DT Reading (II) YOU ARE CALLED

  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19)

Dear friends,

Welcome back to our DT. I understand that reading might not be the most exciting thing for some of us, moreover, all of us are engaged in various works and daily routines as such our DT reading will be simple and minimal. Even so, I would sincerely urge you all to have a personal reflection on the themes we are covering in our DT reading.

Reading-II: Learning Objectives:

-          God’s Sovereignty
-          You are called
-          Choice to make
-          God will mold you

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

Before we look at God's call, I think it is extremely important for us to understand the Sovereignty of God. And since failing to understand and acknowledging God’s Sovereignty we may not be able to understand His calling.  

God is eternal, God is perfect, God is all-knowing, God is all-benevolent, God is all-powerful, etc. these are the attributes of God. And if these attributes of God are true, it is logical that God knows everything about us before we come into existence. Yes, we existed in the mind of God prior to our existence. We learned this truth in the Bible, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). God foreknew everything about us, our past, present, and future. The knowledge of God is beyond our comprehension and no human can understand the fullness of His wisdom and plans. He is the Almighty God, perfect in all His ways and doing.

A faithful servant of God by the name Derek defined God's Sovereignty as, “God does what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, and He takes no one’s permission and nothing outside of Him can overrule His doing." This is a grand definition of who God is and His sovereignty. And since God is all perfect, all-knowing, and all-loving whatever He does is good. Everything He does is perfect and we can trust all His doing. 

It was in His sovereignty, God called out Abraham from the land of idolaters and made a convent and promised to bless him and make him into a great nation. In His great wisdom, God did what He want, how He want, when He want, and He took no one’s permission. “The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing… and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3). This promise of God was later fulfilled as we read and learn in the history of Isreal. 

God is calling you!

YOU ARE CALLED

God made us and loves us. He is gracious and He calls everyone like He called Abraham. God called Moses when he was in the wilderness tending sheep. God called Peter when he was fishing. God called Paul when he was riding a horse on his way to Damascus. God calls people in various ways and times. He has called you!

The word CALL is used in the Bible when God calls people to Himself. Yet God never forces anyone to His Kingdom nor does He drags or lures people to Himself. He calls! Two alternative words that express the same meaning are INVITATION and SUMMON.

The Bible tells us that we are all made in the image of God, we are His creation, and we are made for His glory. As such regardless of what we did in the past, the kind of person we are at present, in His sovereignty God still calls us to Himself.

A faithful Bible teacher once said, "The point at which God confronts us with His call is the most significant moment in our life. Our whole destiny for time and eternity will be determined by the way you and I respond to His call." God called me in the year 2005 when I was attending a Youth Bible Camp and from that point on there was no turning back. Of course, after I responded to God and gave my life to Him, I have sinned and disobeyed Him countless times and I have repented countless times too. When I examine my own life, time and again the words of Prophet Jonah ring in my mind, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). Indeed we are created and called by Grace for Grace.

Do you know that you are called too? Not because of who you are but because of who God is and in His Sovereignty and Grace. Have you sincerely responded to God’s calling? I hope and pray you have done so.

I think it is also extremely important for us to remember the words of our Lord Jesus at this point: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14). “Our whole destiny for time and eternity will be determined by the way you and I respond to His call."

God has called you!

QUALIFIED AND DISQUALIFIED: A DIFFERENT STORY

Suppose you apply for a teaching job in a school or university, and if the head of the school calls you or invites you to be a teacher, he calls you probably because you are qualified, trained, or experienced. The story is different when it comes to God’s calling or invitation. We are called to become God’s own, God’s children, God’s servant, etc., but none of us are qualified for His invitation. We are all disqualified people in the sight of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And God calls no one on the basis of their family, race, skin color, job, qualification, etc. That is why His call is a call of Grace. God calls us all because He loves us and He is gracious. And in His sovereignty, God calls us to Himself. 

Abraham was never qualified for God’s calling on the basis of his own goodness. It was God’s Sovereignty and Grace. He was called to be blessed. Abraham trusted God, he left his country, his people, his father’s household, to the land unknown to him. Abraham responded well.

God has called you!

CHOICE TO MAKE

We have learned what the Sovereignty of God is; that God takes no one’s permission; that nothing outside of God can overrule His doing. What God opens no one will shut, and what God shuts, no one can open (cf. Rev. 3:7). And yet God never forces or drags anyone to Himself and to His kingdom. That is why C.S Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” God calls, God invites, and we are to make a choice.

