Make Disciples Who…
Genuinely Worship. Love Each Other. Advance the Kingdom.
Make Disciples – A disciple is a student/learner. Ultimately, we are ALL commanded to make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). There is public discipleship, as seen in Ephesians 4:11-16. Emphasis is on one-to-many. Often demonstrated in the Epistles. An example of this would be our worship services. There is also private discipleship, as seen in Mark 3:14. Emphasis is one-to-one. Often demonstrated in the Gospels/Acts. An example of this would be two women who study Scripture together and do life together. Who are you discipling?
Genuinely Worship – Jesus, when speaking to the Samaritan woman, said, “…true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23 CSB). There are two non-negotiable things when it comes to our worship: Biblical soundness and sincere hearts. Every prayer, song, and message is rooted in the Scriptures. We must also note that worship is not just the songs we sing, but every aspect of our lives worship something or someone. We desire to worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with our words, our thoughts, and our actions.
Love Each Other – “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we must also love one another.” (1 John 4:11 CSB). Because of God’s great love for us, we are called to love one another. When considering what it means to love each other, consider God’s love for us. God loved us while we were still sinning against Him (Romans 5:8). God won’t allow anything to separate us from His love (Romans 8:37-39). God has loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). God has laid down His life for us (John 15:13). Loving each other is far more than feelings. We are image-bearers of God. We will never meet someone who is not made in God’s image. Since God loves us, let us also love one another.
Advance The Kingdom – “Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). This is what all believers are called to. We have been reconciled to God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and we are ambassadors for Christ. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God’” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Every time we share the gospel, we are fighting against the kingdom of darkness and pushing forward the Kingdom of God. Who is God leading you to share with?
Over the next few months, pray and seek the Lord’s will for you and for this body of believers. May we all glorify God together!
~ Pastor Brandon
