Nougat 4

In the Great Commission, Y’shua sent the disciples to ‘Go. Teach’. But often, we only hear ‘Go. Preach’, as if our walk and our talk are at odds with each other. Pentecost reminds us that they work in tandem. Preaching must be supplemented by teaching. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Acts 2:40, 42 CEVDCI

[40] Peter told them many other things as well. Then he said, “I beg you to save yourselves from what will happen to all these evil people.”

[42] They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together.

Sent … to Disciple

Having heard God’s Word preached by Peter, 3,000 diasporic Jews were keen to be saved. God’s Power, as manifested in Peter’s sermon stirred them. Peter hadn’t been to seminary in the strictest sense, nor was he likely to have been very educated. He and the others were the most suave and sophisticated preachers. Yet, once the multitude moved past the thought that the newly anointed disciples were drunk, they heard God’s Spirit speaking to their lives, which sparked a desire for a personal relationship with Christ.

However, accepting Y’shua as Saviour required a bit more. Those Jews were not versed in the Gospel of Christ. They needed training. Who better to get it from than those who sat at Y’shua’s feet? The Jewish believers stayed for a while.

Self-Check

How much value do we give to Bible Study and other forms of Christian education? Are they part of our spiritual practices?

Application

It isn’t that the diasporic Jews were spiritually illiterate. In fact, they would have been familiar with the Torah. Whether they were recent Jewish converts or were born Jews, it would have been expected that they learned the Law, laws, and some of the poetry of their faith.

The Gospel of Christ that leads to salvation takes one beyond the Torah and the Law. For in Christ, the Law is fulfilled and access to Heaven opens up to every individual in a personal way. Christian Education offered the diasporic Jews (and us today) an opportunity to see Y’shua in the Torah, to know him as Saviour, and to locate ourselves in God’s redemption story.

We’re told that the Jews learned from the apostles. Whatever they were taught would help them in their daily faith walk. They probably didn’t require foundational information, but still needed added training for their spiritual growth and development.

Siblings, it is true that God empowers some of us to speak authoritatively about Y’shua immediately upon conversion. We see this in John 4, when the woman ran home to tell everyone about Y’shua. However, she was only introducing them to the Source. Her village saw Jesus for themselves and invited Him in. He stayed with them for two days and they learned from Him (see John 4:39-42).

The biblical pattern suggests that it can be challenging to move from our former pre-Christ lifestyles to be active in preaching or works of God’s Spirit without training. Simon the Sorcerer tried to purchase the free gift of God’s Spirit, after being baptised, without fully grasping the Gospel message. The rebuke and punishment were instant. His story is told in Acts 8.

On the contrary, Apollos, Saul of Tarsus, the Twelve, and the Seventy-Two were all discipled. You and I also underwent/are in the process of discipleship. Being discipled is a part of our calling as believers. Discipling others is what we’re sent to do.

There are many ways to disciple others. We may use prepared material such as study guides and Christian education literature. We might share podcasts like many do on social media. We may utilise music, dance, drama, or interpret what we’ve learned in ways that are accessible to others who are sometimes left behind. We might simply pass material on, such as teaching sermons, links to Bible studies we’re attending, or encourage others to subscribe to teachings on YouVersion.com – the app I use to access the different Bible versions I use in the Nougats.

But the best Christian education resource others can follow is our lives, souled out for Christ. That’s where our walk ought to match our talk. It’s where inspiration (anointed preaching) should be equal to our perspiration (anointed lifestyle). All of us can reach others using that methodology as we grow deeper in our knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

Even if we doubt our official calling, let us be assured that Christ Who calls us, shall equip us for the work of ministry (see Hebrews 13:20-21). Discipleship is a two-way street. We are discipled to disciple. And the best way to ensure that we learn correctly is to lean in and learn from Y’shua. That’s where Personal Quiet Time, Bible Study and an ongoing Prayer life become crucial. In that regard, we must make time to be like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet (see Luke 10:38-42).

Point to Ponder

Who is Discipling us and who are we Discipling today?

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May all we seek be found in Christ