The role of a disciple is defined by Jesus in His final words to His followers. But He doesn’t overwhelm them with a responsibility that they must shoulder by themselves or in their own ability. The deficiencies that are present in all of us are solved by God’s gracious gift of His Spirit, to be the power and enabler of our witness.
Observations & Conclusions:
- The Divine Discovery: God has to open their minds
- The Divine Disclosure: God has revealed the gospel in the scriptures
- The Divine Decree – The message is preached in Jesus’ name
- The Divine Design – God’s strategy is for all people but it begins at home first
- The Divine Dispatch – God is going to send the Spirit
- The Divine Delivery – God’s Spirit is the delivery of the missing ability
- The Disciple’s Dependence – obedience means following instructions
- The Disciple’s Duty – share your testimony
Application:
- Is your mind being formed by Jesus? Y / N
– Begin renewing your mind - Are you feeding from His Word? Y / N
– Begin reading His Word - Do you remember the gospel? Y / N
– Begin recalling the gospel - Are you committed to God’s mission? Y / N
– Begin reaching out on mission
- Share the gospel by displaying the power of the Spirit concerning your testimony of what God has done in your life because you have submitted to Jesus as your Lord.
Ephesians 1:15-18
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people”
1 Corinthians 15:3-5
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.”
John 15:26-27
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
1 John 1:1-3
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3:15-16
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
What does Jesus mean to you? What have you seen, felt, and heard concerning Jesus?