[Raising disciples of the Holy Spirit]
Acts 18:23-28
Growing up with full faith out of a childlike belief is our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Today, we will think about the Holy Spirits raising disciples.
First, spiritual nurturer is important.
Paul, who returned to Antioch after completing his 2nd mission trip, will go on his 3rd mission trip again soon. He visits the church one after the other in the same route as the second trip, and strengthening all his disciples. The life of a disciple who carries his cross and follows Jesus path is a narrow path, but it is important for a disciple to raise his disciples so that he can become a nurturer and raise his other disciples. And here, the nurturer is also important. Paul loves his spiritual children he gave birth to the gospel, so he shares his tremendous persecution experience to the persecuted saints and without rest preaches the gospel and helps them follow the lives of the disciples. So nurturing is progressive without completion. We also need to be nurtured constantly in the community. Through an event that make them realize that there is no completion in the end, leaders, nurturer, and partners exchange each other and the Holy Spirits nurturing come true. So, our Mokjang (small group) is a bokdeok bang (means a real estate office in Korea) full of blessings and virtues and make us be best nurtured.
Second, it is to learn the way of the Lord.
Ephesus, where Paul left by the Holy Spirit, Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, appears
Since Alexandria was the best academic city in the world in those days, Apollos was not only a man of wide knowledge but also eloquent and fluent in the Bible, too. Early on, he learned the ways of the Lord and left Alexandria to come to Ephesus and delivered something about Jesus. However, Priscilla and Aquila discovered that Avolos sermon in the synagogue taught only the miracles and deeds that he did alive, except for Jesus cross, death and resurrection. Priscilla and Aquila take him home and raise him who only knows Johns baptism and does not know the extension of the gospel through Jesus.as a Christ (the Messiah). It was disgraceful and shameful to them that Jesus died on the cross because the person who was executed to death by Crucifixion was considered to be cursed. But Jews and Apollos were also enthusiastic about the righteous message delivered by clean and poor John the baptist. So Doctor Apollos of the Bible needs a being nurtured. Priscilla and Aquila, who have no academic background or origin, accurately unravel the Gods will that they have heard repeatedly from Paul in Corinth. They delivered Apollos the death and resurrection of Jesus, who was crucified on behalf of me full of shame and sin. As such, this just one person who heard the exact meaning of Jesus salvation history is also established by the Holy Spirits discipleship.
Third, it encourages you to go straight on the path of your mission.
Apollos, raised by the Holy Spirit, goes over to Achaia. It is an Apollos application and determination to expand the gospel after hearing the Pauls preaching to the Gentiles and realizing his limitations and stereotypes. The Ephesians encourage Apollos to go straight on the path of his mission and write letters to Corinthian disciples to greet him. After arriving at Corinth, the people whom Apollos met were none other than those whom believed in through grace. Apollos, a Jew full of the righteousness of Jewish law came to realize that a man could be saved only by Gods grace. And through the Bible, he overpowered the Jews who had been harassing the church by testifying powerfully in public, 'Jesus is Christ!'. How did he win an argument with Jewish powerfully? Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot accept testimony that Jesus is Christ, the Savior because he is mere a carpenters son and illegitimate child. Also, its a testimony that you cant make unless you experience it. John the Baptist shouted to you, 'Repent, children of the Serpent,' but the testimony that Jesus was Christ means he became the Savior to me, despite my weakness and was a confess which I repented that I was the child of a viper. I started confessing the cross that I had left out because I was ashamed and delivered Jesus himself who died for my sins. This is the man of the Holy Spirit who has been raised as disciples of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy spirits raising disciples is to encourage us to go straight on the path of mission. So Holy spiritual nurturer is important. We have to raise our children with patience till the end of our lives. To do this, I hope you learn the way of the Lord, 'Jesus is Christ, the Savior.'
