WHERE DOES EVANGELISM BEGIN?

As we consider Jesus’ strategy as the best Master Plan for Evangelism, we note that he laid the foundation for future Evangelism by selecting a few men. In fact this process of selection was continuing. As crowd would grow Jesus would call them to a greater commitment, resulting in people walking away, and only committed staying. (John 6:66). He had chosen the twelve (Luke 6:13) and from among them he also had a select group of three. The “Small Group” of Jesus was the foundation with which he began Evangelism. The Small Group setting is the only successful method for preparing Evangelism.

Consider the small group of Jesus – it was not a weekly meeting for didactical instruction, book review club, or a hourly therapy session. They lived together, shared meals, travelled, worked, and shared everything together. It was a lifestyle group. It took Jesus 3 ½ years to get disciples to where he could reproduce in them. If we conduct our small groups as an add-on program, for a couple of hours weekly – it would take 20 years to get similar results. Hopefully some of us have been successful reproducing our passion for ministry in our children, hopefully our next generation is getting to the point when they can be entrusted with the leading of the Gospel Mission. Are they?!

Jesus focused most of his time developing few, and he got involved with crowds only occasionally, to train the few, to prepare the few for future ministry. Jesus concern was not with programs to reach multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes will follow. How about our ministries in church? Do we focus on programs to be done, or do we minister to people, through programs, and are ready to adjust programs if they are not efficiently fulfilling people’s needs?

Jesus plan was to enlist people who could and would bear the witness and carry on the work after him. Those he selected were still impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, prejudiced, but they were teachable.

The world is transformed as individuals are transformed. At the end of Jesus ministry there were about 120 people prepared for ministry. As a pastor my ministry first is for those who lead and will lead. Only 50 out of 76 members attend, some regularly, some occasionally, 6 attend elsewhere, 2 are shut-in, 18 do not attend at all (at least in the last 4 years). There are also 37 people, including students who attend occasionally as visitors, or regularly without becoming members of the church family. Add to this number the extended family, relatives we interact with – group over 100 people that are to be ministered to by leaders, elders, deacons, disciples. As a district pastor I am to administer to another group – the South Church with about 300 people. Hence, my focus is to develop elders, to teach ministry leaders, and those who are interested in learning.

As we are laying the foundation for evangelism, I appeal to those who are mature in Christ – are you leading, have you indicated your willingness to be selected, are you investing in people to reproduce yourself?

Visiting with a church family this week I was reminded of an interesting passage from Paul’s 2^nd letter to Timothy (2:25) “In humility and gently correct even those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth also.” WOW! That’s taking the discipling to a whole another level! Yet, it is a “must do” for the sake of the Gospel.

WE ARE THE STRATEGY!

When I consider Evangelism I look back to the original Evangelist – Jesus Himself. What was his method and strategy that led to fulfilling what he came to accomplish? As I reflect on Biblical stories – Jesus’ personal commitment of giving himself fully to the mission was one of notable principles, another major principle of his strategy was “people,” the “human factor.”

The Church that wants to be successful in achieving goals set by Christ must follow the strategy set by Jesus, for all time!

Here I want to outline the 8 basic steps, or principles in a sequence, deliberately planned and employed by Jesus:

1. Selection – enlisting men to bear witness

2. Association – they stayed together, observing life together

3. Consecration – they were invited to take His yoke, count the cost

4. Impartation – he gave Himself away, sending them the Spirit

5. Demonstration – he gave them an example

6. Delegation – he assigned the work and authorized them

7. Supervision – he kept check on them, Spirit is correcting now

8. Reproduction – he expected them to reproduce, to bear fruit.

The last step was already present and implied in the first. He did not select and invite people to follow Him to just hang out, or even to do a work for Him. His intent was to reproduce in each one of them the person, the character, and the work of God, thus restoring the Image of God in them.

