The first message in our Summer Series of Walking With Jesus: Learning to Be a Disciple was about the DNA of being a Disciple.
That DNA of being a Disciple was described as:
• Divine Truth. Truth comes from God. It is the revelation of God to humankind. This comes from the Son, the Spirit, and the Scriptures. The Son (Jesus) is both God and human and came to reveal to us in his person what God is like and what God requires. The Scriptures were authored by God and reveal God’s unfolding plan for humanity. The Spirit of God is also Divine Truth, since he brings revelation and direction to believers.
• Nurturing Relationships. Humans were never created to be alone. We are social creatures and have an intrinsic need for relationships. Our relational orientation is a reflection of the image of God in us. God Himself is relational and exists in a community—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love because God is relational. To the Christian, God is love because he has always existed in relationship. Is love possible without someone to love? This should be the defining characteristic of our faith. All men should know that we are Christ’s disciples by the love that we have for one another.
• Apostolic Mission. Apostolic means that someone is sent as a representative with a message. We are here for a purpose. We have been given a prime directive to fulfill—to make disciples of all the nations. This part of us also comes from the nature of God. Jesus is an Apostle. He is the Chief Cornerstone of the apostolic foundation. Before he left this planet, he sent his disciples into the world with a mission.
One of the key tools we talked about in Walking With Jesus was Life Transformation Groups. Find out more on our website.
Below is the full Sunday Morning message by Phil Helfer:
Phil Helfer - February 10, 2019
Full of Grace and Power-Acts 6
Acts 6 When a conflict arises, the twelve apostles ask the congregation to form a committee for the purpose of choosing seven men “of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” to solve it. One of these men is Stephen, who went on to perform “great signs and wonders among the people.” When other religious leaders take offense to his actions, they set him before a council and have witnesses testify, falsely, against him. (Stay tuned next week for the story’s conclusion.)
But why did the apostles decline the responsibility of the original conflict and pass it off to a committee? In verse 4 they state, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This may not seem like a full-time obligation requiring their undivided attention, but take into account the circumstances. These are THE twelve people responsible for sharing Jesus with the world. With no social media, Netflix, and shuttling children to soccer practice to distract them, their time had to be completely devoted to seeking and understanding God’s will for them (prayer) and and then sharing the message and purpose of God’s will with the world (ministry of the word).
It is important to remember that God’s will for us is not to live life according to a set of rules. His will for us is to submit ourselves to the person of God, our Father in Heaven, our Blessed Redeemer and Wonderful Counselor. He knows us more intimately and loves us more thoroughly than anyone else, and His will is based on what a perfect life for us is. But we can’t get there on our own. It has to be through a relationship with Him and an understanding and spreading of His word.
Acts 6:7 “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
Scripture References: Acts 6:1-15
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