What is the difference? When Paul left the elders from Ephesus at Miletus, he headed to Jerusalem and passed through Ptolemais and “entered the house of Philip the evangelist” (Acts 21:8). He also exhorted Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist and fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). This work was in the area where God had placed them.
The term “evangelist” means “only an individual who ‘announces the gospel,’ and early usage would suggest that this was often a person who went from place to place announcing the good news.[1] This could be your neighborhood, workplace, town, or state, but is very different from the role of a missionary. The evangelist goes to people who have the gospel available to them but have never shown an interest in the gospel. The “work of an evangelist” is to make the gospel message available to them. A missionary is a person who travels to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) to find people who have never heard the name of Jesus or about His mission from God His Father. He finds creative ways to share the gospel so its message comes through in the local language. Both persons are necessary, and both have the same message. The difference is in the type of audience that is addressed. The question is which one are you? If you say ‘neither,’ then you have missed the assignment Jesus gave to all His disciples in Matthew 28:19.
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There was a very lively and interesting discussion tonight on the expressions that John uses in his first letter; “sin not leading to death” and “sin that leads to death” (1 John 5:16-17). Perhaps I can unpack those terms in another blog, but as I listened to some of the comments, I became more concerned with the lack of spiritual sensitivity when we do sin.
David is a primary example of someone that God could rebuke, and he would feel deeply what his sin had done to his relationship with God. Here is an example: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Notice that David felt the personal offense caused by his sin. He had sinned in the presence of God. The same sentiments are expressed by the prodigal son in Luke 15. “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants”” (Luke 15:18–21). I would only add that the depth of repentance will indicate how much we want fellowship with God restored to a level better than before. J. Oswald Sanders says, “When a man after God’s heart repents, there is nothing superficial about it” (Enjoying Intimacy with God, page 46). David’s repentance was deep and radical. When we sin, is our repentance this radical? This has been a big day in America as millions went to cast their vote for the persons they wanted in office. Days like this have determined the future of nations down through the halls of history.
There was a moment in Israel’s history when they had to make a critical decision. It would determine their future in a way they could not anticipate and would impact generations to come. Joshua challenged the people, “If it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Notice that the choice Joshua offered made them first reflect on what their forefathers had done in the past in comparison to what God did in that generation. He brought them through the Jordon River on dry ground and gave them the land promised to Abraham. Their enemies were destroyed before their eyes, and the land produced crops in aboundance. Their choice that day would forever determine what the future would look like. Are the choices we make about what we want or what God has already shown us is His will? Do we make choices based on what the multitude are clamoring to have or is our personal commitment to serve the Lord helping us make hard decisions that set the course for generations to come? For anyone who has been in the role of a “Paul” and discipled a “Timothy,” it is a thrill to the heart to watch him start discipling others. I had walked him through God’s Plan for His Disciples twice (one-on-one and in a group study) and observed the Holy Spirit do a special work in his heart and life. Not long after he finished the course, he asked his boss at work if they could start a group there before work hours. He received a hearty “YES”!
One of the men in this group is a deacon at a church and suggested that men in his church start a group there as well. The idea was approved and a group of 15 men will start this Wednesday going through GPHD. This Timothy asked my permission to miss our Wednesday night study so he could at least get this group going. It is the joy of my heart to release this dear “Timothy” to multiply what he has learned. Luke said it well; “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” (Acts 6:7). I am praying this will happen where you are!! Today we heard an excellent message on a “True Disciple is a Disciple Maker.” It is important that I pass this on to you because it is both biblical and extremely important for our day. I will give you the major points in outline form so it will all fit in the space allotted.
Making disciples must be intentional according to Matthew 28:19-20.