When you consider biblical Vision of Evangelism – it is simple – doing the business of the father, doing God’s will, proclaiming God’s reign. The strategy can have changing methods, but same underlying principle, based on one objective – to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)

Please consider the primary objective for our church as outlined by Jesus: Sent to Go and Disciple all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The witness is possible because of the Power of the Holy Spirit received. The work is to begin from the centre – where we live, and continue to the end of the world. (Mat.hew 28:19; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)

How do you see our church objective? Are we here to “fill up the church”? Are we here to create a little comfort zone of likeminded people? Or, are we here to first receive the Holy Spirit, and then to go into the community around us, inviting them into the Kingdom of God?

If this has not been your personal objective, please ask yourself what needs to be changed in your life, in our corporate lives to live God’s objective. Bottom line – we are planted here to flourish, and if we have not permitted the Holy Spirit to create an environment of people flourishing where they are planted, then why should they remain planted?

Consider yourself personally as God’s strategy to His objective of saving the world. Then Evangelism will become a reality in our church.

WE’D LIKE TO SEE CHANGE….

It’s late Wednesday night and I am watching my friend Dilys Brooks preach at Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-day Adventist Church. (www.mtrubidouxsda.org). By the way, their choir has won the "How Sweet the Sound" National Gospel Competition at LA Memorial Sports Arena on October 13, 2008. It’s an archived sermon from last Sabbath entitled “Promise Keepers”, she commented on Obama’s phenomenal election “He has promised to bring us a change!” We would like to see change. We do not like to change, but we want to see change…

You understand! We do not like the process of change. How is it that we would like to SEE change?!

We had seen a generational shift. American president was elected by the Millennial generation. Two thirds of voters under 30 years of age voted for him, and the majority of them were multiethnic. The world is different from the one you grew up in. This is a new generation that says “Yes, we can!” The newly elect president knows how to express the common hopes of the people, how to use the power of public speaking (preaching)—together with the power of the Internet and community organizing—to mobilize people around a cause, to call people to sacrifice and to care.

As I sat at the Nominating Committee I can’t help but notice same old trends – caution of inviting the youth to lead. Where are they anyway? Where did the youth go?

We need to learn from Obama. We need to engage the Millennial generation. We need to harness the power of hope and mobilize young people to make real change. We need to face the new realities of diversity and connectivity and compassion. We have lost the majority of the Baby Boomers and GenXers who were born into Adventist families. Let’s not do that again! This Millennial generation is more positive about the church and we need them.

The Adventist Church is already more diverse than America. We are the future. Our Church has taken significant steps to use the connectivity of new technology. The Corporate Adventist Church in North America has given every local congregation a web site of its own. There are hundreds of Adventist bloggers. But connectivity is more than technology. It also requires high-quality content; artistic, scholarly sound, creatively written, warmly personal content. Our best voices—inventive, well-grounded people—need to be on the Internet.

We also must put flesh on the message by getting involved in our local communities in compassionate service to the poor, the hurting and the oppressed. The work of our Community Services is the real evangelism. Social justice is just as Adventist as is the Sabbath and the Second Coming!

Candidate Obama has repeatedly said that “we will insure that every young adult who spends at least a year in service ... in the military, in the Peace Corps, in AmeriCorps, in homeless shelters or nursing homes ... will have their college education paid for.” I wonder, are we as committed to our young people? Guaranteeing support and assistance to our youth, so they can achieve for God’s glory?

Will we respond to this moment of hope and energy with new, creative ideas for the mission of the church? Or, will we sleep through the revolution and wake up to find we have oil for our lamps when the bridegroom arrives?

THE CHANGE WE NEED…INDEED

It would be an understatement to say that the world is changing. The recent election in United States is called the Revolution, the fifth “pivot point” in American History, former pivotal years being 1800, 1860, 1932, 1980. With welcoming to the office the first Afro-American in 232 years of presidency the change is evident! Even the Republican party is ready for change, projecting Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, a 37 years old Punjabi Indian American, governor of Louisiana into party leadership. The youngest of baby-boomer generation, and a GenXer are in leadership! Wow! Political pundits were observing that for the first time the youth rallied, paid attention, came out to make a difference. I wonder what would it take for the church youth to come out too, and make a difference.

