We are messengers, but it’s not our message – it’s God’s.  We had better be extra careful to check our sources, be silent until we know what we’re talking about, and then deliver an accurate message – or better yet – show people where to learn for themselves.  Good News that’s false – is not Good at all.  Nothing hurts more than false hope.  

In Luke 14 at the dinner, Jesus tells a story about another dinner – the Kingdom feast.  We will look at the characters in Jesus’ story and we find ourselves there: we are the “slaves,” the messengers.  Scriptures used: Romans 10:1-2 James 3:1-2 Luke 14.15-24; Matthew 22.1-14  

Practical steps for killing Excuses, Justifications and Rationalizations, and replacing them with adaptations, improvisations and overcoming.  We can categorize our lives, and look for them – to root them out.  Then, connect with a Godwor disciple for accountability & help.  Finally, choose one or two and work on them one bit at a time. 

Satan’s Sirens … Excuses, Justifications and Rationalizations.  These three are alluring, enticing, just like the beautiful singing sirens of mythology that lured sailors to their death – Satan’s sirens kill us.  The solution is for us to recognize things that tempt us to these things, then treat them as challenges and opportunities.  We should adapt, improvise, overcome … we should put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6). 

Grow Some Go Some … congratulations are due to those of you who are still listening & studying, and especially to those of you who are DOING the assignments.  Following Jesus was hard when he was in human form, and it’s still hard.  Now … time to get to work for real. 

From now on … these lessons will be less formal, shorter … and use excerpts from Luke to continue our studies.  Most importantly, it’s about helping you to start actually doing the stuff Jesus did … on purpose.  Make a real change.  Do three things, right now:  

1. memorize our Purpose, Actions and Priorities.  
2. Plan to start “heal” work
3. Start asking others to join you.

it’s time for us to review and settle some things.  Remember our purpose, our actions and our priority.  And then … DO what Jesus said.

This lesson is about the parable of talents (found in Matthew 25.14-30 & Luke 19.12-27).  It’s about how you live as a disciple of Jesus … steadily giving more in quality and quantity purely for the purpose of bearing increasing fruit and glory to God.  

Jesus explains why he left the religious folks to go seek sinners and call them to repentance.  We are introducing the “Lifecycle” of disciples … those who come to Jesus for various reasons, then go all-in, are born again, and then live and grow.  Scriptures highlighted in this lesson include: Luke 15, Matthew 6.20-21, Colossians 3.1-2, Philippians 3.12-21, and Matthew 25.14-30. 

Teleios is a Greek word used commonly to describe a certain kind of maturity – the maturity which is understood to include productivity.  Only when a thing has reached ‘teleios’ is it considered to have arrived at its full potential.  Each one of us should strive to arrive at our full teleios state

This lesson is an attempt to “put it together.”  To provide you with the pathway to growth.  “Do what you’re told” is the short answer, another one might be “trust and obey.”  So to grow stronger, start by teaching, healing & reproducing.  Find an act of service and/or fun, and invite a friend to join you.  Then do it again.  Then do it better, and do it more.  Start somewhere, and increase steadily in quantity and quality for the rest of your earthly life. 

Combining basics learned from 1 John 5.4, Hebrews 11, James 2.14-26, Luke 17.5-10 and 1 Samuel 17.34-37, we learn the  basics of growing faith.  We learn that faith is what we need in order to obey.  Sometimes it seems like we need more than we have – this lesson teaches the basics about how to grow that faith.

What tasks you?  What tempts you to fear, frustration, stress, or anger?  What habits would you like to overcome?  How can you grow stronger, more durable and more obedient to God?  This is the first of what (hopefully) will be a 2 part series that will teach you practical truths so you can do things that are otherwise impossible.  The power to overcome – it’s one of God’s great gifts.  

Telling the story of the rescue club to serve as a reminder of our primary purpose, because “rescue” = “seek & save.”  Like good rescuers working together, we teach, heal and reproduce … that’s rescue, recruiting, training and developing rescuers.  As we move forward, we’ll talk about growing up into stronger, wiser and more mature rescuers.  

Visit chapter 9 & 10 … where Jesus (the sent) sends the 12 as 6 pair, who also send 6 pair.  These were their first “baby steps,” in which they start taking responsibility to do God’s will and “go” to make disciples by healing, teaching and reproducing.  

We cover chapter 8, briefly discussing each of the chunks, but focus mostly on the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds.

This lesson started out as a quick overview of chapters 7 & 8, but I ran out of time. 

