"Wall Watchers" become Disciple-Makers

       

Word associations seem so very important when one reads the Scriptures. God's revelation of Himself & what He requires of His children seem to constantly use the same terms under a variety of topics, so that, through repetition, different angles can illustrate the important principles God wants us to know & practice. 

I’ve learned to record WORDS daily & associate their principles through all my Scripture readings. This is how I approached reading this morning in Acts 3. Often, we can get caught up in the STORY, identify physical attributes, & even associate with the characters, but miss the spiritual dimensions the Holy Spirit wanted to teach us through the Word. In ignorance or blindness, we can miss vital spiritual behaviors.
In this post, I feel like the Holy Spirit led me to deeper insight in the making of a disciple's heart. Through His power, he wants to heal spiritual beggars and uses his disciples intentionally practicing His principles as they go about their daily schedules.
I believe the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to teach specific practices so that we “know how we ought to behave in the household of God” (1 Tm 3:15). Through spiritual insight of this practice, we “become co-laborers” (1 Co 6:1) and "the Lord adds to the Church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). 

But for background, I need to testify to an ongoing lesson the Lord began in me years ago.
In my serving busyness, I realized I passed over a group unnoticed for the most part in all church functions. I walked by members of this group constantly in my efforts to keep up appearances, schedules, & the demands of ‘service to the Lord’. 

I was heart-sick at the spiritual rebuke & determined not only be more aware to this group, but also do something to remedy my ignorant blindness. I found that awareness of this group characterized specific behaviors which spot members quickly. Asking the Holy Spirit to teach me, I learned I could encourage correct behavior in me & even help others become aware of the needs of this group. I dubbed my adventure into this unknown territory as “WW”. I told a few friends my plans of action. Together, we began identifying members, praying that the Lord would tenderize our hearts as He opened our eyes to see these dear people around us. We believed the Power of His mighty Name heals and strengthens, and as WW, our awareness deepened our compassion.

OH! "WW" is a code word for Wall Watchers. It requires awareness & a willingness to “stand in the gap” for others in the Power of His Name. At every assembly, we began to identify needs by "watching the wall". We encouraged each other with a whispered "WW" as we looked for those using walls for support. We realized walls supported the overwheming feelings of isolation, insecurity, and aloneness. Those using the walls were not sure they were welcomed & needed companions to draw them into friendly circles. To "watch the wall" was to become aware of those standing or sitting alone & close to walls. Walls were erected everywhere, often invisible, but definitely, a supposed support. We became aware of walls in church foyers, the end of a row of chairs, the edge of pews, and often, in the back or darkest areas of meeting places. Although alone, we also noticed these group members are usually very intent on watching others gather around in tight conversations.
WW became a real challenge with six friends desiring to stretch our comfort zones to include these dear ones who carried longings to belong, to be helped, and begging for hope in comfort through fellowship & friendships.

Unfortunately, over the years, my experiences also taught me of the lack of curiosity & love many followers have to really see & know each other. I believe this is a detriment to true "disciple-makers" & honestly, I found it's quite hurtful in the family of God. I know the Lord has allowed me to personally experience wall support so that I feel the rejection & hurt caused by ignorance and self-absorption within the assemblies. Driven by our own prominence & value, our needs & comforts dominate our attention, causing ignorant spiritual blindness for those begging for God's love & power.

After much observation, I believe there's a serious need to crucify the flesh of ‘self-religion’ and count the cost of truely following the Master. Many of us have worn the badge of busyness too long. We need the Holy Spirit to heal our eyes, give our hearts the curiosity of differences and learn to  “stare intently” in discerning true spiritual needs requesting our help & support..  

I often ask:
How can we look right through people in our busyness & schedules?
How can we overlook others needing support as we only focus on our own insecure needs?
Are we hypocritical to claim our needs have already been met in the power of the Name of Jesus Christ if we are still blinded by our own value?  

         

Through the following look at Acts 3, I would like to encourage a new awareness to Watch the Walls. I hope we become aware of others and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts to be more like Jesus who saw & was moved to compassion.
Oh, Lord! Help us to see those who climb heights like Zaccheus just to see Jesus! Help us to be aware of the beggars being carried to healing pools, and those desperately reaching out just to touch Your garment of righteousness! May they "know the Father's Love for the Son" (Jn 17:26) through our extended companionship! Give us courage to "stare intently" & really see others along our religious paths! Urge us to answer for the hope in us by the powerful Name You’ve richly escrowed on our account. May we see people begging for what we do have, extend our right hand of fellowship & boldly speak the Truth of the Gospel to them so that You may bless them (Acts 3:26).
May we grasp the truth of your power in Jesus' Name for Only when we truly know what we have in Your healing Power will the whole congregation stand amazed & with united hearts praise & glorify God, our great Father!
 
