Discipleship

By David Maas
{EMULATING JESUS}

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{TO FOLLOW HIM}
  1. To Follow the Lamb - {PDF Copy} - (The Messiah of Israel submitted to the way of the Cross and summoned his disciples to follow his example in their lives)
  2. The Imperative of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (Christ crucified is the pattern disciples of Jesus are summoned to follow and emulate, and the test of the genuine apostolic faith)
  3. His Path - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaimed a new political reality, the Kingdom of God, one that bears little resemblance to the political systems of this age)
  4. My Way or His Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus necessitates a life of self-denial, a willingness to suffer persecution for him, and to selflessly serve others)
  5. Mercy is Paramount - {PDF Copy} - (Mercy and love are defining characteristics of his disciples and reflect the true nature of his Father – Matthew 5:43-48)
  6. The Way of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes necessitates a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others and a willingness to lose all for the Gospel)
  7. The Mind of Christ - {PDF Copy} - (The submission of Jesus to an unjust death becomes the paradigm for the love and service to others that disciples are summoned to manifest)
  8. On the Way - {PDF Copy} - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explains to his disciples just what it means to be the Messiah of Israel)
  9. The Suffering Servant - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples are summoned to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life unto death for the sake of others)
  10. Ransom for Many - {PDF Copy} - (His disciple is called to engage in self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:35-45)
  11. Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus means living a life of self-sacrificial service to others, especially to the weak and the insignificant)
  12. Embracing the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah of Israel meant suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow that same path – Mark 8:31)
  13. True Power and Wisdom - {PDF Copy} - (The power and wisdom of God are found in the proclamation of a Messiah who was crucified on a Roman cross)
  14. Servant or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged him as his overlord - Matthew 4:8-11)
  15. Kingdom Slave - {PDF Copy} - (To be a citizen of the kingdom of God requires a life of self-sacrificial service for others, not power over them – Mark 10:35-45)

{SUFFERING}
  1. Suffering and Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus requires the willingness to suffer for his sake, and enduring persecution is the highest honor imaginable in his Kingdom)
  2. Though He Slays Me - {PDF Copy} - (“Though He slays me yet will I trust in him, and I will maintain my ways before him” – Job 13:15)
  3. Appointed to Tribulation - {PDF Copy} - (The disciple who faithfully bears witness to the Gospel and Jesus will endure tribulation and persecution for his sake)
  4. Tribulation and Endurance - {PDF Copy} - (Exiled on Patmos, John declared himself a “fellow-participant” in the tribulation and endurance “in Jesus”)
  5. Tribulation vs Wrath - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples escape God’s wrath, but they endure tribulation. Indeed, the church has been appointed to suffer)
  6. Summons to Persevere - {PDF Copy} - (Through a series of seven beatitudes, Revelation summons believers to faithfulness despite hostility and persecution)
  7. The Faithful Witness - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Faithful Witness who summons his disciples to emulate his example by bearing faithful witness in a hostile world)
  8. Expecting Tribulation - {PDF Copy} - (The New Testament teaches followers of Jesus to expect persecution and suffering, and this is especially so in the Book of Revelation)

{OPPOSITION}
  1. The Beast is Rising! - {PDF Copy} - (To identify the Antichrist, we must understand what the relevant scriptures say about him, his methods, and his agenda)
  2. The Ancient Beast - {PDF Copy} - (The Beast from the Sea is the latest incarnation of the ancient creature, the Dragon, that has stalked the seed of the woman since the sin of Adam)
  3. The Beast Goes to War - {PDF Copy} - (In Revelation, the language of war is used metaphorically to describe the persecution of believers by the Beast from the Sea)
  4. Warfare in the Spirit - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples wage spiritual warfare through right conduct, acts of love, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ)
  5. Deceivers and False Prophets - {PDF Copy} - (The ‘Olivet Discourse’ opens with a warning against the many deceivers who will spread false information about the return of Jesus)
    6. The Spirit of Antichrist - {PDF Copy} - (The Antichrist Spirit works to destroy the church from within, especially through deception propagated by deceivers and false teachers – 1 John 2:18-22)
  6. In the Assembly - {PDF Copy} - (John labels false teachers active in his congregations as antichrists. Their deceptive teachings confirm that the Last Days have commenced)
  7. The Persecuting Beast - {PDF Copy} - (The Dragon and his earthly vassals wage war against the saints, the followers of the Lamb, and not against other nation-states)
  8. Disciples and the State - {PDF Copy} - (Paul instructs believers living in the Roman Empire not to resist the government since its existence and authority are arranged by God)
  9. The Great Cosmic Conflict - {PDF Copy} - (Throughout this age, Satan and his minions are waging an all-out cosmic war against the saints that will culminate in Armageddon)

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