B. Accept One Challenge

Accept One Challenge   (B)

John 21:15-19

Life

Beginning a ministry like the National Bible Reading Campaign will not be easy. Obedience will be the only way we can reach our objective.  The best way to expand the Kingdom of God is to get the Word of God into as many people’s hearts and minds as possible. This takes more than going to church on Sunday morning, evening, attending Bible Studies and Prayer Groups.  We need to give our life to Christ and be about our Fathers business. The rewards are great!   As Jesus said in John 4:36, “the harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.  What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!”   This ministry does not stop at putting the “Written Word” of God into the minds of people, but continues to bring them into fellowship with The “Living Word” and God’s people,  which are His Church.   During the next lessons you will see that the New Testament church is desperately needed to bring hope to the world.   To this end we set our lives.   We hope to be like Jesus when He said, “Not my will but that of my Father’s” (Matthew 26:39).  We start with a life challenge- not from us- but from our Lord Jesus.

Luke 9:21-26  “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me, If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how will you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit you own soul in the process?”  If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

• What is the difference between believing that God exists and following Jesus?
• If you are living to secure your place in this world you are following Christ. T/F
• If you go to church every day it means you are following Christ. T/F
• If you are lost it is because you love what the world offers more than your own soul? T/F
• Is this a life challenge?
• Are you willing to accept this life challenge?

 

 

What is a Life Challenge? (Part 1)

 

The life of Simon Peter

This is an account of a person who followed Jesus and ended up denying him, more than once.  Read the following to gather some details about his life and then let us learn how Jesus restored him to the ministry. 

 (Jn 13:31-38) disciples share the last supper, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial.

 (Jn 18:1-11)  . Peter draws his sword. 

(Jn 18:25-27) Peter denies knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crows.

Simon Peter’s actions do not match his words

Mt 26:31-35 “Tonight all of you will desert me,” Jesus told them. “For the Scriptures say, God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”  But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”  Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”  “Peter,” Jesus replied, “the truth is, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “NO!” Peter insisted. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!.”  And all the other disciples vowed to do the same.

• What did the (Old Testament) say would happen? (Zech 13:7)
• What happened?
• Did Peter take the life challenge?
• What did Jesus (The Living Word) say would happen?
• Did it happen?
• Do we need to be more serious about taking a life challenge?

There are some that believe God exists and there are some that follow Jesus

John 15:18-27   “When the world hates you, remember it hated Me before it hated you.  The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you.  Do you remember what I told you? ‘A servant is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to Me, they would listen to you!  The people of the world will hate you because you belong to Me, for they don’t know God who sent Me.  They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates Me hates my Father, too.  If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw all that I did and yet hated both of us—Me and my Father.  This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: ‘They hated me without cause.’

 ”But I will send you the Counselor—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me.  And you must also tell others about me because you have been with me from the beginning.

Go through the passages and call out a One for the Father, a Two for the Son and a Three for the Holy Spirit…take your time.

• What happened to Jesus?
• What happens to his followers?
• Is a student greater than his master?
• Do you understand that someday you may have to give up your life for following Jesus?
• Who will be sent into our lives to Comfort us?
• Do we really need the comforter if we are always trying to avoid persecution?

John 16:1-15   ”I have told you these things so that you won’t fall away.  For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service. This is because they have never known the Father or Me. Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember I warned you. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. “But now I am going away to the One Who sent Me, and none of you has asked Me where I am going.  Instead, you are very sad. But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Counselor won’t come. If I do go away, He will come because I will send Him to you.  And when He comes, He will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is unbelief in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged.  “Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting His own ideas; He will be telling you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever He receives from me.  All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever He receives from Me.

Why did Jesus tell them these things?

• People who think they are serving God will ……?
• What three things will the Holy Spirit do when He comes?
• Is the Holy Spirit going to bring Glory to the Holy Spirit? (John 15:26)
• What kind of spirit will try and bring glory to itself?  (2 Thes. 2:3-9)

What does Jesus do before giving Simon Peter his life challenge?