I read Acts 3 with new eyes this morning. I circled every reference to "Sight"...
                                              

  Beggar saw Peter & John
- Peter stared intently.
- Peter said "Look at us!"
- All the people saw...
- When Peter saw...
- Peter asked, "why do you look so earnestly at us?"

COMMON COURTESY DEMONSTRATES POWER IN THE NAME

1. Two Wall-Watchers, led by the power & authority in the Name of Jesus, stared intently & SAW true spiritual need of one individual.
2. As power flowed from them, they began to compassionately see the need of "all the people" as an opportunity to declare the gospel of God.
3. Many witnessed companionable SUPPORT given to a beggar through the powerful name of Jesus which opened their hearts to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
OUTLINE & EXPLANATIONS as I saw one behavior in the household of faith that the Holy Spirit uses to transform lives for the Kingdom.
“Wall watchers make disciples as they are Go-ing!”

                                         

1. Discipleship  DEEPLY DRAWS Eyes to open.
On their way to prayer at "church", Peter & John passed by many people gathered around the temple, but their eyes seemed alert to "watch the walls". Amidst much activity, their focus is drawn to “see” one particular beggar and his real spiritual need.   

2. Discipleship DEMANDS DIRECTION to Exact request
Implied by Peter’s offer of giving, they saw beyond the beggar’s physical ailments, helplessness & poverty. They saw his real spiritual need to know God’s POWER in the Name of Jesus which would invade in his standard of living. They offered this beggar the true spiritual “Help” his heart so desperately needed. 

3. Discipleship DISCERNS DIFFERENCES that Exemplify man’s separation
As the beggar asked for help, the Bible says "Peter stared at him intently". I had to pause and wonder WHY Peter would "stare intently at a beggar", Taught staring is impolite, we are often embarrassed & turn away, yet Peter intentionally stared. Staring is caused when things are out of the ordinary, different, strange, and not expected. Staring mentally separates an individual from the crowd because something is different. Because God says, “man looks on the outward appearance”, I believe it’s natural to stare at differences, but it’s what we do about those differences that should mark us as disciples. The disciples mentally calculated differences this beggar presented & realized these life-long separating obstacles exemplified powerless living without God. Physically, he was different by being helpless, unable to stand alone, & desperately asking for help. Spiritually, he was separated.
Peter stared.
As he truly focused, Peter saw the real spiritual need separating this beggar from God. He needed to be brought to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. This was the true offering Peter could give in the power of the Lord's Name.   

4. Discipleship DETERMINES DEPOSIT to Expose spiritual needs
In the Name of Jesus Christ, we have been given the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our future inheritance. He is a guarantee, a seal, a POWER in our daily lives to be lived out for Kingdom purposes. Worth far more than silver or gold, Peter & John identified this deposit as their own possession, knowing the Lord had commissioned them to "proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ" by seeing spiritual needs and making disciples.

5. Discipleship DEFINES DISCIPLINE to "Extend the RIGHT HAND of Fellowship"
One of the responsibilities of disciple-making is recognizing God's work and joining Him by the practice of “extending the right hand of fellowship”. This is mentioned often in Scriptures and encouraged in the early church letters to be an identifying characteristic of the family of God. In a favorite verse of mine, we read, “the right hand of fellowship was extended to us when they recognized the Grace of God given unto me” (Gal 2:9). We see those known with influence in the church extend the right hand of fellowship when they see the grace of God in Paul & Barnabas, co-laborers on mission. Paul writes entire chapters encouraging believers to "extend the right hand of fellowship" to traveling co-laborers such as Timothy, Titus, Phoebe, & many others serving the church. He writes a whole letter to Philemon to encourage "extending the right hand of fellowship" to encourage Onesimus, a new fellow-believer.
Today, many enter our assemblies, needing to feel the touch of welcome & be encouraged by the biblical practice of "extending the right hand of fellowship". This should characterize each one who bears the family name. Through this practice, we would encourage each other by building up the faith, lifting-up the weak, supporting & strengthening many who need help to stand firm. As described in Isaiah 50:4, we would with a word, be able sustain those who are weary.

