Waha Disciple Making ChallengeChikamu

How to see people come to faith every day

Did you know there was a time in history when God’s people saw new people come to faith every single day? Are stories like this happening today as well? In today’s devotional, we will see what it looks like when the Church catches God’s heart for disciple-making.

Read Acts 2:42-47

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

Take a moment to consider these questions:

• Make a list of all the things you saw the believers doing in this passage.
• In this passage, who appeared to be doing the things on your list? Was it a few leaders, or was it the entire community?
• Where did these people meet, and why might that be significant to people adding to their number day by day?

Disciple Making Communities: The key to success

If there was one man qualified enough to do ministry alone, it was Jesus. He was with God in the beginning. He knew the scriptures. He could heal people and gather large crowds. However, the first thing Jesus did in his public ministry was to gather twelve men to become the world’s first Disciple Making Community. (It’s important to note that women were a part of this community, too. Many of them joined later.) Jesus wanted friends to partner with him.

How family can be found on mission

In the 1960s, Anthropologist Victor Turner studied the community-building rituals of Zambian tribes. These tribes challenged their boys to survive briefly in the bush, relying on one another to do so. Only after this ordeal were they considered men. Turner discovered these young men found a powerful sense of fellowship with one another.

We see this in the world around us every day. From the bond, soldiers feel on the battlefield to a team of athletes stepping onto the pitch. Even survivors of trauma form powerful bonds in support groups as they navigate their healing journeys together.

Disciple-making is no doubt full of challenges. But when we do it with others, we grow closer. We become a family on a mission.

Why the early church was so successful, even if it was persecuted

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Luke 10:1-2, emphasis ours)

Throughout the New Testament, God’s people go into the mission field together. Jesus sends the 72 out in pairs. Paul travels with Barnabas, or Silas, or Timothy. Aquila and Priscilla are a married couple whom God uses powerfully in Ephesus. Even the New Testament text itself was created by groups of people. We usually credit Paul for writing his letters, but did you know that most of them were co-authored with another person?

There is something about being together that causes multiplication.

Action step

So, who will be in a Disciple-Making Community with you?

Today, we want to challenge you to continue praying over your conversation quadrant and contacting someone on the quadrant to have a simple conversation. You can talk to the same person from yesterday or a new one—it’s up to you!

Additionally, we want to invite you to flip over your conversation quadrant and write down a new list on the back of this piece of paper. This list should include like-minded believers you know who might be interested in joining you on your disciple-making journey. Don’t worry about contacting them today. Just spend an extra five minutes praying for them. Can’t think of anyone? Pray for God to reveal someone to you!