Discipleship

By David Maas
{EMULATING JESUS}

[Click on the title below to open an article]


{TO FOLLOW HIM}
  1. Following Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The Messiah of Israel submitted to the way of the Cross and summoned his disciples to follow him on the very same path)
  2. His Path - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaims a new political reality, the Kingdom of God, and it bears little resemblance to the political systems of this world)
  3. Love your Enemy - {PDF Copy} - (Acts of mercy and love are the defining characteristics of the true disciple and of the nature of God)
  4. The Way of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes necessitates a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others)
  5. The Mind of Christ - {PDF Copy} - (The obedient death of Jesus becomes the paradigm for service to others, the pattern disciples are summoned to emulate)
  6. 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)
  7. 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)
  8. Servant of the Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (His disciples are summoned to lives of self-sacrificial service to others, just as Jesus gave his life as the ransom price for many)
  9. The Cost of Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To be his disciple means taking up the cross and following in his footsteps, even if it results in death - Mark 6:7-30)
  10. Taking up the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah of Israel means suffering and death, and he summons disciples to walk the same path)
  11. Power and Wisdom - {PDF Copy} - (The power and wisdom of God are revealed in the proclamation of a Messiah who was crucified on Calvary)
  12. Christ or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged him as his overlord)

{SUFFERING}
  1. Suffering and Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus means self-denial and a willingness to suffer for his sake, and enduring persecution is the highest honor 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. Afflicted Disciples - {PDF Copy} - (In this life, the disciple of Jesus will endure “tribulation” and persecution for his sake – 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4)
  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. Overcoming Saints - {PDF Copy} - (In the book of Revelation, overcoming saints persevere in the testimony of Jesus no matter the cost, “even unto death”)
  8. Expect 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. Warfare in the Spirit - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples wage spiritual warfare through right conduct, acts of love, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ)
  2. Many Deceivers - {PDF Copy} - (Christ’s Olivet Discourse opens with a warning about the many deceivers who will propagate false expectations about the end)
  3. The Spirit of Antichrist - {PDF Copy} - (The Antichrist is a deceiver bent on destroying the church through deception, apostasy, and, if necessary, persecution)
  4. In His Churches - {PDF Copy} - (John labels false teachers in the church as antichrists, and their deceptive teachings confirm that the last days have commenced)
  5. 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)
  6. Responding to Persecutors - {PDF Copy} - (When Christians react to hostility with hostility, whether from government, society, or individuals, Satan triumphs)
  7. 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)

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