Recently as I have been fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, He has been bringing revelation to my heart that I believe is for the time we are in now. Within this has been a deep conviction of being a good steward of what Jesus has given to oversee. Scripture tells us that when we are faithful with little, that Jesus will give more (Matt.25:21)! Something He spoke to me was “My people have been responding in reaction and I need them to understand the preparation so they are in the correct position.” Position for what exactly? To properly steward the souls He desires to draw near to you!
At the end of Acts chapter two we see a picture of the community of believers, aka the church. The scripture says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
All of these things below marked the Kingdom family:
- Teaching
- Fellowship
- Breaking of bread
- Prayer
- Fear of the Lord
- Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Selfless care of others
- Daily assembly
- In one accord
- Praise
From their faithfulness to continue in these things we see in the verses above, then the Lord added to them daily! The Lord begins with addition before moving into multiplication. I believe this is to see how what He adds is stewarded.
Now continue reading through Acts, with an understanding that the above is faithfully taking place and when you come to chapter four and in verse four the scripture says “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” Now at first thought because this number is so high we may think this is the first multiplication… Yet at the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost scripture says, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” (Acts 2:41) So the initial three thousand was an addition, and so is this, as we will see this continue to progress.
Now at the end of chapter four we still see the family of believers continuing in what was shown back in chapter two. Scripture says, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” (Acts 4:32-35)
In chapter five the Word of God says, “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,” (Acts 5:14) Interesting… Now the progression has moved to increasingly, but still in the realm of addition. Let’s keep going!
A passage that the Holy Spirit really highlighted is found in verses 38-39, which says, “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” This reminded me of a verse found in the Psalms, “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalms 127:1) This is where the Lord began revealing more on what He spoke about responding in reaction vs. being prepared and in the proper position to steward. You see, anyone can try and start a church, they can advertise, do so many things to get people in the doors, and when they get an influx from doing it their way, their only means is to react. How do I keep them coming? How do I keep them happy? How do I make them like me more? So on, and so forth… Yet this mindset raises up consumers and not disciples! If we want to see real sustainable increase we must be prepared and follow the Lord’s way, the ancient path!
At the end of chapter five the scripture says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42) So here we see again they are continuing faithfully in what was first revealed back in chapter two. What do we see next? Chapter six starts with, “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying…” (Acts 6:1) Now the addition has moved into multiplication! Why? Because they were faithful to follow Jesus’ way and to steward when the Lord was adding!
The apostles understood their calling and how they needed to continue in faithfulness to it. So when the need found in chapter six arose they appointed seven men to oversee that need. However these were no typical followers, scripture says, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;” (Acts 6:3) They appointed mature disciples (we will expand on this shortly), so that the apostles could continue giving themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (v. 4). Because of this we now see, “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7) Great multiplication was now upon them! And as you continue through the book of Acts you will find continued multiplication, but I want to make a shift here and begin to touch on something we must all steward well for the Lord, and that is to see His disciples mature in their walk with Jesus!
As we saw above it was not new born again babes in Christ who were given the charge over the daily distribution. It was those with a good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, which only comes as one matures in the Kingdom. I want to start off with a couple of passages from Paul where he speaks on the need to mature.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14)
Although the words here seem very similar they were written for two different groups of people. Those in Corinth were new believers having come out of the world. The group in Hebrews are those who were raised in the scripture, and have begun to grow dull of hearing (v. 11), and are having to go back to elementary principles (milk). I believe this is a picture of one who is backsliding…
When someone is born again by the Spirit of God they are a baby, but they are not to remain in that phase. Just like a natural baby they have to be fed milk, and this is the job of their parents. This feeding is not something that can be done once or twice a week, it must be done daily, and actually multiple times a day! I believe this is why we see the church full of spiritual infants, because their spiritual parents have not laid their life down to serve these babies the milk of the word, and see them grow! Babes in Christ must be nurtured until the time they can be weaned.
Scripture tells us, “So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.” (Genesis 21:8) This is speaking about Isaac, who was the son of promise, born by the power of the Spirit. He is a picture of the born again believer (born of the Spirit), and as we can see the child grew and was weaned. Psalms 131:2 says, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Now in that culture children were weaned at the age of three!
