Making Up the Differences

Theme: Adoptive Discipleship

Scriptures:

Titus 2

1 Samuel 3:1-10

2 Timothy 2:2

Acts 8:26-40

Acts 18:24-28

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: Other believers can make up the difference when children do not have Christian parents to disciple them.

Think: I can pass along to others what I am learning in the faith.

Do: Be ready to step in to mentor and disciples those less mature in the faith.

Notes and questions:

B1 1 Timothy 4:13 NKJV Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

C1 Obviously, this passage is not just for pastors.

C2 It is for all of us.

C3 When we become Christians, we are ignorant. God wants to correct this.

C4 We can apply this to ourselves and our ministry to each other.

C5 Why is reading the Bible so important?

C6 Why do we need to encourage (exhort, preaching) each other in the faith?

C7 Why is teaching doctrine important?

C8 Why are these 3 things frequently neglected?

B2 Fellowship with God

C1 What is fellowship with God?

D1 Fellowship is partnership, togetherness, sharing, etc.

D2 God wants this. He enjoys this.

D3 God talks to us with the words of the Scripture. We talk to God in prayer. There is no voice, meditation, silence, emptiness. We are to be active in our faith, not in a passive state. 1 Peter 5:8

D4 The devil wants to separate and devour: 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

D5 God wants to gather and bless

E1 Matthew 9:36 NKJV But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

E2 Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

E3 Luke 13:34 NKJV "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

E4 He sought Adam: Genesis 3:9 NKJV Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

C2 Why does God want fellowship with us?

D1 He does not NEED fellowship with us.

D2 He wants fellowship with us; it is His character.

D3 Before conversion:

E1 Luke 19:9-10 NKJV And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

E2 John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

D4 God is a missionary. It is seen in the Old and New Testaments.

D5 John 16:8 HCSB When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.

E1 The He is the Holy Spirit.

E2 He initiates salvation.

E3 After opening our hearts and minds, then he commands us, invites us to believe: Matthew 11:28 NKJV Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

C3 What role does God’s love have in regards to fellowship?

C4 Mateen Elass notes: One of the colossal differences between Christianity and Islam has to do with the “knowability” of God. Islam asserts that Allah is so transcendent and lofty that human beings cannot know him personally — indeed, that Allah is not interested in being personally known. And The biblical God, on the other hand, is one who from start to finish desires personal relationship with His human creatures. From the time of Eden, He is pictured as walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden. Even after the rupture of relationship through the Fall, God is at work planning the restoration of harmony between heaven and earth. He reveals Himself to Abraham and promises to work for the blessing of all the earth through Abraham’s descendents (SIC).

B3 Two important concepts to discipling anyone.

C1 Truth

D1 Correspondence theory, that is, reality.

D2 God deals with reality, not necessarily with philosophy.

C2 Interpreting the Bible in its plain, normal sense.

D1 Don’t use systems of interpretation.

D2 Don’t interpret by doctrinal beliefs.

D3 Understand the passage in context and the grammatico-historical background.

B4 Titus 2,

C1 Outline

D1 Titus 2:1-2 Older men

D2 Titus 2:3-5 Older women

D3 Titus 2:6-8 Young men

D4 Titus 2:9-10 Slaves and masters

D5 Titus 2:11 God wants all to be saved

D6 Titus 2:12-15 Preach godliness

C2 Titus is instructed to teach all Christians some principles of Christian living. Why would Titus need to do this?

C3 Titus is instructed to teach that we are to live a godly lifestyle. How are people to know what a godly lifestyle is?

C4 Titus is to teach to look forward to the return of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is our Great God and Savior. Rejoice!

B5 1 Samuel 3:1-12,

C1 Why did God give His message to Samuel? Shouldn’t it have been given to Eli?

C2 What trait is Samuel showing at his young age in 1 Samuel 3:4-5?

C3 How would you interpret 1 Samuel 3:7?

C4 Why did Eli receive God’s judgment?

B6 2 Timothy 2:2,

C1 2 Timothy 2:2 WEB The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

C2 Paul was taught and passed the information on. Timothy was taught and was encouraged to pass the information on. So it has come to us, and we must pass it on. Why is this important? How do we know it is the same information?

C3 What are the best ways to teach children this information?

C4 Is the method different for different age groups? If so, how?

B7 Acts 8:26-40,

C1 What is the importance of Scripture in conviction and acceptance of Jesus as our personal Messiah?

C2 Deacon Philip knew the Scriptures and doctrine. What would have been the result of his interaction with the Ethiopian Eunuch if he did not?

C3 Acts 8:38 NKJV So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Should a new convert be baptized quickly after conversion or later?

B8 Acts 18:24-28,

C1 Acts 18:25 NKJV This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.

D1 Note the importance of the words had been instructed. If it was important to be instructed, why do some people today say it is not important anymore.

D2 He taught accurately. Paul, the Apostle, would know the true way and approved of Apollos’ teaching.

D3 What part of the gospel was Apollos lacking?

C2 Acts 18:26 NKJV So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. How does this show the importance of knowing the Scripture and doctrine?

B9 Next week:

C1 There can only be one

C2 The true gospel

C3 Scriptures

D1 Galatians 1:1-12

D2 Galatians 2:15-21