Post by disciple on Jun 2, 2010 13:39:45 GMT -5
THE MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM: SELECTION
“HE CHOSE FROM AMONG THEM TWELVE…” LK. 6:13
--HIS METHOD WAS MEN/PEOPLE
HIS CONCERN WAS NOT WITH PROGRAMS TO REACH THE CROWDS, BUT WITH BUILDING PEOPLE THE CROWDS WOULD FOLLOW
JESUS BEGAN NOT BY EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGNS OR PREACHING, BUT BY CHOOSING A FEW MEN TO FOLLOW & BE LIKE HIM. HIS INITIAL OBJECTIVE: ENLIST MEN WHO COULD BEAR WITNESS TO HIS LIFE & CARRY ON HIS WORK AFTER HE RETURNED TO THE FATHER.
PASSAGES: JN. 1:35-40 (JOHN & ANDREW), 41-42 (PETER), 43-51 (PHILIP & NATHANIEL), MK. 1:19 (JAMES), 2:13-14 (MATTHEW).
HIS ACTIONS HAD LITTLE OR NO IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE CULTURE, BUT THEIR LONG-TERM IMPACT IS FELT FOR ETERNITY.
--THE TYPE OF MEN JESUS CHOSE
NOT PROMINENT IN RELIGIOUS OR COMMUNITY LIFE, COMMON WORKERS, NOT PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED, NOT WEALTHY, NOT HIGHLY EDUCATED, FROM THE POOR REGION (GALILEE)-AC. 4:13
THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY WERE: TEACHABLE, AWARE OF THEIR NEED FOR GOD, PASSIONATE FOR HIM, TIRED OF SUPERFICIAL RELIGION & DESIRING TO SHARE IN GOD’S LIFE, LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LEAD THEM IN GOD’S WAY-JN. 1:41, 45; 6:66-69
JESUS CAN USE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE USED!
--JESUS’ FOCUS ON A FEW
JESUS HAD TO KEEP THE GROUP SMALL ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH THEM. AS HE GAINED FOLLOWERS, HE NARROWED THE “INNER CIRCLE” TO A MANAGEABLE NUMBER, THE 12 “SENT-OUT ONES” (LK. 6:13-17, MK. 3:13-19)
MANY OTHERS WERE STILL INFLUENCED BY HIM, SUCH AS THE 70 (LK. 10:1), BUT HIS PLAN FOR FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS CONCENTRATED IN THE 12.
EVEN WITHIN THE 12, THERE IS AN “INNER CIRCLE” OF 3-PETER, JAMES, JOHN-INTO WHOM JESUS POURED HIS LIFE EVEN MORE INTENSELY (MK. 5:37, 9:2, 14:33; MENTIONED FAR MORE IN NT THAN OTHER 9). THE SMALLER THE GROUP, THE GREATER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION.
JESUS STAKED HIS WHOLE MINISTRY ON THESE MEN; THE MASSES COULD REJECT HIM & STILL NOT DEFEAT HIS STRATEGY (JN. 6:66-8; 17:6, 9, 20-1)
--ROLE OF THE MULTITUDES IN THE PROCESS
JESUS STILL DID MUCH TO REACH THE MULTITUDES: PREACHED, TAUGHT, FED THEM, HEALED THEM, CAST OUT DEMONS, BLESSED CHILDREN. HE SACRIFICED MUCH FOR THEM TOO (MK. 6:31)
HE COULD HAVE EASILY FOCUSED ON THE MULTITUDES & WON THOUSANDS TO THE FAITH (JN. 3:26, 12:19, 11:47-8), BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO DO IT THIS WAY (AT LEAST 5 HEALED PEOPLE TOLD TO TELL NO ONE, DISCIPLES TOLD TO KEEP SOME THINGS SECRET UNTIL LATER, ESCAPES CROWD TO BE WITH DISCIPLES SEVERAL TIMES; JN. 7:2-6)
VERY FEW WERE ACTUALLY CONVERTED DURING CHRIST’S MINISTRY-500 HE APPEARED TO (1 COR. 15:6), 120 RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST (AC. 1:15)-& THE CHURCH TODAY WOULD NOT CONSIDER HIM A “PRODUCTIVE EVANGELIST”
--HIS STRATEGY
HE WAS TRYING TO BUILD A KINGDOM, NOT IMPRESS A CROWD. HE NEEDED PEOPLE WHO COULD LEAD OTHERS & TRAIN FUTURE DISCIPLES IN THIS KINGDOM.
