keep their views to themselves but grumbled out loud.  It was another way for them to demean the character of Jesus. It is almost like the saying that is used today, that a person is known by the company they keep.  How much better it would have been for them to have spoken words of encouragement to those trapped in sin rather than continually trying to criticize and berate them.  They had said nothing or done nothing to lead those people into a relationship with the loving God.

1. Why did the religious leaders complain about Jesus’s association with tax collectors and sinners?
2. Why did they feel they had to discredit Jesus? (He was popular with the very people who should be praising and following them.)
3. How could they have encouraged the people?
4. How do you encourage or discourage the people with whom you come in contact?
5. What opportunities have you missed because of your view of other people?

Luke 15:3-6

In response to the religious leaders and specifically speaking to the coldness of their hearts, Jesus told a parable.  He began with a rhetorical question.  If any man was a shepherd of a flock of a hundred sheep and one went missing what would the shepherd do?  Of course he would go and look for it until it was found.  The sheep is then carried on the strong shoulders of the shepherd and brought home to safety. Then he throws a party because of one sheep. In John 10:1-18 Jesus paints a picture of the good shepherd, Himself. Here again he contrasts Himself with the self-serving religious leaders who would take care of sheep but were totally unconcerned about those who did not adhere to their interpretation of the Law.

1. To whom was the parable addressed?
2. Why did Jesus use the shepherd as an example of compassion in this parable?
3. Why would the Pharisees be more concerned about sheep than men?
4. In what ways do we write people off?
5. What is the difference between compassion and the law?

Luke 15:7

In no way did Jesus mean that God cared little for those who already love Him and have given their lives to Him.  When a person who was called in the throes of sin and death was rescued from that condition there was great rejoicing in heaven.  He or she was no longer under the power of satan but had begun eternal life.

1. In what ways is the love of God equal with all of His children?
2. In what ways does this parable say there is a difference? (Every time a person comes to Christ there is a renewed rejoicing.)
3. What should be our attitude when a person comes to Christ?
4. Why should we celebrate?
5. What should be our pattern of celebration? (Just as it is done in heaven.  What pleases God’s heart should cause us to rejoice.)

Luke 15:8-9

The coin in question meant a great deal to the woman.  There were two or three reasons the coin was so important.  It could have been:

• The amount of money needed to sustain her family for that day.  In that society the people depended on the daily wage to even survive.  When Jesus spoke of daily bread in the model prayer the people would have understood exactly what He meant.
• Part of her dowry given to her at the time of her wedding.  It was the material wealth she would have brought to the marriage.
• One of the ten silver coins that were attached to the bridal headdress by a silver chain.  Not only would it be valuable in a material way but would have been precious for sentimental reasons.

Somehow the coin had been lost on the dirt floor in a dimly lit house.  She became frantic and did everything in her power to recover it.  The floor would have reeds on it making it more difficult to see the very small coin.  To help in her search she brought in what was no more than a wick floating in oil.  She was determined that the coin would not remain lost.  When she found it she called her friends in to rejoice with her.  God turns His light on through the Holy Spirit to look into the dark world in which the lost live.  He searches the four corners of the earth locating those who need to receive His love. He never gives up until the lost is found.

1. Why was the coin so important to the woman?
2. In what way does the coin represent the condition of man?
3. Why is it sometimes so difficult for God to reach into the heart of man?
4. What does it take for the revelation of God to occur? (The light of the Holy Spirit comes to shine in the dark places of man’s heart.)
5. In what way does our attitude need to be like that of the woman’s?
6. In what ways do our actions show that we take salvation for granted?

Luke 15:10

There is no lack of joy in heaven over the salvation of each and every sinner.  He or she is more precious in the sight of God than all of the silver coins that have ever existed.  The sheep was lost by wandering off from the rest of the flock and out of the range of its shepherd’s voice.  By doing so found itself in a hostile environment that could be fatal in not found.  The coin was thrust into a situation not of its own doing but separated from its owner.  In both cases there was someone who cared enough to bring them back into the place they needed to be.  Christ the ultimate shepherd and the one who does not give up on any man brings them home.

1. What is the condition in heaven over a found coin rescued from a dark and dirty world?
2. In our own lives who is responsible for the places in which we find ourselves?
3. How do we get into the predicaments that we do?
4. Who is always there to rescue us?
5. In what way does Jesus use different methods to find and save us? Why?
6. What lesson can we learn from these two parables? (How precious each of us is in the eyes of God.)

    

• Make a list of those who you know are lost with whom you need to share the gospel.
• Avail yourself of some type of evangelistic training if possible.
• Understand that those who God brings into your path need to hear what He has done in your life.
• Work at getting over the fear of sharing the good news with others.  What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? A new brother or sister in Christ.
• Spend time every day in learning to understand God’s word.  By doing so you can refute the shallow arguments that non-believers make against the Bible.

