Be the Church. The church is a very important aspect of discipleship. God created the church and entrusted us with the call to be the church to people around us. He died for this. What is the church? It is not a building. It is not programs or events or preachers. The church breathes life and is God’s “strategy” to reach people.
The church is a group of believers acting as one, loving each other, and serving together. This connection with other people is essential to your walk with Christ. God places people in your life for a purpose. Whether its for you to challenge each other or serve together or learn from each other.. everyone has a place and a purpose.
I know that many people have had bad impressions of the church or don’t see the importance of being involved in a church. But the Bible says that it is very important. It is a way for us to keep one another accountable {Galations 6:1-5} and be feed by leaders {Hebrews 13:17} to encourage each other {Hebrews 10:24-25}… and to share the gospel {Acts 2: 43-47}.
So, back to discipleship: I think we have all come to conclusion that ministry can be intimidating and overwhelming. You might feel like you aren’t called to preach, or open an orphanage, or move to another country. But do you know people who are struggling? Do you know people who are hurting? Help them.
You think your issues and your life is too complicated to help other people; its not. God calls us to help people. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
And by help, I mean walk along side them. Too many times I myself have listened to people tell me their troubles or sins and I have simply said that I would pray for them about that. WRONG {well partly – prayer is important}. I We should be walking beside them in their hurt, in their pain, in their struggles – every step of the way. I am personally going to try to be better about this.
By coming alongside people, we are truly able to share the gospel of christ. It is not a mere prayer, it is a life change. ” I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove te heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” – Ezekiel 36:26-27
God transforms our hearts. He literally gives us His Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out. So to intertwine these things together. BE THE CHURCH. Every member of the body of Christ has a different function and is extremely important {1 Corinthians 12:12-31}. Get involved and be a part of your church body. Don’t have a church home, begin looking.