Simple Discipleship

Last night we experienced something wonderful.

We practiced gathering as Christians the way it was originally done in the first century Church.

“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-27)

In a living room of someone’s home (ours this time) we worshiped and listened to three songs.

Then, moved by the Lord to do so, several people spoke....then, one by one, pretty much everyone participated in a discussion about things happening in our lives.

It was so evident that everyone was living....or at the very least...trying to live....in accordance with God's Word that one woman spoke up in wonder and said something to the effect of, "This is SO COOL! I love the practical application ministry tonight!

We're all sharing with one another how to do live."

I thought, "Isn't that the point of church in the original....organic....style? Aren't we to take principles that were at one time foreign to us (since God's ways are higher than our ways) and learn....and then teach others how to DO THIS STUFF?"

THIS was Jesus' plan when He said this:

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go (as you are going) therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18b-20)

It is WAY past time for us to make disciples matter-of-factly and habitually as we are going.....and to do so through our lifestyle is, by far, the most efficient and effective way to do this.

There is a hunger in the world today to see that Almighty God and His Word are pertinent. People ache for that in their souls - they just can’t label the ache as such because they have been taught that God has nothing to do with real life.

Still, all people were hand crafted by God to be in relationship with Him, depending upon Him, enjoying His presence and living in ways that honor God.

Join me in trying to reach the world by serving others, living in a missional way and casually revealing how God really is pertinent and indispensable by showing how we “do this stuff” the Bible teaches us to do.

Let’s be personal with others in this exceedingly impersonal world in which we live.

Or, if you will, let’s be JESUS to them.

They need Him desperately.

Pastor Mike McInerney

Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.

© May 15, 2016

(for use with permission)