Remember the two layers: 1) Jesus & his audience – and 2) Luke and his audience.  We skimmed over the bits and put it into “chunks,” as Luke laid it out for his audience … mostly to show them how Jesus dealt with his own people (Jews) and other groups of people.  You should practice doing this as you study through any gospel … break it into chunks, stories, thought ideas, parables, etc.  Then see the message the writer was trying to convey to his audience. 

Then – focus on Jesus and his audience.  As disciples, this is our primary interest.  We want to understand how Jesus handled different people differently, so we can handle them the same way.  How did Jesus treat religious folks, compared to “sinners,” and why?  How did he treat Jews differently than gentiles?  But mostly … we want to watch how Jesus trained the 12.  He started them off with the Sermon on the Plain in chapter 6 (last two lessons), and then now he’s demonstrating for them how to live that sermon.  Again: first he said it, and now he is demonstrating it.  He is giving himself to people, he’s sharing what he has … just as we should.  He had the miraculous gift of healing, but we have money and medicine and time … we can also be healers!  Should we “heal” only Christians?  Should we focus only on them?  How should we treat “sinners,” like the sinful woman who came to the religious guy’s house?  

Jesus taught us in the sermon to love people … now he shows us what that looks like in real life.

This is a review of the sermon on the plain from Luke 6.17-49 … but our focus in this lesson is on the disciple’s view of scripture.  The steps are these:

  Review the “chunk” of text, and then break it down into mini-chunks, being sure to keep it in context, to know who Jesus is talking to, who he is talking in front of, and what he’s trying to accomplish.  Pay special attention not only to what Jesus is saying, but also how he’s saying it.  

  Then review the same text, and this time look at Luke’s layer.  Why did Luke choose this particular lesson, and why did he put it in this place in the gospel?  These are the sample kinds of questions you should learn to ask.  

  Now go over the text yet again … this time hopefully with others who also want to be disciples of Jesus … and challenge yourselves to see if you’re doing what Jesus teaches.  Learn to take these lessons personally and apply them to your life when your life matches his circumstances.

  Now again, go over the same section of text.  This time see it not as a disciple, but as a disciple-maker.  If you’re making disciples as Jesus did, then you’ll want to teach the way he taught, react to things the way he did, lead the way he did.  You’ll want to understand how/why he started with what he did, and why he saved some teachings until later.  

Finally, do all of the above as a conversation with God.  Remember that the bible is God’s word – it’s God’s way of speaking to you.  Now have a conversation with God.  Prayer is talking to God, reading the bible is listening to Him.  Ask Him to help you understand His word, to apply it, and to see the parts He most wants you to understand and live.  

PS: the formatting video I mentioned is located here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVkcNzIelC0 

We want to learn to understand the bible as disciples of Jesus, not scholars or preachers or Sunday school children.  To do that, we need to keep each section in context.  The goal of this short lesson is to give you an intro to this idea … to see the text as Luke portrays it: Jesus’ introduction to his new dedicated disciples, and a reminder that they’ll become unpopular, but need to love the bad guys, anyway. 

Now you have lots of homework: study the section of Luke 6.17-49.  Break this lesson into the chunks we discussed last lesson.  then see each chunk as it fits in with the work of Jesus so far, and as it applies to those he’s teaching.  Finally, consider how this will apply to you as a disciple, and as a disciple maker.  That means you’re first a student, like Jesus’ 12, but also that you want to learn to teach others as Jesus taught.  When you make disciples, you’ll want to do exactly as Jesus is doing, right?  

This is the lesson where the principles introduced so far should begin to merge together into the story of Luke.  Remember, Luke’s original audience were active gentile disciples of Jesus, and their version of church and Christianity was very different than ours, and much more like what Jesus intended.  So it was necessary to help you also understand the nature of discipleship … before we begin to see the text from which it’s taken. 

Here I introduce you to the major characters in the gospel: Jesus, his close disciples, “the crowd,” or “the people,” and the religious conservatives, generally called Pharisees and teachers of the law.  It’s easy for us to see the religious people as bad guys, but it’s important to remember that they are the ones with the right doctrine and teachings. 

My hope is that from this study of the text you’ll be able to picture yourself imitating Jesus in your own life, at your job, in your school, and with your family.  Can you find a “Simon” at work, and train up a “Peter” who will one day be a great man in our Father’s Kingdom?  No, you can’t – at least not on your own.  But with God’s help, and close attention to Jesus … you can do this and more!  

