By: Chef Dashi
In order for discipleship to be truly effective, there needs to be a community of true believers. This is what the church should be. A community that is filled with the Spirit of God has power. When we look at the Acts of the Apostles, we can clearly see how the early church gathered, how they lived together, and how God was working in them. Let’s take a look at what such a Sprit-filled community looks like in the book of Acts:
“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved”(Acts 2:41-47).
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” (4:32).
“Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (5:41-42).
“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (6:7).
Jesus also speaks of the importance of a loving community where those who are saved are included. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The church is not a building or an organization, but a place where the love of Christ should abound and where true faith in Christ and love for each other should be built up. The “mentoring” and personal discipleship training become meaningful only in the larger context of the mission to build up the body of Christ as a community. That is God’s desire.
A mission organization in the United States did a study on disciple-making statistics. One of the questions they were looking for in their research was, “Why are people who have been so fruitful in student evangelism and discipleship in college found it so difficult to make disciples in the workforce? Before conducting the survey, I expected the reasons to be: less opportunities for evangelism in society, people not looking for the meaning of life, and busy work. But to my surprise, the answer was a lack of discipleship partners and a lack of community focused on discipleship. It seems that as students, we are often surrounded by opportunities to come together with others who share our burdens. It is not uncommon to be surrounded by leaders who are doing ministry on campus, and there are plenty of opportunities for training and learning. And they were surrounded by an environment where they could serve alongside their peers through campus evangelism opportunities, witness alongside their peers, and provide immediate discipleship training to those who were saved. Of course, the Lord can provide us with a wonderful community after we enter the workforce, but it makes me think how important it is to have a “community” that is rooted in Christ’s vision for disciple-making, so that together we can raise up disciples of Christ.
Japanese people especially value community, groups, and collectiveness. How much more powerful a community can be if it is built with biblical values. When the whole body is encouraged to have relationships that show true love and care for each other individually, rather than just gathering together, the community will be united by the true love that God originally had intended. Japanese people seek a strong sense of belonging and this increases their loyalty to the group. This attitude of loyalty tends to be seen as a form of morality, and is connected to a sense of beauty for the person. It fosters a stable sense of self-worth, and devotion to others and to one’s group also. The church, the body of Christ, is also a group. If the formation of a biblical community is done in a way that is in tune with the values of the Japanese people, how much more powerful will it be to function as a body. Mentoring is the key to the health of the individuals who make up such communities and churches.