Great Commission values don’t just magically appear in the minds of our children. They must be instilled while they are young. Listen to this conversation with SGA President, Bob Provost as he shares how God blessed the efforts of himself and his wife in raising their children to cherish Great Commission Values.
IFCA International Pastor, Jeff Anderson (Colorado Springs CO) shares an amazing report of the impact of Pastor’s Conferences in the African nation of Uganda. Listen to the Wavelengths podcast interview as Jeff tells the story and allow God to thrill and challenge you with what can be accomplished as we work together in ministry partnerships to accomplish Great Commission objectives.
It is a clearly demonstrable fact that the Great Commission, given by our Lord, includes much more than merely bringing people to saving faith. The end product which Jesus had in mind was more than converts who were perpetual children in the family of God. No … He intended a process which produces mature, reproductive servants who engage in the continuing pursuit of His purposes here on the earth. The Great Commission emphasis on reaching is equally balanced by an emphasis on “teaching” (Matthew 28.19,20). Evangelism and Discipleship are joined at the hip in any biblical version of the Great Commission.
One of the glaring needs in The Church today is the lack of quality material which is designed to disciple children in the truth of Scripture and disciplines of the spiritual life; something which is more than a “Christian activity time” that is glossed over with an icing of Bible stories and Bible memorization that lasts longer than the time it takes to rattle the verses off and get “credit”.
George Barna states, “By the age of nine, most of the moral and spiritual foundations of a child are in place.” The culture we live in is greatly influencing our children’s moral behavior and development — the vast majority of Christian kids today have no spiritual foundation. In fact, current research indicates that nearly 70% of today’s youth are leaving the church. Fun and games are fine, but we’re raising a generation of children who have missed out on essential Bible training. When the world comes calling, many fall prey to dubious activities and deceptive philosophies — and they walk away from their faith.
Recently, Wavelengths had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Steiner, creator of a wonderful Great Commission resource called “DiscipleLand”. Listen to that interview in which he explains the origin and concepts that drove the development of this material.
Follow the adventures of Dee, Sy, Paul and their dog Chip (Disipleship) as they engage young minds in a serious study and application of God’s Word. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, full-featured, quality approach which is adaptable to Sunday School, Kid’s church, Midweek or any combination of those take a look at the curriculum being produced by DiscipleLand. Check out their interactive website to learn even more. If you decide that DiscipleLand material is just what you’ve been looking for, please drop a note to Mark and tell him that you found it here on IFCA Wavelengths.
Q. I’m afraid the person I want to witness to will ask questions I can’t answer. How do I handle that?
A. Satan loves to intimidate believers when they consider talking to non-Christian friends. He often gets us thinking about questions he might ask or about Scripture verses we may not be able to explain.
Do not lose sight of the simplicity of the gospel. Given the opportunity to speak to friends about Christ, many believers don’t share the gospel; they try to share the entire Bible! We must be careful that we don’t make difficult what God makes simple.
Paul asked the Colossians to pray that when he spoke he would make the message so clear that a non-Christian would have no confusion about what he must do to be saved (4:4). That should be our prayer too.
What is the gospel? Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4). That is the good news. To be saved, one must admit he is a sinner, recognize that Christ died for him and rose again, and trust in Christ alone to save him. That message is simple yet we make it so complicated. It’s equally important to remind ourselves that men and women do not come to Christ by our persuasion. They trust Christ when the Spirit of God drives home the gospel message, causing them to come to God in faith.
Recalling his entry into Corinth, Paul said, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony about God. For I determined not to know any among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2). Paul was a smart man. He could have refuted any argument opposing Christ’s deity, death or resurrection. Yet he realized that what God wanted was a person who would clearly announce the good news of Christ and watch God do His work in people’s hearts.
Anyone active in evangelism will agree that the power of the gospel is unfathomable. A young man who trusted Christ in an evangelistic meeting told me, “I walked into this service a convinced atheist. Your message was not designed to prove there is a God. You just sought to answer the question, ‘How can a person live forever with the God who does indeed exist?’ I can’t explain what happened as I sat there but God convinced me that He’s real and I want to trust Christ.”
