This week, as we continue in our Luke series, we see Jesus developing and growing His disciples, as He grows us, by stretching our faith through challenging opportunities and giving us deeper revelation of who He is.
‘Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:18-27)
Lesson: Time in private leads to greater revelation of Jesus, and then to greater sacrificial devotion to Jesus.
You can listen to this devotional below (It’s also available on Spotify on the Community Church Putney podcast)
This week we’ve seen that Jesus grows His disciples, and us, by leading us to do more than we can so that we learn to rely on Jesus more than we currently do. Today, we see that revelation of who God is, is another vital factor in our growth.
Again, Jesus sets us this example of the importance of taking time out in order to spend time with Him and in fellowship with others. Life always has more to do than we could ever do and it’s vital that we carve out time for personal devotions, and worship with our church family. In this setting, they, and we, receive fresh revelation from God. I hope we can see how tempting it is to be so busy (with kinds of service to people that we’ve seen in this chapter) that we fail to be alone with Christ. This is very dangerous and can lead to burnout or, worse than that, pride!
It’s in a time with Jesus, away from ministry, that Jesus questions them and reveals His identity to them. At this time Peter confesses, that Jesus is, “God’s Messiah”. In Matthew, we are told that Jesus responds with:
‘“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”’ ( Matthew 16:17)
Christianity is dependent upon God’s revelation from beginning to end. Our coming to faith is because God, by the Spirit, revealed Himself to us; and our ongoing growth in understanding also is dependent on God’s revealing Himself to us as we study or are taught from the Bible. Revelation is vital if we are to live like Jesus who obeyed the Father wholeheartedly and laid His life down for us.
After this Revelation and confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus reveals, again, that He is going to suffer, die and be raised to life. As they are alone with Jesus, it’s revealed to them that Jesus is the promised Messiah - the saviour King, and, secondly, that He will die in order to save - we need to constantly be reminded that Jesus is both Lord of glory and suffering servant. This is the kind of revelation that we need and it comes when we make time to be with Jesus.
However, I want us to see that revelation leads to a transformed life. After this, Jesus challenges them:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
This worshipful and sacrificial life that is modelled on Christ, flows from time with Jesus and fresh revelation of Jesus.
Response
Time in private leads to greater revelation of Jesus, and then to greater sacrificial devotion to Jesus. Too often we want fruit without the root. We want to have the joy and zeal but we fail to be alone with Jesus or to be with the church in worship and the Word. You and I need fresh and deeper revelation from the Holy Spirit if we are to carry the cross and be of service to God and the world.
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Please ensure that the members of your group are aware and familiar with using the daily devotionals which is accessed in Church News or the Teaching button on the website.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message from our series in Luke on Sunday was entitled, ‘With Christ is the School of Growth’.
In the section that we looked at (Luke 9:1-50), the disciples’ are grown through revelation of Jesus and by stretching ministry opportunities. To grow as a Christian or leader, we must be amazed by Jesus through fresh revelation, and we must also take on responsibilities that stretch us. The two things, as I hope we can see, work together.
Please read Luke 9:1-50, and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
What are the various moments of revelation - where Jesus’ glory and mission are revealed - in this text?
What do these revelations teach us about Jesus and how should this affect our lives?
How does Jesus give His disciples responsibility - hard things to do - in order to develop them?
What hard things is Jesus calling you to do in order to grow you?
SIV - What does this text teach us about the ways we can seek to bring our community to Jesus?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
Let’s pray together that, this week, we will have opportunities to SIV; and pray for anything else that’s come out of our time in God’s Word.