Discipleship Then Conversion

Discipleship Group Questions for July 10, 2005

Scripture:

Matt. 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Notice that Jesus Himself “went out” – He is calling you and me out of our Christian homes and out of our Christian ghettos – into the world! Reading on: 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Now I want you to ask yourself this question as I read on – who is Jesus talking to in the next 6 verses? Verse 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Discipleship Questions:

1. Have you ever shared your faith with someone and your efforts seemed to go down like a lead balloon?

Have you ever told somebody about Jesus and what He means to you and while the person listened politely they quickly but discretely withdrew themselves from you and avoided you like the plague in the future?

Have you ever shared with someone how God is sovereignly active in your life – encouraging you, supplying your every need, teaching you either directly through prayer or through others and while they seemed fascinated with your story they obviously didn’t “buy it?” They probably thanked you for your encouragement but left completely unaffected by your words?

Then again, perhaps like most of us, you haven’t often ventured to share you faith at all for fear of this reaction.

Perhaps you told somebody about you faith in Jesus Christ and they initially responded with real interest but didn’t dig in and wrestle with it so that they became as it were “covered by it” – like a seed that needs to die so that it can sprout and grow! But instead they remained as they always were – they never allowed themselves to be transformed and for this reason they remained visible and exposed and vulnerable to the world and were soon picked off and swallowed up by the world.

Have you perhaps ever told anybody about how you became convinced that Jesus Christ really is real and really does love you and they responded with enthusiastic delight and even came to Church with you a dozen or more times but stopped suddenly and then came a few more times and then stopped all together? And when you called them up to find out what had happened you learned that they had discovered another more fascinating religion. Perhaps it was Edgar Casey and spiritualism and they were completely enraptured with the idea of communing with the spirits and weren’t any longer interested in your lovely but too demanding religion.

And then again, perhaps you befriended somebody and told them how Jesus had become your most faithful and blessed friend and they were so taken by the reality of your relationship with Him that they had been drawn into coming to Church to learn more about this wonderful “Jesus.” But soon they stopped coming and when you called to “check in” on them they told you that they were in financial meltdown and their children were in rebellion and they had just been fired and your religion just wasn’t enough to help them cope with all of this.

What do we then do? Please discuss.

2. Please read the Gospel reading. The Gospel lesson for today is a word of encouragement to us who are wrestling with all of this and wondering if it’s all worth it.

a) Can we really share our faith in this hard Northeastern soil and expect a harvest?

b) With all of the many seductions and cares of this world does the Gospel message have any chance at all?

c) Will anyone really listen to me or are they so far gone that this simple message could have any possible affect upon them?

d) Heck! Do I really believe it all or am I really fundamentally unconvinced?

e) Heck! If I get serious about all of this I’m going to have to clean up my act and that’s not possible – or is it?

And so the mind of many contemporary Christians spin!

Jesus is saying to us: Sow Sow Sow! Yes, it’s true that some of your seeds will fall on the hard path – some of your listeners won’t “dig in” and become, as it were, covered by the humus of God and will be easy picking for the carrion birds or this hateful world!

But keep on sowing – keep on sowing! Please discuss.