Complexity into Simplicity

Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house,

they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

Sometimes we try to make the simplest things the most complicated. Why? I’m not quite sure. Maybe we feel like to make something work and to make it an attention getter, it must be complex. Yesterday, I learned again that is certainly not the case, especially when it comes to building up a church. The verse was broken down for me last night, to show how simple it really is to become and make disciples. 

1.      Every day: Every day we must be reaching for the goal to become a disciple of Christ and to make disciples. It doesn’t just happen on Sundays during church, or on the night of your weekly Bible study. Everything we do and everywhere we go is a chance to share Christ.

I’m going to be completely honest that this is a struggle for me. I love meeting people and getting to know them, but when it comes to sharing God’s love and the amazing thing he did for all of us, I freeze up. In my eyes, I feel the relationship will be broken and I will lose that friendship with that particular person if I share too much about my faith. This is something I am working on and trying to overcome, and being at the church plant is giving me lots of opportunities to overcome that fear!

2.        In the temple: They were in the temple every Lord’s Day, or Sunday. We are to be at church to learn, to fellowship, and to ultimately bring glory to God as we worship Him.

3.      And from house to house: The Church is not the only place the gospel should be shared. We are starting to live this out by having Life Groups throughout the week in different homes. This is also one of the ways we will be making disciples as we hope to see other groups branch off of our first groups.

4.      They did not cease: How easy is it to give up? VERY! It’s easy to say, “I am going to be god of my own world.” Even when things aren’t going so well, (if your life is great something soon will probably happen to shake that up) we are to not stop doing what we are doing. If for 4 weeks no one or only one person is showing up at our Life Group on Tuesday nights, we can’t stop having it. If anything, it will be a great time for Joel and me to be doing another weekly Bible study together. This, I have learned is essential for our church plant. Ups and downs are going to happen: We have had some already, and I know many more are to come. Either way, we have to keep God in the center and our focus.

5.      Teaching and preaching Jesus is the Christ: Christ = messiah/anointed one

I know that if we follow this simple verse that God is going to be glorified. Life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it seem. Yes, there is a lot going on in our families, work, school, and everything else, but sometimes, we just have to remember to not be complex.