06. Church Attendance Is Not Disciple-Making
Can You Be a Disciple and Not Multiply Disciples?. Part 06
You can attend church every Sunday and never make a disciple.
You can serve faithfully. Give generously. Study the Bible deeply. Lead a ministry. Even hold a position of influence.
All these things are valuable. But none of them can replace personally helping another person follow and obey Jesus.
Jesus did not say: “Go and gather large crowds.” He said:
“Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you.”. Matthew 28:19. 20 WEB
Church attendance is important. We need worship. We need fellowship. We need biblical teaching. We need encouragement from other believers. But the gathering of the church was never intended to replace the mission of the church. The gathering should equip us for the mission.
We Have Confused Participation With Reproduction
Many Christians measure spiritual maturity by church activity. “How often do you attend?” “Where do you serve?” “How much Bible knowledge do you have?” “How many years have you been a Christian?”
Those questions may reveal involvement, but they do not necessarily reveal fruitfulness. A better question might be: Who are you personally helping follow Jesus?
Not simply inviting to church. Not merely giving advice. Not occasionally sending a Bible verse. Who are you walking with? Who are you teaching to obey Jesus? Who are you preparing to make disciples of others?
Jesus Did More Than Teach Crowds
Jesus preached to thousands, but He invested deeply in a few. He walked with His disciples. He answered their questions. He corrected them. He demonstrated ministry for them. He sent them out to practice. He helped them learn from their failures. Then He commanded them to do the same with others.
Jesus was not trying merely to create faithful attendees. He was forming obedient disciples who could make more disciples.
Serving in Church Is Not the Same as Making Disciples
You may welcome people at the door. Sing on the worship team. Teach a class. Work with children. Lead a ministry. Prepare meals. Maintain the building. All of these are meaningful acts of service.
But it is possible to stay extremely busy with church activities while never personally helping anyone become an obedient follower of Jesus.
Busyness is not multiplication. Ministry activity is not always disciple-making. Holding a church position does not automatically mean you are fulfilling the Great Commission.
The Church Should Be a Training Center
The church gathering should encourage, strengthen, correct, and equip us. But then we must go. Into our homes. Our neighborhoods. Our workplaces. Our schools. Our relationships. Our communities.
We gather to become stronger disciples. And then scatter to make disciples.
The goal is not simply to fill buildings with people. The goal is to fill homes, neighborhoods, cities, and nations with multiplying followers of Jesus.
This Is Not an Attack on the Church
The church is Christ’s body. Gathering with other believers is biblical and necessary. But we dishonor the purpose of the church when attendance becomes a substitute for obedience.
A healthy church does not merely ask: “How many people attended?” It also asks: “How many disciples are obeying Jesus?” “How many believers are sharing the gospel?” “How many new disciples are being made?” “How many disciple-makers are multiplying?”
The Question We Must Face
If you have attended church for years, what has all that teaching produced? Has it only made you more informed? Or has it made you more obedient? Has it only made you a faithful church member? Or has it equipped you to help others follow Jesus?
One day, Jesus will not ask how many church services we attended. He will look at what we did with what He entrusted to us.
Church attendance matters. Serving matters. Giving matters. Studying Scripture matters. But none of them can replace the command Jesus gave every disciple: Make disciples.
Who are you personally helping follow and obey Jesus. And who are they preparing to disciple next?
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