| The Great Commission, or the Great Omission? |
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Is your church missing out on the most effective outreach?New methods for outreach and evangelism come and go. No bad thing perhaps for the church needs to be relevant to its time and culture, and St Paul's teaching and his example was that by all possible means we should save some. I would suggest, however, that the church has neglected the most important and timeless method of outreach - The Master's plan! In our concern for reaching the lost (and I include myself in this) we can so easily lose sight of the fact that at its heart the Great Commission is not a call to evangelise, but to make disciples. Whilst Jesus calls us to be His witnesses - (Acts 1:8) and to preach the good news to all - (ethnic groups/creation - Matt: 24:14; Mark 16:15) that is just part of the task - the first step. The Great Commission is to make disciples of all who respond. When those who make decisions to follow Jesus are discipled - in practice and not just in theory - then they themselves can also respond to that command and in their turn make disciples. This principle of spiritual reproduction - disciples who in turn make disciples - is our Lord's plan for an effective and growing church. Jesus demonstrated that when believers are discipled evangelism will happen for it is part and parcel of the process. And it is not just outreach that will benefit - all of the ministries that are needed to equip the church for works of service will be recognised, raised and released! We may refer to believers as "disciples", but how many are ever truly discipled? For most Christians discipleship is limited to the teaching they receive in Sunday services and/or home groups. Whilst some churches have discipleship groups for new Christians and some keen believers may undertake further self-study, discipleship by these methods is still mostly academic. Making disciples takes more than preaching and teaching - no matter how brilliant or inspired! Discipleship, as Jesus modelled it means apprenticeship - that is not just academic learning, but hands-on training under direct, personal supervision. Jesus was the best and most inspiring preacher/teacher ever. He taught the crowds and synagogue congregations with the most powerful sermons the world will ever hear, often accompanied by stunning visual aids. But when it came to making His disciples, however, He was not content for them to just "sit under His ministry" as part of the congregation. He chose a few to follow Him; to be with Him; in order that He could train them practically and personally. If the Son of God did it that way - and even then one fell away - how can church leaders expect to make disciples using impersonal and, for the most part, academic methods? Many Christian writers have recognised the church's failure in this area and there are several books on the subject. As one writer has said; "There is probably no other more primary matter of negligence in the church today than our failure to follow the Lord's command to develop disciples. Because of this gross neglect, many Christians think of themselves as an audience to be entertained rather than an army ready to march." ('Jesus Christ Disciple Maker' - Bill Hull - Crossway Books) I believe that this neglect, this great omission, is not only the underlying reason for the church's lack of impact on our society but goes a long way to explain why churches are constantly seeking new ways to evangelise. As E.M. Bounds states in his book 'Power through Prayer' "The church is looking for better methods: God is looking for better men." Our Lord not only demonstrated that His plan for making better men really works, but He also commanded His church to use it - "make disciples". Why then is it so neglected? To be fair it is not the principle that has been neglected - just the practice! Most church leaders do appreciate the importance of discipleship and do their best to make disciples, and it is encouraging to hear of some churches moving discipleship to the top of their agendas. However, unless and until the need for on-the-job training is recognised and implemented, discipleship will, for the most part, remain ineffective. Without a radical change of approach it is almost inevitable that church leaders will be content to disciple their members in much the same way that they themselves were discipled - i.e. academically. In any organisation there will always be those who are more inclined to get involved than others - and the church is no different. Preaching and teaching with exhortation, therefore, will always produce some positive results. In the main, however, the relatively few believers who respond and get involved in ministry are either limited to academic roles in the church or gravitate to those practical roles for which their secular work and/or natural inclination has already equipped them. There is no quick fix solution for turning discipleship from a principle into practice; but by implementing the Master's plan any determined leader(s) can start a process that will produce amazing results. For it to work, however, the leader must lead. Jesus didn't train His disciples by telling them what to do, but by getting them to follow Him - out on the road. Leader(s) should start as Jesus did with just a few. Prayerfully and carefully choose a couple of suitable (i.e. faithful, available and teachable) people and spend time with them on a regular basis - commitment by all parties is essential. At the outset these times may be limited to prayer and Bible study, but application of the word should be discussed and demonstrated. As the disciples mature, these times together should extend to include on-the-job training, reflecting the leader's own areas of ministry in the church. That may be teaching, preaching, home or hospital visiting and even evangelism. It will take time and the process may seem slow but, as it is The Master's plan, it cannot fail to produce results, provided the process continues. Once those first disciples have been developed then, just as Jesus did, they must be encouraged to repeat the process with others. Developing disciples is so fundamental that it should not be confined to a programme. Human nature being what it is, however, without the discipline of a firmly established programme, discipleship in the local church will remain a principle more preached than practised. Evangelism Explosion (EE) provides churches with a superb discipleship programme. Because of its name you may be excused for thinking that it is just another method of evangelism. Whilst it is first-class personal evangelism training, its structure - (one leader taking responsibility for two others over several months) - combined with its core emphasis of on-the-job training, provides the basis for effective, self-sustaining discipleship for any church. I have met many ministers and missionaries who freely admit that it was the practical discipleship that they received through their EE training that released them into full time ministry. In addition countless numbers of lay people regularly testify to the way that EE has not only strengthened their own faith but has enabled them to clearly and competently share their faith with others. There may be a better programme for starting the process of making disciples - but I have yet to find it! Peter Crook, National Director, Evangelism Explosion (GB) |
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