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NOTE
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· If you are participants of the bible study, please
open a browser and let it stay on Section 1 that has the bible text and the
questions.
· If you are the facilitator of the bible study, please
do the following:
o
Open a browser and
let it stay on Section 1 for the bible text.
o
Open another
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NOTE
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Begin Section 1: Bible Text
& Questions
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A disciple considers the
kingdom of heaven to
be worth more than everything he/she has.
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Matthew 13:44-46
44 “The kingdom of heaven is
like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then
in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
46When he found one of great
value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
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1)
What do the two
parables teach us about the value of the kingdom of heaven?
========================
A disciple considers the
kingdom of heaven to
be worth more than everything he/she has.
========================
========================
Jesus’ advice for those who
pledged to follow him.
========================
Luke 9:57-62 (ESV)
57As they were going along
the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58And Jesus said to him,
“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay his head.”
59To another he said, “Follow
me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60And Jesus said to him,
“Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the
61Yet another said, “I will
follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
62Jesus said to him, “No one
who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the
----------------------------------------
2)
In accordance
with verses 57 and 58 what did Jesus intend for the man to do in pointing out
to him that he would be following Jesus into homelessness?
3)
In accordance
with verse 59 did the man’s father just die and why?
4)
How did the man
prioritize between taking care of his father and heeding Jesus’ call to follow
him?
5)
By suggesting an
alternative arrangement for the care of the man’s father in verse 60, what did
Jesus tell him to do in terms of rearranging his priority?
6)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 62 what is the meaning of the imagery of the man
putting his hands to the plow and looking back if we think along the line of
feasibility?
7)
What kind of a
promise of following Jesus did the man make in verse 61, given that the man
gave a trivial excuse to evade following Jesus?
8)
What did Jesus
mean in his reply to the
man in verse 62, given that being not fit for the
========================
Jesus’ advice for those who
pledged to follow him.
========================
========================
A disciple must bear the cost
of discipleship.
========================
Luke 14:25-33
25Large crowds were traveling
with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26“If anyone comes to me and
does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes,
even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
27And whoever does not carry
their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28“Suppose one of you wants
to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you
have enough money to complete it?
29For if you lay the
foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule
you,
30saying, ‘This person began
to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31“Or suppose a king is about
to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether
he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with
twenty thousand?
32If he is not able, he will
send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for
terms of peace.
33In the same way, those of
you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
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1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay any
foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
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2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what
you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
----------------------------------------
9)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 26 what must one do before one can become his disciple, given that hating
family and one’s own life means placing a supremely higher priority on Jesus?
10)
Can one who is
trying but struggling to place a supremely higher priority on Jesus be his disciple, given that
placing a supremely higher priority on Jesus is a lifelong struggle?
11)
What does it mean
that if one does not carry one’s cross and follow Jesus, one cannot be his disciple,
given that the cross is a symbol of suffering and death?
12)
Can one who is
trying but struggling to carry one’s cross be Jesus’ disciple, given that carrying one’s cross is a lifelong struggle?
13)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 28 what are the two components in the builder’s assessment
for building the tower?
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud 1 Corinthians 3:11.
14)
Given what is
said in 1 Corinthians 3:11, what does the foundation in verse 29 symbolize?
15)
What does the
builder laying the foundation
symbolize, given that before laying the foundation that is Jesus, the builder is a non-disciple?
16)
What does the
tower on the foundation
symbolize, given that discipleship is built on Jesus as the foundation?
17)
What does
building the tower symbolize, given that the tower symbolizes discipleship?
18)
What does the
cost of building the tower represent?
19)
What does the
builder sitting down and
estimating the cost of building the tower symbolize, given that the builder at
this stage is a non-disciple?
20)
What does the
builder deliberating to see
if he/she has enough
money to complete the tower symbolize?
21)
What does the
builder deciding to build the tower symbolize?
22)
What does the
builder deciding not to build the tower symbolize?
23)
What embarrassment
does a non-disciple manage to avoid in the future by deciding not to become a disciple
because he/she is not
willing to bear the cost of discipleship?
24)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 31 what situation is the assessment done by the king on the defensive intended
to avoid?
25)
What does the king on the offensive coming
against the king on the defensive with more troops symbolize, given that
Jesus will come at the end of this age to judge everyone?
