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 daily lives)
  2. His Pathway - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaimed a very different political reality, the Kingdom of God, one that bears little resemblance to the governments of this evil age)
  3. Superabounding Righteousness - {PDF Copy} - (Mercy and love are defining characteristics of the disciples of Jesus, reflecting the true nature of his Father – Matthew 5:43-48)
  4. Counting the Cost - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus one must take up the cross and follow in his footsteps, even if it results in rejection, impoverishment, or death - Mark 6:7-30)
  5. No Middle Ground - {PDF Copy} - (In Revelation, humanity is divided into two and only two groups – followers of the Lamb or subjects of the Beast)
  6. Greatness in His Kingdom - {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)
  7. 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)
  8. 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)
  9. 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)
  10. 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)
  11. On the Cruciform Road - {PDF Copy} - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained his Messianic Mission and inevitable death at the hands of his enemies - Mark 8:27-38)
  12. The Suffering Servant - {PDF Copy} - (Paul summoned believers to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life unto death for others – Philippians 2:5-11)
  13. 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)
  14. Delivered up to Death - {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)
  15. 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)
  16. 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)
  17. Servant or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged the Devil as his overlord)
  18. Slave of His Kingdom - {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)
  19. Sanctified Wholly - {PDF Copy} - (Considering the future arrival of Jesus, Paul summons the Assembly to become sanctified completely by that Day – 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
  20. The Mission - {PDF Copy} - (The mission of the Assembly of Jesus is to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to all Nations until he returns – Matthew 24:14)

{SUFFERING}
  1. "Rejoice and Exult!" - {PDF Copy} - (When disciples are persecuted for their faith, they should rejoice for being accounted worthy to suffer for Jesus and his Kingdom)
  2. Suffering for Him - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus requires the willingness to suffer for his sake, and enduring persecution is the highest honor imaginable in his Kingdom)
  3. 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)
  4. Appointed for Tribulation - {PDF Copy} - (The disciple who faithfully bears witness to the Gospel and Jesus will endure tribulation and persecution for his sake)
  5. Tribulation and Endurance - {PDF Copy} - (Exiled on Patmos, John is a fellow participant in the tribulation, the kingdom, and the endurance that are in Jesus – Revelation 1:9)
  6. Tribulation vs Wrath - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples escape God’s wrath, but they endure tribulation, and the Assembly has been appointed to tribulation – 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4)
  7. Summons to Persevere - {PDF Copy} - (Through a series of seven beatitudes, Revelation summons believers to faithfulness despite hostility and persecution)
  8. His Faithful Witnesses - {PDF Copy} - (In the Book of Revelation, overcoming saints persevere in their testimony for Jesus whatever the cost, even a martyr’s death)
  9. 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. 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)
  2. The Ascending Beast - {PDF Copy} - (To identify the Antichrist, we must understand what the relevant scriptures say about him, his methods, and his agenda)
  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 identified false teachers in the church as ‘antichrists’, and their deceptive teachings confirmed that the Last Days had 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)
  10. Mercy and Enemies - {PDF Copy} - (When disciples react to hostility with hostility, whether by government, society, or individuals, Satan triumphs)

Steep Trail - Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash
[Steep Trail by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash]

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