Wednesday – October 25, 2017– Discipleship Matters
John 17:20-21 (NLT) “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
Jesus invested His entire ministry in training up disciples who would follow Him. To Him that was the most important quality that a person could possess. Before He chose the 12 who would be His inner circle, He spent all night in prayer so He could be certain that He was choosing the right ones.
Paul was writing to a different audience when he said in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV) Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. This is also an appropriate description of the original 12. Those who had very little to offer in a worldly sense became world changers. They weren’t world changers at first. They had many failures and Jesus often got exasperated with them. However, He continued to lead and they continued to follow.
When Jesus was praying for them, He said an amazing thing about them. John 17:9-10 (NIV)I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. Jesus said that glory came to Him through His disciples. Glory is a weighty word. It means to be heavily weighted down. It has to do with matter. When the foolish man built his house on sand, it collapsed when the storms came, because it had little matter underneath it. When the wise man built his house on a rock, it continued to stand because it was built on what mattered. What matters has weight and will continue to stand even through perceived failures and successes. Jesus matters to us and it should be no surprise that we matter to Him.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for seeing the potential in me and refusing to give up on me. You have chosen to use this weak vessel to bring glory to your name.
Proverbs 25 | Audio
It is God’s privilege to conceal things
    and the king’s privilege to discover them.
3Â No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
    or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
4Â Remove the impurities from silver,
    and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
5 Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
    and his reign will be made secure by justice.
6 Don’t demand an audience with the king
    or push for a place among the great.
7 It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
    than to be sent away in public disgrace.
Just because you’ve seen something,
8     don’t be in a hurry to go to court.
For what will you do in the end
    if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?
9Â When arguing with your neighbor,
    don’t betray another person’s secret.
10Â Others may accuse you of gossip,
    and you will never regain your good reputation.
11Â Timely advice is lovely,
    like golden apples in a silver basket.
12Â To one who listens, valid criticism
    is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.
13Â Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.
    They revive the spirit of their employer.
14 A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it
    is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
15Â Patience can persuade a prince,
    and soft speech can break bones.
16Â Do you like honey?
    Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!
17 Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
    or you will wear out your welcome.
18Â Telling lies about others
    is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,
wounding them with a sword,
    or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
19Â Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble
    is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
20Â Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart
    is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather
    or pouring vinegar in a wound.[a]
21Â If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
    If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
22Â You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,
    and the Lord will reward you.
23Â As surely as a north wind brings rain,
    so a gossiping tongue causes anger!
24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
    than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
25Â Good news from far away
    is like cold water to the thirsty.
26Â If the godly give in to the wicked,
    it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.
27 It’s not good to eat too much honey,
    and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.
28Â A person without self-control
    is like a city with broken-down walls.
