Language Learning Can Be Difficult

Ten Characteristics of a Disciple

I remember being in a Bible study once when the teacher pulled out a book about discipleship and read ten or so characteristics of a disciple. They were things like being holy and devoted and knowledgeable and all that. They sounded nothing like the characteristics of the disciples in the Bible. The author was well meaning, of course, but it’s no doubt tempting to hang a carrot in front of people telling them they have to “become” in order to be used by God rather than admitting they actually “become” while they are in the process of being used by God. It’s an important paradigm shift for all of us because otherwise... HERE

Evangelism vs. Disciple Making

Joshua Project

Jesus commanded his Church to (a) proclaim the Gospel message (evangelize), and (b) to make disciples. Evangelism and the making of disciples, two complementary tasks

Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation"

Matt 28:19 "Therefore go, and make disciples of all nations [ethne]"

Evangelism

• Often broad in focus, communicating to many individuals
• Generally precedes the making of disciples
• Focuses on the essence of the Gospel message
• Anticipates little prior knowledge of the Gospel
• Anticipates both a receptive, open audience and a skeptical, questioning audience
• Can be large-scale and somewhat impersonal or very direct and personal
• May be brief
• Utilizes communication tools developed specifically for the task
• May be difficult to measure the effectiveness

Disciple Making

• Narrow in focus, dealing with a relatively few individuals
• Generally is a result of evangelism
• Often personal, mentor to disciple
• Emphasizes depth of understanding, and application of understanding
• Requires commitment from the disciple, and from the mentor
• Requires substantial amounts of time
• Utilizes communication tools developed specifically for the task
• Results are somewhat measurable

Implications to the fulfillment of the Great Commission

• The "Great Commission" may be understood to include both evangelization and the making of disciples.
• The world may conceivably be completely evangelized before disciples are made from all ethne.
• Conversely, disciples may be made from among all ethne before the world is completely evangelized.
• Only the Lord knows when the Great Commission will be fulfilled, but Matthew 24:14 suggests the critical factor may be world evangelization. However, the implication in Matthew 28: 19-20 is that disciples will in fact be made among all ethne. They are complementary tasks.

The Gospel isn't just another good idea...

The following is a response that someone made to a question that had been asked about "how the best way is to show people that the Gospel isn't just another good idea that we can choose from, but the idea of all time".

Just recently, I was confronted with this question in my own life, and going through Porterbrook. I think, quite honestly, the best way to show people that the gospel isn't just another good idea that we can choose from, but THE idea of all time, is to show how glorious the gospel is for them specifically. An example of this would be someone whoseeks the approval of their boss, in a sense, worshipping their employer. Getting them to see that could be easy or hard, but lets pretend it's easy. "Of course I'm constantly seeking their approval. This person holds my entire career in their hands. If I don't kiss the ground the walk on, I'm done. My family is a wreck, I'll be broke, and there will be no hope for me. My boss controls my life, and isn't very charitable. What's wrong with just trying to put food on the table?" How could we respond to that? One way could be the miraculous, and I don't doubt that many people have met Jesus through that. But I believe the most glorifying way would be to show how much GREATER it is to worship God rather than their boss. "Look, you're in ontant worry and fear, your boss rules over you, you hate it, you feel like a slave, and you're in constant anxiety because if you don't perform perfectly, your slavemaster may throw you out on the streets an d leave you there to die. But the GOOD news is that, you have a God who sees your suffering, who knows your struggles, and who cares infinitely more about you and your family than you do. He can deliver you from slavery. The way he does this is through Jesus, who reconciles us to God, so that we may worship and trust him! And when you do that, your worry goes out the door because you know that ultimately, a good holy perfect righteous God who loves you is in control. You don't have to be perfect because Jesus was perfect for you and you don't have to earn your favor with him. You don't have to feel like a slave, because Jesus has set you free from the guilt of not being good enough! Brother, the gospel is good news!" Each person has their idol. What we do is expose those idols and show how terrible gods they make, but we can't leave it there. We then have to show them how much more glorious the real God is. How much joy, freedom, peace, and love there is when we worship him instead of others. The fun, but also the hard work comes when doing that in each individual person's story. This requires us knowing them serving them, lovimg them, and being their friend to know what is going on in their heart. Ultimately the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and use you to let them see how much more beautiful and glorious Jesus is to them. Pray for that, and for wisdom. I pray this helps brother. (Though this, I feel, is the best way to present the glory of the gospel, I do believe it's best for you to adapt and "become all things to all people" to your friends of different religious and political backgrounds. Learn about it, and adapt and contextualize the gospel to them so as not to create any barriers for them accepting the gospel. A good example would be not to eat bacon in front of Muslims, so as not to be a hindrance.) God bless your family and your ministry