Keep your conversation cross-centered. A person who doesn’t understand how God can allow so much suffering in the world, or who wrestles with how God can condemn those who have never heard of His Son, still has to face the cross. The cross leaves no question about God’s love. He made that clear when His righteous Son died for unrighteous people (Rom. 5:6-8).
The more cross-centered the conversation, the more difficult it is to refute. A college student once told me that the many imperfections in the world, which God would not allow if He loved people, were keeping her from Christ. I pointed her to the cross and said, “Even if you question God’s intellect or wisdom, you can’t question His love. Would you do what He did?”
As you consider questions an unbeliever might ask, remember there is nothing wrong with admitting, “I don’t know.” Offer to search for the answers, but don’t feel defeated if you need to say, “I can’t answer that.”
The people who have all the answers are not necessarily the ones evangelizing the most. The ones who do are characterized by love for the lost and zeal for the Lord. Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, said it well, “Soul winners are not soul winners because of what they know but because of who they know and how much they want others to know Him.”
Used by permission of EvanTell, Inc.
Most Americans experienced a deep sense of pride as we watched the mobilization of the armed forces of the USA. As we engaged the Iraqi forces, the sheer superiority of American ability to engage in battle was evident. Our military strategy, the excellent training of our troops, and the effective deployment of an amazing array of technical weaponry give evidence to the serious nature of warfare and our resolve to engage in it for one single purpose–victory.
Among the preparations needed to develop an effective strategy for victory is a clear understanding of the tactics required to achieve it. And as important as tactical understanding is to victory, there is yet something even more essential. The resolve to tenaciously engage every battle until victory is complete.
The body of Christ is engaged in warfare far more important than any other in all of human history. Our warfare is worldwide, transcends time, and has eternal implications. Our Lord Jesus Christ defines the divinely determined ultimate objective of preaching the gospel to every creature. He requires that we make disciples of all nations. He commissions us as His witnesses to the most remote part of the earth. Our objective, the evangelization of the lost through the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of local churches is a global undertaking. There are billions of people yet without opportunity to hear the gospel. There are thousands of language groups without the Word of God, without the testimony of a local church. The divine objective is yet to be completed.
Unquestionably, we face bewildering obstacles and intense opposition. There is no question that our objective requires a carefully developed battle plan. This necessitates the candid and accurate assessment of our current strategies and resources. Thus, the three foundational elements mentioned above, strategy, tactics and commitment should be of paramount concern to the church as we embrace our responsibility to evangelize the world. We must examine our strategy, our tactics, and even our commitment toward the completion of the great but uncompleted commission. Would the church be more effective in the stewardship of our God-granted resources and our global objective if we paid greater attention to the details of these three foundational elements?
It may prove helpful to define these three elements. 1
1. A strategy is “a careful plan that includes the art of devising or employing plans toward a goal.”
2. A tactic is “a device for accomplishing an end.”
3. Commitment is “an act of committing to a charge or trust” which can include “the state of being obligated or emotionally impelled, a commitment to a cause.”
Every church should have a strategic plan toward the completion of the great commission. This plan will include specifically identified objectives and the means and methodologies to which they will be primarily, intentionally, and unalterably obligated–until the commission is complete. 2
Some Critical Considerations
Here are some critical considerations that all biblical churchmen should consider carefully. Space limits the discussion, but these are submitted in the hope of stimulating greater strategic development of the church’s ability to wage a good warfare on a global scale.
The Graying of a Missionary Generation
The majority of international workers who have faithfully served around the world are reaching the season of life that limits and in many cases precludes them from continuing their work. Is this faithful generation being replaced in sufficient numbers by a new generation whose depth of commitment and breadth of vision will ensure the continuance of their good work?
This reality compounds matters related to the need being great and the workers being few. There must be a determined church-wide effort to cultivate a world-wide vision that permeates every congregation. Our pulpits and lecterns must challenge a new generation to international ministry. Moreover, every local church must be stimulated toward the demonstration of love and good works that leads to active participation in supporting the fulfillment of the great commission. Everyone in the church matters; everyone in the church must contribute in some way to this great objective.