                                                    

John 21:1-14  Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee, This is how it happened.  Several of the disciples were there- Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the twin), Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.  Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing,”  “We’ll come too,” they all said, so they went out to the boat, but they caught nothing all night.  At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was.  He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”  “No they replied” Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” so they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. “ Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said, So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore.  There were 153 large fish and yet the net hadn’t torn.  “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said, And no one dared ask him if he was really the Lord because they were sure of it.   Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been risen from the dead.

Luke 22:31-32   Jesus had already prayed for Peter:

• Satan asked permission to destroy Peter?   T/F
• Jesus allowed this to happen but prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail?  T/F
• Satan convinced Peter to go back to his old job because he was a failure?  T/F
• Jesus prayed that after Peter repented, he would build up his brothers?  T/F
• What do you think Peter was thinking about during this breakfast with Jesus?

        John 17:20-26   What did Jesus pray for us?

John 21:15-19  After  Breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”  “Then feed my lambs,”   Jesus told him.  Jesus repeated the question:  “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.  Once more he asked of him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time.  He said, “Lord, you know everything.  You know I love you.”  Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.  The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever   you wanted to.  But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you do not want to go.”  Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God.  Then Jesus told him, “Follow me”  

How can we prove that we love Jesus?

• By judging those, who have sinned and have stopped following Jesus. – T / F
• By putting people, who deny Jesus, on church discipline? – T / F
• By returning to routine and ritual (as Peter did), instead of following Jesus. – T / F
• By taking care of animals/sheep and making sure they get some food. – T / F
• By teaching others the Bible. T / F

 Matthew 4:18-22 What did Jesus want Peter to do with his life? 

• Jesus was going to teach him how he could improve his fishing business. T/F
• He was going to teach him how to fish for men. T/F
• Peter immediately started following Jesus. T/F
• From the time Peter started following Jesus he didn’t make any mistakes. T/F

Which of the following sentences most closely describes your personal feelings about this lesson?

• I think Jesus should have been stricter with Peter.
• I would never deny Jesus like Peter did.
• Peter was no better than Judas and they both deserved to be punished.
• I relate to this story because many times I have let Jesus down also.
• It is easy for me to see why the disciples just went back to their old jobs (routines).
• It helped me see that Jesus did not come to condemn but to save.
• I realize that one way to love Jesus is to teach others about Him.
• Jesus wanted to be reconciled with Peter and therefore forgave him.
• I must be willing to lay down my life for Jesus as He did for me.

Galatians 6:1 Describes how we are to restore a Christian that has fallen. 

James 5:19-20 Explains the rewards for bringing a fallen Christian back to fellowship.

 

 

 

 

Does Absolute Truth Exist? (PART 2)

 

Acts 1:3 During the forty days after His crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time and proved to them that He was actually alive. On those occasions He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

Discussion:  What did Jesus do after His crucifixion?

1 Cor. 15:1-11 Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message.  And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.  I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.  He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles.  After that, He was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.  Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.  Last of all, I saw him, too, long after the others, as though I had been born at the wrong time.  For I am the least of all the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted the church of God.  But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace.  So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach. The important thing is that you believed what we preached to you.

• What did the early apostles teach?
• How many people were eye witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ?

1 Corinthians 15:12-22 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead?  For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless.  And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished!  And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.  But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ.  Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life.

Questions:

• If Christ did not rise from the grave then all Bible based preaching has been useless. T/F
• If He did not rise from the dead then there is no absolute truth!
• Our Christian faith is based on an historical fact.  T/F
• Our Christian faith is based on our feelings and cannot be proven. T/F
• Just as all people have fallen into to sin because of Adam all people can be saved through Christ. T/F (2 Cor. 5:14-15; Heb 2:9; 1 Tim 2:3-6)

1 Corinthians 1:18-30 When presenting the Gospel it is very important to understand that:

• We are to present a brilliant message to the world.  T/F
• The Gospel destroys human wisdom. T/F
• The Greeks only believe what agrees with their own wisdom. T/F
• We are to be better philosophers. T/F
• We need to be better scholars. T/F
• We need to preach Christ crucified. T/F

 

What does God want us to do?

