A Lesson from Acts 9

For years, my wife and I have emphasized the importance of immediate obedience to our children. A common refrain in our home is, “If it’s not immediate, it’s not obedient.” Reflecting on this, I believe the Lord shares the same perspective. Throughout Scripture, we see the consequences of delayed obedience.

When God called Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, he fled instead. His disobedience led to a storm, endangered others, and resulted in him being swallowed by a great fish. Only after repenting did Jonah fulfill God’s command. When God told the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, their fear caused them to hesitate and disobey. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, missing the blessings God intended for them. God instructed Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely, but he spared their king and the best livestock. This partial obedience led to God rejecting Saul as king, reminding us that incomplete obedience is still disobedience.

Yet in Acts 9:20, we find a powerful example. Saul obeyed immediately, even in the face of significant challenges.

Saul had experienced a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians, but Jesus stopped him in his tracks. He asked Saul why he was persecuting Him. Jesus then blinded Saul. He sent him into Damascus. There, a disciple named Ananias would share the gospel message with him. Saul accepted the message and believed.

The Bible says, “Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues. He said, ‘He is the Son of God.’” Consider Saul’s transformation. After meeting Jesus, his life changed instantly. He didn’t wait to grow spiritually or to have all the answers. Instead, he immediately began making disciples by proclaiming Jesus as Lord and helping others grow in their faith.

What’s more, by Acts 9:25, Saul had already amassed disciples of his own. Though he was likely only a step ahead of them spiritually, he invested in their growth. This highlights a critical truth: disciple-making is not something reserved for seasoned believers. It begins the moment we encounter Jesus. Disciple-making incorporates both leading people to Christ and walking with them as they grow in their relationship with Him. Jesus didn’t call us to “do discipleship” but to “make disciples.” This process requires sharing the gospel but also involves continuing with people as they mature in faith.

Sharing Your Christ Story

A key way to begin making disciples is by sharing your Christ story. Craig Etheredge’s book, Reach Your World, offers a helpful framework for doing this effectively. It breaks your story into three stages:

1. Your Life Before Christ

The goal here is not to brag about your past behavior. The purpose is to explain why you needed Jesus. Etheredge suggests asking questions like:

• Did you grow up in a religious or irreligious household?
• How did your background shape your thinking?
• How did you live your life? Were you searching for God or living for yourself?

2. How You Met Christ

This stage is about sharing your encounter with Jesus. Etheredge encourages us to answer:

• Who shared the gospel with you?
• What caused you to be open to the message?
• What crises or challenges were you facing?
  Share the process of how you came to accept Jesus as your Savior.

3. Your Life After Christ

Here, focus less on yourself and more on the power of Jesus to change a life. How has He made a difference in your life? What joy, purpose, or peace has He brought you?

My Story

To illustrate, let me share my own Christ story:

• My Life Before Meeting Christ: My life was “fine” before I met Christ; I just felt like something was missing. I grew up in church from birth but didn’t understand that Jesus was better than anything else.
• How I Met Christ: When I was six years old, I watched a video during a Sunday evening service. It was a depiction of Christ dying on the cross. For the first time, I realized that Jesus’s love for me was greater than anything I had ever encountered. One of our deacons, Kenny Vineyard, explained the gospel in a way a child could understand. He led me to pray, confessing my sin and asking Jesus to be the boss of my life.
• My Life After Meeting Christ: Since then, I’ve learned there is nothing greater than Jesus. While I’ve sometimes tried to replace Him with other things, I’ve always returned to Him. Ecclesiastes reminds us that nothing can satisfy but Jesus, and that has been my experience. He is the greatest satisfaction in the world.

Disciple-Making is Sharing and Growing Together

Saul’s story challenges us to embrace immediate obedience in making disciples. This means not only sharing the gospel but also walking with others as they grow in their faith. Saul’s willingness to immediately proclaim Jesus, despite being new to the faith himself, is a powerful example. He shows us that disciple-making is not about perfection or expertise. It’s about faithfulness. It’s about being willing to take others along with you as you follow Christ.

So, who are you helping to follow Jesus? Who is God calling you to share your story with? It could be a family member, a neighbor, or a friend.

Don’t wait. Remember, if it’s not immediate, it’s not obedient. Just as Saul immediately began making disciples, we are called to do the same. Take that step today, and watch how God uses your faithfulness to multiply His kingdom.