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New Disciples Bible Study

Grace Life Center
Week 2

Topic: Why Should We Desire To Follow Jesus?

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?

To follow Jesus exclusively means to, lay aside our views and the views of others views
about God, ourselves and living life in this World and accept Jesus views and opinions as
true and as the basis to live our lives. It means to strive everyday to live life as if Jesus
Himself were living through our own bodies.

Matthew 16:24 26 (NASB)
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Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny
himself, andtake up his cross and follow Me.
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For whoever wishes to save his
[a]
life will
lose it; but whoever loses his
[b]
life for My sake will find it.
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For what will it profit a man if
he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
soul?


If following Jesus could be potentially costly, challenging and difficult, why then
should we even consider following Jesus? Why do think Jesus constantly invited
people to follow him, despite the cost of following Him?




Of all you have heard about Jesus, which characteristic do you think was most
significant and will influence everything else he said and did?

Some say he is a prophet
Some say he never existed
Some say he was good person
He was just another Jewish a rabbi

John 5:19-24 (NASB)
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Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can
do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the
Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
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For the Father loves the Son,
and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater
works than these, so that you will marvel.
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For just as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
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For not even the Father
judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
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so that all will honor the Son
even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father
who sent Him.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has
eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.


Jesus claimed that He came to do Gods will and everything he did he did because He
saw the Father do it.


What does this mean with respect to why we should desire to follow Jesus?

Following Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God and do the will of God who
loves us and is holy.



Jesus Made Other Claims That Deserve Our Attention and are Reasons for us to
follow Him

1. Jesus claimed that He was God, the Son, the Creator of all life

John 8:58-59 (NIV)
58"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59At this, they picked
up stones to
stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Did the Jews pick up stones to kill Jesus simply because he used bad grammar? What
really motivated this violent reaction to his words?


Exodus 3:14 (NIV)
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent
me to you.' "

What significance does this passage have with regard to Jesus words?

John 10:27-33 (NIV)
27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the
Father are one." 31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I
have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you,
a mere man, claim to be God."

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Which of the statements Jesus made led the Jews to believe he was claiming to be God?


2. Jesus claimed that He alone could save humanity from the evil
bedeviling them


John 10:7 - 10 (NASB)
7 So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All
who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the
door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and
[a]have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for
the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the
sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them
and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the
sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as
the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have
other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice;
and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me,
but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority
to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.

3. Jesus claimed that no one could enter or experience God and his
Kingdom except Jesus gave it to them.

John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus *said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father
but through Me.



Which of these claims of Jesus do you find the most difficult to accept or grasp?



What do you think are legitimate responses to the claim Jesus made of himself?


There are only three ways to respond to the claims of Jesus. We could either say:
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1. He was a ____________________________________________________




2. He was a ____________________________________________________




3. He was ______________________________________________________


We can respond and say he was insane, a mad man who was delusional. If that is true
then other THING he taught shoud be discounted and reject as the ranting of a mad man

We could respond and say he was a bad person, a deceiver who wanted to trick people. If
that was true, then he deserved to be punished for his lie.

Or we could say hmm what he is saying is probably true. And if it is, then he deserves our
serious attention and our followership

We must make a decision to follow Jesus if we agree:

- that Jesus made all things, including us, this means he must follow him because He owns
us. The maker of a thing owns the thing he made.

- only Jesus can save men from the evil bedeviling us, then we must follow him because we
want to be saved

- that Jesus loves us and unless Jesus brings one in, there is no other way to encounter God
or experience Gods kingdom, is the only way one could encounter God or experience His
kingdim




People have made many claims about Jesus (such as healings, miracles, salvation,
resurrection, ascension to heaven etc). Of all these claims you may have heard
people have made about Jesus, which one do you think is the most significant and, if
true, must influence how we think about Him and our relationship with him?


His first followers gave their lives claiming that He was the ONLY one to ever die and come
back to life, never to die again. This implies that Jesus is the only one in all History who has
power over an evil no other human has power over it.

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Why should we take this claim seriously?

1. They experienced a radically changed and reformed life by faith in Jesus name they
have experienced salvation from their sin and peace with God, leading them to live
completely transformed lives
2. Claiming that this is why when they pray for the sick in His name they get healed it
was evidence of Jesus power to save
3. Refusing to give up these claims about Jesus even at the pain of death
4. Living a transformed life through the power of a new life of Jesus.


CONCLUDING THOUGHTS / SUMMARY

What have you learnt about Jesus today that was new and eye-opening? How does it
influence your decision to be a Jesus follower?


Which of the reasons for following Jesus resonates most with you.


From your reading of Matthew last week, if you decided to follow Jesus today, what
would be the biggest adjustment / change you think you would make in your life?


Who can you invite to join you in this journey of following Jesus?



TASK / ACTIVITY

Continue reading the book of Matthew Mathew 8 16


Make a list of 3 other people you know who could be helped or whose lives could
improve if they made a decision to follow Jesus.