teachable – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Worshiping in ignorance? (2)

[Apollos] had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism…

After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. (Acts 18:25-26)

It occurred to me as I read this that Apollos was another person who to some degree was worshiping God in ignorance.

He knew about Jesus and apparently was zealous for him, but there were gaps in his knowledge.

But unlike most of the Atheniens, he was hungry to have those gaps filled. He wasn’t content with what he knew.

And by filling those gaps, not only did he come to know God more deeply, God was able to use him more effectively for His kingdom. (Acts 18:27-28)

How about you? You may know Jesus. You may be zealously serving him. But all of us have gaps in our knowledge of him.

Are you content to live with those gaps? Or are you actively seeking to fill those gaps?

Jesus said,

But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.

Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Let’s not be satisfied living with those gaps in our knowledge of God and his Word. Let’s actively seek to fill them.

And as we do, we’ll worship and serve God as he desires: in Spirit…and in truth.

A teachable heart

It is so easy sometimes to think we know it all. We come to church on Sunday, and hear the message, and as we do, we say, “I knew that.”

This is especially a problem for those who have been in church for a long time. I admit, I have been guilty of that kind of attitude more than once, and I still struggle with it sometimes.

Maybe the things we know are accurate. But that doesn’t mean that we no longer have things to learn.

Apollos was that way. Apparently, he knew about Jesus, and his knowledge was accurate to a point, but it was incomplete. And so Aquilla and Priscilla “explained to him the way of God more adequately.” (Acts 18:26)

I think the important thing was that Apollos was teachable. He didn’t shrug off their teaching, saying, “I already know it all.”

Rather, he drank it all in, and as a result, his ministry became more powerful. I’m also sure that his life became more fruitful as well.

How about you? You may be a mature Christian that knows much about scripture. But do you still have a teachable heart? Are you humble enough to admit you don’t know it all yet?

Only with that kind of heart, will we continue to grow as Christians and bear the fruit that God desires from us.