In the last 2 verses of Matthew, Jesus said:
(This is our Great Commission.)
This is true disciple-making. And it is the mission Jesus gave to every disciple. Go out and make more of you. Teach them. Invest in them. Build them up.
The question is, what is the most effective way to make disciples?
How did Jesus make His own disciples?
And what does Scripture say that can help us be more effective in encouraging others to follow Jesus also.
In a moment, we’re going to take a look at Acts 2:42-47.
This is a picture of the church immediately after the day of Pentecost, only 7 days after Christ’s ascension. Peter had just given an evangelistic message in the city of Jerusalem where 3000 souls followed Jesus. How did they multiply. Well at first, Peter preached from a rooftop openly to a crowd of unbelievers when the Holy Spirit had just descended. Okay, that’s one way to grow the church. Evangelistic preaching, check. But then what? Then what?
I’ve got news for you. That’s not discipleship. Bold evangelism after signs and wonders doesn’t happen every day. But what does happen every day? Let’s see. Verse 42. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. Good. And so do we when we study scripture and sit under sound teaching.
Paul said in 1 Cor 8:1, “All of us possess knowledge; and this knowledge puffs up… but love builds up.”
Knowledge puffs up. Love, what we do when we get together with others, that builds up. The believers after Pentecost didn’t just devote themselves to the apostle’s teaching. It says they were also devoted to 3 more things:
- fellowship together;
- breaking bread together; and
- praying together.
They were devoted to the love that built each other up.
Let’s read further in Acts 2:46, “And day by day, attending (Jewish) temple together and breaking bread in their homes…”
They were full of joy and generosity and praise. That joyful generosity was contagious.
Verse 47 says, they had “favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily.”
Daily fellowship. Daily discipleship. Day by day, the kingdom grew.
Now when it says they broke bread, that means very simply that they had meals together.
Where? In the temple?
No. They broke bread in their homes. Good old fashioned hospitality.
Yes, of course they also attended temple together. Herod’s Temple was still standing. This was Jerusalem and these were Jewish Christians. But worship in the temple is always vertical. Temple worship was still part of their Hebrew culture.
But discipleship didn’t happen in the temple. It didn’t happen at the altar. It didn’t happen in the throng or with the crowd who came to worship.
Discipleship happens in dialogue. It happens when we engage each other. When we exchange questions, prayers, testimonies, advice, kindness and affection for one another.
And here is the antidote to the decline in faith worldwide. We need more tables to sit across from each other and share.
Discipleship happens in circles, not in rows. It happens in small groups and involves real conversations. Which brings me to my first point…
Hospitality is at the heart of discipleship
Did you know, that the New Testament Epistles were written to believers who met together in homes.
- The church in Rome and in Ephesus met at the home of Prisca & Aquila (Romans 16:3-5, 1 Cor 16:19).
- The church in Colossae met at the home of Philemon (Philemon).
- The church in Philippi met at the home of Lydia (Acts 16).
- The church in Thessalonica met at the home of Jason (Acts 17:5-9).
- The church in Corinth met at the home of Gaius (Rom 16:23, 1 Co 1:14).
- The church in Laodicea met at the home of Nympha (Col 4:15).
Church was never thought of as a building with stained glass and a pulpit. Early Christians would never have imagined a cathedral. It was not a place they went to watch like going to the theater. The church is the bride of Christ, His people. And in the New Testament, believers met in homes, around tables, in small groups.
Hospitality is a mark of genuine love.
Romans 12:9-13: Let love be genuine… Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
1 Peter 4:8-9: Above all, keep loving one another earnestly… Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
And pro tip, hospitality isn’t only for close friends.
Hebrews 13:2: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (We should welcome strangers, outsiders and those in need who are hurting.)
And before we move to the next point: hospitality is not optional. It is a requirement of every leader in the church. (1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:7-8).
Discussion
- Did you know, that the New Testament Epistles were written to believers who met together in homes. What does that list of host homes tell you about what a church is?
- Hospitality is a mark of genuine love. Why does Hebrews 13:2 push it past close friends, to strangers?
- Hospitality is not optional. It is a requirement of every leader in the church. Why do you suppose Paul made it a qualification?
Discipleship happens in dialogue: to build one another up
1 Thessalonians 5:11: Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (οἰκοδομή oikodomē edification)
Rom 14:19: So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
2 Cor 12:19b …It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
1 Cor 14:12b, 17, 26
- …strive to excel in building up the church.
- 17 …For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
- 26 …What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
v 29…Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Disciples are not building a building made with hands. We are building up each other through words of faith and encouragement. This can only be done when we interact. When we do life together. And I realize this is completely counter culture. I know many of us prefer to hide behind our screens and our social media profiles. But guys, Jesus taught us different.
He set an example with the 12. He built them up and sent them out. This is how we turn the world upside down. Let’s get outside our own headspace on a regular basis.
Who are you building up? Think of someone, and invite them over for a meal, a snack or a coffee. Where two or three are gathered, Jesus is there with you.
- Hospitality is at the heart of discipleship
- Discipleship happens in dialogue: to build one another up
Discussion
- Who are you building up? Think of someone, and invite them over for a meal, a snack or a coffee.
- Paul keeps returning to one word, oikodomē, building up. In 1 Cor 14:26, what is the test he applies to everything that happens when the church comes together?