26)
What does the king on the offensive being
still a long way off symbolize?
27)
What does the king on the defensive sitting down
to consider whether
he is able to oppose the king on the offensive symbolize, given that the king on the defensive symbolizes
a non-disciple?
28)
What does the king on the defensive sending a
delegation to ask for terms of peace symbolize, given that terms of
peace stands for terms of discipleship?
29)
Given that the
phrase ‘in the same way’
in verse 33 appropriates what has just been said as the context, what is the appropriated context
for verse 33?
30)
Given the appropriated context
for verse 33, what did Jesus mean when he said that those who do not give up everything they
have cannot be his disciple?
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud 2 Corinthians 9:7.
31)
Based on 2
Corinthians 9:7, how does a disciple give in accordance with the terms of
discipleship?
32)
Can a person who
is trying but struggling to fulfill the terms of discipleship be Jesus’ disciple, given that fulfilling the terms of discipleship is a lifelong struggle?
========================
A disciple must bear the cost
of discipleship.
========================
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End Section 1: Bible Text
& Questions
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Begin Section 2: Questions &
Answers
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========================
A disciple considers the kingdom
of heaven to be worth
more than everything he/she has.
========================
Matthew 13:44-46
----------------------------------------
1)
What do the two
parables teach us about the value of the kingdom of heaven?
o
The kingdom of heaven is so
precious.
o
That
o
It is worth
exchanging everything we have for it.
========================
A disciple considers the
kingdom of heaven to
be worth more than everything he/she has.
========================
========================
Jesus’ advice for those who
pledged to follow him.
========================
Luke 9:57-62 (ESV)
----------------------------------------
2)
In accordance
with verses 57 and 58 what did Jesus intend for the man to do in pointing out
to him that he would be following Jesus into homelessness?
o
Jesus intended
for the man to first count the cost.
o
Before
o
Making such a
generous pledge to follow him.
o
Wherever
o
He goes.
3)
In accordance
with verse 59 did the man’s father just die and why?
o
No, he
§
Would be very
busy handling the funeral.
§
And would not
hang around for a conversation.
o
If his father had
just died.
4)
How did the man
prioritize between taking care of his father and heeding Jesus’ call to follow
him?
o
He prioritized
§
Taking care of
his father.
§
Until
§
He
Ø
Died.
Ø
And was buried.
§
Over
§
Heeding Jesus’
call to follow him.
5)
By suggesting an
alternative arrangement for the care of the man’s father in verse 60, what did
Jesus tell him to do in terms of rearranging his priority?
o
Jesus essentially
told the man to
§
Prioritize
heeding his call to follow him.
§
Over.
§
Taking care of
his father.
6)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 62 what is the meaning of the imagery of the man
putting his hands to the plow and looking back if we think along the line of feasibility?
o
The imagery is a
picture of irreconcilable contradiction.
o
That
o
It is physically
impossible for the man to
§
Plow the soil of
the field.
§
And in the
meantime look back.
7)
What kind of a promise
of following Jesus did the man make in verse 61, given that the man gave a
trivial excuse to evade following Jesus?
o
He made a
hypocritical promise.
8)
What did Jesus mean
in his reply to the
man in verse 62, given that being not fit for the
o
Jesus meant that
a person who makes a hypocritical promise of following him
§
Can have no part in the
§
And is therefore
outside of the
========================
Jesus’ advice for those who
pledged to follow him.
========================
========================
A disciple must bear the cost
of discipleship.
========================
Luke 14:25-33
----------------------------------------
1 Corinthians 3:11
----------------------------------------
2 Corinthians 9:7
----------------------------------------
9)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 26 what must one do before one can become his disciple, given that hating
family and one’s own life means placing a supremely higher priority on Jesus?
o
One must place a
supremely higher priority on Jesus.
o
Before
o
One can become Jesus’
disciple.
10)
Can one who is
trying but struggling to place a supremely higher priority on Jesus be his disciple, given that
placing a supremely higher priority on Jesus is a lifelong struggle?
o
Yes, as long as one
is being honest with one’s struggle.
11)
What does it mean
that if one does not carry one’s cross and follow Jesus, one cannot be his disciple,
given that the cross is a symbol of suffering and death?
o
It means that one
cannot be Jesus' disciple.
o
If
o
One is not willing
§
To suffer.
