Disciple or Believer?
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. -Acts 19:1-7
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. -Acts 19:1-7
I believed in God long before I was ever a disciple of Jesus.
You might be saying to yourself..."Wait, is that even a thing?" Yes, Let me explain.
My childhood and adolescence was in the very beginning of the internet age, and I can still remember logging on to my first internet browser after having conversation with some of my Christian friends and typing in one of the most googled phrases in the history of the internet - Is there proof that God exists?
I scoured the internet, I read books, I asked questions to my youth pastor, I searched high and low for every bit of evidence I could find in those early days. And you know what I concluded - It is more likely that God exists than he doesn’t - and that it’s more likely that Jesus was that God than other religions - and if that were the case than his words and the teachings of the bible were true. I intellectually affirmed the truth of Jesus and the existence of God.
I was a believer, I even called myself a Christian when people asked, but I wasn’t a Disciple. It wasn't until years later when I surrendered my whole life to the God I believed in and dedicated myself to following his way, every day, that I became a disciple. That happened in the Texas Hill Country, years later, and that’s when the process of God taking over my life, making me a new creation, giving me a new purpose really began. That's when the inside out transformation of discipleship marked my life.
It’s actually kind of crazy to think about that you can believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life without actually following him, but I did, and maybe you do too!
You see, at the end of the day, a sudden belief in Jesus is not enough, it has to be accompanied by a process of surrender to him as Lord of our lives, especially as we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and the new life that he is calling us into in his Kingdom.
That's exactly what we see with these early disciple of John and Jesus in the book of Acts. When meeting Paul, they learn more about this Jesus that they already believe in, but have not yet had him take over their entire being through the power of the Holy Spirit. We should pay close attention to their response when confronted with new possibilities - acceptance and surrender.
Disciples surrender to the process of spirit filled transformation, again and again, so God can shape us more and more into the image of Christ. Mere believers of Jesus may become enlightened to the reality of God, but they are not necessarily surrendering their life to it moment by moment, day by day.
So do you want to be a mere believer of God or a disciple of Jesus? Which one is God calling you to?
-Pastor Mitch
You might be saying to yourself..."Wait, is that even a thing?" Yes, Let me explain.
My childhood and adolescence was in the very beginning of the internet age, and I can still remember logging on to my first internet browser after having conversation with some of my Christian friends and typing in one of the most googled phrases in the history of the internet - Is there proof that God exists?
I scoured the internet, I read books, I asked questions to my youth pastor, I searched high and low for every bit of evidence I could find in those early days. And you know what I concluded - It is more likely that God exists than he doesn’t - and that it’s more likely that Jesus was that God than other religions - and if that were the case than his words and the teachings of the bible were true. I intellectually affirmed the truth of Jesus and the existence of God.
I was a believer, I even called myself a Christian when people asked, but I wasn’t a Disciple. It wasn't until years later when I surrendered my whole life to the God I believed in and dedicated myself to following his way, every day, that I became a disciple. That happened in the Texas Hill Country, years later, and that’s when the process of God taking over my life, making me a new creation, giving me a new purpose really began. That's when the inside out transformation of discipleship marked my life.
It’s actually kind of crazy to think about that you can believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life without actually following him, but I did, and maybe you do too!
You see, at the end of the day, a sudden belief in Jesus is not enough, it has to be accompanied by a process of surrender to him as Lord of our lives, especially as we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and the new life that he is calling us into in his Kingdom.
That's exactly what we see with these early disciple of John and Jesus in the book of Acts. When meeting Paul, they learn more about this Jesus that they already believe in, but have not yet had him take over their entire being through the power of the Holy Spirit. We should pay close attention to their response when confronted with new possibilities - acceptance and surrender.
Disciples surrender to the process of spirit filled transformation, again and again, so God can shape us more and more into the image of Christ. Mere believers of Jesus may become enlightened to the reality of God, but they are not necessarily surrendering their life to it moment by moment, day by day.
So do you want to be a mere believer of God or a disciple of Jesus? Which one is God calling you to?
-Pastor Mitch
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