JESUS COULDN’T INDIVIDUALLY GIVE EACH POTENTIAL DISCIPLE THE PERSONAL CARE THEY NEEDED, SO HIS ONLY HOPE WAS TO PRODUCE LEADERS INSPIRED BY HIS LIFE TO DO IT FOR HIM.
HE SAW THE MASSES THROUGH THE MAN & BUILT THE MAN TO IMPACT THE MASSES (1 JN. 4:17)
APPLICATION
TODAY, WE FOCUS ON THE NUMBER OF CONVERTS, BAPTISMS, & MEMBERS, WITH VERY LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE TRAINING OF DISCIPLES (MUCH LESS THE WORLD-IMPACTING MULTIPLICATION OF SUCH DISCIPLES)
THE FIRST DUTY OF EVERY CHRISTIAN LEADER (EITHER PROFESSIONAL OR LAYMAN): RAISE UP TRAINED DISCIPLES TO BUILD OTHER DISCIPLES (EPH. 4:12-13). OVER TIME, A FEW DEDICATED PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR GOD (AC. 17:6)
COMMUNISM, RADICAL ISLAM, & OTHER EVIL SYSTEMS MULTIPLY FROM A HANDFUL OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE TO A VAST ARMY OF FOLLOWERS BENT ON TOTAL WORLD IMPACT (SATAN KNOWS THE STRATEGY, & OFTEN FOLLOWS IT BETTER THAN WE DO)
EACH OF US MUST TRAIN A FEW IN ORDER TO IMPACT THE MANY. ANYONE WHO IS WILLING CAN IMPACT THE WORLD GIVEN THE PROPER TRAINING.
“WE MUST BEGIN LIKE JESUS. IT WILL BE SLOW, TEDIOUS, PAINFUL, & PROBABLY UNNOTICED BY PEOPLE AT FIRST, BUT THE END RESULT WILL BE GLORIOUS, EVEN IF WE DON’T LIVE TO SEE IT…WE MUST DECIDE WHERE WE WANT OUR MINISTRY TO COUNT-IN THE MOMENTARY APPLAUSE OF POPULAR RECOGNITION OR IN THE REPRODUCTION OF OUR LIVES IN A FEW CHOSEN PEOPLE” p. 38
“HE CHOSE FROM AMONG THEM TWELVE…” LK. 6:13
--HIS METHOD WAS MEN/PEOPLE
HIS CONCERN WAS NOT WITH PROGRAMS TO REACH THE CROWDS, BUT WITH BUILDING PEOPLE THE CROWDS WOULD FOLLOW
JESUS BEGAN NOT BY EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGNS OR PREACHING, BUT BY CHOOSING A FEW MEN TO FOLLOW & BE LIKE HIM. HIS INITIAL OBJECTIVE: ENLIST MEN WHO COULD BEAR WITNESS TO HIS LIFE & CARRY ON HIS WORK AFTER HE RETURNED TO THE FATHER.
PASSAGES: JN. 1:35-40 (JOHN & ANDREW), 41-42 (PETER), 43-51 (PHILIP & NATHANIEL), MK. 1:19 (JAMES), 2:13-14 (MATTHEW).
HIS ACTIONS HAD LITTLE OR NO IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE CULTURE, BUT THEIR LONG-TERM IMPACT IS FELT FOR ETERNITY.
--THE TYPE OF MEN JESUS CHOSE
NOT PROMINENT IN RELIGIOUS OR COMMUNITY LIFE, COMMON WORKERS, NOT PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED, NOT WEALTHY, NOT HIGHLY EDUCATED, FROM THE POOR REGION (GALILEE)-AC. 4:13
THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY WERE: TEACHABLE, AWARE OF THEIR NEED FOR GOD, PASSIONATE FOR HIM, TIRED OF SUPERFICIAL RELIGION & DESIRING TO SHARE IN GOD’S LIFE, LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LEAD THEM IN GOD’S WAY-JN. 1:41, 45; 6:66-69
JESUS CAN USE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE USED!
--JESUS’ FOCUS ON A FEW
JESUS HAD TO KEEP THE GROUP SMALL ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH THEM. AS HE GAINED FOLLOWERS, HE NARROWED THE “INNER CIRCLE” TO A MANAGEABLE NUMBER, THE 12 “SENT-OUT ONES” (LK. 6:13-17, MK. 3:13-19)
MANY OTHERS WERE STILL INFLUENCED BY HIM, SUCH AS THE 70 (LK. 10:1), BUT HIS PLAN FOR FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS CONCENTRATED IN THE 12.
