Discipleship

Acts 18:24-26

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Salvation is the single most important event in our lives however, our lives are not a single event. Instead, they are a multitude of interwoven events. In Acts 18 we are introduced to three people, Apollos, Apollos was a Jew declaring the ways of God but, only unto the story of John the Baptist. Two followers of Jesus, Aquila, and Priscilla took Apollos under their wing and began to teach him about Jesus. They began to disciple Apollos. One definition of Discipleship is a journey of intentional decisions leading to maturity in your relationship with Jesus. The first thing of note is that discipleship is an intentional journey. This intentionality early on in one’s relationship with Jesus comes either from oneself or from the encouragement of others. As we grow and mature it will come from within us. We see in the story of Apollos that the intentionality came from outside, through Aquila and Priscilla. They began to teach him. Literally, they explained to him the way of God more accurately. The second important aspect of the definition of discipleship is maturity. Discipleship helps us to grow and mature. This is a never-ending process on this earth. The more we learn of God the closer we become. The closer we get the more we realize that we need to mature more, and the process begins again.

I cannot over-communicate the importance of intentional discipleship. This will come in various forms: Listening to others teach and preach, walking with others as they serve, reading your bible, asking and wrestling with difficult questions, devotions, and bible studies. We have to understand that salvation is the beginning. We are to begin walking with Jesus, learning more about Him and about His heart. This is one of the reasons that God created the church. This is a place where believers do life together and we can grow together. The church is not optional it is the primary tool that God created to encourage us, grow us, and to reach others. Be intentional about growing in Christ. Be a part of the church. Be open to allowing others to speak into your life.