Practical Discipleship in Words and Deeds?
Pastor Thian Chye shares 3 practical areas that we can live out as disciples of Christ in this community and beyond while discipling one another.
In last week’s article, Pastor Oliver shared how discipleship has been a part of his Christian faith and it should be ours as well. He has been blessed by all the one-to-one and group meetups he has had with members of the church—to read the Bible or a good Christian book, to pray about what they have learned and to encourage each other to live that out in their lives. The end goal is to make disciples of Christ.
What does it look like in our day to day living? How can the world know we are disciples of Christ? While an essential part of discipleship consists of reading the Bible or Christian books, pray and encouragement with one another, the other is to live a life of love for one another that flows from the love of Christ through the gospel. This love was demonstrated to us through Christ’s death on the cross and this love for one another was commanded by our Lord Jesus when He taught His disciples in John 13:34–35:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
So, an essential fruit of that discipleship process is to be able to see that we love one another to the extent that others can identify us as disciples of Christ! And that’s not based on how good or experienced we are in discipling others but solely on the mighty power of the Spirit at work in their lives.
What are some practical aspects of discipleship to take note of when we are discipling others? Let me suggest three areas where we, as members of Grace Baptist Church, can live out as disciples of Christ in this community and beyond while discipling one another:
1. Showing Christian Hospitality to One Another
Displaying Christian hospitality is one way we can disciple one another. Are we willing to open up our homes and share a meal with fellow church members. My family regularly hosts members and visitors over to our house for fellowship over a home cooked meal. We are always blessed by these guests through the sharing of their faith and how God has been faithful in their lives. If your home is not available, you can bring them out for a simple meal.
One immediate opportunity is the upcoming Weekender Conference that will be held in GBC from 5–8 September 2024 where pastors and gospel workers will be among our midst for four full days. We encourage you to have a meal, breakfast or dinner with the attendees and share God’s faithfulness in each other's lives and learn what God is doing in their homeland and ministry. Indicate your interest and availability via this form, or reach out to our ministry staff, Joshua Lowe (joshua@gracebaptistchurch.sg).
2. Sharing of Lives with One Another
For the last six years, my wife, Janice and I have had the privilege and many opportunities to disciple couples during pre-marital counselling sessions. Not only do we teach the biblical truth of marriage from the Bible, but more importantly we share how we strive to live out these truths in our lives, coupled with our joy and struggles in the process of doing so. These couples can see the reality of Scripture lived out in different circumstances of our marriage and how we can point and encourage them towards Christ and the gospel. I would like to encourage older couples to be intentional in reaching out to younger couples so that we can cultivate a culture of discipleship by walking alongside them in their marriages. Use the many wonderful precious lessons that God has taught and mould you in your own marriage to share and shepherd them.
3. Sharing of Resources with One Another
We can love one another by sharing the resources that God has graciously blessed us with. Take a moment to reflect what God has graciously blessed you with. By God’s grace, many of us are blessed with a comfortable housing apartment. Occasionally, we are able to free up a room to share with members who may be in an urgent need of accommodation for a short period of time, or occasionally we can extend to host missionaries who are visiting us over the weekend. While staying together, there are many opportunities for fellowship and discipleship. We also do have members who need transport to and from church on a Sunday or even for medical appointments. If available, we can use our time and car to serve one another. This in itself is discipleship as we serve one another as good stewards of God’s resources.
While we desire to disciple one another by striving to live out our own life as disciples of Christ, there is a cost to bear. For instance, the slight inconvenience caused or perhaps a little conflict. There will be many potential challenges that we might face while serving one another in these little ways possible. Though challenging, let us press on and continue to encourage each other to disciple one another in the faith with the wisdom and power of the Spirit. In conclusion, do pause and ponder over these questions: “Do I intentionally seek out to do one-to-one discipleship with members of this household that God has placed me in? How am I discipling others in words and deeds, living out in my own life?”
Together as a church, let us make disciples making part of our faith and body life of GBC. May the words of Apostle Paul urges us even more:
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. (1 Cor 4:15–16)
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1)