Walking with New Believers
Read the Text: Acts 18
Memorize the Text: Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by his raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-21)
Consider the Text: Acts 18
New believers display excitement and passion for Jesus. These expressions often exist with the desire to tell others about Jesus. As new believers begin to engage people concerning Jesus, they often encounter questions they do not know how to answer or lack complete clarity on what they declare. In Acts 18, we find a man named Apollos. He knew the Scriptures and followed Jesus passionately but needed Priscilla and Aquilla to spend time mentoring him. This intentional engagement strengthened Apollos' ability to share the truth concerning Jesus and revealed the importance of walking with new believers.
Apollos had a basic UNDERSTANDING. Luke informed the readers that Apollos had impressive communication skills. His eloquence allowed him to gain an audience's attention and communicate the message effectively. This skill became stronger as he knew the truth of the Scripture and had a deep desire to share this truth with others. However, Luke revealed that Apollos' understanding remained at a basic elementary level though his words carried truth. As a result, Apollos declared Christ out of a robust spiritual passion and effective communication, but he still lacked a complete understanding and needed spiritual growth.
Priscilla and Aquilla SAW THE NEED. These two believers recognized Apollos' base understanding and his passion for sharing Christ. They likewise saw the need for spiritual growth in Apollos' life. Thus, these believers intentionally took time and effort to engage in the spiritual journey of Apollos. Luke mentioned that these two took Apollos aside and explained to him the way of the Lord more accurately. Note the principles for walking with new believers found with Priscilla and Aquilla.
1. They intentionally took Apollos aside to train him.
2. They clarified the truth to Apollos to counter missing or misunderstood truth.
3. They encouraged him to be continued serving the Lord.
4. They invested in other believers.
We must ENGAGE and JOURNEY with new believers. Priscilla and Aquilla set an example for believers today concerning the intentional engagement with new believers. They set forth the priority to engage with others for further gospel impact. As a result, we must ask ourselves questions about our commitment to engage new believers in God's Kingdom.
1. Are we intentionally engaging new believers to strengthen them in the truth?
2. Are we seeking to discover how to engage new believers to walk with them in spiritual growth?
3. Are we ready to engage where they need clarification of the truth?
4. Are we ready to commit to disciple others?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