God calls us first and we have to respond. The choice is either to accept or to reject His Call, His Will, His Way, and His Word. "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9); “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19). And this choice will make all the difference in this life and the life to come. Are we serious about His calling and our decision?

God has called you!

HE WILL MOLD US

To the believers in Philippi, Apostle Paul writes, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” Philippians 1:6 (NLT). God calls us, and if you and I respond and make a choice to follow Him, He will do His work in molding and shaping us to the likeness of His Son Jesus, for His glory and good plans (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).

In our previous reading (1), I mentioned about growing in our relationship with Christ (growing in the likeness of Christ/becoming mature in our Christian faith and walk) requires obedience to His Word. Responding to God’s call and making a choice to follow Christ is the first step of obedience. As we learn God’s Word and put it into practice (In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3), God will mold and shape us, our inner spirits into the likeness of Christ.

You are called!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30

ASK & REFLECT:

-        Reflect on the Sovereignty of God 
-        When did God call me? Did I respond to God’s calling as I should? 
-        Why did God call me?
-        Am I following Jesus, His Ways, His Words, and His Will?
-        Am I a serious disciple of Jesus?

LEt’s pray these prayers

-     Prayer of commitment/ recommitment to God
-        Prayer of thanksgiving for God’s Sovereignty and Grace
-        Prayer to take discipleship seriously  
-        Pray for all the 43 souls who are doing DT-II

DT Reading (I): DISCIPLE & DISCIPLESHIP

Dear brothers and sisters, 

It gives me great joy to do RCFD discipleship training with our family again. Some weeks ago one of my good friends told me to look at people and church congregation as souls and not just members. I think that was a helpful insight. His words reminded me of Mark 8:36-37, where Jesus said ‘a single soul is more precious than the whole World.’  And if a soul is more precious than the whole world as Jesus said, can someone comprehend the cost of 43 souls?

Each one of us is precious in the sight of God, and this truth was also reminded by C.S Lewis who said, “When Christ died, he died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only person in the world.”  

As we begin our DT today, it is our sincere prayer for everyone to be encouraged and blessed. Let us grow together in our knowledge of God and in His Word; let us learn from one another as disciples of Jesus, and let us become true disciples of Jesus and make others become His disciples. 

“Be One. Make one”.

You are precious!

Now, having said that, the good news is we are not doing this training all by ourselves. We have three teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced and they are willing to teach us in the next 6 months of learning. Also, this time 4 of us who did DT-I have joined as coordinators to help assist DT-II group. I believe this is God’s will for all of us.

We are doing this together as a group of 43, but the approach of this training will be exceptionally personal type, similar to one on one training/learning. Our weekly reading materials will be the basics of discipleship, video listening related to discipleship will update once a month, and we will have a self-assessment and online class once in two months. (Coordinators will also phone-visit you occasionally and hear from you regarding our DT). As we learn from one another, if you have any doubts, confusion, or even personal issues, please freely discuss or let us know if we can assist you in any way. 

READING (1): LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

# What is discipleship?
# Who is a disciple?
# Can a person disciple himself/herself?
# Why is discipleship necessary?

WHAT IS DISCIPLESHIP?

Discipleship is an integral part of the growth of our daily walk with Christ. The day we hear the Gospel, repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, believing in Him and declaring His Lordship over our lives, then in the words of Apostle Paul, “God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Ephesians 1:13-14). Then as we become God’s own children, we begin living our lives in His Kingdom here on earth. To live in His Kingdom here on earth means we live our lives under His Lordship, His Will, His Words, and His Ways.

So, it is in the context of the Kingdom of God, or we living in His kingdom here on earth, discipleship takes place.  Discipleship starts when the triune God (The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit), or when God begins his Work in our lives. When God made us His children, or when we become God’s children, God begins to teach us His Ways that we may follow Him and grow into the likeness of His Son Jesus_ that is discipleship. From His children now we are becoming His students. Discipleship is also a process of leading others to become disciples of Jesus through exemplary life, teaching, learning, and obeying the Word of God. And most importantly discipleship is only accomplished by the help and the power of the Holy Spirit.

WHO IS A DISCIPLE?

