The Strategy of Jesus for Evangelism and Discipleship

The life group or missional community is the strategy of God for making things better. He tried to show us. How? Look at Him, saints. After a night in prayer the Son of God makes a missional community of twelve (Luke 6:12-16). In that intimate community Jesus is Rabbi, Father, Light, and living lesson on mercy and humility. And the members of that community mean much to Him. They are His disciples, children, frustration, unreliable comfort, means for meeting the immediate needs of the crowd, and His focus. He sanctified Himself for them (John 17:19).

And after many trials and triumphs some in that small band still doubt Him (Matthew 28:17). But they, with the exception of Judas, are His. And He is theirs. Together they are a community with a mission of leading people to life through faith in Christ – a missional community (Acts 1:8). With Him they are witnessing to the world, working in the faith community, learning the word, and worshipping. After He goes home they continue in that community with a mission. Why? They need each other and, empowered by His Spirit, they will stay together and make things better in the world.

The life group or missional community continues to be the way of making life better for (1) the individual, (2) the missional community itself, and (3) the surrounding society. Using these little tribes of Jesus followers, God brings His message of reconciliation and mission of rescuing the lost.

Are you in one? That is, are you in a missional community. It is His strategy for making things better.