A Myopic Commitment to Commitment
While there are many reasons suggested for this contemporary evangelical malaise of soul, the common refrain of the day “I am not comfortable with that” captures the essence of the problem. Our culture is fixated upon instant and ongoing self-gratification as the purpose for living—and some contemporary churches sanctify this notion. Thus, it is likely that many in the church will never consider international ministry as a genuine investment of their lives. May I be so bold as to suggest that they are rarely challenged to do so? Do our pulpits give equal emphasis to all the priorities of God’s Kingdom or just those that will build our church? Do we challenge our people to cultivate the resolve necessary to fulfill the great commission? The demobilizing deceptions of earthly success will not survive divine scrutiny at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 3
An Unwillingness to Understand the Times
Many assume that since America enjoys an abundance of churches, this must also be true around the world. Moreover, since Americans can hear God’s truth in person or via some form of media, we assume that this is also true of the rest of the world. This is not the case. As noted above, our generation is myopic when it comes to commitment, but it is “presbyopic” (an inability to focus clearly on objects nearby) when it comes to current reality. More than three billion people have not heard the gospel in their own language. Three Billion! This is not a matter of indifference to the gospel; they do not presently have the opportunity to hear the gospel. There is no Bible, no literature in their language. There is no church in their culture. No one is reaching them with the gospel. What is worse is that this situation will not change unless biblically minded churches embrace a cogent strategy and a persevering commitment to complete this uncompleted commission. This is a clear and present reality.
A Changing Geo-political scene
The world is changing, as is international opinion of America and Americans. According to a recent poll, citizens of the European Union overwhelmingly fear Israel as the most significant threat to world peace. Perhaps even more stunning, European Union citizens place America second to Israel, just percentage points ahead of North Korea and Iran. 4 In light of Europe’s passionate embrace of postmodernism and its disdain for biblical absolutes, European tolerance of American evangelical ministry in Europe is uncertain. According to information from the Fellowship of Missions, 5 a growing number of European Union states are denying visa requests and renewals to biblically-minded American missionaries. 6 There must be a plan to effectively strengthen national churches and their leaders which includes an exit strategy for American workers.
Equipping Nationals Worldwide
Geo-political issues are matters for legitimate national concern. But for the church in America, they should serve as dramatic testimony of the breathtaking need to equip Bible expositors, church planters and exegetically trained theologians throughout Europe and around the world. We must clearly understand the magnitude of the task. The number of those yet unreached is staggering and the American missionary force simply does not have the numbers to meet the objective. Moreover, American missionaries face the formidable challenges of increasing levels of financial support, governments hostile to the gospel, and the time required for culture and language acquisition. We must also consider the growing challenges faced by American missionaries as they seek credibility among the people to whom they hope to minister. None of these issues are insurmountable, but every church must take them into consideration as they assess and develop their international ministry.
Unquestionably, there remains a great need for American missionaries as well as those from other countries. However, as to matters of stewardship and indigenous principles of cross-cultural ministry, it is time for the American church to focus even more intensely upon the effective equipping of national pastors and church planters. This may sound at odds with the need for more American missionaries, but this is not necessarily so. Our decisions regarding whom we send to the mission fields of the world must be informed by a clear understanding of well defined strategies and objectives. This includes a discussion as to what will most benefit the national church. In a situation almost parallel with some elements of American political foreign policy, the American church can unintentionally create a debilitating dependence upon permanent, in country American resources for church leadership. It is critical that every American church examine its missionary priorities, methodologies, and stewardship. We are waging war for the Kingdom of God and “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”7 Is there anything more important than this?
Researchers tell us that as many as 95% of men who step into pulpits around the world every Sunday have little or no training. They have not had the privileged opportunity to study hermeneutics, biblical languages or theology. Most have extremely limited personal libraries or study tools, if any. For many more, ministry training is financially unaffordable, geographically inaccessible, or theologically unacceptable. Only in the most unusual of instances does reliable and substantive Bible exposition result from limited resources. Can we agree that the equipping of those who “have not” be a priority for those who “have in abundance?”
