The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

8. Reproduction

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruitfruit that will last John15:16

8. Reproduction

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruitfruit that will last John15:16

Jesus expected them to reproduce

Jesus intended the disciples to produce his likeness in and through the Church When did you last: Visit a church that made you love Jesus more, or meet a person who seemed full of Jesus and his Spirit?! (What would these look like?)

Jesus ministry should be duplicated through the lives of his disciples - in this was it would continue to expand and multiply If they were faithful to this plan the world would be won Jesus built into the disciples a structure that started small like a grain of mustard seed that would grow in size and strength until it became a tree Matt. 13:32ff Jesus did not expect that everyone would be saved - but he did foresee the day when the Gospel would be proclaimed to every creature. It would not be easy:

- many would suffer persecution and martyrdom - his people would pass through trials - the ultimate victory was certain. His Church would win in the end. Matt. 16:1 8, Amplied, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it.

This condence was based upon Jesus knowledge that the disciples had learned at least the essence of His glory. Peter summed it up in Matt. 16:16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.! This is an indestructible truth, and was the foundation that Jesus envisioned for victory to be won, Matt. 16:18, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

These words indicate the signicance of human action in bringing it to pass Our interpretation might differ but we should agree that Jesus' words were addressed to a person who personally had made an afrmation of faith in his Lord something Peter had made up himself, Matt. 16:17 The apostles' faith in the living Christ was so imbedded in his life that it had solidied into a rock

- a rock which Peter declared, "the Chief Cornerstone," upon which all believers were "living stones" in the construction of the church 1 Peter 2:4-8; Eph. 2:20-22 We must see the direct relation between bearing witness of Christ and the ultimate victory over the world: One cannot come without the other. Bringing these two dynamic facts together by the power of the Holy Spirit is the climatic genius of Jesus' strategy of evangelism.

The Principle Observed

It all comes back to His disciples. They were the vanguard of His enveloping movement. Jesus expected people to believe through themI pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, John 17:20 They would then pass the word along to others, until the world knew who he was and what He came to do John 17:21, 23

The Principle Observed

It all comes back to His disciples. They were the vanguard of His enveloping movement. Jesus expected people to believe through themI pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, John 17:20 They would then pass the word along to others, until the world knew who he was and what He came to do John 17:21, 23

vanguard! a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas

The Principle Observed

It all comes back to His disciples. They were the vanguard of His enveloping movement. Jesus expected people to believe through themI pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, John 17:20 They would then pass the word along to others, until the world knew who he was and what He came to do John 17:21, 23

The Principle Observed

His whole evangelistic strategydepended upon the faithfulness of His chosen disciples to this task Their size did not matter - as long as they reproduced and taught reproduction.

As simple as it may seem, this was the way the Gospel would conquer. He had no other plan.

The Test
The test: Would His disciples carry on His work after He had gone? Could they do as good a job without him present? Does that sound like asking too much? Until this point of maturity was reached, on a human level Jesus could never be sure that his investment in their lives would pay off for the Kingdom. If they failed to impart his Spirit and method to others who would keep this work going, then His ministry with them all these years would come to nothing.

Jesus made sure the disciples understood how necessary and inevitable reproduction is. E.g. John 15: 1 -I 7 - The purpose of the vine (Himself) and the branches was to bear fruit. Any branch that did not yield fruit was cut off - it was worthless. Fruit bearing branches were pruned that they might give more fruit, 15:2 The life-sustaining power of the vine was not to be bestowed endlessly upon lifeless branches. Any branch that lived on the vine had to produce to survive for that was its intended nature.

Jesus then applied this - his disciples would bear fruit, fruit that would remain John 15:5, 8, 16

A barren Christian is a contradiction: A tree is known by its fruit.!

Note: It is interesting that in this whole passage, every time fruit bearing is mentioned, the Word is in the present tense, which means in the Greek text that it is a continuing thing, something that just keeps on reproducing.

This principle was emphasized again and again - it was inevitable John 12:24; 17:19. It was the distinguishing work of those who . did the will of His Father in heaven, Matt. 7: 16- 23 It was (interpreted as) the wages given to His disciples for their work in the harvest (John 4:36-38) It was that which was denied those who "let the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things" choke out the Word of God planted in their hearts Mark 4:18-20

It was the thing lacking in the lives of the Sadducees and Pharisees Matt. 3:7, 8; 12:33, 34; Luke 13: 6-9 In various ways Jesus called men to evaluate the product of their lives - this was what they were Where fruit bearing is seen as reproducing the life of Christ in human personality, practically everything which the Master said and did pointed to this principle.

