8. Church and the Movement of God
The eighth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.
Our mission begins with making disciples, but is not complete until those disciples are formed into a community.
When Troy and Rick first met Shane and his two friends in California, they didn’t just teach them; they walked alongside them in discipleship. Then they equipped them to reach their relationships and challenged them to form the new disciples into a church.
God wants a people who will display his glory to the world, now and into eternity.
From the beginning, God’s purpose in calling Abraham was to father a nation that would become a witness to the nations (Genesis 12:1–3). That vision was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, who embodied faithful Israel.
The call to follow Jesus was a call to form communities of his disciples. Jesus taught his disciples what it means to follow him together. He taught them to obey his commands. He taught them to live a life of love, forgiveness, generosity, and servanthood. He taught them to proclaim the good news of God’s reign and to make disciples. He taught them to pray and expect God to answer. He taught them not to fear persecution. He taught them to baptize new disciples and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. Most of all, he taught them who he is—Messiah, Lord, and Savior of the world. The identity of the people of God was formed from the life and mission of Jesus.
Luke provides us with a clear picture of the life of the first church as God’s intention for all churches (Acts 2:36–47). He shows us how churches should function. They are devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to each other, and to prayer. They gather publicly and from house to house, sharing meals, experiencing the power of the Spirit. They meet the needs of the poor within the community.
In Texas, prisoners gather daily in day rooms to pray and worship, share their burdens and breakthroughs, study the Scriptures, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and give to those in need. They are not just a Bible study; they are the body of Christ, the people of God, the new Israel.
In a movement, the task doesn’t end with a profession of faith but continues to the obedience of faith in a community of disciples. There’s no evangelism without discipleship and no discipleship without church formation.
In Acts, wherever the gospel finds faith, churches are formed from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. The core missionary task is about taking the gospel to every people and every place, forming new disciples into churches to the glory of God.
For groups and individuals:
Read Acts 2:36–47.
What do we learn about God from this story?
What do we learn about people?
What do we learn about church and the movement of God?
What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?
