this little light - Week four
Contributing author: Lindsay LaChapelle
In 2 Corinthians 5:15-21, the apostle Paul challenges the church of Corinth to no longer regard anyone from a worldly point of view but an eternal one, just like they used to view Christ from a worldly perspective. Being a good teacher, they now view Him as the One who gives salvation. In Christ, we are made into a new creation, and we are made righteous by God alone, who is righteous and takes away our sins. Because of this salvation, we experience many blessings: soundness, wholeness, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, redemption, and righteousness. Because Christ reconciled the world to Himself, He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. This is why we share the gospel because all people need this gift of salvation and the blessings it brings.
When you think of all that your salvation has helped you through, do you feel burdened to want to share that with others?
How can your testimony of God’s righteousness in your life be an example to someone who doesn’t believe in God or is against God because of their personal experiences?
Becoming saved is only the first step in our journey with Christ. The real work begins when we become a disciple of Christ. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives the Great Commission to His disciples that they might go into all the world and share the gospel, baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His commission was for the disciples then and for us now as well. God desires us to be followers of Him, take it one step further, and make disciples of others. We must be Christ-centered as we are commissioned by Christ. Only through Him will we be able to accomplish this by focusing our attention on Christ, obeying all He has commanded. As we make disciples and share the gospel with others, Christ promises that He will be there with us all our days. Even when you feel uncomfortable or nervous about how to share the gospel, God promises that He will be there to guide us through it.
Do you take the Great Commission seriously or struggle to share the gospel with others?
How can we keep Christ-centered in our lives to help others become Christ followers, both by example and by what you share with them?
When we are making disciples of Christ it can become easy to actually make followers of ourselves and not of Christ. When building disciples, keep them more focused on the Lord than on yourself. If you were to step out of their lives, would they continue to grow and seek the Lord, or would they fall away from God and disconnect from Him altogether? Stay Christ-centered always in your walk and the walk you help lead others in as well.
Do you ever struggle with feeling like a group of disciples you lead is becoming more about following you than following Christ? What would that look like?
How can you ensure that you are building Christ followers and not just ‘you’ followers?
Make a Move:
How can you start building more disciples in your everyday life? Loving someone the way Christ does and sharing His love with them shows them how good He is, allowing you to share the gospel with that person at a time that they feel ready to believe and accept. God doesn’t call us to be perfect at discipling others. Instead, he asks us to give it our all and to keep Him the focus along the way.
Prayer prompt:
Father, thank you for your righteousness, which makes us whole and takes away our sins. We ask that you be with us, as we know you are, as we make disciples for you and tell others about your love. Help us to stay focused on you always and help us to make followers of the God we follow. Keep us humble in this pursuit and please give us grace when we need it. Amen.