F. BECOMING AND GROWING AS A DISCIPLE

I was born into a family that taught us that God wanted us to be obedient to our Mom and Dad. It was essential because of how God had established His law in the Bible. This is the 5^th commandment of the Ten Commandments given to Moses and the children of Israel. This was built into my life as we grew up. I wanted to obey my mom and dad. However, when I damaged the Volkswagen, I was dishonest and did not tell my dad that I had dented the car. I was ashamed and wanted to hide my error. I was afraid. My dad helped me to learn that I should always be honest with him. Being honest was a form of obedience. My grandpa always said, “Tell the truth even if the stars fall.” How do I refresh my heart to obey?

The disciples had just been invited to follow Jesus. He gathered them up and taught what is called the Sermon on the Mount. In the first 16 verses, he outlined eight areas of thinking which relate to the foundations of obedience.

Matthew 5:1-11                                                                                                           

¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said: ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

1. When you think of obedience, what comes to your mind?

2. What can we learn from Matthew 5:1-16 about the obedience to Jesus?

3. What part of Matthew 5:1-16 do you resonate with the most?

4. How does understanding the Kingdom of God relate to obedience?

5. What hinders you from loving obedience to Christ? Name an area that is hard for you.

1. What would be a vision for future obedience in that area?

2. What lies at the root of your motivation for obedience?

3. What kinds of foundational work do you see you need to grow in to strengthen your obedience?

4. Which one of these beatitudes will need some work?

5. What steps can you take to grow in these areas of life?

1. What is the most important part of this lesson to you? Explain.

2. How do you see applying aspects of this lesson to your life?

3. When do you feel would be the best time to make that application?

4. What do you hear the Lord speaking to you about this right now?