How long was Jesus' earthly ministry after His coming forth at His baptism? Around three years! When Jesus came to each of the disciples He said “follow me”, which is a picture of a father calling his sons to follow him. Through intimacy with them Jesus began to feed them the truth of the word, and He began with the milk. Then after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension He sent them the Holy Spirit! Again this is three years later, and what does Jesus leave them with? They had the scriptures (word) and He sent them the Holy Spirit. I believe this was their weaning and growth from a baby to a youth in the Spirit, and they were given what they needed to continue in their maturity.
Now let’s look at the life of Paul, and he says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Most everyone is familiar with Paul’s encounter with Jesus and his conversion on the road to Damascus, but I want to expand on something typically overlooked between Acts 9 verse 19 and 20. Nineteen says, “So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.” And verse twenty says, “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Now because what I am about to share has often not been revealed, many people think Paul became the super apostle after “some days”, because the next verse begins with “immediately” and so they think they are prepared to go and do what scripture tells us Paul did. Sadly many leaders unknowingly pressure new born again believers into a false fast track to the anointing, but there is more to this portion revealed in Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:15-18) So that portion of “some days” found in Acts 9:19 is three years! Now Paul did not confer with flesh and blood, he says “For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:12) So Paul was taught over this three year period by the Lord Himself by way of revelation!
So what is in Arabia where Paul would have received this type of revelation? “for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children” (Galatians 4:25) Mount Sinai is in Arabia, the same mountain Moses climbed to be face to face with Jesus! Same mountain that Elijah went into a cave and the Lord visited him. Many scholars believe Paul may have made many trips up and down the mountain of God being given wonderful revelations over this three year period! Now Paul says this about himself, “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:5-6) So Paul knew the letter of the law, but at his conversion he received the Spirit of Truth and now needed to see Jesus in the word, and understand the depths of it by way of the Holy Spirit! So the Lord took him and fed him as a new baby, until his time to be weaned, which Paul then had the same two things Jesus left His disciples with. The Spirit and truth!
And just to further show this period between Acts 19 and 20 is the three years Paul speaks of in Galatians, remember Paul said after that period he went to Jerusalem to meet with Peter, and that is found here, “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:26-27)
Can we see Paul now use this same three year pattern? In Acts chapter 20 Paul is going to exhort the elders in Ephesus prior to him going to Jerusalem which will lead to his arrest and persecution.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:28-32)
What does Paul leave them with? “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace”. They were left with the Spirit and Truth!
In the Hebrew/Jewish culture there were three phases of maturity
- Baby (0-3)
- Youth (3-13)
- Adult (13+)
Can we see the same maturity stages in the Word of God? Let's look at what's found in first John chapter two.
"I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2:12-14)
Notice the only thing that allowed the young men to overcome the wicked one. It says the word of God abides in them!
- Babies need milk (foundation/elementary principles and teaching) and it has to be fed to them
- Young men need bread (understanding of the Word by the Spirit), and they can feed themselves
- Fathers need meat (revelation by the Spirit), and this gives them what they need to help reveal Jesus and His Kingdom to those whom they oversee
Psalms 119:9 says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”
We must have the Spirit and truth, working together in our lives, and helping others to mature in theirs. John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
So we see that the word is truth, and in the Greek this is “logos” and is the written Word of God, the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14). Scripture says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” (Psalms 119:89) Regardless of what any of us believe or what anyone says the Word of God is true! Yet we need it to be more than just true, we need it to be life! We need it to be what sustains us, empowers us, captivates us, and guides us!
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
Now in the Greek, “words” here is “rhema”, which is when the Holy Spirit takes the “logos” , breathes life upon it, and brings revelation and understanding to you! So we must have both the Spirit and truth in order to have real life! The word life here is “zoe” and is defined as:
- The absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through Him both to the hypostatic "logos" and to Christ in whom the "logos" put on human nature.
- Real and genuine life, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever.
The Lord spoke this to me as He wrapped this all up, He said “My written word is eternally established and true. It only becomes life by way of My Spirit being welcomed to teach, lead and comfort you!!!”
We are all called to mature, and to help others the Lord is bringing into His Kingdom as well. We must steward everything Jesus gives us well, because then and only then will He be able to trust us with His multiplication! We must seek the Lord Jesus, eat His word, pray for revelation and understanding, and obey it with reverence and honor!
Jesus be glorified!!!