Teach Them To Obey - Studies For Disciples - Softcover

Matheson, Mr Duncan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1916440517 ISBN 13: 9781916440517

Publisher: TTTO Limited, 2019

Synopsis

Fourteen thought-provoking studies based upon a unique and comprehensive analysis of all the commands of Jesus, grouped and summarised into a simple-to-remember form of three high and nine lower-level themes. The studies address each of the twelve themes set out in the Teach Them To Obey - All That I Have Commanded You book (ISBN13: 978-1-9164405-0-0) with two additional studies.The first study recognises the ‘Essential Need for the Holy Spirit in our Lives’ rather than ‘obeying’ Jesus in our own strength.Studies 2 to 4 centre around the Kingdom Fundamental to ‘Love God’ and two supporting Kingdom Practices.Studies 5 to 9 concentrate on the Kingdom Fundamental to ‘Follow Jesus’ and four related Kingdom Practices about our personal attitudes, actions and behaviours.Studies 10 to 13 examine the Kingdom Fundamental to ‘Love Your Neighbour As Yourself’ and three Kingdom Practices that explain how to do this.Lastly Study 14 looks at the ‘Outcomes from Putting Jesus’s Command into Practice’.Each study:- Sets out the biblical support for the Kingdom Fundamental or Kingdom Practice- Considers ‘Our Context’ today- How we can apply the teaching to our own lives using Jesus as our example- Some brief author reflections on the challenges of the topic- And most importantly a set of questions for reflection and discussion.Throughout the book, diagrams are included that help to build and demonstrate the simple structure that is the focus of this material.Further reading on discipleship, advice and notes for Study Group leaders, and the full biblical analysis underpinning the work are also included in appendices.These studies are for followers of Jesus who wish to become (and teach others to be) more intentional disciples and live biblically & practically in a chaotic 21st century world.

About this title

About the Author:

Duncan had a long-term career in technical and then management consultancy rising to the most senior consulting rank of Director within a leading UK Consulting firm. For more than 20 years he focused on the analysis and structuring of data to draw out meaningful information and insights. He then structured this to deliver clear, value adding, easy to understand client reports, articles, and conference papers. Duncan has applied this capability to create this unique perspective on all the commands of Jesus in these books - targeted at helping readers to become more intentional disciples by understanding and then putting into practice the key messages from Jesus's teaching. Duncan also gained extensive experience of project specification, procurement, and management in the transport and information technology sectors and worked for British and foreign Government Departments and international institutions. He became a respected transport sector thought leader with over 18 years in that field. His career began with an Aircraft Engineering Apprenticeship after which he obtained an MSc degree and, subsequently, a postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies (with Distinction).  He 'retired' early in 2014 and quickly became involved as a volunteer Area Representative with an International Missions organisation where he is currently part of the London team. Duncan has been married since 1985 and both his father and grandfather were Christian ministers. They have one son and daughter-in-law (and two young grandsons) who are in ministry with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in the UK. Duncan became a follower of Jesus in 1987 and has been an Elder in one fellowship and is currently a Deacon in his home Baptist church where he has oversight of Safeguarding and leads the World-Wide Missions Team. Outside these responsibilities, he enjoys time with family, keeping fit, cooking, gardening, photography and travel - primarily to see wildlife.

Review:

"The last verses of Matthew's Gospel have been called the Great Commission. Many have emphasised the challenge to 'go' even though it is not actually a command in the text. Some have rightly seen the call to make disciples as the principal command but have not gone on to discuss the method set out for that discipleship making - teaching people to obey the commands of Jesus and incorporating them into a new community through baptism. Duncan's book goes some way to filling that gap. Duncan has applied his professional expertise to look systematically at the commands of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. He classifies them as three expanding categories of Kingdom Fundamentals, Kingdom Practices, and Kingdom Behaviours. For a serious follower of Jesus, these books could prove a very useful guide for a pattern of self-examination. Church groups would benefit from studying the books together and helping one another in the path of discipleship. It would be great if as a result of Duncan's books many more Christians exhibited the reality of Christlike living so that others might be drawn to become Jesus's disciples." Ray Porter - Chair of Global Connections and OMF International (UK).

As a minister and a missionary, I have studied the Great Commission in Matthew 28 dozens of times, and I have desired to align my life with Jesus's last command. Not long ago, the significance of his words,"teach them to obey everything I have commanded you,"pierced my heart. For years, I glossed over the wordobey, perhaps because I preferred to think of the task as merely listing the commands of Christ. Teaching to obey is another thing entirely. It requires my own obedience as I make disciples. Duncan Matheson's work in this book is vital for any Christian. He categorizes more than eighty of Jesus's commands into three Kingdom Fundamentals and nine Kingdom Practices. This isn't a watering down of the Scriptures; it is a simplification for the purpose of practical obedience. The fourteen study sessions in the accompanying Studies for Disciples book allow us to follow Christ more closely by helping us understand the commands and work obedience into our lives. Highly recommended. Rev. Craig McClurg - Youth With A Mission (YWAM), USA.

"Seeing more than eighty commands of Jesus all presented in such an approachable and structured way has gripped us right from the first chapter. As we turned the pages, we felt a combination of awed fascination alongside a deep challenge to our spirits as we were lovingly confronted with all the ways our Saviour has commanded us to live and grow. It is impossible to have all of these scriptures march across your heart and not be profoundly affected by them. It was not hard to imagine Jesus speaking them to us directly as he would have done with his disciples. Duncan has laid a challenge squarely before us in producing this work. Are we willing to obey what Jesus has commanded with no ifs and no buts? We are already considering how we might share this experience with others as we come to grips with what Duncan has so clearly drawn together in his books. We commend them highly for all those who are serious about their walk of discipleship. To read them will leave you changed." Mark & Sue Vening - Trustees of YWAM Cymru/Wales.

"Duncan Matheson has strategically and accurately composed a wonderful resource for pastors, churches, and new believers that is bound to strengthen and encourage all in their journeys with Jesus. The use of charts and study questions draws the reader into a deeper contemplation of their role in radical obedience and practical ways to respond. Ryan Peters - Director of Donor Management - Christ for All Nations - Canada.

About this edition

• Publisher: TTTO Limited
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1916440517
• ISBN 13: 9781916440517
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290
• Editor: Windle Jeanette M