There are some that would say going to church every Sunday is all that God demands of us.  We do not need to cause any problems in this world.  There are others that say we should get out of the building and tell people about Jesus and coming judgment. When looking at the life of Jesus, Peter, Paul and the early church can we tell which of these two arguments are more closely aligned with the New Testament. 

1)  “Lost people” leave the world and start going to a “Church building.”

2)  Saved people, “The Church” leave the building and go to the lost.

Think about this as you begin to look at the life of Peter and think about accepting the life challenge:

The Great Commission

(Did He Really Say that we are only to stay and pray?)

Matthew 28:1-7  Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb.  Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it.  His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.  The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.  Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come; see where his body was lying.  And now, go quickly and tell his disciples He has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.”

• Did the angel tell them to stay and pray until Jesus returns?
• What day did Jesus raise from the dead?
• Why do you think people started worshiping on Sunday and not on Saturday?

Mark 16:1-7  The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone—a very large one—had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, “Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!” The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk. Then they reported all these instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

• Jesus would go to Galilee and meet them there. T/F
• The grave was empty. T/F
• The angel accidently went to the wrong grave. T/F
• The ladies accidently went to the wrong grave also.  T/F
• The angel and the ladies went to the grave where Jesus was buried. T/F
• The ladies were so excited they told everybody they met, that Jesus rose from the grave. T/F
• Jesus sent them out with the message of salvation that gives eternal life. T/F
• Jesus only sent woman to present the Gospel the men stayed behind and drank beer or sat in the synagogues praying all the time.  T/F

Matthew 28:8-10  The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel’s message.  And as they went, Jesus met them. “Greetings!” He said. And they ran to Him, held his feet, and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

• Where did the angel tell the disciples to go?
• What three things did the ladies do when they saw Jesus?

Acts 17:30-31 Should we just believe that the resurrection was a historical fact or should we try and discover the implications of the resurrection?

In your opinion which one of these is most important and why?

• The Ten Commandments.
• The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• The need for people to repent of their sins.

Mark 14:28 But after I am raised from the dead. I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

• What would you think if you heard your leader say this?
• Do you think that the Apostles understood?

Matthew 28:11-15  As the women were on their way into the city, some of the men who had been guarding the tomb went to the leading priests and told them what had happened.  A meeting of all the religious leaders was called, and they decided to bribe the soldiers.  They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you and everything will be all right.”  So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.

Discussion: If the soldiers were actually sleeping when the disciples came then how would they know who took the body? 

Discussion: Why didn’t the Jewish leaders just go to the grave and show everybody the dead body of Jesus?

Discussion: Which one of the following two scenarios makes more sense?

1) The disciples did “steal the body” therefore they “knew” that their preaching on life after death was a lie.  But they were still willing to die for this deceiver named Jesus.

2) Jesus really did rise from the grave so it was nothing for the disciples to lay down their lives for Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 28:16-20

(Go and Make Disciples)

 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them still doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

In Part One we learned how Jesus restored a person that had denied Him back to serving him and not the world.  In part two we learned that it is only through a relationship with the Resurrected Christ that we have hope. We can’t expect anybody to take a life challenge that feels like they are not longer needed by the Lord.  God would not expect you to be willing to lay down your life if you were not certain that life exists after death.  We hope this lesson has encouraged you and also challenged you to serve the Lord with all your life.  We pray that you will join us in our National Bible Reading Campaign and follow us as in this mission, as we follow our Lord.  We don’t do this by tradition, by human effort or human wisdom, we do this by laying down our desire to be a part of this world and serving the Lord and remaining faithful to the end. 

“Will you come with us and help us Make Disciples for Christ?”