The Heart of Discipleship

May 26, 2013

WORSHIP
Suggested Worship Songs:
All for Love, Lead Me to the Cross, Look to You, I Am a Friend of God, To the Ends of the Earth

WELCOME
Answer the question. What is love?

WORD
John 14:31
"…but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has
commanded me.
A man went to his pastor and told him he wanted Three Outstanding Promises
to divorce his wife because he did not have
In John 14, the disciples were troubled by three
feelings for her anymore. The pastor told the man
unthinkable things. One, Jesus was leaving them.
that love is a decision, not an emotion. A husband
Two, He predicted that one of them would betray
is to love his wife as Christ loves the church.
Him. And lastly, Jesus predicted Peter’s denying
The man replied that the Bible is not relevant to Him thrice. Wanting to comfort the disciples, He
his situation because he has an unloving wife. The left them with three great promises, which He
pastor patiently countered that the Bible says to leaves with us also.
love his neighbor. To which the man retorted that
1. He urged the disciples to not let their hearts
the Bible’s instruction did not apply to him
be troubled for He is preparing a place for
because he does not view his wife as his neighbor.
them in His Father’s mansion (v.2).
With a smile, the pastor patiently instructed the
Many believers think that this is a heavenly house
man to go back to his wife because the Bible also
that Jesus will give us the keys to when we stand
teaches to love one’s enemy.
before Him. But the mansion He was referring to
Loving your spouse or your enemy is important, was Himself. He was to become a sacrifice on the
but it does not compare to the importance of cross to die for our sins so that there will be a
loving God. Loving God is the heart of discipleship. place for us in heaven.
A New Commandment? 2. He also promised that He would send them
another comforter - The Holy Spirit (v.16).
A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another, even as I have loved you, that you also 3. He assured them that because He lived, they
love one another. – John 13:34 would also live (v.19).
Jesus told His disciples to love one another as He He knew that the disciples would experience great
has loved them and called it a new commandment. trials and tribulation. But He also knew that
But is it really new? You can read about God’s because of His Resurrection, He would have the
commandment to love even in the Old Testament. power to overcome everything. They were not to
So what did Jesus really mean? worry and neither should we because He is risen!
The distinction lies in the Greek word used in this Our Defining Focus
text which is kainos (new in kind) instead of neos
It is true that Jesus died on the cross so that we
(new in time). This was not a new commandment.
could be saved. But there is more to Jesus’
Rather, Jesus meant that His love for them should
sacrificial act. He sacrificed Himself, obeyed the
be the standard for the new kind of love that His
Father and fulfilled His command, because He
disciples should possess. As His disciples, we are
loves the Father and wanted the world to know
to “wash each other’s feet” by serving one another.
that He loved the Father.
We are to love others in the same way He loves us.
WORD (cont’d)
God’s desire for each of us is that we love Him with The unchanging truth is that we love God because
all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. (Deut. God first loved us. Loving God is not just a
6:4-5). The question is not “Are you serving God? sentimental notion. Loving God is an action. In a
Are you sacrificing for God, or are you praying to consumerist world that is obsessed with getting,
God?” The question at the heart of everything we we are to display radical discipleship by giving
do is, “Do you love God?” radically because we love God.
This should be our defining focus, the motivation Give of your time, treasure, and talents to bless
for all we do. Jesus kept repeating this focus on others. Giving is the antidote to the materialism
loving God (vv. 15, 21, 23, 24). Even when Jesus and consumerism that is also poisoning the church
reinstated Peter, He asked, “Peter, do you love today. God’s agenda for the 21st century church is
Me?” Love was to be the defining motivation for for the church to love Him. Loving God is what will
Peter. change the world.
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your members)
1. Do you love Me? If God the Father asks you this question, “(your name), do you love Me?” How will you
answer Him? What competes with your love for God? What are you going to change?
2. Because of Love. Read John 14 verses 15, 21, 23 and 24. What do you observe in these passages? Why
do you think Jesus kept repeating the same message?
3. God Loves You Whatever. You will find it difficult to love God if you do not know how much He loves
you. Think about God’s love. How has God loved you, despite your past or whoever you have become?
4. Acts of Love. How will you demonstrate your love for God this week? How will His love motivate you as
His disciple to let the world see that you love Him?

WORKS
Our Big Responsibility Weekly Prayer Points
Pastor Edmund Chan challenged the church to give I. Thanksgiving
its time, talents and treasures to God because we • Worship God for Who He is, what He has
have a big responsibility to proclaim God’s done, and what He will do in our lives
Kingdom here in the Philippines.
II. Country and the World
One of the ways you can do that is by volunteering
• Upright and moral governance of Public
for one of the several ministries we have here in
Servants and honest elections.
CCF. For a list of all the CCF ministries, head over to
the following link: • Cooperation & unity of Filipinos towards a
God-centered Philippines.
www.ccf.org.ph/connect/ministries
III. Church
• Elders, Pastors & Leaders
• Ministries & Churches worldwide
IV. CCF Facilities
• Traffic in the CCF Center
• Prayer Mountain
V. Personal Concerns
• Deeper intimate relationship with God
• Salvation of family and friends