Confusing Missions with Mission
I suggest that we err dramatically when we relegate Missions to just one element of the church’s ministry when in fact, Missions is The Mission of the Church. What is the objective of maintaining biblical fidelity and theological precision, of stimulating spiritual growth toward maturity as believers are edified and people evangelized? The church exists to bring glory to God by exalting Him through obedience in every dimension of Christian life and responsibility. Thus, the purpose of the church is to be the vital expression of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world–to all the world. Prior to our Lord’s ascension He made His will explicitly known. We are to be His witnesses to the very last part of the earth. 8 In other words, if the gospel has gone “everywhere” but is yet to go to one particular people or language group, the commission remains uncompleted. This is a clear and present responsibility and in this world–by God’s gracious design–it is ours and ours alone. May every church and every churchman embrace the commission of our Lord with all the passion of a soul possessed by God and pursue the great commission with an all-consuming determination to hear from the lips of our Lord Himself, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” May God help us to this end.
1 Merriam – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Electronic Edition Version 1.5, Copyright 1994-6;
Merriam Webster, Inc.
2 For assistance with this process, please feel free to contact the author.
3 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11
4 http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,218234,00.html
5 Personal correspondence
6 Note that we have yet to say anything regarding the unrelenting influence of Islam, not only in Europe but also throughout Africa and Asia.
7 1 Corinthians 4:2
8 Acts 1:8
Along with the lance, twibill, spontoon, bow and arrow and catapult, the sword is an extinct weapon in modern warfare and is used today only on ceremonial occasions. But the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Eph. 6:17) will never be replaced by a better weapon. In fact, the Word of God and prayer are the only offensive weapons the believer has for carrying on spiritual warfare. Our Lord was carrying the sword when He met Joshua at Jericho (Josh. 5:13-15) and when He defeated Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11); and it’s the sure weapon we need today in the spiritual battles of life.
A remarkable sword
The sword the Roman soldier carried was a short sword for close combat, not a long sword for dueling. The forces in Satan’s demonic army get as close to us as they can, and we must always be prepared for battle. Jesus encountered Satan’s soldiers in the synagogue (Luke 4:33-37) and in a graveyard (Luke 8:26-36), and Paul met them while witnessing (Acts 13:6-13) and while walking to a prayer meeting (Acts 16:16-18). You never know when Satan will attack, so “be sober, be vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8).
If you’re sitting on the sidelines, watching the battle and criticizing the army, then you’ll never meet the enemy and use the sword, because you’re already defeated! You’re a victim, not a victor; and you’ll never win a conqueror’s crown. After Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera, they reproached the tribes of Reuben, Dan and Asher for failing to respond to the call to arms (Judges 5:16-17). It’s much easier to sit in the sheepfolds and listen to sweet music than it is to meet the enemy face-to-face on the battlefield and use the sword of the Spirit…
“Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize. And sailed through bloody seas?” (Isaac Watts)
Unlike the metal sword of the Roman soldier, the sword of the Spirit never gets dull. The Word of God is always “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). Sometimes we who carry the sword get “dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:11) and don’t wield the Word of God effectively; but that isn’t the fault of the weapon. We must spend time daily with the Word of God, studying it, memorizing it and learning how to apply it in spiritual combat. If we’re filled with the Spirit, then we’ll have no difficulty wielding the Spirit’s sword; for He wrote the Word and He can help us use it to the glory of God.
The Roman soldier’s sword was powerless of itself, but the Word of God is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12) and isn’t limited by the personal weakness of the believer. In fact, it’s when we’re weak in ourselves that God proves Himself strong on our behalf (2 Cor. 12:10). By faith, we can be like Eleazer, one of David’s mighty men, whose “hand stuck to the sword” and “The Lord brought about a great victory that day” (2 Sam. 23:10 NKJV).
The Roman soldier’s sword brought death, but the sword of the Spirit is “living and powerful” (Heb 4:12) and imparts life to those who submit to it. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter used his physical sword and got himself into trouble. But on the Day of Pentecost, he used the sword of the Spirit and three thousand dead sinners were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37 NKJV) and found life in Jesus Christ. What a remarkable sword!
When Stephen gave his defense before the Jewish council, the listeners were cut to the heart (Acts 7:54), but they wouldn’t surrender to the Lord. In that conflict, the Council members were certainly the losers and Stephen was the winner. Stephen saw the Captain of his salvation stand to welcome him to heaven!
