Apprenticeship to Jesus (A2J) is one of a family of ministries that are part of Antioch Network, A2J seeks to restore discipleship as a lifestyle that has an inseparable relationship with Jesus’ message about the Kingdom of God, and the purpose for which we were created. A2J has been influenced by the discipleship principals that Jesus demonstrated, as well as, other discipleship communities, throughout history such as, the Moravians and Celts. New Treasures as well as old! “Jesus said to them, Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of God is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old—Matthew 13:52. Ancient paths—New wineskins! A2J has a great honor and respect for those who have gone before us, and intentionally seeks to learn from their examples and draw from their deep well of faith. We also recognize that God is doing new things in our day and creating new models of community and mission.
Why a Return to Biblical Discipleship is Important Today?
Our modern Christianity that has formed us is often about pursuing happiness and comfort. Come to this retreat it is fun, or come to this conference and learn how to be successful, instead we should be inviting people to come find life’s purpose in Christ that is found in a decisive choice to follow Him and become His apprentice.
It is not difficult today to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up to be Jesus’ apprentice.
Without biblical discipleship we lack the character and faith of Christ and relational knowledge of the Father’s heart. We will not be the kind of people that can appropriately handle His authority and power in our lives, but will easily settle for a life of much activity that is often rooted in self- recognition and self-worth which ultimately produces little lasting fruit. We are surrounded by a theology that says just believe it and it will happen. Yet Jesus taught the pursuit, “follow me, and do the things I am doing, join me in my Father’s work.” We have created a Christianity that has removed itself from Jesus and His teachings—we have lost Jesus as Teacher
Mankind needs a teacher in order to grasp truth and understand life’s purpose, a teacher free from error. This person is Jesus Christ, who has come into the world to reveal the truth to us.
“You call me teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.” –John 13:13
He who follows Me, says Christ, walks not in darkness, for he will have the light of life. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by them we are admonished to follow His teachings and His manner of living, if we truly be enlightened and delivered from all blindness of heart. Let all the study of our heart be from now on to have our attention fixed wholly on the life of Christ
Why Apprenticeship Verses Discipleship?
We have chosen the term apprenticeship not because we are opposed to discipleship, but we seek to delve deeper than what is commonly understood in the Church as discipleship. Apprenticeship refers to a relationship in which an apprentice is learning a skill or trade from a master through close observation and interaction. This close interaction better describes the relationship we are to have with Jesus—being with him to learn from him. He is the master, we are the apprentices. In addition, the objective of an apprentice is not to forever remain one. They are learning from the master to become like the master. Likewise, our aim as apprentices to Jesus, is not to remain as we are, but increasingly mature into the likeness of our master.
“Everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher” -Luke 6:40
Jesus our Lord and Teacher told us, “It is enough for the disciple—apprentice that he becomes like his teacher in all ways” –Matthew 10:25
Through apprenticeship to Jesus, God restores us so that we may fulfill the purpose for which we were originally created, to reign with and exercise dominion over the work of His hands, here on earth and for all eternity. -Matthew 25:34
Discipleship is God’s gift to man that allows us to once again be restored into the image of our God. Jesus came not only to free us from the consequence of sin but also the power of sin. Through apprenticeship we are healed and progressively formed into the image of Jesus. He came to make us into the kind of people that will do ‘everything we do in the Name of Jesus’ (Name represents His character of love, mercy, compassion, and righteousness).
For an in depth study of the foundations click here:Apprenticeship-to-Jesus-Foundational-Understandings PDF