In the New Testament, the word for disciple is “Mathetes” (Greek) which in general means a “learner, student, or disciple.” But in the NT, this term became almost a technical term for the 12 followers of Jesus, though this term was also used for the followers of John the Baptist, and even of the followers of Pharisees. Mathetes also refers not only to the 12 followers or disciples of Jesus, but to a wider circle of adherents to Jesus’ message (people (early Christians) who followed the teachings of Jesus were also called disciples). 

The lives of disciples are characterized by their renunciation of worldly things; humility; servants of the Lord in serving people; readiness to suffer for the Gospel; and most importantly their faith in Jesus Christ. (MCED)

In the Bible, Mathetes is translated as- disciple, follower, pupil, and student.

Do you know?

1.       The word “Disciple” (Mathetes) is used 261 times in the New Testament, but the word “Christian” (Christianos) is used only 3 times in the New Testament.
2.       The disciples were called Christians (first in the Antioch) (Acts 11:26).

(In early Church period) The word “Christian” seems to be a title used for a political nickname (like Pompeiians- members of Pompey’s party and other titles of political parties). Those who believed that Christ was king could therefore be accused of treason, and the title “Christian” became a legal charge (1 Peter 4:16), though it was soon embraced by Jesus’ followers as a welcome title. However, it was probably used merely to ridicule the disciples of Jesus. Antiochans (people from Antioch) developed a reputation for mocking people. (Craig Keener)

It is very unfortunate today that many churches have almost separated the words “Christian and disciple” as two different things or entities. It seems like a person can be a Christian his or her whole life but never a disciple of Jesus, and this is a huge mistake and a disaster I would say. The word disciple means student or follower, and the disciples were called Christians (Acts 11:26). In order words, a disciple is a Christian and a Christian is a disciple. We hear sermons and talks on the cost of a disciple of Jesus as hugely challenging and unique (Luke 14:26-27), so is the cost of a Christian. I mean it’s the same thing.

I have mentioned earlier that when God made us His children, He begins to teach us His Ways that we may follow Him and grow into the likeness of His Son Jesus. And from being His children, we are now becoming or have become His students, His disciples. Disciple means student, follower, or apprentice. We are disciples of Jesus!

CAN A PERSON DISCIPLE HIMSELF/HERSELF?

As an illustration, let’s suppose Mr. John tells us that his son Philip, who is 4 years now, can educate himself and get through kindergarten to university even without going to a school and having no teacher, how would we respond? I think we might say, that’s crazy and not possible. The same is true in discipleship. It is not possible to become walk alone in our journey of faith and become mature spiritually without Godly teachers and leaders and disciple-makers. In other words, a person cannot disciple himself or herself, that is why Christ gave the Church his servants_ the apostles, the prophets, the evangelist, the pastors, and teachers, to equip Christians/disciples, to build them up, until they reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (See Ephesians 4:11-13).  

Once we were all dead in our sins but by God’s Grace we were made alive and we were born again into His Kingdom (John 3:1-8). Grace is God acting in our life to accomplish what we cannot accomplish on our own. It is unmerited favor from God toward us. When a baby is born, there are processes of growth: an infant, then early and middle childhood, adolescence, early and middle adult, and old age. Likewise, we grow spiritually in the Lord after we are born again (Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 5:11-14). And as disciples, we grow by learning and obeying God’s Word.

WHY IS DISCIPLESHIP NECESSARY

Without discipleship, there is no spiritual growth. Like infants grow when nurtured, we grow in Christ when we are nurtured by God’s Word and we put God’s Word into practice. For physical and mental growth, we need food, communication, and movements, etc. Similarly, for our spiritual growth, we need God’s word, communion with God and His people, and obeying His Word.   

Discipleship is indispensable. And to those who are serious about discipleship, in the process, the wholeness of their being will be nurtured; they will understand God in action, what He is doing and what His Will for them. In discipleship, we learn and we obey and we practice what we learn.

The words of Dallas Willard very well capture the necessity of discipleship: “Discipleship is the very heart of the Gospel.” And that “The really good news for humanity is that Jesus is now taking students in the master class of life. The eternal life that begins with confidence in Jesus is a life in his present kingdom, now on earth and available to all.”

ASK AND REFLECT 

1. Am I a true disciple of Jesus, and how can I become one?
2. Will I follow Jesus even to the point of giving up everything I have?
3. Am I a person God will choose and teach? (See Psalm 25:9)
4. Note down/and meditate on this topic: “I am a disciple of Jesus”

PRAYER

For the sake of your goodness and mercy help me Lord to learn more about you and help me to grow as I put into practice what I’ve learned from you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!