Praying soldiers
It’s significant that Paul associated the Word of God with prayer: “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18). Prayer and the Word belong together. The apostles said, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4). This was the pattern that Samuel followed (1 Sam. 12:23) and also our Lord (Mark 1:35-39; see John 15:7). Prayerless Christian soldiers won’t have the Spirit’s help when they try to use His sword.
The close relationship between prayer and the Word in Christian combat is illustrated in Exodus 17:8-16. Moses remained on the mountain and lifted his hands in prayer, while Joshua engaged the enemy in battle in the valley, wielding the sword and winning the victory. It took both the uplifted hands and the fighting hands to defeat the enemy.
In our churches today, we have a great deal of Bible teaching and preaching, but is it backed up by intercessory prayer? The early church used to fast and pray (Acts 13:3), but today we sponsor “prayer breakfasts.” Churches used to conduct pre-service prayer meetings; but if you arrive at church early nowadays, you listen to a music rehearsal. When will the church get back to the ministry of prayer and the Word of God?
No substitutes!
Christian soldiers who think they have better weapons than the Word of God and prayer are destined to experience shame and failure, no matter how successful they may appear to the world. “In whatever man does without God,” wrote George MacDonald, “he must fail miserably or succeed more miserably.” The Holy Spirit hasn’t promised to bless human philosophies or even our hallowed systems of theology. God doesn’t put the anointing on human talent or cleverness, no matter how much applause they might generate from congregations that are looking more for entertainment than for edification. “It is not great talents God blesses,” wrote Robert Murray McCheyne, “but great likeness to Jesus.”
Satan isn’t impressed by our buildings and budgets, our religious arguments, our fine-tuned sermon outlines or our denominational programs; but he trembles before the Word of God when it’s wielded by dedicated soldiers who know how to pray. What David said about Goliath’s sword can be said of the Bible, the sword of the Spirit: “There is none like that; give it to me” (I Sam. 21:90).
No compromise! Before Joshua discovered it was Jesus standing before him at Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15), he bravely stepped up and asked, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” That’s the way Christian soldiers ought to speak! The battle we’re engaged in doesn’t leave room for timidity, negotiation, diplomacy or compromise.
“He that is not with me is against me,” said Jesus (Matt. 12:30), and He meant what He said. King Saul compromised with the enemy and lost his crown (I Sam. 15), and the church at Pergamum complacently tolerated evil in its ranks and was in danger of feeling the cutting edge of the divine sword (Rev. 2:12, 14-16). At least five times in the Book of Revelation we’re reminded that the Savior has the sharp sword and knows how to use it (1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15, 21).
We start ourselves
The faithful Christian soldier first applies the sword of the Spirit personally before using it on others or against the enemy. We must allow the Lord to pierce our own inner being and reveal to us what’s really there, for the Word of God is a “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). We don’t really know our own hearts (Jer. 17:9), but God can help us see what we’re really like down inside. When writing about the tales of King Arthur, Tennyson had Sir Galahad say, “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.” As believers, we must pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24).
The sword of the Spirit does us no good unless we take it by faith and use it in the strength of the Lord. “It is written” carries more spiritual power to defeat the devil than does a library full of books or a head filled with theological outlines.
The sword of the Spirit is yours for the taking.
Don’t leave home without it.
VOICE (Jul/Aug 1997)
Paul Broman
When a person truly believes in Jesus, God’s Son, he immediately receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a “new creation”, that is, he becomes a “citizen” of God’s kingdom (cf. Ephesians 1:13,14; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:20). He is no longer subject to a system of rules and laws, but is taught to “walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit” who lives in him (Galatians 5:16-18; Romans 8:14).
What does this mean? How are we supposed to live now? There are many instructions found in the New Testament in the letters to Christians that show us how we should live. More than this, Jesus himself showed us by his example how we should live. In his teaching, Jesus gave us some wonderful lessons, but his words were not many; it was by his example that he truly taught us how to live. And then he said, “Follow me!” (Not, as so many “teachers” now-days say, “Follow my teachings.”) This is the way a true Christian teacher must talk. Six times in his writings the Apostle Paul says, “Follow me, as I follow Christ; be imitators of me; follow the example you heard and saw in me,” etc. In Matthew 23:3 Jesus warned us against those teachers who only say and do not do.
