The Biblical Teaching of Disciples--4

When Jesus sent out The Twelve [Disciples, Apostles] (Matthew 10:1-4), he said:
          "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves;
            so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
Then Jesus describes how councils, synagogues, governors, kings, Gentiles "and all" who oppose Jesus will arrest and persecute his disciples. Then he says in Matthew 10:24-25:
         "A DISCIPLE is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master.
           It is enough for THE DISCIPLE  to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.
           If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
           how much more will they malign those of his household!"
    a. Jesus is the ONLY APPROPRIATE TEACHER and MASTER.  All who are his true followers are his DISCIPLES and SLAVES.
    b. The appropriate attitude and role of a DISCIPLE is to be LIKE his Teacher or Master. Jesus is our great example, and we must strive to follow his example and attempt to be like him. We can NEVER attain that goal, but we must strive to follow him. No true disciple of Jesus is a leader. Jesus is the only acceptable leader; we are his followers, his disciples.

Jesus continued in Matthew 10 by explaining the relationship between Jesus and his disciples in Matthew 10:40-42:
  "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
    Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward;
    and whoever welcomes a righteous person will receive the reward of therighteous;
  and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of A DISCIPLE--   truly I tell you, none of  these will lose their reward."
    a. By welcoming Jesus, we automatically welcome the Heavenly Father.
    b. The role of a disciple of Jesus is to give a cup of cold water to the most helpless who is thirsty.
    c. Thus, a major purpose of a true disciple of Jesus is to help common people in need.

Share YOUR experiences and ideas and attempts and successes and reversals to others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis