5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5 – 6, New International Version)
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. (Psalm 67:1 – 2, New International Version)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, New International Version)
Theme: Discipleship
Context:
As reflected in your comments yesterday, we are prone to forget the things God has done for us. So, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we should use tools God has provided to counter forgetfulness. Living as disciples of Jesus in community is one of the powerful tools we have. Thanks again to all who provided comments!
From our observation of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, we have contemplated how idolatry, obstinacy, community, and memory relate to our discipleship journey. Our final topic for the week is testimony. Making a connection between the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel and the responsibility they had to represent God to other nations is more challenging than the other topics we have discussed because Bible scholars have debated how active Israel was as a witness for God to other nations. Despite the debates, it is clear that God cared deeply about how Israel represented Him to the nations. This observation should sharpen our focus on the fact that Jesus cares deeply about how His disciples represent Him. Our role as disciple-makers is an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility. Our testimony matters!
Bible Passages:
Our Scripture passages today highlight the importance of the testimony of the Children of Israel, and the importance of the Great Commission for disciples of Jesus. Please prayerfully read the passages and consider the questions below.
Questions:
- How would you describe the amount of focus you put on how you are representing Jesus (e.g., do you naturally think of yourself as an ambassador of Christ)?
- Why are Bible study and prayer essential to being a good representative?
Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else. Please leave a comment on the blog.