Jesus truly taught us by his example how to live and how to die.
Where today do we see true teachers, disciples of Jesus, who are teaching others by following his example? One of the first things every new Christian feels very strongly is that he must tell this wonderful gospel to his friends and relatives, so that they will be saved from an eternal hell. Every newborn Christian has this strong urge that comes from the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us that if we suppress this desire because we are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us (Luke 9:26). Often this is the first test of a new Christian’s love and obedience to Christ. But as we continue to follow Jesus, our Lord as well as our Savior, we become conscious of the words he spoke just before he left this earth: “Go into all the world and tell this gospel to every person” (Mark 16:15; John 20:21; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
As we consider these words and realize our frightening responsibility to this lost and dying world, Jesus’ example begins to take on a new and urgent meaning. “To all the world!” “To every person!” “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 and 18:18. Also John 20:23).
“Tell this gospel to every person.” How easy to understand! How clear the command! How grave the responsibility! Are we telling the gospel of Jesus’ salvation, and his promise of eternal life, to every person around us? Jesus’ last words in the New Testament are: “The Spirit and the bride [the church] say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).
Notice carefully: We see no command or instruction here, or anywhere else in the Scriptures, about founding or building churches. Instead, we are told to make disciples, a vastly more difficult and daunting task. However, the salvation of men, that is, the work of bringing them to believe, is altogether the work of the Holy Spirit. Read John 6:44-45. Some people say that Paul “planted churches.” He did not. But the Holy Spirit certainly did through the preaching of the gospel. Of course no person in the world could do what the Holy Spirit did through Paul on his missionary journeys. Paul went out to tell the gospel and God worked mightily to bring many people to himself.
God did not give us a method; he entrusted us with a message. God has told us to tell the gospel to everyone. As soon as the gospel message goes forth, as soon as we obey Jesus and tell the gospel, the Holy Spirit begins to work. That is why he came to the world after Jesus left: “….he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11).
When the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit works–immediately! That is his job; that is why he came. Everyone who has told the gospel as Jesus and Paul did knows the meaning of those words. When the Holy Spirit begins his work, many people become angry. Some, a few, believe and receive eternal life. And notice also: Jesus did not say, “Go and win souls,” or, “Go and save people.”
We repeat–his words were, “Tell the gospel [it is the 'power of God'] to every person.” Jesus and Paul showed us how to preach the gospel: publicly and from house to house, that is, on the streets and to every person. But this sort of preaching is certain to bring opposition, scorn, hate and persecution, just as it did in those days. Is that not the main reason that the gospel is no longer preached in this way? It is so very much easier to rent a hall or a stadium, or to rent time on radio or television and talk to an audience which wants to listen–they’ll even contribute money!–because they agree with the message. Only a true disciple of Jesus, like the martyr Stephen, would be willing to preach to an audience that, the Bible says, gnashed their teeth and stopped their ears.
One reason that it is hard to preach the gospel in public–on the streets and person to person–is that we must tell the bad news as well as the good news. We must, as in Romans 1, tell men that they are vile sinners, on the road to an eternal hell. When we say these things, the Holy Spirit can prepare them for the good news. Without the bad news, no one can truly appreciate the good news: that we have, through the blood of Jesus and his resurrection, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Preaching the bad news brings the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit into our message, convincing men of its truth.
But to men who hate the light and suppress the truth by unrighteousness, this is an intolerable message, and they will, sometimes violently, try to stop it, claiming that they have a “right” not to hear, not to have these warnings “rammed down their throats”. To those whom God has chosen, however, these warnings bring fear and repentance, and, when they hear the good news, true appreciation and joy. It is interesting here to meditate on the traditions of the early Church as to the fate of the Apostles of Jesus.
We are told that Peter was crucified in Rome upside down because he felt he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. Andrew, his brother, it is said, was likewise crucified at Edessa. The book of Acts tells us that James, the brother of John, was beheaded by Herod. John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, and horribly martyred by being thrown into boiling oil. Matthew was beheaded in Ethiopia. Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India. Simon, the Zealot, it is said, was crucified in Briton. Bartholomew (Nathaniel) was beaten and crucified in India. Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Phrygia. Jesus’ brother, James, was stoned and clubbed to death in Jerusalem. Contrast this with the acclaim and honor of many of today’s “Christian” clergy, and try to discern the reason.
