February 6 - The Church is on the rise
Today’s Journey Through Acts excerpt is:
The Church is on the rise
As believers, we pray for God to add souls to the Kingdom. We ask diligently for growth, but sometimes the very thing that we are asking for will bring the next challenges. In Chapter four, we find that the number of disciples is increasing at what could only be described as a supernatural rate. Adding new believers to the church was not just creating opportunity, but a need for an increase in discipleship and leadership.
This idea is a pivotal in understanding of your part in the New Testament Church. Becoming a believer is only the beginning of the process. Discipleship is a journey that allows you to give back to people the same love and guidance that you received when you first started your walk with Jesus.
To respond to the arising needs for ministry, the Apostles appointed other leaders to serve alongside them. Upon the selection of new workers, they immediately began to see the fruit of that decision. Verse seven tells us that: "the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem".
We must understand that an increase in ministry requires an increase in laborers. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 9:37–38:
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Sometimes we assume that we will pray and God will send others out to the harvest. If we aren’t sensitive to the Spirit we will miss the understanding that we are also the answer to that same prayer. No matter where you are in your relationship with Jesus, the plan of discipleship is that you are moving toward being a mature believer, who is then working to make other disciples as well. Like the Church of Acts, we will only be able to accomplish more ministry when believers are moving forward in their spiritual growth. However, when we participate in that process, we will see the same thing that the Church of Acts saw: An increase in the sharing of the Gospel and a multiplying of the number of disciples.
Reflect on the journey:
Where are you in your journey of discipleship? Take a moment to think about how you would accurately describe your growth as a disciple. Take some time to consider how you would like to be known as a disciple.
Through your prayer time today:
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you can be more intentional in becoming a mature disciple and how you can be more intentional in helping those around you to become mature disciples.