- Disciples are not building a building made with hands. So what are we building, and what does Ephesians 4:29 say our words have to do with it?
We are all called to share, not just to spectate
Church is not an event to observe. As we’ve already seen, believers in the New Testament met in homes. In small groups. In dining rooms and living rooms. Facing one another. Many participated in reading, asking, answering, singing, praying, encouraging, giving, serving and other acts of kindness.
They never came to some theater for a celebrity pastor’s sermon, or a Grammy artist’s song. Making disciples doesn’t involve a stage performance. Making disciples is all about participation with one another, often.
Many people think Christianity is about attending church. But it’s really about participating together in the mission of Christ.
The least effective form of discipleship is to drop someone into a crowded room. Shy people like me just run for the corner. If you really want to impact someone’s life, it happens in our homes or over coffee. It takes relationships. And we can only have so many of these at a time.
Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.
1 Peter 4:10: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
John 13:12-17: Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
Jesus never wants us to watch from the sidelines. Let’s all use our gifts.
- Hospitality is at the heart of discipleship
- Discipleship happens in dialogue: to build one another up
- We are called to share, not just spectate
Discussion
- Many people think Christianity is about attending church. But it’s really about participating together in the mission of Christ. Where do you feel the pull toward attending instead of participating?
- The least effective form of discipleship is to drop someone into a crowded room. Why do you think that is?
- Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and said, “I have given you an example.” What does that example ask of us in a small group?
We are called to the Lord’s table, not a temple
The Old Covenant revolved around the temple, the priests, the altar, the sacrifices. And the Gentiles had their own versions of these religious elements in their pagan temples.
John 2:19: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Mark 14:58: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’”
The New Covenant centers on Christ’s finished work; and our fellowship at His table. Upon this rock, the rock of faith in Him, The Lord built his church.
The Lord’s table is not an altar of sacrifice made with hands. His table is a place of grace, reflection and fellowship.
In the third to fourth century, pagan culture began creeping into the church. The Lord’s table went from being this celebration (Agape or Love Feast as it is called in the Book of Jude, v 12) to a ritual offering made at an altar by priests.
You have to understand, the Lord’s table was a real meal. And what made it so unique is that believers from every walk of life and economic status was treated equal. That was unheard of in Ancient Rome and in Jewish culture. Radical stuff. Although the Corinthian church struggled with this, and Paul had to address it head on.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 (ESV)
The Last Supper was a Passover meal. And the Lord’s Table was intended to be a feast of love and hospitality also. This is what we are called to do in small groups. Seated at a table or in a circle… not in pews watching an altar ritual.
Discussion
- The Lord’s table is not an altar of sacrifice made with hands. What is it, according to this section?
- What made the Lord’s table so unique was that believers from every walk of life and economic status was treated equal. Read 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 again. What had gone wrong in Corinth?
- Seated at a table or in a circle, not in pews watching an altar ritual. What would that change about how your group meets?
Something to Sit With
My hope is this will encourage us all to host a small group of friends in our homes on a regular basis. Let’s use this time to invest in others over a meal. To share scripture, a word of encouragement, an act of kindness.
Let’s go and make disciples. This is our duty.
So in summary:
- Hospitality is at the heart of discipleship
- Discipleship happens in dialogue: to build one another up
- We are called to share, not just spectate
- We are called to the Lord’s table, not a temple
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Acts 2:42-47 teach about discipleship?
Acts 2:42-47 shows the earliest picture of Christian community. The first believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. They met in homes, shared meals, held possessions in common, and grew daily.
This passage teaches that discipleship happens through relationship, hospitality, and shared life rather than formal programs or institutional structures.
Why did the early church meet in homes?
The early church met in homes because there were no church buildings for the first several centuries of Christianity. But this wasn’t just a logistical detail.
Home-based gatherings created the conditions for real discipleship. Smaller groups around tables allowed for dialogue, mutual encouragement, and the kind of personal knowledge that makes “one another” commands possible.
Scripture names multiple house churches: Prisca and Aquila, Philemon, Lydia, Jason, Gaius, and Nympha all hosted believers in their homes.
What was the Lord’s Supper like in the early church?
The Lord’s Supper in the early church was a full shared meal, not the brief symbolic ritual familiar in most churches today. Jude 1:12 calls it the “love feast” (Agape meal). Believers gathered for a real dinner and remembered Christ’s death and resurrection in that context.
Paul’s correction in 1 Corinthians 11 addresses problems with how the meal was shared, emphasizing equality and mutual care at the table.
What does “building one another up” mean in the New Testament?
The Greek word oikodomē (edification) literally means construction, like building a house. Paul uses it throughout his letters to describe how believers are meant to strengthen each other through conversation, encouragement, prayer, testimony, and the exercise of spiritual gifts. It’s relational and mutual.
Paul contrasts it with knowledge that “puffs up,” making the point that real edification requires love and proximity, not just information.
How is biblical hospitality different from entertaining?
Biblical hospitality is a command, not a social preference. Scripture requires it of church leaders (1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8) and calls all believers to practice it without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9).
Unlike entertaining, which focuses on the host’s presentation, biblical hospitality focuses on the guest’s welcome. It creates space for discipleship, dialogue, and shared life.
The early church’s hospitality was the infrastructure that made everything else in Acts 2 possible.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.