In Part 1 of our study, we examined what it means to seek and follow Jesus. This occurs when we align our steps to His life and learn to follow His lead. In Part 2, we will look closer at the invitation to grow and go with Jesus. This is what it means to be His disciple and practice His ways. In this lesson, we will study the four pivotal commands Jesus gives His disciples. When we hear these four commands for the first time, there is a response of obedience. But they are not one-time commands. As we obey these commands, His voice directs us on His path and leads us to a life on mission.
Jesus invites His followers to grow & go through a change of identity. In His invitation, He emphasizes this truth by using the word, “become.” As the great “I Am,” Jesus teaches us to see ourselves the way He sees us. Through His identity, we can confidently say we are forgiven, we belong to Jesus, and we are His disciples. Walking in the identity of God is the way of Jesus.
Jesus invites His followers to grow and go through a deep awareness of His love. Since He is the greatest picture of God’s love, He demonstrates to His followers what true love is. Abiding in His love teaches us to rest in Him so we can rise to the challenges of life. He says “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Abide in My love.” Abiding in the love of God is the way of Jesus.
Jesus invites His followers to grow and go by yielding to Him as sovereign King of their lives. Jesus demonstrates this attitude through His prayer life, and He teaches us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done...” Disciples know that God’s way is always the best way, even when we don’t get our way. Yielding to the will of God is the way of Jesus.
Jesus invites His followers to grow and go through trusting in His ability, not our own. He teaches His followers that it’s not our strength, but the source of our strength, that helps us serve those around us. This is why disciples can confidently say,“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” Relying on the strength of God is the way of Jesus.
Jesus invites His followers to the mission they were made for. He wants to see every disciple become a “fisher of men.” In order to prepare us for His mission, He teaches us to follow His lead and practice His ways. In this lesson, we will reflect on where He has led us and consider our next steps on His path.