If there is one theme that runs through the New Testament from the lips of Jesus to the writers of the epistles it is that sinners are lost and it is our responsibility to search for them and bring them to the Master.  That responsibility is really two pronged.  It is bringing people to Christ but just as important is the making them into disciples. Jesus never left anyone who was willing to listen in the condition in which He found them.  We must be willing to do the same. Let us get over the attitude that seems to say by our actions that it really does not matter if the lost stay lost.  Jesus told us that every time that a lost sheep or lost coin is returned to its rightful place in the flock or on the headband, there is great rejoicing.  Just think how much more important every person is than those sheep or coins.  Let us do what God called the church to be, His witnesses.  Just think what a difference that will make in our own lives and those we touch with the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

 

Lesson 42

What is Discipleship Anyway?

Luke 25-35

The question that arises every time I see the word disciple is does that describe who I am.  Several years ago a video was given to me as I prepared to lead a small group.  It was produced by Focus on the Family.  The title was “In the dust of the rabbi.”  Ray Vander Laan, a historian and teacher hosted the series.  He led a guided tour through a number of sites where many of the events of the Bible took place.  The question that haunts me from that video is, do I have what it takes to be a disciple.  Many of us have attended church from a young age and have been even been baptized.  That however does not make a person a disciple in the truest form of its meaning.  I will leave the explanation as we get into the text itself.  Sadly for me I did not understand discipleship beyond being a good church member.  I certainly did not grow as I should have for many years and still am working out my salvation with fear and trembling.

Churches all over the country are full of people who have no clue what it means to truly follow Christ. All we have to do look at the biblical illiteracy that is so pervasive throughout the church. It is difficult to know what it means to be a disciple if we do not even have the discipline to study His word.  Any organization that does not know what they are to be doing or how to produce the product that they are selling will soon fail. Churches no longer impact society because we have compromised with the world and watered down the basic doctrine of the faith.  Peter called us to be able to give the reason we are Christians.  It is obvious by the small number of people who are being drawn to Christ that we are falling short even in this area.  One other thing that stands out is our inability to disciple and help to maturity those who are new believers. 

In the following verses Jesus gave a clear picture of the beginning of the process toward becoming a true disciple.  What He has to say should shake every one of us to the core of our being.

Luke 14:25

At this point in His ministry Jesus was still very popular with the people.  As the possession moved toward Jerusalem many probably believed that He was on His way to claim His kingdom and dispose of the hated Romans.  Like citizens of today there was not such loyalty to Him as to a hope to be freed to live their lives in peace.  As He was going along He paused and turned them as He had so many times before to share some teaching with them.  In what follows He was not speaking to the religious leaders in particular or His disciples who had already committed their lives to Him but to everyone who was present. 

1. Why was Jesus still popular with the people? (He was still doing what He had been doing, healing and teaching.)
2. What was the hope that each of them had?
3. What did they hope would happen when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem?
4. In what ways were they like us? (We look to religious and political leaders to make the world a better place in which to live.  This means being able to live in peace and happiness with no one to bother us.)
5. Why did Jesus need to deal with this misconception? (He needed to head off the chaos that might occur once the caravan reached Jerusalem which could lead to open conflict with and defeat at the hands of the Romans.

Luke 14:26

His words to crowd must have startled them.  Many of the things He had said were about others like the religious leaders, tax collectors etc. Now He brought close to home what it meant to be a disciple.  He said that anything or anyone, including members of one’s own family came before Him would disqualify a person from being a disciple.

Ray Vander Laan, mentioned before, gives an insightful description of a disciple.  The Hebrew word is talmid.  In the Jewish religion a talmid who was one who had been to the synagogue school but had a desire to go further in his study of the Scriptures.  He would approach a rabbi who he admired and asked for the privilege of learning from him.  He wanted to be exactly his rabbi. For the next several years he would devote his entire life to the rabbi until he had learned all that the man could teach at that point he himself would become a rabbi.

The difference between the Jews and the process Jesus used to achieve the same goal was the method by which a man became a disciple.  Where the a young man asked the rabbi if he would allow him to be his talmid, Jesus was the One who chose those He believed had the potential to be entrusted with His work after He was resurrection.  Jesus saw them a passion of men that would be men who would be willing to spend every hour of every day with Him to learn from Him.

1. Why would the crowd be startled by what Jesus said?
2. What was the challenge presented to the people?
3. What is the challenge that His words would have for us today?
4. What is meant by the word talmid?
5. What are the things in your life that would indicate that you either are or are not a talmid?
6. How do you want to be just like Jesus?