EVEN WITHIN THE 12, THERE IS AN “INNER CIRCLE” OF 3-PETER, JAMES, JOHN-INTO WHOM JESUS POURED HIS LIFE EVEN MORE INTENSELY (MK. 5:37, 9:2, 14:33; MENTIONED FAR MORE IN NT THAN OTHER 9). THE SMALLER THE GROUP, THE GREATER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION.
JESUS STAKED HIS WHOLE MINISTRY ON THESE MEN; THE MASSES COULD REJECT HIM & STILL NOT DEFEAT HIS STRATEGY (JN. 6:66-8; 17:6, 9, 20-1)
--ROLE OF THE MULTITUDES IN THE PROCESS
JESUS STILL DID MUCH TO REACH THE MULTITUDES: PREACHED, TAUGHT, FED THEM, HEALED THEM, CAST OUT DEMONS, BLESSED CHILDREN. HE SACRIFICED MUCH FOR THEM TOO (MK. 6:31)
HE COULD HAVE EASILY FOCUSED ON THE MULTITUDES & WON THOUSANDS TO THE FAITH (JN. 3:26, 12:19, 11:47-8), BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO DO IT THIS WAY (AT LEAST 5 HEALED PEOPLE TOLD TO TELL NO ONE, DISCIPLES TOLD TO KEEP SOME THINGS SECRET UNTIL LATER, ESCAPES CROWD TO BE WITH DISCIPLES SEVERAL TIMES; JN. 7:2-6)
VERY FEW WERE ACTUALLY CONVERTED DURING CHRIST’S MINISTRY-500 HE APPEARED TO (1 COR. 15:6), 120 RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST (AC. 1:15)-& THE CHURCH TODAY WOULD NOT CONSIDER HIM A “PRODUCTIVE EVANGELIST”
--HIS STRATEGY
HE WAS TRYING TO BUILD A KINGDOM, NOT IMPRESS A CROWD. HE NEEDED PEOPLE WHO COULD LEAD OTHERS & TRAIN FUTURE DISCIPLES IN THIS KINGDOM.
JESUS COULDN’T INDIVIDUALLY GIVE EACH POTENTIAL DISCIPLE THE PERSONAL CARE THEY NEEDED, SO HIS ONLY HOPE WAS TO PRODUCE LEADERS INSPIRED BY HIS LIFE TO DO IT FOR HIM.
HE SAW THE MASSES THROUGH THE MAN & BUILT THE MAN TO IMPACT THE MASSES (1 JN. 4:17)
APPLICATION
TODAY, WE FOCUS ON THE NUMBER OF CONVERTS, BAPTISMS, & MEMBERS, WITH VERY LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE TRAINING OF DISCIPLES (MUCH LESS THE WORLD-IMPACTING MULTIPLICATION OF SUCH DISCIPLES)
THE FIRST DUTY OF EVERY CHRISTIAN LEADER (EITHER PROFESSIONAL OR LAYMAN): RAISE UP TRAINED DISCIPLES TO BUILD OTHER DISCIPLES (EPH. 4:12-13). OVER TIME, A FEW DEDICATED PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR GOD (AC. 17:6)
COMMUNISM, RADICAL ISLAM, & OTHER EVIL SYSTEMS MULTIPLY FROM A HANDFUL OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE TO A VAST ARMY OF FOLLOWERS BENT ON TOTAL WORLD IMPACT (SATAN KNOWS THE STRATEGY, & OFTEN FOLLOWS IT BETTER THAN WE DO)
EACH OF US MUST TRAIN A FEW IN ORDER TO IMPACT THE MANY. ANYONE WHO IS WILLING CAN IMPACT THE WORLD GIVEN THE PROPER TRAINING.
“WE MUST BEGIN LIKE JESUS. IT WILL BE SLOW, TEDIOUS, PAINFUL, & PROBABLY UNNOTICED BY PEOPLE AT FIRST, BUT THE END RESULT WILL BE GLORIOUS, EVEN IF WE DON’T LIVE TO SEE IT…WE MUST DECIDE WHERE WE WANT OUR MINISTRY TO COUNT-IN THE MOMENTARY APPLAUSE OF POPULAR RECOGNITION OR IN THE REPRODUCTION OF OUR LIVES IN A FEW CHOSEN PEOPLE” p. 38