𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• What do you think makes a person ordinary? Give two to three examples from daily life.

• Would you say you follow instructions well? Recall an instance explaining this.

• Tell us about your greatest accomplishment as a team in the last twelve months. How did you get it done and how did it feel after?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵.” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟭-𝟮

(Read also 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟯–𝟮𝟭.)

Following Jesus is not easy because it takes everything we have, because we don’t follow Him alone, and because it should not stop with us. Jesus sent His disciples to proclaim the good news of the kingdom to anyone willing to listen. The world was never the same because of this, and today the task remains to be fulfilled by the Church. While we are called to love our church community or people of the same faith, we are also designed to build relationships with those who have yet to encounter Jesus. Today, we will look at who God calls, what He calls us to, and what He promises as we follow Him and fish for men.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.

𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰. 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟭

The twelve disciples and the seventy-two Jesus sent out were ordinary people. They did not have great credentials or religious superiority. In fact, the seventy-two remained unnamed in the Bible. Yet, still, Jesus called them to preach, heal the sick, and cast out demons. This is a relief. We don’t need to be extraordinary to follow God. We ordinary people are called to pray for others, preach the gospel, and serve God in community. How do you think the seventy-two felt as they went to different places two by two?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘎𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺; 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. . . . 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.’” 𝗟𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝟭𝟬:𝟮–𝟯, 𝟴–𝟵

Jesus sent those ordinary unnamed followers to proclaim His kingdom to those in different towns and cities. They faced some who did not receive them, but then they also experienced many people coming to know God. They proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God and confirmed their message by meeting the needs of the people with miracles from God. In Mark 16:15–18, why do you think Jesus promised that the extraordinary task of proclaiming the gospel would be accompanied by miraculous signs?

In the same way the disciples were called to declare and demonstrate the gospel of His kingdom, God invites us to participate in this extraordinary task. As we do so, many more people would turn to God and, thus, bring joy to Him. We can give thanks to God knowing that preaching His word will lead to our ultimate joy—our “𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯” (Luke 10:20)—that is a new citizenship in God’s kingdom.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How do you react to the idea of telling people about Jesus? What makes you do it anyway?

• Why do you think Jesus sent His disciples out two by two with those instructions? What do you think His instructions would be to your Victory group today?

• This week, as we study, work, or go about our daily lives, pray that God would lead us to people He intends us to be a blessing to, so that they may be open to hear the gospel and come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for calling you as “𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 ” and for making a way for your names to be “𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯.”

• Thank God for making you ordinary and yet for calling you to an extraordinary task. Ask Him for strength, wisdom, and boldness to preach the gospel.

• Pray for your family members and friends to know Christ. Ask God to soften their hearts and draw them closer to Him.