Christian or a Disciple?

Becoming A Disciple

This Saturday Jimmy and I went to Richmond to visit the Richmond Outreach Center Church. We had heard that they had an exceptional ministry to the poor and marginalized people of Richmond in what is promoted as ‘the fastest growing church in America.’

Pastor Geronimo’s message focused on being a ‘peculiar people’ as he began a series on the difference between being a Christian ‘consumer’ verses a Disciple of Christ. The interesting thing about the message is that it was in many ways reflective of a message the Lord gave us as we began to step out of the comfort of our church pews to take the gospel to others. That message was, that “it’s not easy to be a Christian.”

Both in the message that the Lord gave us, and the message presented by the pastor of this ministry driven church, was the fact that there is always a ‘cost’ to be a disciple. Pastor Geronimo emphasized that no matter what the cost is to do the will of the Lord the value of your obedience is always greater. In other words, sacrifice what is of value here in order to gain true treasure in heaven.

That’s what ‘A Church Without Walls’ is all about. Getting up and out of your comfort zone and rejecting the very thought of being a consumer ‘Christian’. Instead decide to pick up your cross and follow Christ, and become a disciple.

We were excited to see that the Lord is sharing this same powerful message with others and that ministries like ‘A Church Without Walls’ and the ‘Richmond Outreach Center Church’ are being blessed by the Lord. God is doing a new thing in the church and in the world and we are grateful to have even a small role in what His Holy Spirit is doing.

Let me encourage you to make a decision today to pick up your cross and become a disciple too.   

Walking in His Resurrection Power,

"A Church Without Walls"