As a follow-up to the last few days, I have been thinking about what Oswald Smith says as to new converts. “As soon as they have been won to Christ, send them out as evangelists to their own people. The native himself is the key to the situation. The foreign missionary can never hope to evangelize the world…Paul never became a pastor. He won converts, ordained elders, and passed on. He placed the churches under native leadership, and made them self-supporting from the very first. They were living organisms. Living organisms will grow” (The Challenge of Missions, page 63).
Isn’t it time we returned to the biblical model? This model places great confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit in persons. I fear our broken methods have subtly grown out of mistrust and feeling that we need to manage the Holy Spirit. The more we realize that evangelism and building the church is a divine work, the quicker we will trust what He does with His work (see Galatians 3:5).
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This final post in the series looks at the quality in “faithful men” of being “able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). It is obvious that if this quality is absent, the multiplication principle stops and we miss God’s plan that He began with in Genesis 1:28; “Be fruitful and multiply”.
Let’s get back though to Paul’s instruction. “Faithful men who will be able to teach others also” means several things: 1. Making sure those you disciple and mentor develop their teaching ability. Often God has given them this ability; they just lack confidence. Confidence is gained by doing. 2. You will not and should not be doing all the teaching anyway. We must dump the popular, celebrity syndrome! 3. Communicate humility by taking a seat so your “Timothy” can do the teaching. Styles will vary, but it is important to realize in other cultures that our style most likely will not be as effective as the indigenous disciple’s because they know their culture. The only warning I make here is that we must not let culture hide or distort the biblical truth or principle. 4. Be sure that your feedback is biblical, not based on style or a western model. 5. Encourage those who are faithful so they will encourage, coach and challenge others to teach the principles of Scripture. 6. Finally, expect your “Timothy” to do a better job at teaching than you did. Paul expressed this confidence to Philemon; “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” (Philemon 21). Please take these thoughts seriously! In our day, we need to see this multiplication principle at work in every corner of the world. It is and always will be a key objective of this ministry. In this next installment of the series, we will look at Paul’s imperative, “entrust to faithful men” (2 Timothy 2:2). There has never been a greater need for “faithful men” than in our day. But along with this critical need is the ability to identify men with this character. I fear we have become so accustomed to looking for anyone who will just fill the vacancy in a ministry that we rarely look for “faithful men” much less dedicate ourselves to developing faithful men”.
Why is this so? We have substituted man’s methods for the biblical model. Paul did not settle for lesser quality because he knew that God’s work required faithfulness. How can we expect to multiply churches among every people group around the world unless there are “faithful men” who estimate God’s plan for themselves and for His church above everything else in life? When a person is found with this quality, biblical truth and principles are “entrust(ed) or set before them” and they can effectively evangelize, establish (build up all the church); then it becomes equipped (fully mature), ready to expand under God’s leading (Ephesians 4:11-16). If our vision for “faithful men” is short of this goal, leaders will be ineffective and short-sighted. We are finding that there are very few who are willing to accept Paul’s approach. The few God has brought to our attention become Spirit-motivated, humble and self-sustaining. As we see with Timothy, they no longer rely on us, but on the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit! Is God speaking to you…is He calling you to be faithful? DO NOT WAIT ANOTHER MOMENT! Answer His call now and watch God transform you into the likeness of Christ; filled with the Spirit! “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses” is the next important phrase of this multiplying principle. How could Paul say this? If we turn to Acts 16:3, we find that “Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him” as he went on, guided by the Spirit, to the district of Macedonia which included Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Antioch and Ephesus. Imagine the volume of preaching and teaching Timothy would have heard as Paul went from place to place. In the same sense, consider the number of witnesses along the way who saw Timothy learning and maturing under such influence. It’s no wonder Paul felt confident in sending Timothy to Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17). He became faithful in learning and putting into practice, not only the teaching, but Paul’s manner of life (2 Timothy 3:10-11).
