Lesson three, continued:

• Teaching method

  • Get their attention and interest

    • Wonders and miracles – Luke 5:12-15

    • Relate to “real” world situations

      • Parables

      • Figures (shepherds, servants, kings, etc.)

  • Lecture and demonstration

    • Jesus taught crowds of people – Matthew 4:23-5:1

    • In doing this, He demonstrated the skill to His disciples

  • Practice – Luke 9:1-6; 10:1

  • Review – Luke 9:10; 10:17

  • Repeat

• For what purpose?

  • Original promise of following Jesus

    • Becoming fishers of men

    • Bear witness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – Luke 24:25-49; John 15:26-27

    • What not just a matter of the Holy Spirit giving them the words

    • Being a witness added to the authoritative stature of the apostle – Acts 1:21-23

      • Baptism of Jesus attested to His righteousness – Matthew 3:13-15; John 15:10

      • Resurrection is a centerpiece of the gospel – I Corinthians 15:12-19

      • True resurrection to life – no more subject to death and decay – Romans 6:9

Lesson four:

• Teaching the apostles

  • Some of the major themes

    • Humility – Luke 22:24-26

    • Kingdom not forwarded by violence – Luke 9:55

    • Words matter – choose wisely – Matthew 12:36

    • Choose who to serve – Matthew 6:24

    • The heart is the beginning of devotion to God – Matthew 15:8

    • Humility of anonymity brings the best rewards – Matthew 6:1-8

• More on teaching methods

  • Taught by authority – Mark 1:21-22

  • Used stories with familiar themes – Matthew 13:1-9

  • Used attention-getting hyperbole – Matthew 5:29-30; 7:3-5

  • Used sound bites – Luke 6:37-39

  • Asked questions, sometimes rhetorical – Matthew 16:26; 22:17-22

I Samuel 13:11-14

What does it mean to seek God’s heart? (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22)

• God saw such a determination – a desire in David.

God’s heart is His will.

• Matthew 6:21 – The heart is one’s will and desire.

• Jeremiah 31:20 – So it is with God when Scripture speaks of His heart.

• Matthew 23:27 – He desired their faithfulness for their good, not His.

A place where sin cannot molest.

• A blessing found in Christ is the protection against sin and destructive consequences.

• The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sin beings the penalty of eternal destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9).

• The temporal effects of sin are devastating (Psalms 32:3-4).

• Psalms 119:10-11,80,161-165 – Near to the heart of God, we can be free from sin. The way sin molests is through its consequences.

A place where all is joy and peace.

• John 13:17 – There is comfort and peace in the doing of God’s will – doing what is in His heart.

• The joy and peace of God cannot be had apart from trusting obedience (Romans 15:13; Proverbs 3:5-6).

• John 15:10-11 – Jesus knew joy, and He also knew that joy could be had by His people.

A place where all is joy and peace

• Faith must precede hope, joy, comfort, and peace.

• II Peter 1:2

• Hebrews 6:10

A place where we our Savior meet.

• I John 2:23-24, 28

The greatest story ever told!

• Matthew 1:1, 18-25 – The birth of Jesus.

• Matthew 4:23 – Jesus begins teaching.

• Matthew 10:1-4 – Jesus selects apostles.

• Matthew 20:17-19

• Matthew 23:1-3, 13

• Matthew 27:21-26, 33-35, 50-54 – Jesus’ crucifixion.

• Hebrews 9:22 – Jesus was our sacrifice!

• Matthew 27:62-66 – Jesus’ grace is secured.

• Matthew 28:5-7 – Jesus is risen from the dead!

• Matthew 28:18-20

• Acts 1:8-9

• Acts 2:4, 36-39 – The gospel is preached at Pentecost.

But many were confused and offended.

• Matthew 11:1-6

• John 6:15 – Jesus was already a king!

• John 6:35, 51, 59-65

• The people needed to listen to what Jesus was teaching, even if it contradicted their preconceived ideas about the Messiah. We must do the same!

What should we do today?

• We should hear and obey the word of God!

• Luke 8:19-21

• I Corinthians 11:23-26

Attitude check

• Ephesians 4:15; Proverbs 25:11

Continuation from last class: Review of discussion about celebrating Christmas and Easter.

