The Call to Discipleship - Matthew 10:24-39

By David Woods

Vance Havner once wrote: I heard of a preacher the other day who was asked, "What's the size of your pastorate?" he said, "Twenty-five miles wide and one inch deep." That is what bothers a lot of preachers these days. (Vance Havner in On This Rock I Stand. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 13.)

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? The main point of our lesson is:

Big Idea:The believer is called to a life of total commitment to Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew 10:24-31

Discussion: What does it mean that “the disciple is not above his master?”

(The disciple should not expect greater privileges than his master or to be treated better by the enemies of his master.)

Discussion: How was Jesus treated by His enemies? Should we really expect to be treated like Jesus?

Discussion: The threat of persecution and even of ridicule doesn’t feel good. Why shouldn’t we be fearful? (ref. Verse 26)

Discussion: Practically, what does it mean to “preach ye upon the housetops” in our context today? Do we fulfill this obligation to share the Good News simply by going to a church and hearing/preaching a sermon?

Discussion: Who is “him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” that we should fear in verse twenty-eight? What implication(s) should we make from this?

(I believe the proper answer is that it is Christ we should fear.)

Read Matthew 10:32-38

Discussion: What is this confession/denial in verses thirty-two and thirty-three? How do we make this confession? Where? When? Can a denial simply be the lack of a public confession? If so, in what circumstances?

Discussion: How does the picture of verse thirty-four square with society’s popular concept of Christ?

(From what I’ve seen, many would say that Jesus/God is a God is love, not hatred. Therefore, I think this idea that Jesus causes disharmony among families, etc. is completely at odds with the popular conception of Jesus.)

Discussion: What kind of love is this in which one loves a father or mother more than Christ?

(I realize we could go to extremes here, however, I think some Christians actually display a greater love for family than God in that they are much more committed to being with family and doing things for their family than they are in being committed to their local church and in obeying the commands of God’s Word. Furthermore, some would appear to be more concerned about maintaining harmony in the family than in being distraught over the sinfulness of one’s family.)

Discussion: What is the typical American Christian’s cross?

Read Matthew 10:39

The writer of the “Key Comments” for this lesson relates some interesting church history:

Adam Clarke gives this interesting incident from Church history:

“ ‘He that findeth his life shall lose it,’ was literally fulfilled in Archbishop Cranmer. He confessed Christ against the devil and his eldest son, the pope. He was ordered to be burnt; to ‘save his life’ he recanted, and was, notwithstanding, burnt.” Then Clarek made this weight comment: “Whatever a man sacrifices to God is never lost, for he finds it again in God.”

Adult Teacher’s Insights, p. 47.