Waha Disciple Making Challengeনমুনা

How to activate what you already have for disciple-making

What if we told you you already have the most powerful disciple-making tool? It’s just waiting to be activated! You will find out about that tool in today’s devotional...

Read 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

*For a little context: Keep in mind that Paul is writing this letter to a diverse group of house churches in an ancient port city, Corinth. When he says circumcised, he is referring to Jewish believers, and when he says uncircumcised, he is referring to Greek believers.

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Take a moment to consider these questions:

• How many different social and ethnic groups do you see being addressed in this passage?
• Why do you think it was important for believers to remain in the groups they were already a part of after becoming Christians?
• Paul said this was a rule in all the churches he started. What might be the outcome if our churches today followed this rule? Why?

Your secret weapon: Affinity Groups you are already a part of

If you haven’t guessed it by now, that powerful disciple-making tool we mentioned earlier is the people already in your life! Specifically, the way they form groups around you and each other. These groups are built around several things people have in common. They could be a family, a church community, members of the same ethnic group, people who love the same hobby, or co-workers. Sociologists call these affinity groups. You’re already part of them without even knowing! And because you have things in common, people in these groups usually like to hear what you have to say. That means they can be fertile soil to find new people to share Jesus with, but also good places to find co-laborers.

Paul and his companions

We often think of Paul as a brilliant missionary solely responsible for spreading the gospel throughout the ancient world. Yet Paul preferred to work collaboratively as part of a community of disciple-makers. Most of the letters he wrote were coauthored, and he is rarely seen in the stories of the New Testament acting alone. If there was anything Paul was an expert in, it was leveraging the groups he was a part of to find new co-laborers. Consider how he found just a few of his companions in Scripture...

• Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple who were part of a guild for tentmakers, in which Paul had membership. He met them while practicing his vocational trade. (Acts 18:2-3)
• Crispus was the leader of a Jewish Synagogue in Corinth. Because Paul was a learned Jewish religious leader, he made it a habit of speaking about Jesus in Synagogues whenever he came to a new city. This helped him connect with his ethnic group, which is how he met Crispus, later a key house church leader in Corinth. (Acts 18:8)
• Tyranus was a Greek who organized a lecture hall for those interested in philosophy, a popular hobby in Ephesus. Through their shared interest in philosophy and rhetoric, Paul and Tyranus became close enough for Tyranus to open his lecture hall to Paul when he could not continue in the synagogues. (Acts 19:9)

If you truly want to make disciples that multiply, we encourage you not to go it alone! Even if you don’t think you are the most influential person in your family or friend group, you’ll find that starting a disciple-making community is much easier than you may realize. All you have to do is look for co-laborers within the affinity groups you are already a part of!

Action step

By now, you are putting into practice several disciple-making habits every day:

• You are praying for non-believers on your conversation quadrant
• You are engaging with them through simple conversations
• You are praying for fellow believers who might feel the same way you do about making disciples.

Today, we want you to keep doing what you’re doing, but just add one step: Contact one of the believers on your list and ask them to pray for people in your conversation quadrant with you.

Tomorrow is the last day of this disciple-making challenge. Have you kept up with the action steps every day? Even if not, God is always ready to give grace, so simply do the next thing you feel Him leading you to do. You are doing great!