Bible Study #3: Follow Me!
Purpose of Study: to understand what is required to be a disciple of Jesus
The Definition of a Disciple
Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
Matthew 8:19
One of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
Luke 11:1
The word disciple as used in the New Testament means one who is a
____follower and ____learner of a teacher.
Read Luke 6:40. What does it means to be a disciple of Jesus
(see 1 John 2:6 and 1 Corinthians 11:1 to confirm your answer)?
A disciple of Jesus is a pupil/student who learns from Jesus, when fully trained will be like Jesus
(Note: explain 1 Jn 2:6 - walk like Jesus = live same lifestyle as Jesus; 1 Cor 11:1 - imitate Christ - be exact copy of Christ - be just like Christ)
Read Acts 11:26. What and by whom were the disciples called?
Disciples called Christians - don’t know by whom - text doesn’t tell us
(NOTE: emphasize not to read information into the text that is not there)
Why do you think they were called Christians?
The disciples followed Christ - acted like Christ - lived and taught the teachings of their Master
Proof of Being a True Disciple of Jesus
In the John’s Gospel Jesus made several statements which identify what
is required to prove you are truly His disciple:
Jesus said . . . "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 "And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free John 8:31-32
#1 - To prove to be Jesus’ disciple you must ____abide in His word.
What does it mean to abide in Jesus’ word (see how Jesus uses this
idea about “in the word” in the rest of the chapter: 8:37, 43, 51, 55)?
V37- word has no place in you: positively stated - word has place in you = word abides because it is significant in your life - read and study word; v43 - cannot hear my word: positively stated - to abide in word enables to hear word; v51, 55 - Keeps word - to abide in word means to keep word - obey word; Thus to abide in word is to make word significant part of your life by reading, studying, and hearing word, then doing/obeying the word.
Read the following texts and see if they confirm your answer above:
Job 23:12 treasured word more than food - word is significant and valued as part of one’s life
Colossians 3:16 let word dwell in hearts by wisdom/teaching - read & study word to put in heart
2 Timothy 3:14-17 continue in things you have learned; stay in word - keep out doing what it says
John 14:21, 23 one who has word (ie abiding in him) and keeps word - Father and Jesus will love person, and abide with person; Jesus will disclose Himself to person
(NOTE: show student more “have word and keep it” closer you are to Jesus)
What are the two results/benefits of abiding in the Word given in verse 32?
#1 - know the truth - have understanding of the truth - word of God
#2 - truth make you free - enable you to live free from sin (see vv33-34)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you
also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love
for one another John 13:34-35
#2 - To prove to be Jesus’ disciple you must ____love one another.
How are we to love one another according to verse 34?
We should love others as Jesus has loved us
How do we love one another as Jesus loved us? (Hint: Do you
remember the summary statement of your purpose as Christian?)
we love others by serving them
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:8
#3 - To prove to be Jesus’ disciple you must bear much ____fruit___________
and ____glorify________ the Father.
Read John 12:23-26 and answer the following questions:
According to verse 24 what is required for a grain of wheat to bear fruit?
Grain of wheat must die in order to produce fruit
How does the grain of wheat illustrate how Jesus was to be glorified?
For Jesus to be glorified He had to die and produce fruit
What fruit did Jesus produce by His death on the cross (see John 4:34-39;
Matt 28:19-20)?
Jesus produced believers - disciples
What fruit must you produce to be a disciple of Jesus?
believers - disciples
For you to produce fruit like Jesus, what must you do (see vv25-26)?
Hate my life - die to self - crucify self and serve Jesus by following Him
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers
and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does
not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. . . . 33 "So likewise, whoever
of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.Luke 14:26-33
#4 - To prove you are Jesus’ disciple you must _forsake all you have .
According to Jesus’ teaching in vv26-27 what things specifically must you
forsake to be His disciple?
Father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, your own life
Read Matthew 6:24. How does this text help you understand what Jesus
meant about hating your family and your own life?
You can’t have two masters - two priorities; God must be the priority above all else
(NOTE: an illustration you might use to help student: see our priorities in race - God, family, self, etc. To have God as only master - hate family/own life - mean God is first in race - everything else is so far behind God - can’t see them; help student understand that this doesn’t mean family is not important to us and to God - but when make God our priority He will give us balance in life - allowing us meet needs of family, etc.)
According to the context, what did Jesus mean by, “bear his cross and
come after me”?
to bear his cross would be willing to die and give up everything to follow Jesus
Read Luke 14:28-32 again. What is the general gist of what Jesus is saying in
these verses as it applies to being His disciple?
You must count the cost of following Jesus, being His dicisple
What is Jesus’ conclusion to counting the cost in vv28-32 found in 14:33?
To be a disciple of Jesus you must be willing to give up - forsake everything you have
Read Philippians 3:7-8. What was Paul willing to forsake to follow Christ and what
value did he count the things he had forsaken?
Paul counted all things he possessed as loss to follow Christ
He counted the things he gave up as rubbish - garbage compared to Christ
To prove you are Jesus’ disciple you must count the ____cost___________
and pay the ____price__________ of following Jesus!
Counting the Cost and Paying the Price of Discipleship
Read Luke 9:57-62 and answer the following questions:
In vv57 someone promises to follow Jesus and He replies, “the Son of
Man has nowhere to lay His head” (vv58)? What did Jesus mean by this?
Jesus had no earthly possessions
What did Jesus wanted the person in vv57 to understand about following Him?
Jesus wanted man to count cost of following Him and know it would cost his earthly possessions
What do you think it cost Jesus to follow God’s will?
Cost Jesus all glory He had with Father in heaven, it cost Him sweet fellowship He had with Father
In vv59 Jesus commands a person to “Follow Me.” What obligation does
this person identify must first be kept before he can follow Jesus?
Go bury his father
(NOTE: help student understand to bury father was duty of this person - his obligation to his family)
In vv60 what did say was the obligation of those who follow Him?
To go everywhere and proclaim the kingdom of God - i.e., preach the Gospel to everyone
What did Jesus want man to understand about following Him when He said,
“let the dead bury their own dead” (vv60)?
Jesus wanted the man to understand the obligations of following Jesus were greater and more important than the obligations to family
What does vv61 tell us about the heart of the person who committed to
follow Jesus (hint see Matthew 6:24)?
He wanted to follow Jesus, but also wanted to say goodbye to those at home. the person’s heart had divided loyalties - had multiple masters
What did Jesus want the man to understand by His statement in vv62?
Once you begin task of plowing, you cant look back at what you left behind - you can’t have divided loyalties and keep on having a desire for what you have forsaken
Read Luke 9:23-24. According to 9:23 what three things did Jesus teach
must be done to follow Him?
Deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow ME
(NOTE: ask the student what each of these means; help them understand to follow Jesus means dying completely to self and following Jesus by doing will of God only)
The Difference in the Cost and Price of Salvation and Being a Disciple
What did it cost you to be saved (Eph 2:8-9)? Salvation is free gift of God by grace - cost me nothing
What will it cost you to be a true disciple of Jesus (Luke 14:33)? To follow Jesus I must forsake everything
Salvation is free gift of God and cost you ____nothing_______ !
Being a true disciple of Jesus cost you ____everything !
Write your personal definition of a disciple (Christian):
(NOTE: Make sure student captures main ideas of being disciple: follower, learner, be like Jesus, abides in word, loves others, bears fruit, glorifies the Father, pays costs of following Jesus)