In Acts 2, 3000 + people received Christ and the numbers grew.
Then "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Did you see that or did It fly by you too fast.
Rewind Replay
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
catch it?
They devoted themselves. Who devoted themselves? The new believers!
Nobody devoted them to the teaching. They had to do it for themselves. The apostles taught with the Authority they had been given thru the Holy Spirit.
But the burden of discipleship fell on the newbies, New Christians , not the ME or leaders of the church.
It's like the saying, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. As one in ministry for a few weeks , ha, it is my job and our job (other pastors and ministers, etc,) to create and continually refine things that will make people responsibly grow in their faith after receiving Jesus as Saviour.
But if a newbie is not willing to devote himself to teaching, fellowship, and serving, it doesn’t mean I failed in discipliship at all.
It probably DOES MEAN that he/she is not a truly a regenerated born again believer after all. He/She just has what I call a "warm & fuzzy". When someone, boy/girl, man/women receives Christ, and TRULY RECEIVES HIM, they are a new creation, PERIOD. And the NEW CREATION should have a HUGE HUNGER for the things of God. And that’s an appetite only God can create.
Biblical discipleship isn’t about spoon feeding a new baby. According to Acts 2:42, it’s an all you can eat self-service buffet. WOOHOO. So, Go get your own plate. Refill your own drinks. And clean up after yourself. AND MOST OF ALL
Devote yourself! That I just can't do for you, BUT, I am here to help get you there and I am where I have always been, EAGER TO HELP AND SERVE.
tc
peace
