MATTHEW Recommended Resources

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Series: Portraits of Faith

MATTHEW Andy Kampman God invites us to be a part of His story…and He uses people of integrity, people who are compassionate toward others, and people who are eager to do what He says---all of which are qualities of a person who has been rescued from sin by Jesus. Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to Him, and He began to teach them. As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples: “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:13-17 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:27-28

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Matthew left __________________________________________. Key question: What is Jesus ______________________________________?

II. Matthew joined _______________________________________. Key question: Who is ____________________________________________.

1. Read the book of Acts…and as you survey the whole book, look at when people came to faith in Jesus. Did they come to faith in Jesus as individuals, or do you notice a dynamic where whole groups of people put their faith in Jesus at the same time? Why would God do it this way? Do you see examples of this in Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels? 2. As you read through Acts, what did you notice that people had to give up in order to follow Jesus? 3. Jesus made it clear that the cost of following Him was high. See Luke 14:25-33 and Luke 9:57-62. But Jesus also encouraged us that He provides a greater treasure than any treasure we may lay down to follow Him. See Matthew 13:44 and Matthew 19:29.

Recommended Resources Contagious Disciple Making by Paul and David Watson Miraculous Movements by Jerry Trousdale Spiritual Multiplication in the Real World by Bob McNabb

To Discuss…w/a friend, community group, or in a family devotional time 1. As a group, discuss what it has cost us to follow Jesus? What motivated you to make sacrifices in order to follow Jesus? Talk about other people who know who have had to sacrifice in order to follow Jesus, or talk about believers in other parts of the world and sacrifices they have made to follow Jesus. As a group, pray for these believers to continue to stand strong in the midst of opposition to their faith. (For recent information, go to persecutedchurch.org.)

III. Matthew called ________________________________________. Key question: Who are __________________________________________?

2. Jesus wants all of our groups to be making disciples. How intentional is your group at obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples? What changes can we make to become a disciple making group?