Post by disciple on Jun 2, 2010 12:53:02 GMT -5
THE MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM: ASSOCIATION
“I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS” MATT. 28:20
“HE CHOSE TWELVE TO BE WITH HIM…” MK. 3:14
--JESUS’ TRAINING METHOD: BE WITH THEM
THINGS JESUS DIDN’T USE: FORMAL SCHOOL OR SEMINARY, OUTLINED COURSE OF STUDY, MEMBERSHIP CLASSES
HIS TRAINING METHOD: FOLLOW ME, BE WITH ME, BE LIKE ME. HE WAS THE SCHOOL & CURRICULUM.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS’ DISCIPLES: ADHERENCE TO RITUALS, FORMULAS OF KNOWLEDGE, OUTER CONFORMITY; JESUS’ DISCIPLES: BE WITH HIM & PARTICIPATE IN HIS LIFE & DOCTRINE
JESUS’ CALL: “COME AND SEE” (JN. 1:39), “FOLLOW ME” (43), “COME AND SEE” (46), “COME AFTER ME” & BE CHANGED (MK. 1:17)
--INCREASE OF ASSOCIATION AS TIME WENT ON
CHOOSING THE TWELVE “TO BE WITH HIM” (MK. 3:14)-THE CONSTANT ASSOCIATION WITH HIM IS AS MUCH A PART OF THE COMMISSION AS DOING & TEACHING, FOR IT IS THE PREPARATION NECESSARY FOR FULFILLING THE ASSIGNMENT.
SPENDING LARGE AMOUNTS OF TIME WITH JUST THE TWELVE IN THE MONTHS PRIOR TO DEATH & RESURRECTION
SPENDING TIME EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE TWELVE RIGHT BEFORE DEATH & RESURRECTION (JN. 13-17) (LIKE A FAMILY AS TIME OF DEPARTING GROWS NEAR)
ALL 10 OF THE RECORDED POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES ARE TO THE 12 (AC. 10:40-1)
PROBABLY SPENT MORE TIME WITH THEM THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD PUT TOGETHER! THIS MUST BE PART OF HIS DELIBERATE STRATEGY.
--THE COST OF RELATIONAL LIVING
WHEN HE MINISTERED TO THE MASSES, THE DISCIPLES WERE WITH HIM & LEARNING FROM HIM (“KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE”)
THIS CONSTANT ASSOCIATION MEANT JESUS HAD LITTLE OR NO TIME TO HIMSELF (MK. 6:46-8, LK. 11:1). THEY WERE HIS CHILDREN (JN. 13:33, 21:5), AND THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE CHILDREN IS TO BE WITH THEM.
HE TRAINED MEN TO BE HIS WITNESSES AFTER HE LEFT BY VIRTUE OF BEING WITH HIM (JN. 15:27). HE DEVOTED HIMSELF TO DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO IN TURN COULD GIVE THIS SAME KIND OF PERSONAL ATTENTION TO OTHERS.
OTHERS WHOM JESUS INVESTED LESSER TIME IN: ZACCHAEUS (LK. 19:7), SAMARITANS (JN. 4:39-42), BARTIMAEUS (LK. 18:43), THE 70 (LK. 10:1), THE WOMEN WHO FOLLOWED (LK. 8:1-3, 10:38-42)
--OUR FAILURE TO DO THIS
WHEN WILL THE CHURCH LEARN THIS LESSON? PREACHING, OCCASIONAL SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, & TRAINING CLASSES CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS.
IT REQUIRES CONSTANT PERSONAL ATTENTION, LIKE A FATHER GIVES HIS CHILDREN. PROGRAMS & INSTITUTIONS CANNOT MAKE DISCIPLES; DISCIPLES MAKE DISCIPLES.
WE FAIL TRAGICALLY BY EXPECTING NEW MEMBERS COURSES & MERE ATTENDANCE TO DO THE JOB. IF THIS IS ALL WE DO TO DEVELOP YOUNG CONVERTS INTO MATURE DISCIPLES, WE ARE JUST GIVING OURSELVES A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
EVERY BELIEVER HAS A PART TO FULFILL IN THIS MINISTRY OF RELATIONAL DISCIPLE MAKING, BUT THEY CAN ONLY FULFILL IT AS THEY ARE TRAINED & INSPIRED.
APPLICATION:
EVERYONE SELECTED BY CHRIST NEEDS A CHRISTIAN FRIEND TO FOLLOW UNTIL HE/SHE IS MATURE ENOUGH TO LEAD ANOTHER.
THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE WHILE WITH THEM:
ANSWER QUESTIONS
STUDY THE BIBLE & CLARIFY TRUTH
PRAY TOGETHER
SEEK TO HELP OTHERS TOGETHER
“IF JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, FOUND IT NECESSARY TO STAY ALMOST CONSTANTLY WITH HIS FEW DISCIPLES FOR 3 YEARS, AND EVEN ONE OF THEM WAS LOST, HOW CAN A CHURCH EXPECT TO DO THIS JOB ON AN ASSEMBLY-LINE BASIS A FEW DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR?” p.50
“I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS” MATT. 28:20
“HE CHOSE TWELVE TO BE WITH HIM…” MK. 3:14
--JESUS’ TRAINING METHOD: BE WITH THEM
THINGS JESUS DIDN’T USE: FORMAL SCHOOL OR SEMINARY, OUTLINED COURSE OF STUDY, MEMBERSHIP CLASSES
HIS TRAINING METHOD: FOLLOW ME, BE WITH ME, BE LIKE ME. HE WAS THE SCHOOL & CURRICULUM.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS’ DISCIPLES: ADHERENCE TO RITUALS, FORMULAS OF KNOWLEDGE, OUTER CONFORMITY; JESUS’ DISCIPLES: BE WITH HIM & PARTICIPATE IN HIS LIFE & DOCTRINE
JESUS’ CALL: “COME AND SEE” (JN. 1:39), “FOLLOW ME” (43), “COME AND SEE” (46), “COME AFTER ME” & BE CHANGED (MK. 1:17)
--INCREASE OF ASSOCIATION AS TIME WENT ON
CHOOSING THE TWELVE “TO BE WITH HIM” (MK. 3:14)-THE CONSTANT ASSOCIATION WITH HIM IS AS MUCH A PART OF THE COMMISSION AS DOING & TEACHING, FOR IT IS THE PREPARATION NECESSARY FOR FULFILLING THE ASSIGNMENT.
SPENDING LARGE AMOUNTS OF TIME WITH JUST THE TWELVE IN THE MONTHS PRIOR TO DEATH & RESURRECTION
SPENDING TIME EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE TWELVE RIGHT BEFORE DEATH & RESURRECTION (JN. 13-17) (LIKE A FAMILY AS TIME OF DEPARTING GROWS NEAR)
ALL 10 OF THE RECORDED POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES ARE TO THE 12 (AC. 10:40-1)
PROBABLY SPENT MORE TIME WITH THEM THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD PUT TOGETHER! THIS MUST BE PART OF HIS DELIBERATE STRATEGY.
--THE COST OF RELATIONAL LIVING
WHEN HE MINISTERED TO THE MASSES, THE DISCIPLES WERE WITH HIM & LEARNING FROM HIM (“KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE”)
THIS CONSTANT ASSOCIATION MEANT JESUS HAD LITTLE OR NO TIME TO HIMSELF (MK. 6:46-8, LK. 11:1). THEY WERE HIS CHILDREN (JN. 13:33, 21:5), AND THE ONLY WAY TO RAISE CHILDREN IS TO BE WITH THEM.
HE TRAINED MEN TO BE HIS WITNESSES AFTER HE LEFT BY VIRTUE OF BEING WITH HIM (JN. 15:27). HE DEVOTED HIMSELF TO DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO IN TURN COULD GIVE THIS SAME KIND OF PERSONAL ATTENTION TO OTHERS.
OTHERS WHOM JESUS INVESTED LESSER TIME IN: ZACCHAEUS (LK. 19:7), SAMARITANS (JN. 4:39-42), BARTIMAEUS (LK. 18:43), THE 70 (LK. 10:1), THE WOMEN WHO FOLLOWED (LK. 8:1-3, 10:38-42)
--OUR FAILURE TO DO THIS
WHEN WILL THE CHURCH LEARN THIS LESSON? PREACHING, OCCASIONAL SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, & TRAINING CLASSES CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS.
IT REQUIRES CONSTANT PERSONAL ATTENTION, LIKE A FATHER GIVES HIS CHILDREN. PROGRAMS & INSTITUTIONS CANNOT MAKE DISCIPLES; DISCIPLES MAKE DISCIPLES.
WE FAIL TRAGICALLY BY EXPECTING NEW MEMBERS COURSES & MERE ATTENDANCE TO DO THE JOB. IF THIS IS ALL WE DO TO DEVELOP YOUNG CONVERTS INTO MATURE DISCIPLES, WE ARE JUST GIVING OURSELVES A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
EVERY BELIEVER HAS A PART TO FULFILL IN THIS MINISTRY OF RELATIONAL DISCIPLE MAKING, BUT THEY CAN ONLY FULFILL IT AS THEY ARE TRAINED & INSPIRED.
APPLICATION:
EVERYONE SELECTED BY CHRIST NEEDS A CHRISTIAN FRIEND TO FOLLOW UNTIL HE/SHE IS MATURE ENOUGH TO LEAD ANOTHER.
THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE WHILE WITH THEM:
ANSWER QUESTIONS
STUDY THE BIBLE & CLARIFY TRUTH
PRAY TOGETHER
SEEK TO HELP OTHERS TOGETHER
“IF JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, FOUND IT NECESSARY TO STAY ALMOST CONSTANTLY WITH HIS FEW DISCIPLES FOR 3 YEARS, AND EVEN ONE OF THEM WAS LOST, HOW CAN A CHURCH EXPECT TO DO THIS JOB ON AN ASSEMBLY-LINE BASIS A FEW DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR?” p.50