This study was first taught on September 25, 2016

Topic: Before the Acts (2.1)

(use the audio to study)

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Background
In the second part of our study on the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we emphasized the need for believers in Christ to be assured of the gospel message, as well as, the life, ministry (including the death, resurrection, and ascension), and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, before they can be used by (the Acts of) the Holy Spirit to minister on God’s behalf to others. We noted that we will not be effective in ministry, unless we are fully persuaded or convinced in our hearts that all that has been written of the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospels, are in fact a proper “account of all that Jesus began both to do and teach”.

A second aspect of what must happen before the Acts of the Holy Spirit through our lives, is the crucial matter of discipleship. We noted that discipleship must precede deeds or acts, recalling that the Lord’s last instruction as recorded in the gospel of Matthew was about making disciples, not just gathering people into buildings; and it was about teaching new believers in Christ His doctrines, not the principles or philosophies of the world!

We shall pick up from here in our study today.

Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 28:19-20
Our scripture text makes it abundantly clear that the Lord commanded that His disciples at the time, and by extension, all who would become His disciples, should not just go all over the world preaching, but that they should especially, “teach all nations” (KJV); “make disciples of all the nations” (NKJV); “make them My disciples” (GNB). The emphasis is on “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you”.
Before the Acts of the Holy Spirit through those who have just come to believe in Christ, discipleship must form the bedrock of their activity. And by discipleship, we mean, the teaching of, and instruction in, the doctrines of Christ, to all those who have come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ—those who not only believe in Jesus, but who have also received Him as their Lord (John 1:12). There is a four-pronged approach to doing this; the first of which we shall focus on in this study. May the Holy Spirit teach us Himself as always, Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Galatians 1:6-12; Matthew 15:1-9; 5:1-2ff; Luke 10:38-42; Acts 2:41-42; 5:42; 6:1-4; 11:26; 14:21; 19:8-10; Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1-3; Psalm 11:3; Ezekiel 14:12-18; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 11-15; Matthew 4:12, 17; Romans 1:16-17, 18ff; Luke 3:7-14; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; John 1:4-5; Matthew 20:20-28; Acts 14:21-22; Romans 8:16-18; 1 Peter 4:12-19; Ephesians 4:11-21.

Conclusion
On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m., there was an earthquake in San Francisco, U.S.A. The earthquake lasted for just about 1 minute: there was a 20-25 sec. foreshock, and a 42 sec. main shock. By the time it was over, the 7.7 to 8.3 magnitude earthquake (a very powerful earthquake) had covered a 296-mile radius (approximately a 533-km radius), affecting places like Southern Oregon, Southern Los Angeles, and Central Nevada (an area almost the size of Nigeria). The impact of the earthquake was a series of fires burning out of control which accounted for about 90% of the destruction. 3,000 lives were lost; 225,000 people were injured; and properties worth $400bn (1906 figures) were damaged. Investigations showed that the remote cause of this powerful earthquake was the result of the California Gold Rush: years of digging for gold had caused a shift in the earth! Unfortunately, most people did not pay attention to building their homes on firm foundations, and so, when the earthquake struck, their homes were destroyed, and they became homeless.

Today, there is a similarity with what is happening in Christendom. Many people are focusing their lives on financial prosperity and turning God into a utilitarian Being (digging for gold), but have not considered the impact of a collapse of money and the challenges/difficulties of life (a powerful earthquake) on their faith. Have you? (Hebrews 12:26-27). Will your foundation withstand a shaking from God? (Matthew 7:24-27). Today, there are fires burning out of control, and there are preachers who had taught for doctrines, the commandment of men—Economics, commonsense, business methods, wisdom nuggets, human philosophies, psychology, etc.—and these have failed both them and their congregation! The present shaking has engulfed everyone, whether Christian or not: being able to withstand and overcome this present hardship without murmuring, living unrighteously, or falling apart, will depend on you following the word of God as has been declared to you, and as is written in the bible.

The shaking of God always comes (it has occurred in every age, and is presently occurring in our nation today, and will occur again and again at different times and in different ages). It is, therefore, very crucial that believers in Christ are devotedly, dedicatedly, and painstakingly discipled (2 Timothy 4:1-4), so that they can become like Christ, and be unfazed in the face of life’s challenges. We must note that in discipling believers in Christ, our focus must be that both the discipler and the discipled are of Christ; not of some founder or bishop/pastor/prophet! Our approach to discipleship must never be the teaching of church doctrines (which are essentially man-made), neither are we to teach about the founder of the local assembly or denomination, nor are we to teach about the pastor—all of which make up very poor materials for a spiritual foundation, and which can never save those who build their lives on such foundations! Our focus must be the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him crucified—a firm, tried, tested, and proven foundation—; and, “This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection.” (Ephesians 4:13, ERV). Hence, discipleship cannot be a programmed event with a strict time-frame/syllabus; instead, it must be fluid, adapted to each individual’s capacity to learn and apply what has been taught, and, based on a personal interaction/relationship between the discipler and the discipled. At the end of the day, the fundamental issue is, whether the disciple(d) looks like, talks like, acts like, and does as Christ would! (2 Corinthians 3:18).

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