A Sunday School Lesson On Discipleship

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study about discipleship.

Disciples’ Traditions

Matthew 9:14 “Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

We may not think about disciples other than those who were discipled by Jesus but John the Baptist also had disciples who survived his death and were still around long after John had been put to death but John the Baptist’s disciples apparently had their own traditions too like the Pharisees who fasted twice a week. They questioned Jesus about why His disciples didn’t fast and Jesus told them that as long as the Bridegroom is with them (which is Him), they rejoice but when the groom’s gone, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matt 9:15).

Have you ever fasted?

What does it make you feel like?

When you fast do you think why others’ don’t?

Breaking Tradition

Matthew 15:2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat?”

When the Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus’ disciples for not keeping the tradition of the elders, Jesus gave a stern rebuke about their traditions, saying “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God” (Matt 15:3-3-6) and so called them “hypocrites” (Matt 15:7). The Pharisees and scribes looked good but they were breaking the fifth commandment by not honoring their father and their mother and instead of taking care of them as they were commanded, they claimed the money was for God so they had nothing left for their parents. So much for the purposes of the Pharisees traditions.

Do we have some traditions that we keep and look down on others who don’t do them (i.e. fasting?)?

What is Jesus most concerned with (Matt 15:19-20)?

Do we honor our parents?

The Master and His Disciples

Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

Jesus had just been telling His disciples that they are not above their Master who was hated and so “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 10:2-22). He was preparing them to be hated for the gospel and for Who they represented because every disciple will experience the same things as their teacher would so they shouldn’t be taken by surprise by it.

Have you been insulted for Jesus’ name sake?

Did your family turn on you after you became a Christian?

Should we be surprised by persecution or suffering for Jesus’ sake (1st Pet 4:12)?

Becoming a Disciple

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Jesus makes it clear what is required to be His disciple. They must take up their own cross and bear it for His sake. They must deny what they want and make God’s will supreme in their life. We must follow Him wherever He goes and He went everywhere He could in visiting and healing the sick, seeking out those who were lost, and preaching a gospel of repentance and belief (Mark 1:15). The way others treat you in your mission for Christ doesn’t matter, even though Jesus did say that “whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Matt 10:42,) so we must quench a thirst or meet a need when we see it. This is Jesus’ way…don’t we seek to be His disciples?

Has anyone ever offered you a “cup of cold water” so to speak?

Have you offered and given one to another disciple?

Who are “these little ones?”

The Command to Disciple

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When Jesus was about to ascend back to the Father, He gave His disciples an imperative command to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. How do they do that? They teach “them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded” them. Today, we find those teachings in the New Testament. That’s how the early church was able to grow; “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42) “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). To disciple someone after the likeness of Jesus Christ, they [and we] must be devoted to the apostles’ teachings in the Word of God. If they don’t, they can never hope to be a true disciple and be able to follow Him.

Do you have a mentor or is someone discipling you?

Is mentoring and discipling the same thing?

What is the key to making disciples of others?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on discipleship and if you want to read more about the kind of discipleship that we’re all called into, I suggest you read the Gospels of Matthew and John because of the 261 times discipleship or disciples is mentioned in the Bible, Matthew and John contain well over half of the references (148 times). To be a disciple means to be a student or learner. This is what the word disciple means. It means we discipline our bodies and minds and bring them into the conformity of obedience and we are devoted to the “apostles’ doctrine.” Every Timothy needs a Paul and every Paul needs a Timothy. I am a mentor to some but I am still being mentored (by a senior, retired pastor). I need it as much as you do. That’s what being a disciple of Christ is; surrendering self, devouring His Word, and following Him.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ in your words?

Can we follow Jesus and not be His disciple? If not, why?

Has your understanding changed about discipleship in this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.