Discipleship

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Discipleship
Jesus style
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Matthew 2818-20 And Jesus came and spoke to
them, saying, All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.
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The Purpose of Parables
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Matthew 1334-35 All these things Jesus spoke
to the multitude in parables and without a
parable He did not speak to them, that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying        I will open My mouth in
parables       I will utter things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.
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The power of story telling
? The use of stories in society
? Folktales, fables and myths
? Parables
A parable is a concise, realistic story, designed
to convey a lesson or moral truth, that seems
inherently probable and takes place in a familiar
setting of life.
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Luke 89-10 Then His disciples asked Him,
saying, What does this parable mean? And He
said, To you it has been given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest
it is given in parables, that        Seeing
they may not see,      And hearing they may not
understand.
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Who wants to go deeper?
? Parables cast a net
? Questions test hunger and thirst
? Discovery is better than instruction
Teaching is not talking and learning is not
listening.
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The use of parables today
? interpreting Jesus parables (Matt. 13)
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Matthew 131-23 On the same day Jesus went out
of the house and sat by the sea. And great
multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that
He got into a boat and sat and the whole
multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many
things to them in parables, saying Behold, a
sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some
seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and
devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where
they did not have much earth and they
immediately sprang up because they had no depth
of earth. But when the sun was up they were
scorched, and because they had no root they
withered away. And some fell among thorns, and
the thorns sprang up and choked them.
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But others fell on good ground and yielded a
crop some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do
You speak to them in parables? He answered and
said to them, Because it has been given to you
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has not been given. For whoever
has, to him more will be given, and he will have
abundance but whoever does not have, even what
he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I
speak to them in parables.
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Therefore hear the parable of the sower When
anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does
not understand it, then the wicked one comes and
snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is
he who received seed by the wayside. But he who
received the seed on stony places, this is he who
hears the word and immediately receives it with
joy yet he has no root in himself, but endures
only for a while. For when tribulation or
persecution arises because of the word,
immediately he stumbles. Now he who received
seed among the thorns is he who hears the word,
and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the word, and he becomes
unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good
ground is he who hears the word and understands
it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
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The use of parables today
? interpreting Jesus parables (Matt. 13)
? testing the waters for discipleship
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Matthew 77-11 Ask, and it will be given to
you seek, and you will find knock, and it will
be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened.
Or what man is there among you who,
if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a
serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father who is in heaven give good
things to those who ask Him!
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Parables are designed to pique someones interest
so that they might take the next step and ask
deeper questions. The process of discovery
refines and personalizes a persons interest. It
challenges their true level of commitment.
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Disciple of Christ
What are your questions?
Are you willing to put effort into finding the
answers?
Discipler in Christ
Are you willing to not be the source of all
wisdom?
Are you willing to lead them in discovery?