Ben Marquez Director of Discipleship Welcome

Week 1 The Disciples' Identity Week 2 Disciples Reproduce Who They Are Week 3 Disciples Keep the Gospel Central Week 4 Disciples Confess & Repent Week 5 Disciples Obey Week 6 Disciples Rely on the Spirit Week 7 Discipleship in the Home Week 8 Discipleship in the Home Starts with Men Week 9 Discipleship in the Church Week 10 Making Disciples of all Nations

1) The Church Exists to Make Disciples Westminster Confession of Faith Ch In order to gather and perfect the saints in this life until the end of the world Christ has given the ministry, Scriptures, and ordinances of God to this universal visible church, and by his own presence and Spirit he enables the church to function in this way according to his promise. 1 Cor. 12:23, Eph. 4:11-13, Mt. 28:19-20, Is. 59:21.

2) The Goal of Discipleship is Conformity to Christ Romans 8:28, 29 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul, and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart. Let nominal Christians cease from insulting God by boasting themselves to be what they are not, and let them show themselves disciples not unworthy of Christ, their Master. We must assign first place to the knowledge of our religion, for that is the beginning of salvation. But our religion will be unprofitable, if it does not change our heart, pervade our manners, and transform us into new creatures.” John Calvin

3) The Cost of Discipleship is High Matthew 8:21, 22 ESV Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Dietrich Bonehoffer, The Cost of Discipleship

4) All are Sent to Disciple Matthew 4:19 ESV And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Proverbs 1:8, 9 ESV Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22, 23 ESV For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Week #1 The Disciples’ Identity "People need to be reminded more than instructed." C.S. Lewis

Week #1 The Disciples’ Identity Daniel 1:1-16

Daniel 1:1, 2 ESV In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

Daniel 1:3-5 ESV Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.

Daniel 1:6, 7 ESV Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel “God is my Judge” Belteshazzar “Protect the King” Hananiah “Jehovah is Gracious” Shadrach “Command of Aku” Mishael “Who is like God” Meshach “Who is what Aku is” Azariah “Jehovah is my helper” Abednego “Servant of Nebo”

Daniel 1:8-10 ESV But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king."

Daniel 1:11-14 ESV Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

Daniel 1:15, 16 ESV At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Who are We? Saints of God Bride of Christ Adopted Sons & Daughters Children of the Promise Royal Priesthood Beloved Children Ambassadors for Christ Slaves to Christ

Revelation 12:9-11 ESV And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Next Week Disciples Reproduce Who They Are