§
Even to the point
of death if necessary.
12)
Can one who is
trying but struggling to carry one’s cross be Jesus’ disciple, given that carrying one’s cross is a lifelong struggle?
o
Yes, as long as one
is being honest with one’s struggle.
13)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 28 what are the two components in the builder’s assessment for
building the tower?
o
The builder
§
First estimates the cost of building the tower.
§
Then checks to see if he/she has enough money to
complete it.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud 1 Corinthians 3:11.
14)
Given what is
said in 1 Corinthians 3:11, what does the foundation in verse 29 symbolize?
o
It symbolizes
Jesus.
15)
What does the
builder laying the foundation
symbolize, given that before laying the foundation that is Jesus, the builder is a non-disciple?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple becoming a disciple.
16)
What does the
tower on the foundation
symbolize, given that discipleship is built on Jesus as the foundation?
o
It symbolizes
discipleship built on Jesus as the foundation.
17)
What does
building the tower symbolize, given that the tower symbolizes discipleship?
o
It symbolizes the
pursuit of discipleship.
18)
What does the
cost of building the tower represent?
o
It represents the
cost of discipleship.
19)
What does the
builder sitting down and
estimating the cost of building the tower symbolize, given that the builder at
this stage is a non-disciple?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple carefully counting the cost of discipleship.
20)
What does the
builder deliberating to see
if he/she has enough money to complete the tower symbolize?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple deliberating to
see if he/she can bear the cost of discipleship.
21)
What does the
builder deciding to build the tower symbolize?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple deciding to
§
Bear the cost of
discipleship.
§
And become a disciple.
22)
What does the
builder deciding not to build the tower symbolize?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple deciding
§
Not to bear the
cost of discipleship.
§
And not to become
a disciple.
23)
What embarrassment
does a non-disciple manage to avoid in the future by deciding not to become a disciple
because he/she is not
willing to bear the cost of discipleship?
o
The non-disciple manages
to avoid the embarrassment of eventually falling away.
24)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 31 what situation is the assessment done by the king on the defensive intended
to avoid?
o
It is intended to
avoid the situation.
o
Where
o
The king on the defensive goes
to war without the certainty of winning it.
25)
What does the king on the offensive coming
against the king on the defensive with more troops symbolize, given that
Jesus will come at the end of this age to judge everyone?
o
It symbolizes
Jesus coming at the end of the
age to judge everyone.
26)
What does the king on the offensive being
still a long way off symbolize?
o
It symbolizes
Jesus taking a long time to come.
27)
What does the king on the defensive sitting down
to consider whether
he is able to oppose the king on the offensive symbolize, given that the king on the defensive symbolizes
a non-disciple?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple carefully
weighing whether he/she will
be able to oppose Jesus.
o
When
o
He comes.
28)
What does the king on the defensive sending a
delegation to ask for terms of peace symbolize, given that terms of
peace stands for terms of discipleship?
o
It symbolizes a
non-disciple accepting
whatever terms of discipleship.
o
That
o
Jesus imposes on him/her.
29)
Given that the
phrase ‘in the same way’
in verse 33 appropriates what has just been said as the context, what is the appropriated context
for verse 33?
o
The appropriated context
for verse 33 is a non-disciple
accepting whatever terms of discipleship.
o
That
o
Jesus imposes on him/her.
30)
Given the appropriated context
for verse 33, what did Jesus mean when he said that those who do not give up everything they
have cannot be his disciple?
o
Jesus meant that those
who do not accept the terms of discipleship cannot be his disciple.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud 2 Corinthians 9:7.
31)
Based on 2
Corinthians 9:7, how does a disciple give in accordance with the terms of
discipleship?
o
A disciple gives in
accordance with the terms of discipleship.
o
When
o
The disciple gives
cheerfully what he/she has
decided to give,
§
Not reluctantly.
§
Or under
compulsion.
32)
Can a person who
is trying but struggling to fulfill the terms of discipleship be Jesus’ disciple, given that fulfilling the terms of discipleship is a lifelong struggle?
o
Yes, as long as one
is being honest with one’s struggle.
========================
A disciple must bear the cost
of discipleship.
========================
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End Section 2: Questions &
Answers
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