Tag: Discipleship

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Paul’s discipleship plan.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!” Acts ‭26‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Saul, then becoming the Apostle Paul, is a favorite of New Testament characters that God used to get to declare the message of the gospel of Jesus. Paul’s discipleship methods, his evangelism plans are so clever.

One, because Paul had a secular job as a tent maker and repair, he setup his shop in most of the cities he traveled to. In these open-air malls or city marketplaces he would talk shop and Jesus with other shop owners. This was very effective in leading Gentiles to Christ. The other method was not only unique, it was dangerous and painful.

Paul saw his arrests by the Jewish leaders as an opportunity to share his testimony, which is key in sharing the gospel. And Paul had a riveting story to share! The Bible records three official arrests of Paul. However, other accounts and Paul’s own words suggest he was imprisoned more frequently, possibly seven times. As a Roman citizen, Paul knew he had rights and eventually he exercised one of those rights to appeal to Caesar himself – Acts 25:11: “But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!

As we see here with Agrippa, Paul had a method to his incarceration madness. It’s a perfect outline for us to use to easily and humbly share the gospel to everyone that God would open a door to listen.

One: Paul shares his past, who he was before Jesus transformed his life. He writes that he was thoroughly Jewish, even becoming a part of the elite Sanhedrin as a Pharisee, “the strictest sect of our religion.” He told of his obsession, ridding the world of any mention of the name of Jesus the Nazarene. He had ordered the arrest and imprisonment of many believers in Jesus, having them beaten to get them to curse Jesus. He personally chased them down city by city.

Two: Paul shared the moment he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. A blinding light from heaven forced his entourage to fall face down in the dirt. Paul heard a voice in Aramaic – ”We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” ‭‭Acts 26‬:‭14‬-‭15‬. Paul was directly and personally confronted by Jesus!

Three: Paul shared his purpose: Jesus gave him his calling, his true purpose in life – an Apostle to the Gentiles! Jesus told him, “And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles…” And Paul told Agrippa he said yes, “I obeyed that vision from heaven.” Paul even shared his strategy of gaining access to high officials and invites King Agrippa to surrender his life to Christ – ”Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest.”

Four: Paul directly pops the question to Agrippa- because at some point, this is what we are called to do! “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—” Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

Finally, Luke records a key verse letting us know that Paul understood what was ahead of him and that the plan was working. “Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.” Acts 26‬:‭30‬-‭32‬. Now you see, as Paul already knew! Oh, but he was set free by Jesus and imprisonment was just part of the plan!

Prayer

Dad,
Paul clearly understood that suffering, riots, arrests and imprisonment was simply a part of the plan you had for him. It’s not everyone’s purpose, but you were glorified through his life. I am amazed because Paul was resolute, even content with this! Can I be content, even in suffering, and still be in Your will? It is apparent the answer should be YES! Am I willing to see and be fully aware that You are in control and that I can yield rather than struggle or complain? I want the answer to be YES. Thank you for Paul’s plan (and yours), sharing the gospel. It’s a great template to use.

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Keep moving forward.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The mysterious author of the Hebrews (Was it a woman? Was it Paul, breaking from his normal style?), hits hard in six. Seemingly, conversely, controversially telling us to stop messing around with the “basics,” and get on with maturing in Christ. The basics? Things like repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement? WOW! That’s basics to our author? Afterwards, with THE sternest warning in the New Testament, “once enlightened, experiencing, tasting the good of the things of heaven and the Word of God – then TURNING from God,” the author states, “it is impossible to bring them back to repentance!” Whoa. That’s creepy.

The author then turns to a much more hope-filled admonishment. “Don’t let those things apply to you, KEEP MOVING FORWARD.” How should we do that? “Keep loving others for life!” That’s right. Simple? No. Soul sharpening? You bet. This is Hebrew’s antidote for slippery-sloping, back-sliding, corner-cutting Christianity. This makes “certain” (plérophoria: full assurance) our hope is sticky enough to last until all things are fulfilled. This, the author writes, keeps us sharp, preventing spiritual lethargy or dullness in our life and witness. Anyone that tells you that following Jesus is boring or dull, obviously is not doing Christianity right! God has capacity to do something new in you every second that you yield to Him. Faith and obedience is never dull, it leads us on and upward to fulfillment of Christ being formed in us.

Moving forward does not mean no rest, no reflection or pause in life either. Sabbath and rhythms of rest are a huge part of moving forward. May the fullness of God’s grace keep us moving forward, loving until life’s end!

Prayer

​Dad,
What a convicting consolation Hebrews has for us! Sober truth segwayed into sustainable love gives me a bright hope for us and the Church in which I serve. What a notion, to “love until life’s end!” Jesus did that and beyond. May your grace not only sustain us, but propel us onward. Amen.

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Paul’s neighborly prayer.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve been thinking and talking about how to be a neighbor, a good neighbor. I believe it’s all about listening and watching for opportunities, being led by the Holy Spirit. Times where we should see moments that appear to be odd or random as providential not accidental. Those moments could be happen at the grocery store, the gas pump, the quick-serve lunch or while walking through our own neighborhood.

I think it’s important to swap names, introducing ourselves like well-mannered people used to do. I think it’s important to write those names down to be able to do the exact thing that Paul is doing with the folks he met in Colossae. To be able to remember people’s name, because it’s very important for them to be seen and known. The other is to speak their name, before God, in prayer. Then using Paul’s prayer as a template, we can begin to pray for them and trust God for future moments of opportunity to love and serve our new friends.

Paul’s prayer is simple and can be easily memorized. We can ask God to give our neighbor and new friend a complete knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then we can pray that God will help them to live a life that honor and pleases God, producing every kind of good fruit (think of the 9 fruits of the Spirit). Then, wanting them to keep going and growing, that they would learn to know God better and better.

This prayer, that Paul prays over Colossae’s community of faith affirms something else I believe. Something simple, but should remind every one of us as believers that we are all responsible for. The word is DISCIPLE. And the thought is BE ONE, MAKE ONE. If we are a disciple, a follower of Jesus, we should be learning about God more and more, just like Paul stated. However, as believers, we should also be doing what Jesus commanded as he left for heaven. We should all be about making disciples. Who are you following, and who is following you? Who are you walking with to strengthen your faith, and, who is walking with you to do the same.

Being a good neighbor has the potential to being a good friend and hopefully that can turn into being a disciple by having someone follow you in your faith. Jesus had a group of 70 following him. Jesus chose to focus on 12 of them. But he specifically mentored 3 of them. This pattern is for all of us who say we are followers of Jesus! Who’s your 70, 12 and 3?

Prayer

Dad,
I am so thankful to not only follow you, but also have several men and women that have poured into my life. Some have discipled me, a few have mentored me. Thank you for Paul’s written pray for the folks in Colossae. It helps me know what to pray for with so many people on my own “neighbor” list as well as those who more closely follow me as I follow Christ. Most of all, thank you for continuing to help me grow and learn in wisdom and understanding, as well as grow in my faith.