tHE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP (Criteria for Total Commitment)
By Frank Eiklor and Cecilia Contreras
LESSON 14 (Part 2)
There is a Book of Acts Church in the world today. It is found in regions of the world where Christians pay the price of persecution—and sometimes death—to be faithful to Jesus Christ. China, North Korea, Indonesia, Sudan, Arab countries like Saudi Arabia—all are places where to stand for Jesus is to risk suffering and death.
Yet it is the suffering church of the martyrs that feels sorry for us in the West. They know their God intimately and the cost of discipleship. Today, you and I may not have to die for Christ but are we willing to live for Him? The four gospels show us what Jesus means when He says, “Follow me!” I found 37 separate areas of life that He must rule if we are to be true followers of the Lord—not just lukewarm pretenders.
In Part 1, we shared the first 18 points. Following are 19 more. Ask the Holy Spirit for light as you
look up the scriptures. Then trust Him for the power to apply God’s Word to your life.
19) FEARS GOD MORE THAN MEN OR CIRCUMSTANCES
John 6:20; 14:27; 19:11
20) SEES PEOPLE AS IF EACH WERE JESUS
Matthew 25:37-45; Mark 10:13-16
21) HOLDS WORLD EVANGELISM AS A TOP PRIORIT
Matthew 9:36-38; 28:19,20; Mark 1:38; 5:18-20; 16:15; Luke 9:2; 10:2; 14:23; 24:45-48; John 1:41; 4:34,35; 9:4; 10:16
22) REMAINS A HUMBLE SERVANT OF ALL
Matthew 20:25-28; 23:10-12; Mark 9:33-35; 10:42-45; Luke 9:46-48; 11:43,46; 17:10; 22:24-27; John 13:14,15
23) USES GIFTS AND TALENTS FOR GOD’S GLORY
Matthew 25:14-19; Luke 19:12,13
24) ATTACKS THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS WITH THE BELIEVER’S ROD OF SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY (THE NAME OF JESUS)
Matthew 10:1,5-8; Mark 3:14,15; 16:17-20; Luke 10:17-20; John 14:12
25) NURTURES A SIMPLICITY OF FAITH
Matthew 11:25; 21:21,22; Mark11:20-23; Luke 8:25; 10:21; 18:16,17
26) GUARDS AGAINST CARELESSNESS AND NEGLECT
Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-4; Luke 8:18; 12:45,46; 17:32; 21:34-36
27) LEARNS NOT TO FOCUS ON NEGATIVE CIRCUMSTANCES
Matthew 14:15-20, John 6:9
28) DEVELOPS LONG-RANGE ENDURANCE
Matthew 10:22; 24:12,13; Luke 21:19; 22:28-30; John 6:66-68
29) ACCEPTS THE AGONY AND PERPLEXITY OF DISCIPLESHIP
Luke 2:34,35; 22:41-44; John 12:27,28; 16:33
30) PREACHES UNPLEASANT TRUTHS
Matthew 14:3,4; Mark 6:12
31) OBEYS MAN’S LAWS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH GOD’S WORD
Mark 12:17
32) KEEPS TONGUE UNDER CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Matthew 12:36,37; Luke 6:45
33) DISCERNS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MERE HUMAN TRADITIONS AND THE COMMANDS OF GOD
Matthew 15:3-9; Mark 7:6-9
34) CONFRONTS SIN IN OTHERS’ LIVES WITH COMPASSION AND FIRMNESS
Matthew 18:15-17; John 7:24
35) RESISTS MAKING CLIQUES OR CLONES
Mark 9:38-40; Luke 9:49,50; 14:13,14
36) GRASPS GOD’S PROPHETIC WARNINGS AND TEACHINGS
Matthew 24:25,33; Mark 13:29; Luke 18:31-34; 21:28
37) FOLLOWS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MASTER
Matthew 10:24,25; Luke 2:52; 6:40; 20:21; John 2:17
