REsponses to REading the ‘TEach Them To Obey - studies For Disciples’ And / Or ‘TEach Them To Obey - All That I HAve Commanded You’ books
Excerpt from the Foreword
“What the Church needs, in this and every generation, is a commitment to the Word of God in print that centres on the Word of God in Person. Let’s be clear: healthy Christians don’t follow the Bible – they read the Bible, study the Bible, and immerse themselves in the Bible… so they can follow Jesus. There is a difference. Mature Christians believe in the authoritative, inerrant, infallible Word of God – and his name is Jesus.
This is something that Christians and non-Christians, believers and atheists and everybody in between, can all agree on – this world would be a better place if Christians learned to be more Christ-like. Imagine a future where communities of Jesus-followers around the world are living simply, loving boldly, and are spreading the Good News of Jesus with inclusion, compassion, and gentleness. I want to be a part of that movement. I want to lean into that future. I hope you do too.”
—Bruxy Cavey – Senior Pastor, The Meeting House group of churches, Ontario, Canada.
“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 word obey, 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.
"I think this is an eminently worthwhile project, and you have done an amazing job in bringing this material together in a way that would benefit any congregation. There is always a need for different kinds of good studies everywhere, especially those like yours that take a slightly different approach."
—Dr. David Harley – Former General Director of OMF International and former Principal at All Nations Christian College, England.
“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. Teach Them to Obey is truly a gift to Christians to help unlock a life of blessing and effectiveness as witnesses unto Christ.”
—Ryan Peters – Director of Donor Management - Christ for All Nations - Canada.
“If Christians are serious about following the commands of Jesus in their own lives, this book offers a very helpful tool for personal discipleship and growth. It encourages readers to think about over eighty specific commands from Jesus in Scripture summarised into twelve themes. It also prompts readers to reflect on how they can practically work these out in their relationship with God, how they themselves can grow spiritually, and how they relate to others.”
—Trevor Warner – Assistant Director for Mobilisation OMF UK.
“Jesus makes it clear that the wise person is the one who both hears his words and practices them. In this way our lives are built on a sure foundation. The Holy Spirit empowers us to follow Christ, but we also have a part to play in learning Jesus’s commands as well as to obey them. Teach Them To Obey provides resources to do just that along with a systematic way in which the commands of Christ can be understood, remembered, and learned by practicing them together. I recommend this study to small groups who believe that Jesus truly has all authority and who desire to follow him and make disciples. As we connect Jesus’s commands with the narrative of Scripture and the stories of our own lives, we can become attuned to cooperating with the Holy Spirit and bear much fruit to glorify our Father.”
—John Peachey - YWAM missionary for thirty-five years, facilitator of the University of the Nations Masters in Christian Formation and Discipleship.
“John chapter 10 has been one of my favourite passages throughout my adult life. Jesus says that “the sheep recognise his voice and come to him." Duncan Matheson is undoubtedly one of his sheep, and Teach Them to Obey is the call to all Christians to lean into Jesus’s commands, hear his voice afresh and come to him. As Jesus explains later in the passage, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep . . . Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." If you are searching for a practical way to understand your role in finding good pastures, read these books.”
—Mike Forsey - Assistant Executive Director, Salvation Army Community Services, Calgary, Alberta.
"I’ve now had a chance to review your books. You thoroughly challenged me as I did so, and I think that you’ve done an incredibly thorough job using Jesus’s teaching to distil your hierarchy of behaviours, key attributes, and central idea."
—Murray Johnstone – Former Global Head of Succession and Development at PA Consulting Group, London.
"Your books are covering a topic that is very valuable in helping a Christian believer understand how Jesus taught his disciples by example and expected them to apply what they were being taught. I am supportive of the breakdown analysis, the actual spiritual content, and the overall focus of the books."
—Pastor Glyn Thomas – Frimley Baptist Church, Surrey, England.
“Most would agree that we have been commanded to make disciples, teaching them to obey the commands of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Duncan has grouped these commands in a novel way to make them easier to remember and has developed a useful diagram to explain how they all fit together. He also suggests how we might put the commands into practice, helpfully relating his own experiences. This book will be of maximum benefit if used in a group study. I believe that all those who put this teaching into practice will find it transforms their lives for the better. It will also enable them to be a great help to others.”
—Rev. Mike Johnson MA MMin – Retired Assemblies of God minister and Bible School tutor, Surrey, England.
“Teach Them to Obey is a rich menu that excites the palate. Jesus reveals the heart and mind of God the Father. Rigorous and thorough. A helpful structure of kingdom fundamentals, practices, and behaviours. Challenging!! Let us be salt and light in this world”.
—David Leeper – Christian mentor and Founder of Let Hope Arise International, Africa.