Up until now, Jesus has been working alone – teaching & healing.   Now he reproduces by asking Peter, James, John & Levi (Matthew) to follow him.  He is rescuing them from their lives of slavery to sin and a religious system – to become fellow workers with Jesus for God.  From now on, they’ll be working together as a team.  They will often leave the religious people to mix with the “sinners.” 

We must also understand these principles: we are to leave the religious people and go to the lost, the sinners.  We ought to join them where they are, rather than asking them to ‘clean up’ and come to church with us … instead, we seek to reach out to them. 

In this lesson we also introduce the “person of peace,” who is one we will find that belongs to a social group other than our own.  Allowing that person to be a representative for God within his or her own culture is the right way to make disciples.  

Jesus’ preparation included study of the Torah, and spiritual maturing in wisdom and favor with God and man.  Once he was baptized and endured the temptation in the desert, he began his ministry among his home communities.  The area of Galilee became his base of operation.  The same was true of Paul.  He also became an expert in the bible and then allowed his ministry to grow first in the town of his conversion, and later in his home town and surrounding area.  It wasn’t until more than a decade after his conversion that Paul began his missions work.  

These two are good suggestions for our beginnings, too.  We should begin at home.  If you attend church, start there - just as they began in Synagogues.  Begin also at your place of work, in your own neighborhood, and go out and have some fun.  Play ball with guys outside the church, or take night classes, or whatever – but begin with things that are not too hard, very local, and where you can make the biggest impact as people see you change.  

Jesus began his ministry in his home region, preaching in synagogues, among his own people.  Let’s imitate him – begin your work right where you live. 

Also we discuss the concept of slavery and freedom.  It’s helpful to begin to see our world as flesh vs. spirit … that natural desires aren’t evil by themselves, but when we pursue them too far, we become enslaved by them.  Instead of seeing our world as “evil vs. good,” let’s rather decide who or what we will serve: our own appetites, or God.  And when we encounter others, we should see ourselves as helping free them from their slavery.   

2 Peter 2:19 (NIV)    John 8:31-36

Romans 6:1-23                       Romans 16:17-18

Galatians 6:1-10

This lesson was about these lessons.  Before we get any further into the book of Luke, I need to make it clear that this teaching is about an activity – not mere knowledge.  Knowing how to diet doesn’t make one thin, and knowing how to lift weights doesn’t make one strong.  So learning about discipleship doesn’t make one wiser, stronger, or more valuable to God’s kingdom & business.  To become those things, one must actually start Doing what we’re talking about in these lessons. 

Our purpose, actions & priorities match Jesus’ increasingly as we grow, and we grow when we TRY.  Remember that each moment of a disciple’s life is an opportunity to love a person by strengthening that person, helping him or her become a disciple, or by offering aid. 

If you do these things, you’ll be valuable and grow increasingly strong.  If you don’t do these things, you’ll grow more and more fragile (needy, brittle, stressed) over time, and you’ll become worthless.  Review these scriptures to see if what I’ve said is true:

James 1:25-27   James 2:13-20   James 2:26

Hebrews 6:7-8   Titus 3:8-11    Titus 1:10-16

Matthew 25:14-30

 In discipleship overview, I explain what it means to “seek first the Kingdom.”  Seeking the kingdom is about 2 things: expanding it & strengthening it.  When you meet a person, seek to understand that person from God’s perspective.  If the person is a born-again, committed disciple of Jesus, then your job is to encourage, motivate, equip and spur this person on to love and good deeds.  If the person isn’t a disciple, you’re job is to make them a disciple and help them then to enter the kingdom via the rebirth: baptism.  If the person is hurting, broken, struggling, then your job is to help them recover.  With this in mind, all people in the world fit into one of these three categories:

1.      they’re outside the kingdom (needing in), or

2.      inside the kingdom (needing strength) or

3.      wounded; both in and out of the kingdom (needing healing)

And God has put YOU into their life to help.  That’s why YOU exist (Ephesians 2.10)

We also spent a short time discussing one of God’s great gifts to disciples: That He allows us to repent and be born again.  Repentance is nothing more than change, and we’re born again when we’re washed clean and filled with the Holy Spirit in baptism.  This marvelous thing, repentance and baptism are like the cure for a disease we all share.  When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and all who looked at it were saved, so God has allowed His son to be lifted up on a cross and all who will be buried with him in baptism can receive this new birth of water and spirit and become new creatures.  (See John 3 & Romans 6)

In Luke we take a look at Jesus’ first sermon, when he read Isaiah and commented on it.  Then we see that in each of the cases so far … things have been said about Jesus or John the Baptist that are much more than grand, vague statements … they’re actually clues for us about the specific things these men were to do.  If we compare these passages with what we see they actually did, it’ll show us what we should be doing, too. 