As we examine these facts that were part of Paul’s method of multiplying the work of God, we are forced to answer some heart-searching questions: 1. Is our preaching, teaching and influence worthy of being used by God to mature others and form their life and ministry in biblical principles? 2. Do we have Timothy’s in our life and ministry that we are intentionally developing? If not, why not? 3. How quickly will we be able to release them, confident of the Spirit’s work in and through them? (See Acts 9:18-20). 4. Are we encouraging the church to encourage younger leaders to accept their call to preach and teach? 5. What artificial requirements do we place on younger leaders that are not biblical? These are challenging questions, but if we allow Paul’s model to form our thinking, we will see exponential growth and multiplication. I encourage you to look carefully at Chapter 4 of our training manual. http://www.newfoundationsinternational.org/training-resources.html “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1–2).
In the next few days, I want to challenge you to think carefully about these two verses. The multiplying principle in verse two begins with “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. We would all agree that “grace” comes from God. Do we have any responsibility in the process of receiving that grace? To answer that question, let’s look at a few other verses. “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” (Hebrews 12:12–13). These imperatives are followed by a key phrase in verse 15. “See to it that no one fails to obtain (receive) the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” Notice that lifting drooping hands and strengthening weak knees and make straight paths to walk in is dependent on “obtaining or receiving the grace of God”! Without receiving His grace, the most essential principle of multiplying the work of God through effective ministry will not happen. If you are struggling with bitterness, anger, resentment, or any other attitude that is unbiblical, STOP, REPENT, TURN AND RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE THROUGH FORGIVENESS! “Paul…turned from the closed doors, one after the other, and entered those that were open. There are open doors everywhere! Let us enter them and leave God to open the closed ones in His own good time. He knows where and when He wants us to work, and He will make it plain.”
Smith, Oswald J., The Challenge of Missions, page 61-62. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
I often wonder why so many Christians settle for so much less in their walk with the Lord when God has planned abundance for us. Paul uses these two words “fill” and “abound”. There could not be any plainer meaning than “fill” and “abound”. I was speaking with a brother yesterday and today regarding a difficult decision he and his wife must make and how they would know the will of God in a matter. One option brought him agitation, distress and lack of sleep. After much prayer before the Lord, the other option brought peace, and the more they thought about it the more joy filled their hearts. As we lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance, insight and wisdom, the more we will experience His power in doing the will of God. This will cause our future to “abound in hope”, not because He tells us everything that is going to happen, but because we have great confidence in God working “all things together for good” and for His glory (Romans 8:28). How full is your joy and peace? Do you feel like there is little hope in your future? If your answer is less than “filled” or “abounding”, then I beg you to get in the presence of God and seek His face and His sufficient grace so your faith is strengthened and made firm in Christ. “It is the Spirit who give life” (John 6:63). Commenting on this verse, Watchman Nee says that “regeneration is a matter of transmission of life resulting in others receiving life, while building up is also a matter of the transmission of life resulting in believers being built up. Without the Spirit there can be no regeneration, and there can be no building up” (The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit, Living Stream Ministry, 1997, page 17-18.
It is important to realize this in any type of ministry. Regeneration (new birth) is necessary before spiritual growth can take place (see John 3:1-8). But, spiritual growth is not static. God wants to continue His work in and through every one of His children and this requires building up in maturity so we are effective in “the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-13). "Risk is not to be evaluated in terms of the probability of success but by the value of the goal" - Ralph Winter.
“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” (Revelation 22:17).
I cannot think of a greater climax to this blog series than perfect unity between the Spirit and Christ’s Bride, the church. From the creation when “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2), to the Father sending the Spirit on the day of Pentecost to fill believers and baptize them into one body, the church (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13), it has all been toward this ultimate moment. This is the moment I am living for! This will be the culmination of all God’s purpose and plans throughout all the ages. If you merely look at the years and issues of conflict and division that have ripped apart the church, misrepresented Christ in a million ways, grieved and quenched the Spirit, you will miss seeing where the Spirit is at work preparing the church for this grand finale. Let Him enlighten your eyes and fill your mind and heart with His truth. Listen to the Spirit and let Him separate you from everything unworthy of Him so that He can create this beautiful unity between you and Himself. Then you and I will be ready to cry together, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). |
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