Luke 14:27

The next challenge Jesus placed before the people called for identification with His most difficult event of His life.  The cross was the most humiliating thing that could happen to anyone.  It meant public disgrace and the most horrific death imaginable.  The events of Passion Week will be covered in more detail when we study those chapters in Luke.  Jesus was calling the people to be willing to identify with Him even it meant they must face the same things that He did.  Many would be martyred for His sake.  If one was not willing to identify with His death on the cross then they could not be His disciple.  This verse has been abused by many.  It does not mean suffering because of sickness or problems brought on by living in this world.  It is all about Christ and man’s willingness to suffer alongside Him.

1. What did Jesus mean by a person taking up his own cross?
2. What does it mean to identify with the cross of Jesus?
3. In what ways do you believe that you have identified with this idea?
4. How have we sometimes misinterpreted this verse?
5. Why do illnesses or problems not have anything to do with the cross?

Luke 14:28-30

Jesus followed with two examples that would point out using the mind in one’s approach to discipleship. The first is a picture of a man who needed to make sure he could complete a tower that would sit in his vineyard.  To fail would bring disgrace to him as others would see that he had not planned well.

1. What is Jesus saying with this example? (Discipleship is not just an emotional exercise but must be thought though carefully.)
2. What can bring failure to a person who does not approach a commitment carefully?
3. Why is the decision to follow Jesus more than emotional?
4. What are examples that we today have not counted the cost of what a commitment to Jesus mans?
5. In is the damage that can come from failing to following through on a decision?

Luke 14:31-32

The second instance points out the fact that one should understand the cost of doing battle for the Lord. One who is not strong enough to remain committed is better off not claiming that he is a disciple.  The world is going to be a difficult place for a true disciple.  To pretend to be what one is not will bring shame to the church.

1. In what way is this like the first example? (It is all about commitment.)
2. Why is it important for a man to weigh the odds before getting involved in the fray?
3. How does this second example also hurt the church?
4. How have you weighed the decision to enter into God’s service?

Luke 14:33

Jesus summarizes what He said and emphasized how He had be first place in each person’s life.  He had just spoken of that what was most dear to a person, his family. Finally He said if there is anything that a person is not willing to give up for the sake of following Him cannot be His disciple. 

1. Why does He leave this admonishment to the end? (Ultimately, it usually what we possess that trips us up. Jobs, position, things can become our gods.)
2. What are the things that you may not be willing to give up?
3. How can we make sure that things do not take the place of Jesus?
4. How can we use what we have to glorify God?

Luke 14:34-35a

Salt was a very important ingredient in the days of Jesus.  With no refrigeration it was the one way that a family could preserve foods over a period of time.  The other thing that salt does is to provide flavor to what is eaten.  Salt cannot really lose the ability to do either.  Jesus used it as a metaphor for the life of those who might follow Him.  If man loses the commitment to influence the world and point out those things that are in opposition to God it is no longer carrying out the purpose for which it was established.  Each man is to bring a quality to his environment that displays the love of God for all people.  To become self-centered defeats what God is trying to accomplish.  If a church fails in either of these attributes it may as well close its doors.

1. What does salt do?
2. How is it a picture of what the church is called to be?
3. What is the danger of losing these qualities?
4. In what ways have you seen this happen?
5. How can we become self-centered?
6. What does it imply? (We are not truly disciples.)

Luke 14:35b

There would be those there that day who would be willing truly become His talmid.  They were those who listened with a discerning mind.  John MacArthur in his book “The Truth War” spoke of those individuals as having the skills of spiritual discernment.  Those skills are “careful thought, keen interest, thorough analysis, close observation, alertness, attentiveness, thoughtfulness and above all a love of truth.” (pg. 213) Others would hear and realize that kind of life was not for them.  There would have also been those who would totally reject the words of Jesus and turn away from Him.  They may have been some who would a short time later call for His crucifixion.

1. What did Jesus mean by having ears to hear? (An openness to what He called them to be.)
2. Which of the people mentioned are found in churches today?
3. What would be the characteristics of each of them?
4. What is the danger to the church of those who may even be members who are willing to become disciples?
5. What are the qualities are those who had ears to hear?

    

• Think about the place Christ has in your heart.
• Consider all the things that may be in the way of your love for Christ and decide if you are willing to put them aside.
• Decide if your heart is passionate enough to be a true disciple of Christ.
• Count the cost of what it takes to be a disciple.
• Open your heart and mind to what Christ has said in His word.
• Look at the qualities mentioned by John MacArthur as to one who has spiritual discernment.
• Ask yourself if you are willing to put forth the effort to truly follow Christ in the manner of a Jewish talmid.

In order for the church to begin to change the lives it must head the words of Christ concerning the characteristics of a true disciple.  We have for too long allowed ourselves to drift away from an earnest search for the truth and commit ourselves to following it.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of easy Christianity in his book “Cost of Discipleship.” Recently Christian leaders have become concerned with our lack of understanding of the gospel narrative. We are now facing a crucial time in which we need to no longer do church as usual but commit ourselves to serving Him with our total being.  Let us listen to the call He has issued to us to put Him first in every area of our lives.