Is Your Church Making Disciples?

Scripture: “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious, I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.”Revelation 2:7

In many parts of the world, the Name of Jesus is unknown or hated, making it unsafe to share your Christian faith. However, God calls Christians to "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" (Mark 16:15).

Embedded Missionaries

In obedience to this, my church has formed a team that is ready to follow the example of Jesus' original disciples. Quitting their jobs and leaving their extended families behind, they will rebuild their lives in a place where many people do not know the life-saving power of the Lord that can "truly set us free" (Galatians 5:1). Where they will live, it is dangerous to talk about Christianity; so as our missionaries build their lives there, they will also build relationships with their new neighbors and coworkers, striving to live so that people wonder what's different about them and want to know the Lord. With support from each other -- and other "undercover" Christians in the area -- they will live to share God's love with others.

Reaching Out through Relief

My church also shares God's Word through disaster relief. We send teams to stricken areas, where they serve in Jesus’ name -- cleaning and rebuilding structures, and helping those with medical needs.

The Apostle Paul instructed believers to "use your freedom to serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13). This follows Jesus' example: "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others" (Mark 10:45). The people from my church can tell those whom they serve that they are helping them because of the Lord.

Online Evangelism

Some Christians don't have the ability or opportunity to leave their homes to minister. Therefore, many people in our church use the Internet to share God's Word. Using email, social media, and sites like this one, everyday Christians can touch the lives of people around the world with God's love -- sharing discipleship tools, prayer, and simple fellowship from a world away. This kind of ministry helps fulfill the promise of Scripture that one day "every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

Churches around the world use these methods to share the Gospel where it's needed most. How does your church share God's love with the world?

Outer Beauty and Inner Beauty

Scripture: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Lasting Impressions

Have you ever seen a really attractive person -- someone people can't help but turn and stare at as they walk by? People with great God-given beauty may make a great impression, but it will be forgotten when the next beautiful person comes along.

What about a person who really knows Jesus and walks with Him? God’s grace and mercy flow through this person, resulting in encouraging words and good works. Do others pay attention when someone lives this way? We might not notice them at first, but their godly deeds leave an impression of goodness, and people's lives can be changed because of them.

Each of those two people makes an impression. But only the second can impact others with eternal consequences.

Fleeting vs. Lasting Impact

The Bible tells us that “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30) God wants women AND men to be more concerned about our character and our “inner” beauty than our outward appearance.

Today’s scripture from Peter tells us not to give so much attention to "outward adornment," but instead to cultivate "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" (1 Peter 3:3-4). There is nothing wrong with making yourself look nice, but we must remember tha outward beauty will fade, and its impact just as quickly. But inner beauty can keep growing your whole life, so that it’s your character people notice instead of your appearance. And then God receives the glory.

Eternal Life

What lasts longer than forever? Nothing! When we share God’s love with others, we can help them find eternal life: "Everyone who believes in [God's Son] will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). And, "Those who listen to My message and believe in God Who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life" (John 5:24).

So in gratefulness and love for God, and by His Holy Spirit working in us, we can do so much more than leave a fleeting impression of beauty; we can let God use us to change someone’s eternal destiny.

Be God's Light

Scripture: “You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No-one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16

Are You a Disciple?

How do people respond when they find out that you are a Christian? They shouldn’t be surprised, if your life models Jesus’ loving, patient, sacrificial example. Jesus said, "your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples" (John 13:35). The Bible instructs us to "live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people" (Philippians 2:15). We are to stand out because of God's goodness.

Love One Another

The Bible says that God loves us sacrificially, and that "since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other" (1 John 4:11). Christians are to "be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32).

God's instructions for dealing with others can be "summed up in this one commandment: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to others" (Romans 13:9-10). Christians have every reason to show love to their brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s easy to be nice when things are going well and people are nice to you. But you are even more a witness of God’s love and mercy when you show kindness to people who are mean or weird or hard to get along with.

Witness

God has given His people the power to tell people about Him everywhere, to the ends of the earth, through the Holy Spirit. You are a witness to God's truth. Your words might be the ones that encourage someone to accept God's life-saving grace. Always be ready to share those words -- and live a godly life to testify to them.