The Life of King Week 25 – The Cost of True Discipleship

Luke 14:25-34 – The Cost of Following Jesus • Jesus emphasized that discipleship is difficult – He made several points about the cost to consider 1. We must put our relationship with Jesus above ______other relationship, including the way we want to live our lives for ourselves. Out of priority relationship with Jesus, we will ______to joyfully and effectively be advancing the Kingdom!

2. We must count the cost before making our ______because discipleship is not an easy road. § ‘Taking up the ______’ in the first century church was understood ‘to be willing to lay down one’s own reputation or identity and be branded by society as a criminal’.

3. We are to be a good ______on others. Followers of Jesus, the massive crowds, who are unwilling to pay the price of discipleship are like foolish or worthless ______, unable to affect anything or anyone.

Luke 15:1-7 – The of the Lost Lamb • What is Jesus doing when He is accused by the religious leaders and experts of the law? • Who was Jesus referring to when He said, ‘more so than for all the righteous people who never strayed away’?

• How did the shepherd respond to the sheep who wandered away and got lost? • How did the religious feel about shepherds? Who represents the shepherd in this story?

Luke 15:8-10 – The Parable of the Lost Coin • How did the religious feel about women? Who represents the woman in this story? • How much value did the lost coin have? • Who represented the lost coin in this story?

Luke 15:11-32 – The Loving Father • Who does the younger son represent? • What was the younger son given when he came home: o Best ______= Robe of right standing, of belonging in the ______, or righteousness as a Son or Daughter o A ______= authority to transact business in the Father’s name = Seal of Sonship – the seal of the Holy ______for every Son and Daughter, Ephesians 1:14 o Best ______= Slaves didn’t wear shoes. Giving him new shoes, placed him above the servants and an heir in the ______business. Shoes of the of peace, Ephesians 6:15 = your Kingdom ministry, destiny to co-labor with your Heavenly Father

• Who does the older son represent?

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• Who represents the father in this story and what do you see about His heart? o Prodigal means one who spends or gives lavishly and foolishly.

• Notice how Jesus responded to the grumbling self-righteous religious leaders because He associated with sinners, the needy, the lost. o Did you catch the change of ______in these three as Jesus made a very intentional stark contrast with the ____ and the ____; the ____ and the ___; and the ____ and the older brother. o How does Father God really feel about the lost that Jesus came to find and save – the ones the religious leaders rejected and constantly dismissed.

Luke 16:1-18 – The Dishonest Manager • Who are the sons of darkness in this story and what have they been doing with their wealth?

• Who are the sons of light and what are they to be doing with their wealth and with Heavenly wealth?

• What does it mean that heaven and earth will disintegrate or disappear?

• Why did Jesus say the religious leaders are guilty of adultery?

Luke 16:19-31 – The – Jesus continued to illustrate His point about the wrong way to use wealth. • Who does the rich man represent and why?

• Are believers who have passed away still in paradise, at the side of Abraham?

• What do you continue to see about the heart of God?

Digging Deeper: God conceals the revelation of His Word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings (that’s you) is revealed to all by how they thoroughly mine out the deeper meaning of all that God says. Proverbs 25:2 TPT

• From this week’s Scriptures, what did you notice perhaps for the first time? What questions do you have? What did you learn about the heart of Father God? • Which of the costs Jesus listed in 14:25-35 is the most difficult for you? How might He be asking you to count the costs to more fully follow Him? • Have you ever experienced a division in an earthly relationship because of your relationship with Jesus? • How does it make you feel to know Father God is like a shepherd who has lost a sheep, a woman who has lost a coin, and a Father who has lost His son? How does it deepen your experience of His heart for you? • How do you picture Heaven’s celebration over the lost when they are found? Are you still feasting at the banquet table celebration for your coming home party?

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