Every Christian has their favorite style of church. We all tend to gravitate towards a type of church that meets our desired preferences. Have you ever thought about God’s favorite style of church?
God’s favorite style of church is a lifestyle church.
Be the Church 01 – God’s Favorite Style of Church
Jesus’ Great Commission provides a template for a lifestyle church:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I commanded you, and behold, I am with you always even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
Using those four phrases, we understand that a church is composed of disciples who have:
- a commission to the nations (mission),
- a commitment to the church (ministry),
- a commandment for discipleship (discipleship), and
- a communion with Jesus (worship).
What would happen if we were able to move these from an activity of what we do to an identity of who we are?
Worship Lifestyle
What different types of worship styles can you think of? Psalm 34:1-3 speaks of what a lifestyle of worship looks like.
- Worshiping the LORD should not be reserved to a weekly hour or a mere building.
- Our worship should be as frequent as God’s presence is in our lives.
- Proper and authentic worship keeps one humble.
- A true worshiper has a way of bringing other worshipers along.
Discipleship Lifestyle
What do most people expect discipleship to be like in the local church? Hebrews 10:24-25 teaches the importance of investing in lives for the purpose of discipleship.
- While we must study the Scriptures with one another, the Scriptures also indicate that we must study one another.
- Each of us are stirred up to love and good works in different ways than works with another person.
- For discipleship to take place, we must prioritize simply being together.
- As we go forward, we are in need of Christian encouragement to help us persevere.
Ministry Lifestyle
Instead of volunteering for a position, we want to unleash ministers into a calling. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 teaches that God gives us gift with which to serve one another.
- God has uniquely wired you and intentionally positioned you for a certain calling.
- You can’t clock in and out of a calling – it is a part of who you are.
- God has given each of us spiritual gifts for the common good.
- If you don’t do your part, we are missing out.
Missions Lifestyle
More than a program or a trip, missions is our lifestyle of sharing the good news of Jesus with others. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 provides a framework for a missional lifestyle.
- If you truly love someone, you will be concerned with his or her spiritual condition.
- Sharing the gospel with someone always starts by sharing a life with someone.
- You can’t live a missional life if you do not share a communicable message.
- Missions is about giving Jesus’ gospel and your life away to others.
God’s favorite style of church is a lifestyle. If we could be the church rather than come to church, we would see Kingdom work not as something we do but who we actually are.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.