As long as we unite on Jesus, isn’t that all that matters? (Aren’t we just on different roads to Heaven?)

• The Bible teaches about one church/body.

  • Ephesians 4:1-6 – “Body” is a common figure for the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Thus, there is one church.

  • Ephesians 5:25-27

  • There is only one Savior, and only one group of saved people worldwide.

  • I Corinthians 1:10-13 – They were told to have no divisions.

  • I Corinthians 12:12-14, 20, 27-29 – The word “members” is talking about individual Christians, not denominations.

  • Romans 12:5

• “But differing church doctrines are Scriptural because Christ is the head of each division of His church.”

  • In the Bible, there are no divisions of Christ’s church.

  • What is it that connects one to Christ? What puts one into fellowship with Christ or puts one “in” Christ?

• What does the Bible say?

  • Matthew 7:21-23 – Not everyone who says Jesus is Lord are actually in fellowship with Him.

  • John 17:17-23 – Jesus prayed for unity.

  • Ephesians 4:11-15 – We are to pursue unity of faith.

From the call to the choice

• More happened before Jesus chose His apostles

  • Jesus heals the lame man at Bethesda on the Sabbath – John 5:1-47

  • Disciples criticized for plucking grain on the Sabbath – Matthew 12:1-8

  • Jesus heals man with withered hand on the Sabbath – Luke 6:6-11

  • Jesus heals multitudes by the Sea of Galilee –Matthew 12:13-21

  • Prayer

Choosing the twelve

• Spent all night in prayer prior to appointing – Luke 6:12

• Appointed while on the mountain

• Called His select disciples on the mountain with Him

• Appear as a list in:

  • Matthew 10:2-4

  • Mark 3:16-19

  • Luke 6:14-16

  • Acts 1:13

The apostles

• Simon (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) Peter (Acts)

• Andrew

• James

• John

• Phillip

• Bartholomew

• Thomas

• Matthew

• James, son of Alphaeus

• Lebbaeus surnamed Thaddeus (Matthew)

  • Thaddeus (Mark)

  • Judas [the brother] of James (Luke and Acts)

• Simon the Canaanite (Matthew and Luke) called Zelotes (Luke and Acts)

• Judas Iscariot

Why so long?

• Before becoming Jesus’ official messengers, ambassadors:

  • Had to see many wonders

  • Had to hear many lessons

  • Had to be oriented in the right direction

  • Had to hear certain declarations from Jesus

  • One thing to have inspiration of God’s Word, something else to be reminded of it by God’s Holy Spirit

Up to this point

• Following Him

• Called to follow Him

• Called to be His apostles

• Things they had seen and heard

  • John calling Him the Lamb of God

  • Jesus turning water into wine

  • Jesus cleansing the temple

  • Jesus prophesying to and teaching the Samaritans

  • Jesus teaching, healing, casting out demons throughout Galilee

  • Jesus declares that He is seeking sinners, not the righteous

  • Jesus forgives sin

  • Jesus heals on the Sabbath

  • Jesus declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath

  • Jesus prays all night before a major life event

  • Apostles appointed and they all know each other well now

The next great lesson

• Actually, a series of lessons

• Sermon on the Mount, a treatise on:

  • The progression of faith for one following Jesus

  • The kind of influence a Christian has on the world

  • The more perfect interpretation of the Law

  • The truth about prayer and giving alms

  • The true security of heaven versus fleeting treasures of earth

  • Righteous judgment and helping brethren spiritually

  • How God is good to those who honestly pray

  • How brethren treat each other

  • Security of having Jesus’ teaching as your foundation

  • The follow of life without Him

Schooling the apostles

• Beginning of the learning

  • When first encountering Jesus – Matthew 5:3-6

  • Began for some from hearing John

  • Continued from listening to Jesus

• What did they see?

  • Who He approached

    • Sought those who knew they needed help – Matthew 5:4

    • Taught those who wanted to hear – Matthew 5:6

  • How he treated them

    • No coercion, condemnation – Matthew 5:5

    • Had compassion, love for them – Luke 9:51-56