Christian Discipleship and the Local Church

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. For the first three centuries A. D, the meeting place of Christians was private homes, not distinctive church buildings.

This was also the pattern of the Pauline churches. There were fixed patterns of ethical instruction in regard to social and political obligation. How frequently or on what days the church assembled is also unknown. It is puzzling to hear a believer say they desire to follow and grow in Christ yet they do not attend church.

Many are guilty of disparaging the idea of attending the local church. Usually the reason is because we do not want to perform out of tradition or get caught up in the game of religiosity. Instead, we desire to have authentic worship. At a glance, these comments can seem very pious, but upon dissection, they do not seem to hold up against the desires of Christ.

The Process

This is not a maneuver to declare that traditions have an inherent significance. Indeed, there are many traditions that are man-centered. The mandate of the church was birthed through the Spirit and has the continuity and principle infrastructure of the temple and synagogue. Here are a few websites we recommended you use to receive further training and help aid your worship of Christ:. The Gospel Coalition for Theology and Worldview. The Resurgence for Theology and Worldview. Desiring God for Theology and Worldview.

God Squad for Campus Ministry and Evangelism. Gospel Centered Discipleship for Accountability.

The Local Church Hebrews As such, ecclesia can designate: The believers who gather in a particular home as a house church. Thus we conclude that the church is not conceived numerically but organically, which means: That the whole power of Christ is available to every local congregation.

That each congregation functions in its community as the universal church functions in the world as a whole. That the local congregation is no isolated group but stands in a state of solidarity with the church as a whole. Regular attendance at instruction given by the apostles Goal of teaching and fellowship.

What have you learned about the church? How does what you have learned affect your attitude toward the church? Do you give all of yourself to the body, or do you hold something back? What are two ways you can help foster unity in your local church? Memory Verses Hebrews Add new comment Your name. More information about text formats.

Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. We know that our salvation is not by our works but by the finished work of Christ alone. We know that when we came to God, we came empty handed, and it is He who gives us perfect righteousness and eternal beauty in His sight. But what a stunning and exciting thing it is to be invited to be a co-laborer with God in making the gospel even more beautiful to the world!

How is this possible? Through our obedience and submission to God and to one another. In doing this, we honor God. We point the spotlight on Him. We make His glory and His holiness the focus. As we are discipled by godly men and women, we begin to look more like our Savior, making His beauty more visible to the world, so that when we go out and make disciples, there is no question who had sent us.

What beautiful worship to give our God, spending our lives reflecting and making more reflections of His glory! May we be a church passionate for discipleship, adorning the doctrine of God to those who need Him. Brianna is wife to Matt and mother to Lorien.

She is passionate about helping cultivate healthy, gospel-centered marriages and families. Follow our blog in Feedly. Posted on May 25, Posted By: Discipleship is essentially becoming more like Christ Every believer is called to discipleship: Here are three simple reminders why we need to be passionate for discipleship in the church: Discipleship is a Command Plain and simple, the inspired, authoritative, perfect Word of God tells us we need to be seeking discipleship from older godly men and women, and need be discipling those younger in the faith than us.

Discipleship is the natural outflow of a committed church member I encourage you to go read our church covenant and be reminded of the commitment you have made or should make to the family of God around you. Discipleship is the natural outflow of a committed church member Why should you care about discipleship? Who should you be discipling?

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The family God has given you in the local church. Discipleship is Worship One of the most beautiful parts of Titus 2 to me is the ending of verse