The Great Commission

The great commission is summed up in the command to "make disciples" Matt. 28: 19 - go out into the world and win others who would come to be what they themselves were-disciples of Christ Coleman states,

Emphasis is given in Greek where we see that the words "go," "baptize," and "teach" are all participles which derive their force from the one controlling verb "make disciples."

The Great Commission

This means that the great commission is not merely to go to the ends of the earth preaching the Gospel (Mark 16:15), nor to baptize a lot of converts, nor to teach them, but to "make disciples" - to build men like themselves who were so constrained by the commission of Christ that they not only followed, but led others to follow His way. Only as disciples were made could the other activities of the commission fulll their purpose.

Pray for Harvesters

Leadership was the required! The masses were ready for the harvest, but without spiritual shepherds to lead them, how could they ever be won? Matt. 9:37, 38

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest eld.!
There is almost a note of desperation in these words - the world desperately needs workers who cared for their souls.

Pray for Harvesters

There is no use to pray for the world. What good would it do? God already loves them and has given His Son to save them.!
The only hope for the world is for men to go to them with the Gospel of Salvation, and having won them to the Savior, not to leave them, but to work with them faithfully, patiently, painstakingly, until they become fruitful Christians savoring the world about them with the Redeemer's love.

The principle applied to us

We must all evaluate the contribution that our life and witness is making to the supreme purpose of the Savior of the world Are those who have followed us to Christ now leading others to Him and teaching them to make disciples like ourselves? It is not enough to rescue the perishing, though this is imperative

The principle applied to us

It is not enough to build up new born babes in the faith of Christ, although this is necessary if the rst fruit is to endure
It is not enough just to get them out winning souls What really counts in the ultimate perpetuation of our work is the faithfulness with which our converts go out and make leaders out of their converts, not simply more followers.

The test of any work of evangelism is seen in the effectiveness with which the work continues in the next generation.! A Church should measure its success by how many Christians are actively winning souls and training them to win others Ultimately this is only be measured in eternity Is it not time that we all looked again at our lives and ministries from this perspective? As Dawson Trotman would say, "Where are our men?" What are they doing for God?

And in the Church

The rst disciples gave the Gospel to the multitudes whilst at the same time building up the fellowship of those who believed - the Lord added daily to the Church whilst the apostles were developing men to reproduce their ministry to the ends of the earth Acts is the unfolding in the life of the church the principles of evangelism that have already been outlined in the life of Christ.

And in the Church

The early Church proved that Jesus plan worked By the end of the century the society of the day had been shaken to its foundations and growing churches had been established in most centres of population. Had the momentum continued within a few centuries the multitudes of the world would have known of Jesus

Times changed, and the simple way of Jesus' evangelism was forced into a new mould. Adaptations of principle are necessary in the light of changing circumstances, but somehow the principles got confused in the desire to give the gospel a new look The costly principles of leadership development and reproduction were submerged beneath the easier strategy of mass recruitment Popular recognition took precedence over reaching the world, and the methods of evangelism employed by the Church reected this

Occasionally the principles of Jesus' method have come to the fore - in times of revival, but have been short lived and have never captured the imagination of the vast majority of churchmen. Jesus' plan has not been disavowed; it has just been ignored. It has been something to remember in venerating the past, but not to be taken seriously as a rule for conduct in the present.

The issue today

Today our problem is methodology. We have ceremonies, programs, organizations, commissions and crusades trying to do a job that only can be done by men in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not to put down these efforts, for without them the church could not function as she does Unless the personal mission of the Master is vitally incorporated into the policy and fabric of all these plans, the church can not function as she should.

When will we realize that evangelism is not done by something, but by someone. It is an expression of God's love, and God is a Person. His nature, being personal, is only expressed through personality, rst revealed fully in Christ, and now expressed through His Spirit in the lives of those yielded to Him. Committees may help to organize and direct it, and to that end they certainly are needed, but the work itself is done by men reaching other men for Christ.

This is the evangelism we need - not better methods, but better men - men who know their Redeemer - men who see His vision and feel His passion for the world - men who are willing to be nothing in order that He might be everything - men who want only for Christ to produce His life in and through them according to His own good pleasure. This nally is the way the Master planned for His objective to be realized on the earth, and where it is carried through by His strategy, the gates of Hell can not prevail against the evangelization of the world.

E. M. Bounds said that, Men are God's method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. Until we have men endued with His Spirit and committed to His plan, none of our methods will work.