London Free Press run an article on Thursday entitled “Technology + Obama = a whole new world.” It is another understatement à technology determines the new world today. Do we pay attention to the technology available to us in church to do our mission?

If you’ve missed the prayer meetings this week, I want to let you know you’ve been prayed for. Every night faithful gathered at our churches praying, reading, speaking about signs we see in the world around us, pointing out to the soon Coming of our Lord Jesus. Predictably many a conversations circled around our duty to fulfil the commission of preaching the Gospel. Tuesday night a discussion was focusing on globalization, and the technology that is available to us to really take the Gospel into every family. With internet media being present in every home, are we using it sufficiently to communicate?

There are many factors contributing to Obama’s election. The media of internet has been one of them. The infamous “Obama girl” scored more than 10 million hits with her video clip in support of change. Are we ready for change in our church, recognizing that the youth had been quietly slipping away for two decades, are we opening the opportunities, and allowing the good change to take place?

One newspaper put it this way “Without the black church, there would be no civil rights movement. Without the civil rights movement, there would be no Barack Obama. And to a large degree, it was in the black church that Obama found his own purpose.” The role of church in shaping society should not be ignored. My dear church, are we shaping community around us? Are we making a difference in lives of our youth? Are we fulfilling our purpose in shaping moral and worldviews of the next generation?

Remember our Master Plan has not changed. God’s way of changing the world always begins with enlisting men and women, boys and girls, to follow Christ, and then mentoring them, to become witnesses, to give themselves into serving needs of those they love and care for, in the Name of Jesus.

Even though we in Canada had no say in the American election, I am sure many we saying on the inside “It is change we want.” Are you ready for change? Will you carry on your passion for positive change into spiritual realm? Will you support the positive change for the Gospel Mission?

THE MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM

On September 27^th at the evangelism rally church members were presented with the master plan for Evangelism in 2009. Since then many questions been asked. A common question is for programming. My paraphrase would be “we need to organize events, programs, activities, tell us what activities we need to do for Evangelism.” Some were (and are) concerned with soliciting commitments, signing cards of commitment. I’ve been asked “why are you asking us to commit for bringing people?” Suggestions always go along lines: tell us what to do…

My answer is still the same – telling people what to do will not do any good for Evangelism. We’ve tried it! Haven’t we? We invited people to come, we scheduled events. In 2007 there was a whole series of events which, if followed, should have brought revival and doubled our church attendance. But it was simply ignored. Why would it be any different this time?

Before any reader gets upset, let me make a disclaimer: I intend to interpret things differently to change your worldview on Evangelism.

Evangelism is immensely more than a theory or a slogan. It is much more than an event or a program. It is a necessity that comes from within a person. Evangelism is a widening of the circle of faith to include more and more people who we care about to introduce to Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Evangelism began with Jesus. So let’s ask the Master about His Master Plan. In John 14:6 Jesus simply says “I am the way” Note that nowhere did Jesus suggested programs or activities as tools of evangelism. He had only one method: “He chose from them twelve” (Luke 6:13). Men Were His Method! His concern was not with programs that would reach multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. Jesus started to gather these men before he ever organized an evangelistic campaign or ever preached a sermon in public. Men were to be His method of winning the world to God. Ellen White puts it this way: “Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me." (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143).

This is where Evangelism commences, continues, and culminates – enlisting people! The initial objective of Jesus plan was to enlist men who would bear witness to His life.

Our Master Plan has not changed. The commercial evangelism – the bigger is the crowd, more professional presentation and less personal connection only causes collateral damage of people who says “NO!”, numbers of those rejecting to hear always higher than “souls” it wins. God’s way of Evangelism begins with enlisting men and women, boys and girls to commit themselves to follow Jesus, to become witnesses, to give themselves into serving needs of those they love and care for, in the Name of Jesus.