Day 3: Begin at Birth

I have the fondest memories of fishing as a young child. We’d go the end of the channel, connected to the lake and we’d throw our lines into the water and hope a sunfish would bite. Our grandfather taught us how to fish. Funny thing is we were so little I don’t remember the first time he took us there.

A culture of discipleship begins when someone decides to follow Christ. It’ll only work when we take that new believer under our wing, invite them over for dinner and they aren’t the main attraction. Perhaps your unsaved neighbor is also there with the two of you. And there you two are sharing your encouraging letter with this hungry neighbor. You are sharing your years of wisdom and the new believer’s zeal is palpable to the neighbor. Your neighbor can’t help but  feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, see the fresh start of a new beginning and the results of a life of peace and joy in Christ. Before you know it, you’ve taught this new believer how to fish, the neighbor is baptized, and now there are three of you getting coffee with a co-worker, sharing your encouraging letters.

• A culture of discipleship begins when someone decides to follow Jesus.
• Discipleship doesn’t begin after deeper inclusion into the programs of the corporate fellowship.
• The hallmark of being like Christ isn’t becoming a choir member, a Sunday school teacher, or deeper involvement in corporate programs (which are wonderful) but it is through discipleship.

From New Birth to Multitudes

• On the day of Pentecost 120 were initially filled with the Holy Ghost.

• By the end of the day of Pentecost 3,000 were added to the Lord.

• Then 5,000 were added to the church.

• Then the church was described as multitudes.

The church described above isn’t a mega-church which meets on Saturday night for people to experience awesome programs, which would be awesome! The church above was the people who had heard, believed and responded to the word.

The Spread

Who is responsible for the wildfire spread in Acts 2? Of course God is, but it was worked through the disciples. Jesus started with 12, focused on them for 3 years, and told them from the very beginning they would do greater things than He.

Biblical Devotion

John 14:8-21  Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  (9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (10)  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. (11)  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (12) “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (13)  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14)  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (15) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (16)  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (17) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (18)  “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (19) Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. (20) In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (21)  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Acts 2:41  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 1:13-16  And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.  (14) All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (15) In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,  (16) “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

Acts 6:1  Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Acts 6:7  And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.