Sunday mornings are essential for living faithfully as disciples of Christ. Gathering on the Lord’s Day was cornerstone of Christian fellowship and discipleship in the New Testament (Acts 20:7). And we rightly continue to emphasize that importance today.
But we often just think about Sunday mornings in terms of worship. Sometimes we can unwittingly reduce that just to “singing.” Singing can be worship but worship is far more than singing. In line with the trajectory of the rest of the Bible, Paul says all of life is worship (Rom 12:1). Yes, we do worship together on Sunday mornings. But is that all we are to do?
Sunday mornings are also meant to be a means of discipleship as much as anything we do. We gather as part of Jesus’ great commission command to teach others how to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:18-20). Yes, we are gathering together to worship the living God in a way we cannot do by ourselves. And while we are together, we are also seeking to help one another become more mature in Christ (Col 1:28-29).
The primary way we are discipled as a congregation on Sunday mornings is through the preaching of God’s Word. This was a central activity for the New Testament church. Paul said it should be the focus of Timothy’s ministry as a pastor (2 Tim 4:1–2). And the church loved to listen to preaching—even when they were tired from a long day at work (Acts 20:7–12)! When the whole church is gathered around the proclamation of Christ from the Scriptures, we have a unique opportunity to be encouraged and challenged, to worship and be discipled, at the same time and in the same way. It gives us a common experience which deepens friendships and opens up further avenues of discipleship.
But as essential as the sermon is for our life together as a local church, the sermon alone is not sufficient for our discipleship. The New Testament is replete with commands for ordinary believer to be at work discipling one another in various ways—welcoming (Rom 15:7), instructing (Rom 15:14), serving (Gal 5:13), exhorting (Heb 3:13), teaching, and admonishing by the Scriptures (Col 3:16). This is disciple-making! Christians cannot live by the sermon alone but by every encouragement given by God through other Christians.
Is this how you think about Sunday mornings? Do you think about showing up with a mindset that is not merely, ‘I want to be fed,’ but ‘I want to help disciple my spiritual family’? If not, how do you change your mindset? Over the coming weeks, I want to offer several practical suggestions. And in this post, I want to suggest we start by asking for help from God. We should seek a changed mindset by asking for it through prayer. Pray before you show up and pray while you're there. Specifically, you can pray for these four things:
1. Pray for a servant mindset over a consumer mindset
Jesus said that the greatest in his kingdom are those who serve (Mark 10:42–45). It’s easy to show up, thinking about what is best or most convenient for us. Our default mode may even be a consumer mindset, that merely asks, ‘What can I get out of this?’ But God would be more honored and his people better helped if we showed up with an attitude of service to others. Even simple things can be service to others: being on time, taking different seats, seeking to avoid distractions, not blocking doorways when I stand and talk to someone. But it could also more direct efforts to connect deeply with others.
To be clear, there are times when we are struggling against sin or the pain of life and the best we can is just show up. I get that. Here, I’m thinking of the big picture of our Sunday mindsets. Those times that are more “normal.” Pray and ask the Lord to give hearts like Jesus; hearts that long to serve (Gal 5:13).
2. Pray for eyes to see needs in others
People are in need all around us on Sunday mornings. Some people are lonely and need someone to talk to them. Others are visiting and need someone to make them feel at home. Many might have had a rough week and need someone to offer them the encouragement of God’s promises to be with and at work in them. Pray that God would open your eyes to be sensitive to the needs of those around you on Sunday mornings (1 Thess 5:14).
3. Pray for God to fill us with his Spirit put his Word in our minds and mouths
If we are going to help disciple God’s people, then we need more than homespun wisdom or trending ideas of the culture. We need to be ready to speak God’s truth. This is what builds up a church body into the image of Christ (Eph 4:15–16). Pray that God would fill you with his Spirit so that you might wield his sword well on Sunday mornings (Eph 5:15–21).
4. Pray for a willingness to receive encouragement and correction from others
As much as you may be seeking to help disciple those around you on Sunday mornings, others will be trying to do the same. That means someone is going to be looking at you as the object of their efforts. The worst thing we could do is think that somehow we have a lot to give, but need very little or nothing in return. As mature as we might be, there’s always room to grow. Pray that God would keep you humble so that you are willing to be discipled as much as you want to help disciple others (Jas 4:6).
Comments