(6/2/21) What Is Discipleship Look Like? - Bible Study

What Is Discipleship Look Like? Passage: John 19:38-42
Question: How would you describe what a disciple should look like?
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Question: What is your first thought when you read these verses?
The modern-day perspective of discipleship seems to lead one to conclude that becoming a disciple of Jesus turns your whole world upside down. You become something entirely new: courageous, bold, disciplined, and fully dedicated to the mission of Christ. Let’s compare this to how the authors of our confession understood the experience of the Christian life.
1689 LBCF Chapter 13 - Sanctification
1. Those who are united to Christ and effectually called and regenerated have a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. They are also further sanctified, really and personally, through the same power, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them.
7 2.Thissanctificationextendsthroughoutthewholeperson, thoughitisnevercompletedinthis
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with the desires of the flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh.
life. Some corruption remains in every part.
From this arises a continual and irreconcilable war, 9
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1 Thessalonians 5:23. Romans 7:18, 23. Galatians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11.
3. In this war, the remaining corruption may greatly prevail for a time. Yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part overcomes.
Question: How does your experience of following Christ as a disciple compare to the paragraphs above?
In his account of Jesus’ burial, John wrote, “Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews (19:38a).” Notice John didn’t call him a false convert, or his faith was not saving faith. Simple fear gripped him so much that it kept him from publicly professing his faith for a while. John also mentions in verse 39, “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night.” Nic came at night because he was afraid of being with Jesus. Yet, he now demonstrated publicly that he was no longer fearful of being associated with Jesus.
Question: Have you ever thought about what John is presenting here? Is it possible to be a disciple of Christ but confused and crippled by fear for a time?

Question: How do we care for people in our church that may be struggling with fear or anxiety when it comes to their faith?
Question: What does Paul say in Ephesians 4:11-16 that helps us from being trapped by our sin and the schemes of Satan?
Praise, Prayer and Confession:
• What can you offer to the Father in praise?
• What is a sin you need to confess?
• What is a burden we can carry?
• What can we take to our Father in prayer?