Acts 2:42- 47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 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.”
During Thursday Leadership Lesson, we have been talking about the 4 dimensions of discipleship: Seeking, Learning, Influencing, and Investing. Today, I want to focus on the Influencer dimension.
Influencing is the relational dimension of discipleship. In Acts 2, we see that the disciples were intentional relationship-builders who were “devoted to the fellowship.” The early believers prioritized hospitality. They “broke bread together in their homes.” They loved being together, whether it was in the Temple or in their homes. Disciples are fiercely committed to one another.
We also read in Acts 2 that the disciples were “enjoying the favor of all the people.” That means they had an impact beyond the four walls of their church space; they were sharing their lives with people who were not yet believers. Evidently, they exerted a great influence because “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
We typically make distinctions between evangelism (sharing our faith with those who do not know Christ) and discipleship (sharing our faith with those who are fellow followers of Christ). I believe this is an artificial and distinction and that both efforts are part of the same process. We share our faith with our friends so they will cross the line of faith and follow Christ, and then we disciple them so that they can turn around and share their faith with others, as well.
Discipleship is not an option for any believer. Jesus commands us all to go make disciples. This is not an obligation. It is a privilege. Ninety-nine percent of discipleship, whether focused on unbelievers or believers, comes down to shared experience-it’s about doing life together.
Influencers are constantly looking for ways to make a difference in their spheres of influence. They believe they can affect the spiritual atmosphere in their marketplaces, in their neighborhoods, and in the nations. Influencers live in community with others. They work to make their neighborhoods better. They spread the love and message of Christ to the remote places of the world.
At NCC, we accomplish these missions through a number of different mechanisms. Our small groups model the community described in Acts 2. We become the hands and feet of Christ during Crew events, like the Mother’s Day House Paint and the Easter Eggstravaganza. We share the love and message of Christ to the nations through missions trips.
Ultimately, Influencers do not approach evangelism and discipleship as a “program.” Rather, they share their faith naturally as they share their lives with others. They are constantly looking for ways to make someone’s day.
Galatians 6:9 is the mindset of an influencer. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Influencers also understand that the little things are the big things. That’s the message of Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did it unto me.” This stuff is within all of our abilities: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.“
The Journey of discipleship involves the adventure of Influencing, and we should constantly be looking for ways to share the love and message of Christ with others. If you would like to read more about this topic, check out the following books:
Becoming a Person of Influence (John Maxwell)
Everybody’s Normal ‘Til You Get to Know Them (John Ortberg)
Roaring Lambs (Bob Briner)
Contagious Christianity (Bill Hybels)
The Master Plan of Evangelism (Robert Coleman)
Growing True Disciples (George Barna)
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (U.S. Center for World Mission)
Man Heather this is so challenging and so good. Thanks for all the work you put into this and for coaching us to influence those around us.
heidiscanlon
December 22nd, 2005