Reviewed purpose, actions, and introduced the priority of Jesus: “Seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness.”  Also introduced the idea of justice/righteousness in the bible, so we’d know what it means to pursue justice.  (See Luke 11.37-44, especially verse 42)

Returned to review several scriptures that cover the ideas of “pathway” in the bible.  The idea is to help you understand what it means to “make straight” your pathway, or to ‘prepare’ yourself and your field.  The scriptures mentioned are also listed here (in no particular order):

Psalm 27:11;                Psalm 143:10-12;

Proverbs 3:1-7;             Proverbs 9:13-18;         Proverbs 15:19;

Proverbs 16:17;            Proverbs 6:6-11

Luke 11:4;        Luke 10.2-5;     Luke 3:3-7;       Luke 7.18-30

Matthew 6:13;   Isaiah 26:7-10; Isaiah 40:1-11

Jeremiah 31:9;  Acts 13:6-12;    Revelation 2:12-17;       Romans 13:7-14

Plus, on your own you can find lots of passages that use words like: stumble, fall, path, way, walk, etc.  The bible is loaded with these references, because we are to see our lives as a journey that we walk through.  Much of what is important in life is learning to walk wisely and in paths that make us progressively stronger and more mature.  While we walk, we prepare ourselves, our paths and those who travel with us. 

To turn these ideas into action, you’ll need to do a bit of homework.  I introduce you to the “three column” bible study method.  this is where we take a sheet of paper, and lay it landscape, draw two vertical lines so that the paper is divided up into three columns.  In the left column, write out the scripture (using this week each one of those listed above) word for word.  In the middle column, write it out in your own words, and label the far right column “I WILL,” and write down your action items – things you’ll DO. 

Remember that discipleship isn’t acquired by classroom education and books … it’s a skill, and you must actually practice.  This “act” part of what is done is important, for without it, you’ll never grow. 

Luke 2 & 3 describes two elements of Jesus’ life that are also true of any disciples’ life: preparation.  This preparation has two aspects: 1) to prepare ourselves for service, and 2) to prepare the way.  

John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus – to help people have expectations and be open to his teaching.  

Meanwhile, Jesus had been preparing himself for service.  He learned through suffering (Hebrews 5.7-9), he knew the Torah well (as evidenced by his interaction with the Rabbis at the Temple), his parents made it a point to bring their family regularly to the Passover, even at age 12 he was seen as responsible by his parents, he continued to be submissive to his parents, and he grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.  And yet through all of that … Jesus didn’t begin his work until he was thirty years of age.  Even God’s own son took time to prepare himself – and more than we often do.  

We must also prepare ourselves and prepare the way.  When “Christians” behave in ways that are antagonistic to sinners or those who are different than us in any way … we are making our own pathway harder.  It then becomes harder to make disciples – harder to do God’s work.  How can we continue to make crooked God’s pathways?  

People are passionate about baseball, music, their families, and even hockey.  The most passionate learn their craft, and work hard and seek out others who share their interest.  I'm passionate about Jesus.  My family and friends are fine, music is the greatest thing ever, and I even like my church (sometimes), but none of those things compare to Jesus.  He was perfect!  He was so strong and wise and compassionate ... it's just amazing how great he was.  I hope you'll find others like me/us and feed that passion in your life and form a "church" - of disciples (people of passion). 

But while pursuing my passion for Jesus, I also fell in love with the bible, and sometimes my passion for the bible makes me forget Jesus.  Others I know also struggle with things that distract them from Jesus (like church, family, etc.) ... let's stay focused and help each other.  Now as I teach you about the bible, my passion (hopefully) will show through ... but also I hope you'll do a better job of keeping it in perspective than I sometimes do. 

Now here's how to study the gospels: 1) find a good translation to work from, and two others to compare with.  I recommend NASB, NIV and NRSV, but there are others.  Pick yours. 2) Study one gospel at a time DON'T try to 'harmonize' them. 3) Remember Layers.  Each gospel has two layers: the layer of Jesus & his audience, and the writer and his. 