Now That is My King!

The greatest sermon on the person of Christ... ever!

Rejoice! God's Word has Arrived!!!

Justin Taylor writes: "Take ten minutes and let your heart break and burn, weeping with joy along with brothers and sisters you will only meet in heaven".
For, us Americans, a people who have at least 2-3 Bibles in their homes, just how hard is it for us to understand the joy of these people who receive the New Testament for the first time?
I remember reading Marilyn Lazlo's book where she told of the New Testament being brought up the river to the people she had been living with for numerous years. While living with them, she translated the Bible into their language and taught them how to read and write.
She told of the great joy the people felt and expressed as God's Word was being brought to them. The people lined the banks and shouted with joy! Because a treasure far beyond anything that money could buy was about to be handed to them for the first time."

My friend A.R... "God Changed My Eyes"

“God changed my eyes”

UPDATED 03-02-11

Though we are still learning the language, God has allowed us to be a part of His plan here mostly through a friend who is a new believer. I will call him A.R. for possible safety reasons. A.R. came to know Christ 4 months ago. Though I did not know him prior to his conversion, I have heard stories of what he was like both from him and others, and can tell you that his conversion is the most dramatic of anyone I have ever personally been around. From what I understand, A.R. was basically a gangster. He did drugs. He sold drugs. He was an alcoholic. He carried a gun everywhere he went, both for protection from other “bad guys” and so that he could rob people.

In fact, after speaking to our pastor, the man who brought A.R. to the Lord, I found out that A.R. is a "living legend" on the streets of our city but not a good legend.

He is seen here in our city as the character in Jim Croce's song from back in the 70's, "Bad Lee Roy Brown". However, t

he difference between my friend A.R. and "Lee Roy Brown" is that God had mercy on A.R. before he was made to look like a "jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone".

He was separated from his wife because he was continually unfaithful to her and because she feared for her life. When this occurred, their two children went to live with her parents in another state. Because he was unfaithful to her, she decided to do the same to him. And as a result, she became pregnant.

As I said, A.R. came to know the Lord four months ago. Three months after his conversion his wife gave birth(this past January) to two beautiful girls.

Our family has been able to be witnesses to one of the most incredibly beautiful pictures of what Christ did for us through A.R.’s changed life. He is desperately seeking to restore his marriage. His wife has seen the dramatic change in him and wanted what he had. She now is a follower of Jesus Christ! He has also taken these two little girls in as his own. When he takes them into his arms and looks at them, the look of adoration, love and compassion is incredible.

Here is a man who was probably as bad as most of us can possibly imagine and today we see a man who is filled with joy. A man who understands his depravity and the grace that was shown him. Here is a man who probably understands grace better than most of us will ever be able to understand in this life.

I have also been building a relationship with another young man who is an Atheist who works near our home. This man is a chef and owns a small restaurant that I frequent. Yesterday I met with A.R. at my Atheist friend's restaurant in order to discuss penetrating a small town of a couple thousand people near my house which has essentially no Evangelical presence.

After our meeting I gave my chef friend a book by Josh McDowel hoping that it might be able to answer some of his questions. He graciously accepted it and then asked A.R. a question. That opened the door wide open for A.R. to speak Truth to my Atheist friend. A.R. talked to him for over an hour about who he was prior to conversion and who he is now.

The joy, the seriousness, the passion, the boldness that A.R. spoke to this man with about Christ was incredible. It was far beyond his years and far beyond his time as a Christ follower. My chef friend was stunned to find out that A.R. was only 28, and was even more astounded that A.R. had only been a believer for 4 months. He kept saying that he couldnt believe that A.R. was younger than him and kept saying that he thought that A.R. had been a believer for 4 years, not 4 months.