6. Discipleship DECLARES DESIRE to Encourage growth 
For the disciple-maker, there is a declared intent. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, gives us this power to strengthen, lift up, build up, sustain & encourage other believers, In this passage, Peter "extended the right hand of fellowship" to the beggar with the intent "to help him up". In 1 Co 6:1, believers are taught to be God’s co-workers with the intent to encourage. Our intentions to reach out must always be declared as our desire to spiritually help another. We need to teach this intentional common courtesy among God’s children, constantly ready to encourage, build up, lift up and strengthen those who are weak. This is the practice of truly “seeing” others, the powerful “stared intently” or focused desire of Wall Watchers.

7. Discipleship DEFEATS DETERRANTS to Exhort
In Jesus’ powerful Name, the disciple-maker is given the authority to defeat all disabilities & difficulties hindering others in knowing the power of God unto salvation. In efforts to strengthen another, the Holy Spirit desires to use our tongues to speak the Word of God, whether it is to weathered & weary servants of the Lord, or to God's brand new 'adopted' children!  When we willingly "extend the right hand of fellowship" with pure intentions, the power in the Name of the Lord helps, supports and lifts-up those who walk in newness of life.

8. Discipleship DEFENDS DOCTRINE to Explain transformation
As this event unfolds, people “see” a beggar walking & praising God. Whenever a transformation truly happens, the crowd takes notice. Peter, seeing their amazement, explains their “earnest look”. They are intently staring at the powerful Name transforming a life to perfect soundness. A door is open to present the whole Gospel & Peter strongly exhorts by pointing an accusing finger directly at their diseased hearts needing spiritual healing. He names their guilt in the choice of a murderer and with truthful facts, he intimately targets their rejection & denial of the Holy & Just One. Then, Peter offers spiritual sight through the powerful name of Jesus to the onlookers, begging them to repent & be converted. They must see Jesus, the beloved Son of God, sent to bless them by turning every one of them from their sins. Each transformed life DEFENDS the gospel of Jesus, clearly demonstrating his intent to rescue. 

9. Discipleship DEVOTES DENISEN to Empower others
The definition of denizen speaks volumes into the family of God. Before salvation, Ephesians 2:12 describes sinners as “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship, foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope & without God”.
In Ephesians 4:18 & Colossians 1:21, Paul describes each of us as being “far off from God by our evil thoughts & actions”. We were aliens of the covenant, non-citizens & foreigners, but Jesus came to bring us nigh unto God. All dimensions of life change when Christ brings us nigh to God by redemption through His blood.
In John 1:12, God gives the “power to become sons” to aliens who receive Jesus Christ. He gives them the right to become sons of God. God declares this right to citizenship.
When we “extend the right hand of fellowship”, we are agreeing with God’s declaration which “offers the rights of citizenship” to the alien. In essence, this family practice is declaring with God: “you are no longer foreigners & strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people & members of His household…” (Eph 2:19)
In the Church, the practice of “extending the right hand of fellowship” to those Jesus brings to God is agreeing with God about citizen’s rights. This practice empowers the children of God to serve wholehearted in community as the family of God.

10. Discipleship DRAWS DISCIPLES to Enter service in community  

The descriptions of companionship found in Acts 3 powerfully describes the tender moments of discipleship-making. By extending his right hand, Peter’s spiritual power strengthened a beggar to leap up, stand & walk into the temple with his disciples. By the hand, Peter welcomed companionship into the power of the Name of Jesus. With help, the beggar began walking & leaping as was promised in Malachi 4:2 to those who “fear My Name”. The Son of Righteousness arose with healing and this poor beggar leaped like a young calf let out to pasture. The Hebrew word for “leap” is also translated “grow up” which KJV uses in this promise.
Just think.
When we “extend the right hand of fellowship” we draw another to “grow up”, enter the temple with us, and together, we serve the living God, praising Him with the enthusiasm of springtime life!
Another term describing the constant practice of disciple-making is the word “held”. The Bible says that this healed beggar entered the temple “as he held Peter & John”.
Discipleship requires time spent with the healed, allowing them time to grow stronger in faith. It’s a bond of companionship which continues to strengthen as God’s power flows through his followers & invites them to serve alongside others.
Besides giving support to the healed one, many other ‘strangers’ will run toward this example of companionship as they see God’s love & patience offered through His people.
Longing for love & offered friendship gives more opportunities to present the Gospel. Not only was the new member of the household of God strengthened, but the attention of others was drawn to know what POWER continued to sustain such a man.
Peter used their wonder to draw them to know God and His dear beloved Son, Jesus Christ.