The next part of the message was a reflection on Paul’s method of making disciples. We will look at this highly effective method tomorrow. Since I received a brief note from Tim in Chattogram, Bangladesh, I can give a short update on their time so far. A graduation for those who completed God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) was held in Dhaka and Chattogram (see picture) and they were able to introduce God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC) before leaving. It is always our prayer that some will go on through GPHC and prepare themselves for godly leadership. This is a very demanding course and those who finish will have a thorough look at the Book of Acts and all of Paul’s letters. Chapter four is an intense look at how leaders were developed in the Early Church – a much needed study for our day. Tomorrow (Sunday), Tim and Jonathan move on to Cox Bazaar where they will introduce GPHD to a group of eight young men. Please be in prayer for this group. They live in very dangerous and difficult conditions which test them in ways of which we have little or no understanding. It is in places like this that God often does what we think is impossible, so He gets maximum glory. I was reading an article on William Carey who is known as the “father of modern missions” and is mainly known for his work in India from 1793 to 1834. Landing at Calcutta with his family, he believed it was right to support themselves and their mission. This led him to manage an indigo plant (a dark blue dye). During those six years, he translated the New Testament into Bengali.
This mindset toward missions was different from most who sought support from “sending churches” at home. His translation work confirmed living “together and having all things in common” (Acts 2:44). This included financial self-reliance and training indigenous ministers to carry on the work. This attitude helps explain the saying he is known for; “EXPECT GREAT THINGS, ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS.” Perhaps we need to reexamine our expectations. The key to this saying was NOT what he could achieve, but what God could accomplish through a life submitted to Him. “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:8–9). Accomplishing great things does not depend on our ability but on our willingness to do what God has asked us to do. It was a very special prayer time via Zoom with Tim and Jonathan spanning the distance between Bangladesh and the USA. They started in Dhaka with a graduation of 20 students who finished GPHD. The picture shows six boys from a local school and Jonathan. He writes this report: “How sweet these people are! This place is an endless sea of opportunity for the gospel of grace. We finished our time in Dhaka and moved on to Chattogram where we will introduce GPHC to key leaders as well as a group who completed GPHD. As we came to this location and will be moving on to Cox Bazaar, we sense the spiritual darkness becoming more intense. How wonderful to carry the light of Christ with us and in us that dispels darkness and gives eternal life.” In Cox Bazaar, they are planning to meet at least eight young men who are eager to learn from God’s Word so they can go back into the Rohingya Camp with the power of the gospel and authority of the Holy Spirit. We urge you to be in prayer for these encounters. Randy is on his way to Malaysia. He is dear member of our team and has sacrificed much to follow-up with seeds that were planted before COVID interrupted our training schedule. Malaysia: Pray for the Malay people, one of the world’s largest unreached people groups, to come to Christ. Pray for an end to the ever-increasing pressure on Malaysians to adopt shari’a law. (PrayerCast) Cambodia: Pray for the renewal of true believers that are around 2% of the population. Pray for the gospel to reach the unreached peoples that are over 95% of the population. Pray for church-planting movements that will make strong, reproducing disciples. Nov. 2-7: Fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to equip and encourage Christ Immanuel Church with GPHD and GPHC. Nov. 8-9: Fly to Bangkok, Thailand and join Tim to pray and plan for ministry in Cambodia. Nov. 10-15: Fly to Phenom Penh, Cambodia for graduations of GPHD and to introduce GPHC. Nov. 16-17: Fly home and have 4 days with family before heading out for the next trip. I received an amazing phone call today from halfway around the world. It was from one of my “Timothy’s” I have tried to invest in for several years. He wanted to thank me for my investment. From the first time we met over coffee until now, he has grown in spiritual maturity, passion, and wisdom. I would be a fool to say that this was because of me, but I do know the Lord has used some of my input along the way.
One of the questions we often ask those we train through God’s Plan for His Church is, “who is your Paul?” In other words, do you know the person who introduced you to salvation in Jesus Christ and who is the person that mentored you into a closer walk with the Lord? Paul invested in Timothy, Titus, and others. Paul often took these men with him on mission trips so they could serve alongside him and learn his “ways in Christ” (Acts 16:3;1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 3:10-11). There is a world of difference between sitting in lectures at a Bible College or Seminary and actually doing ministry together and learning by doing. I thank the Lord over and over for the “Paul” God placed in my life! Norm was faithful to speak truth into my life and God used him to shape my life in ministry. In turn, the Lord has allowed me to invest in many “Timothy’s” and now they are investing in other “faithful” men. Who is your “Paul” and who are your “Timothy’s”? |
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