After our meeting I took A.R. to his apartment and he gave me a picture. It was a picture of him sitting in a Ferrari. Initially I did not realize that it was A.R. I thought it was another man because the face of the man who was sitting in that car looked nothing like him. It was mean and full of hate.

I told our pastor about the picture and he said 'yes, A.R. was a man full of rage and hatred. When I would talk to him he would turn red and every muscle in his body would tighten and he would shake. He was full of hate."

I asked A.R. about his eyes in that picture because they were wicked and he smiled and replied, “God changed my eyes”.

The hardness, the rage, the evilness has been replaced with joy, hope and love.

Please pray not only for A.R. and his restored family but for my chef friend. Pray that Christ would shine His grace on him in the same manner that He displayed His grace to A.R.

UPDATE:

Sunday I was witness to one of the most beautiful scenes. I was able to not only witness the baptism of both A.R. and his wife but I had the great honor of being the one who baptized them.

What a beautiful picture of God's grace! Thank you Jesus!

Functional Savior II

When I listen to popular music I love to listen to see who or what is the functional savior or to listen to the singer sing about searching for the functional savior.

For example, the song Piano Man by Billy Joel is an excellent example. See if you can find the functional savior of each person listed. Don't forget to see if you can see who is the functional savior of Billy Joel.

After you have read the lyrics to this song, read Acts 17. As you read, contemplate the lives of those who have gathered at the bar.

How do you think they are?

How do you feel to see such a gathering of people like this?

How can we be the church to people like this?

How can we best speak Truth to them?

PIANO MAN

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

The Regular crowd shuffles in

There's an old man sitting next

to me Makin' love to his tonic

and gin He says, "Son, can you

play me a memory I'm not

really sure how it goes But it's

sad and it's sweet and I knew it

complete When I wore

younger man's clothes."

La la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum

Chorus: Sing us a song, you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well, we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feelin' alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine

He gets me my drinks for free

And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke

But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."

As the smile ran away from his face

"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star

If I could get out of this place"

Oh, la la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum

Now Paul is a real estate

novelist

Who never had time for a wife

And he's talkin' with Davy,

who's still in the Navy

And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics

As the businessmen slowly get stoned

Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness

But it's better than drinkin' alone

Chorus: Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

And the manager gives me a smile

'Cause he knows that it's me

they've been comin' to see

To forget about life for a while

And the piano, it sounds like a carnival

And the microphone smells like a beer

And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar

And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

Oh, la la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum

Chorus: Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you got us feeling alright

______________________________________________

Now then, reread Acts 17.

How did Paul effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those at Mars Hill?

How did he build bridges to communicate Jesus?

How could you communicate Jesus if you were at this bar that Billy is singing about?

Functional Savior I

There are many“functional saviors” in which we often place our hope. Both Christians and Non-Christians have them. They are found throughout the world. The reality of functional saviors is that while they may bring relief for a time, they will ultimately disappoint us. Here is a list of questions to “help us uncover our functional saviors.”

Christians need to speak Truth to one another reminding each other of the Gospel. As well, Christ followers need to speak Truth to this dying world, telling of the hope that can be had in Jesus Christ.

Take a few minutes over the next few days and answer these questions. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your “savior”:

1. What am I most afraid of?
2. What do I long for most passionately?
3. Where do I run for comfort?
4. What do I complain about the most?
5. What angers me most?
6. What makes me happiest?
7. How do I explain myself to other people?
8. What has caused me to be angry with God?
9. What do I brag about?
10. What do I want to have more than anything else?
11. What do I sacrifice the most for in my life?
12. If I could change one thing in my life what would that be?
13. Whose approval am I seeking?
14. What do I want to control/master?
15. What comfort do I treasure the most?

______________________________________________________________

Is this a biblical way to view God's church?

How can we improve the following rhyme?

Here is the church,
Here is the steeple,
Open the doors,
See all the people

How does this sound?

Here is a building,

On top there's a steeple,

Open the doors,

The church is the people!