Now to Luke, written by a Gentile (a non-jewish person) FOR first century Gentiles.  In their time, these Gentiles were 'outsiders,' and the Jews who believed in Jesus were the main group, or the majority.  So Luke highlights everyone in Jesus' story who was on the fringes or were 'outsiders,' because to his audience it seemed close to one of "us."  Reacing our audience today also has Jesus' layer (focused on insiders - Jews) and Luke's layer (focused on the outsiders).  When we speak to "church" people or "Christians," we're working on Jesus' layer.  When we speak to outsiders (those who have little or no faith in Jesus) ... we need to introduce them to things in a simpler way, like Luke. 

Also we introduced the idea of the Disciple's lifecycle:

1. Curiosity/interest
2. Full commitment
3. Rebirth
4. Infant
5. Teenager
6. Young Parents
7. Full-grown shepherds

And now we'll see these stages and how Jesus produced this development in the gospel of Luke, beginning with "Preparation."

Living and growing as a disciple is the most rewarding life possible, and it offers each of us an opportunity to serve, love and care for others in the best possible way.  We get to be rescuers, and grow stronger while we’re in training. 

Discipleship is very hard and very expensive.  We discussed this in the last episode, and will see it in explicit detail as we work through Luke.  And though it’s hard and expensive, God has provided two things that can be helpful to us all: the bible, and the church.  Sadly, we fail to recognize the value of each of these.  As we proceed through these lessons, we’ll learn a lot about the bible, and by the end of it, you’ll understand how to use it. 

In this episode, I’m going to explain the way churches are; and the way God intended church to be.  God specifically commands certain things for churches, and they ALL have to do with the purpose, or function of church. 

This should be our last ‘overview’ lesson, and next time we’ll get into the text of Luke itself.  But hopefully you’ll find some partners and form your own “church” – your own group with whom you can study and grow as fellow disciples.  This “church” is something you should do whether or not you already attend a “regular” church, but don’t try to force a regular church to fit this model.  Rather than rebel against your church … look for a few people who you can partner with and help one another to grow. 

Scriptures mentioned in this lesson include:

• 1 Corinthians 14.26
• Hebrews 10.24
• Ephesians 4.11-16
• Luke 3.3-17

Before we can understand the development of disciples in Luke, we must first understand what it means to be a disciple … and how that differs from our traditional understanding.  It is a common misconception that those we refer to as Christians also fit Jesus’ definition of “disciple.”  In actual point of fact, most of today’s Christians are much more like the religious people of Jesus’ day: the Pharisees, Sadducees, Lawyers (bible scholars), elders, Rabbis, priests, etc. 

Following Jesus is not an easy path, nor a cheap one.  It will cost us everything.  But it is worth it!  By accepting this challenge, we volunteer for a life that’s possibly void of many of the things we now rely upon: friends, family, money, sex, pleasure, wealth, popularity … but what we get in exchange is the kind of strength that relieves us of the need for those things.  We become so strong that we can live a life that would feel like torture to most people … and we can smile through it.  The storms that would mostly provoke others to terror – become opportunities for us to take a nap. 

How do we get there?  We start small, and work our way up.  It all begins with commitment.  This is a commitment we can make because we trust God so much that we can give it all up, and trust that He will protect us while we care for others, and not for ourselves. 

Only by making such a commitment will you ever understand Jesus.  You simply cannot have anything more than intellectual knowledge of him without the commitment.  But having made the commitment to follow Jesus and trust everything about yourself to God … you will discover “peace that passes understanding,” and “rest for your soul.”

Will you join him?

This is the first of a series of lessons to teach discipleship from the book of Luke in the bible. 

This first lesson introduces you to the concept of discipleship.  It's not about being nice, or good.  It's not about salvation.  It's about being shepherded and guided by the master.  It's about being an apprentice. 

From Jesus' perspective, we are all part of God's household business.  We start out as apprentices, learning from the master, who is Jesus.  Jesus is the perfect craftsman in God's workshop - the Michael Jordan of God's business.  We volunteer to become a part of the workshop and serve with the master.  And that's how we learn ... by watching him, listening to him, and by starting to do our chores in the workshop.  As we develop, he gives us increasing responsibility. 

The life of a disciple is simply being a spiritual apprentice under Jesus' tutelage. It's not a digital thing, where one is either "in" or "out" of a club of saved people ... it's more like a school for those getting on the job training. 

At the end of the class we are introduced to the nature of Luke's writings and Luke himself.  This offers us a good perspective on Jesus and his work, so that we can vicariously join Jesus' original disciples and walk with them (and Jesus), and learn as they did.