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.