Surely it is not the world that has changed; rather it is that the hated message is no longer faithfully preached! History shows us that it was nothing other than the faithfulness and forbearance of Christians of bygone days who preached this hated message in the face of much persecution and opposition, that has purchased for us the right to publicly proclaim the gospel now. Today people call this right “freedom of speech.” But it was those Christians who, sometimes at the cost of their lives, bought this right for us, and not only for us, but even for unbelievers to enjoy.
Somehow, tragically, much of the Christian church has substituted other goals and objectives for Jesus’ simple words. “Christianity” has taken on the characteristics of the heathen “religions” around us: building up “membership”, constructing “temples”, making “adherents”, performing ceremonies, attending meetings, saying prayers, building schools and hospitals, establishing great organizations and denominations, etc. until today, “Christianity” has come to be merely another sect or religion. The world seemingly no longer realizes that Christians have been entrusted by God with a vital message – a message of life and death, and that our responsibility is to deliver this message to every person.
When the whole world has heard it, then, Jesus said, the end of this miserable age will come, and the Kingdom of God will be here! Hallelujah! We must not look at “results.” The only result we seek is that the world hears and understands our message. The “results” must be left to God, who will add to his church those he has chosen “before the foundation of the world.”
We certainly hope that the words we have written here will not be construed to mean that Christians have no need to gather together for encouragement, teaching, and remembering the Lord. This teaching is obvious throughout the epistles. Also, we would feel very misunderstood if some who read this would conclude that we have no desire to see men believe and be saved. The Bible is clear that God wants men to be saved. No, here we only desire to show that our work is the proclamation of God’s wonderful gospel, and God’s work is to give men understanding, and to build and establish his church.
And Jesus also left us that other command: “Make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). How do we accomplish this? Jesus showed us how by his example. His example! In Luke 14:26-27, and in verse 33, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life– he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” These words make it difficult for us to believe that anyone can teach discipleship in a classroom.
It is true that we can teach many things without being a disciple ourselves: Surely we can tell the gospel without losing our own life. It seems very possible that we can teach many biblical truths without carrying a cross after Jesus. It is possible to pastor a church or to teach in a Bible school or seminary without being a disciple. And no doubt we can lead people to the Lord without giving up everything we have.
But there is one thing we cannot do without being a disciple ourselves: We cannot make disciples. We cannot teach another person to lose his life unless we lose our own. Here is one sphere of Christian teaching that can only be done by example – an example until death. Jesus showed us how to live and how to die. He truly taught us by his example. And he told us: “Make disciples of all nations.” Not many Christians have followed his teaching here, nor his example. Because it costs one’s life. Yes, we have many Bible lessons, and classes in churches and schools; many “correspondence courses” and study books.
But we do not see many disciples. Why? We do not write this to disparage or criticize the dedicated work of many Christians which has been done out of love for Jesus and his gospel.
We only want to point out here that it is not easy to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations, and very few have done it or are doing it now. Here, then, is the teaching that Jesus left for us: tell the gospel to every person, and make disciples in all nations. This, if we choose to accept it, is the way Jesus wants us to live. And as the church, in these last days, slides swiftly down into the lukewarm, miserable, blind and naked Laodicean condition that will welcome the Anti-Christ, God will yet find a few disciples who will tell his gospel to the whole world before the end comes.
They will overcome Satan himself by “the word of their testimony, by the blood of the Lamb, and because they will not love their own lives, even unto death” (Revelation 12:11). To them, God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you always.” “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).
At the November mid-year meeting of the IFCA Board of Directors, the Board acted upon a recommendation to revise the IFCA’s official “purpose statement”. The new statement is: “Enhancing the strength of the Church by equipping for, and encouraging toward, ministry partnerships to achieve Great Commission objectives.”
This new statement is not really so very different from the emphasis which the fellowship has had in past years on “Healthy churches working together.” It does, however, provide a greater definition to our focus as a Fellowship.
When broken down into its elements that definition of focus is clearly seen:
