Unchurched disciples?

According to some statistics given by the Barna Research Group, in 2004 there were 75 million people in the USA who were unchurched. The term “Unchurched” refers to people who claims to be believers in Christ, but do not attend worship services. According to American Religion Contemporary Trends, the number has grown to 125 million. The Barna Group also reported in State of the Church 2016 that 75% of Americans claim to be Christians, but only 35% of them attend church (Pop. 323.13 mil; 242.34 mil Christians; 157.5 mil unchurched.

“I love Jesus. but I do not like the church!” some people says. What a contradiction! That means, “I do love Jesus, but I do not love what Jesus loves”.

Ephesians 5:25–27 NASB95

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

300 citas para predicadores de la iglesia moderna El Firme Amor de Cristo Por La Iglesia

Antes que la primera estrella fuera encendida, antes que la primera criatura viviente comenzara a cantar la alabanza a su Creador, él amó a su iglesia con amor eterno. La contempló en el espejo de la predestinación, la imaginó en su divina presciencia y la amó con todo su corazón; y fue por esta causa que dejó a su Padre y se hizo uno con ella para poder redimirla

Eph 5:25-27

He loved, loves, and will love her! And, Who is the church? The believers… and that includes you.

He loved, loves, and will love her! Who is the church? The believers… and that includes you.

Can I be a disciple without belonging to a church? Let me answer you with some questions: Can you be a soldier without belonging to an army? Can you be professional soccer player without belonging to a team? Can you be a sailor without a ship?

Participating in a worship service every week is a discipline of every disciple or of those who want to grow as disciples. Why?

The Church is part of God’s plan for discipleship.

Created as a family.

Ephesians 2:19 NASB95

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

As a caring and loving Father, God has created the church as a family where the members of the family can be reared to become mature and responsible members of the family and society.

As a caring Father, God has created the church as a family where the members of the family can be reared to become mature and responsible members of the family and society.

A family where the members can find love all the time, nourishment, correction (when necessary), support, and fraternity (interaction with brothers and sisters).

1 John 3:1 NASB95

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Being part of the church is a way of identifying ourselves as children of God, as members of His family. Can you be a disciple of Christ without being part of His family? No way!

As we rub elbow to elbow with other believers, we grow emotionally and spiritually as we learn to be patient, to be accepting, to care for others, to forgive and be forgiven.

We cannot grow vertically unless we grow horizontally. A strong relationship with God requires a strong relationship with our fellow brethren.

Created as a discipleship training center.

Ephesians 4:11–13 NASB95

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

11-13

Jesus spent three years loving and training His disciples for the task He would later assign to them: the Great Commission!

A disciple of Christ is expected to make other disciples. But how can you make disciples if have not been trained as a disciple and on how to make disciples? It is impossible!

The church is the training center to which the Lord provided the trainers: “some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers”. The first mentioned (apostles and prophets) are dead and no longer necessary, but the last three are still needed to train the believers, “for the equipping of the saints...”

Equipping for what? Three areas of training are highlighted here: 1- Training for the work of service, 2- to build up the Church, and, 3- to become mature like Christ.

The Church is an encouragement center.

Hebrews 10:23–25 NASB95

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Heb

When you are and live as a disciple of Christ, out there, six days a week, you are persecuted, attacked, criticized, and discouraged by the enemy and his pawns, the world.

What do you need? Encouragement! The church is the place where you can be emotionally recharged: “encouraging one another;”. A disciple does not depend on the pastor’s visit to be encouraged, he attends church to be encouraged by God’s Word and the support of other disciples.

Receiving the preaching and teaching of the Word of God increases our faith and builds us up spiritually. Every believer knows what it is to face spiritual conflicts to their faith, and must realize the importance of being fed spiritually so that they can overcome the challenges. (Dale A. Robbins)

The Church is a worship center.

Worship is essential in a disciple’s life.

Immature believers think that they can worship God only when they do not have other things to do. Therefore, they worship once in a while. Once or twice a month because, on the other two Sundays, they have to work, go to the swap meet, watch the soccer game, receive visitors at home, or simply rest.

Disciples, on the other side, have understood that, for some reasons, God has commanded man to set apart a day every week to dedicate it to Him. They know they have a weekly appointment with their Creator and that they should not miss it for nothing in this world.

If the boss calls you to his office, I am sure you will not say, “I do not feel like it” or “I am busy now”. I am sure that you will stop anything you’re doing and you’ll go right away.

Disciples have learned that “man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” They cannot only work and work; they need to worship God every week.

Exodus 20:9–10 NASB95

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

9-10

Leviticus 23:3 NASB95

‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.

Lev 23

Church is a safe place to worship freely.

If you worship in a park, plaza, or the street, what do you think will it happen? People will be offended, they will see you as crazy, you will be mocked, even you may be arrested. This world opposes any public demonstration of Christianity.

You may promote abortion in public, practice immorality, have political demonstrations, and, if you go to Guadalajara, Mexico, you can have sex in public. Ah, but worshipping God in public, that’s a no-no.

At church we may exalt the name of the Almighty, we may sing praises to Him, we may rejoice with others in God’s presence; and as a result, we grow spiritually.

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