Leader Guide
Week 3
Text: Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 10:5-8
Series: Jesus and His Mission
Main Idea: Following Jesus means finding our purpose in His mission.
Connecting
What do you do for a living?
Would you say that what you do for work or vocation is a big part of
your identity?
What do people say the purpose of life is? What have you heard
through social media, friends, family, and co-workers?
For example, if you are a stay at
home mom, do you feel like it
defines you? Or, if you are a
doctor/teacher/lawyer does it define
you? This will not relate to everyone,
which is okay, because there are
some people who work jobs
because they have to, not because
they are passionate about it.
Understanding
Read
Genesis 1:26-30
What was mankind’s purpose in the beginning as stated in this
passage?
Read:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3: 1-8
How did they rebel against their intended purpose?
Twice in these verses it is
mentioned that mankind was
made in His image and gave
them duties as vice-regents
or administrators under the
King’s creation.
So, when Adam and Eve
rebelled, they took their eyes
off their role and made
themselves kings, instead of
God.
Adam and Eve decided their purpose was to do what looked and felt good to them. They made
themselves the King, or gods.
How did this shift change the trajectory of mankind’s purpose from then on?
Leader Guide
Week 3
Read:
John 10:10
What does Jesus say his purpose is? How does this reemphasize our intended purpose in the
garden?
Read:
Matthew 4:23-24
In verse 23, what are the three things that Jesus did throughout
Galilee that summarize his purpose?
We will name these in the
following section, but for now
we are looking at teaching,
proclaiming, and healing.
Read:
Matthew 9:35
Once again, what does Matthew state as the three things that identified Jesus’ purpose?
EXPLAIN
An easy way to remember the mission of Jesus is to remember his mission as REPRODUCING disciples
(teaching), REACHING the lost (proclaiming), and RESTORING what is broken (healing).
It is within Jesus’ ministry and mission where we see our intended purposes being restored.
Jesus reminds us that our purpose as his image-bearers is to be his vice-regents or administrators in his
creation, bringing good news to a broken, dying world.
Leader Guide
Week 3
Briefly, what did it look like in Jesus’ ministry and what does it mean now to Reach (proclaim), Restore
(heal), and Reproduce (teach)?
Read:
Matthew 10:5-8
After following and watching Jesus’ ministry what does he tell his
disciples to do?
What doesn't he tell them to do?
(There is one of the three above pieces that is missing from his
ministry.)
This might be hard to get
from first glance, but the
emphasis is that now Jesus
turns to his disciples, sends
them out, and says,
“Go…proclaim…heal…”
emphasizing that they will do
exactly what he did.
Jesus doesn't mention the
teaching component, which
some commentaries say was
perhaps intentional, because
they were not ready to teach,
as they were still being taught
by Jesus. It’s an interesting
concept.
Read:
Matthew 28:19-20
Answering the above question, why do you think Jesus waits to tell his disciples to,
“Go…teach…” as his last command to them?
Being
The serpent responds in Genesis 3:4, “You will surely not die. For God knows that when you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
First, he calls us to be identified
evil.”
by Him as his image-bearers.
How does his response help us to see the lie that the world tells
Also, he gives us a purpose and
us about our purpose?
partnership with him as viceregents or administrators of his
creation, so that his fame is
spread throughout the earth. This
is what we were called to in the
garden.
Leader Guide
Week 3
How does following Jesus call us back to our intended purpose in the beginning?
Jesus shows us in his ministry that his mission was to engage in reproducing,
reaching, and restoring, with equal importance.
Of the three components of Jesus’ mission, which one are you
drawn to the most? Do you find yourself thinking it's the main
component of discipleship?
Since the beginning of the church
this has been a struggle. Some
churches focus so much on
reproducing disciples that they
forget to look outward at the
world. Some will focus so much
on reaching the lost that they
forget to care for the Christians in
their lives. Lastly, some will focus
so much on restoring the broken
and social justice hat they forget
to share the truth of Jesus.
If you were honest with yourself, and with all of us, would you say the purpose of your life looks like
Jesus’? Does your life reflect a heart for reaching, restoring, and reproducing?
How does Jesus’ call to join him on his mission challenge our own purposes and plan for our lives?
Doing
What would it look like for our group to be on this Jesus Mission together? What if the church (both local
and global) took Jesus’ mission seriously? How would this change our community?
What is one area of Jesus’ mission that you want to grow in this next year (Reproduce, reach, or restore)?
Praying