14. The Wheel: A General Presentation

Purpose: This session begins a new part of the Lifestyle Discipleship material that will provide a metaphor of the Spirit-filled Christian life. The Wheel, with its six parts, will help you remember the critical areas of focus in your walk with God.

Objectives

1. The disciple will be able to draw the Wheel and label the six parts.

2. The disciple will understand the relationship of the parts of the Wheel and how they relate to his or her walk with God.

3. The disciple will understand the four means of demonstrating obedience, with Christ being central in the entire process.

Scripture Memory

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galations 2:20

Agenda

1. Interact on personal issues and prayer time.

2. Review Scripture memory.

3. Discuss the Wheel.

4. Discuss the worksheet.

5. Review the questions.

 

The Wheel illustration is a helpful way to remember basic truths about the Spirit-filled life. It is a Christ-centered life. The Holy Spirit focuses your attention on Christ and empowers you to live a life of obedience to Him. God’s word and prayer build you up in a relationship with Christ so He can live through you and reach others through fellowship and witnessing. Without drawing attention to Himself, the Holy Spirit shapes each activity into an avenue of spiritual blessing.

Copyright ©1968 The Navigators, re-printed with permission from The Navigators, all rights reserved.

Worksheet

1. There are six parts of the Wheel. Look up the following verses and write in your own words the meaning of each of the parts.

A. Christ the center — 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20

B. The Obedient Christian — Romans 12:1; John 14:21

C. The Word — Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16

D. Prayer — Philippians 4:6-7; John 15:7

E. Fellowship — Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 18:20

F. Witnessing — Matthew 4:19; Romans 1:16

I. The Wheel has been used as an illustration of the Christian life for more than 50 years. It illustrates the functions necessary to produce a life of obedience and faithfulness which are important if I am to practice spirituality (walk in the Spirit) efficiently.

A. The Word is the basic spoke upon which the Wheel is resting. The Word makes the difference between mediocrity and productivity in life. It is as basic as eating is to physical life, 1 Peter 2:2.

B. Prayer is the second vertical spoke. It is the means of communication with the Father that which together with the Word makes our fellowship with Him complete. Prayer for the Christian is as basic as breathing is to our physical life, and it should be just as natural.

C. Fellowship is the third spoke and the first horizontal spoke considered. Fellowship is restorative. It is refreshing to get together with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 says I am not to give up meeting together with other believers. Fellowship is as basic to my Christian life as sleep is to my physical life.

D. Witnessing is the final spoke, and one that is horizontal. It is one of the ways we share the Gospel and ourselves with others. Witnessing is as basic to the Christian as exercise is to our physical life. Without it we will become listless, and very self-centered, Philemon 6.

II. The Wheel is an illustration of the life of obedience for the Christian. It is endless and it illustrates the dynamics of the life.

A. Christ is the hub—the very center.

B. The weight of a wheel is borne at the hub.

C. The driving power comes from the hub.

D. The spokes are the instruments through which the driving power is conveyed from the hub to the outer rim. Only with spokes properly balanced can one be an obedient Christian in action, experiencing spirituality and the abundant life. John 10:10

E. A wheel is a circle—an endless line. Our life in Jesus is eternal and endless life, John 3:36a. When a wheel is moving, the spokes fade away and only the hub is seen. Do people see our spokes (our activities for Christ)? Or do they see Christ?

Project: Analyze the Wheel and then draw a picture of the Wheel which illustrates how your life looks in terms of its balance concerning the four spokes. Study it for a while.

What are you going to do about what you see?

Questions for Review and Discussion

1. How do you make Christ the center of your life?

2. Being an obedient Christian is a reflection of what?

3. What can cause us to lose our focus on Christ? What does this result in?

Summary and Key Concepts

In the following sessions you will study in more depth the four spokes, and you will learn that as we keep our focus on Christ, we can grow in the areas of prayer, God’s Word, witnessing, and fellowship.

Christ must always be in the center of our lives. He is our North Star. When we stray off our course, He guides us back on track, but only if we focus on Him. As we learn to walk in the Spirit more efficiently, we will enjoy God’s peace in all that we do.