In my previous two posts, I surmised that the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) should be defined biblically, with Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 being foundational to that definition. In other words, we need to exegete the text and allow scripture to direct us in accomplishing the Great Commission. In the second post I wrote that our driving force for the GCR should not come from declining numbers, or as a method of inclusion, but rather as faithful obedience to the command of Christ. These were just some thoughts I had on the GCR and they were in no way meant to indict anyone on their thoughts. I was referred to the excellent paper by Dr. Danny Akin over this subject and I recommend it to anyone wanting further insights into the birth of this movement.
I don’t want to give the impression that I am breezing over Matthew 28:18. I plan on coming to it in another post when I discuss the presence of Jesus in His church as we follow the mandate He gave us. But for now, I would like to discuss being a going and witnessing Christian.
In understanding the command to “go” (Matt 28:19) one must realize that the imperative of verse nineteen is found in the command to make disciples. From that command flows the basis of what disciple making is, namely going/witnessing, baptizing, and teaching. As Matthew writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he makes the verb “go” into an aorist passive participle. With this parsing, some have incorrectly exegeted it as, “as you are going.” But Daniel Wallace has pointed out that many scholars consider this particular construct as an “attendant circumstance participle.” What this means is that the participle is semantically dependent upon the main verb and “cannot exist without the main verb.” (Wallace, Greek Grammar: Beyond the Basics, 640) So to give the idea that the church or a disciple is to make disciples as they are going about their lives is false. Going to make disciples is the mandate for the church. It is not that as we are living our daily lives (going to work, shop, etc) that we are to make disciples. No, the command and focus is to make disciples while living our lives.
In this mandate, we are to witness (Acts 1:8) to who Christ is and what he has done. The Greek word used for “witness” in Acts 1:8 is the same word we use for “martyr.” While today we use this word for someone who dies for what they believe, it was used in the New Testament with the understanding that one was to testify to certain facts. In Acts 1:8 Jesus commands the disciples to testify about his life, death, burial, and resurrection. They are also to testify as to what following Jesus is to entail.
So, from these two terms we understand that every individual member that makes up a New Testament church is to “go” and tell others about Jesus. Unfortunately, as I have witnessed in the past, church members see this command being fulfilled by the pastoral staff or an evangelist. For the Southern Baptist Convention to have a Great Commission Resurgence, it must take root in the pulpits and pews of the churches. This commandment was never meant to be relegated to the professional pastor or evangelist, but was to be lived out in the body of Christ.
The question our churches face, and also within the larger evangelical community, is how does this become internalized in the people of God. I am of the conviction that for revival to sweep the church, prayer and repentance must take place. Repentance must be in the form of turning from our own appetites that seek to fulfill our desires and turning to Jesus with a mature faith that seeks the benefits of the Kingdom. Going and witnessing must be the priority of every member. If it is not, the idea of a GCR will be great, but the results will not glorify the One who commanded us to go forth and make disciples.
Brother Robin,
Thank you for getting at two things that most pastors skim over or have not realized concerning the gospel and the commission. When you said,…
“So to give the idea that the church or a disciple is to make disciples as they are going about their lives is false. Going to make disciples is the mandate for the church. It is not that as we are living our daily lives (going to work, shop, etc) that we are to make disciples. No, the command and focus is to make disciples while living our lives.”
That is very good stuff!… It is what I mentioned several posts back about how our commission understanding is informed by our worship which is a few verses earlier in Matthew,… and it is through worship that we become obedient to make disciples.
I think your absolutely right though,…. if I am hearing you correctly,… that making disciples is “deliberate” and must be informed by the gospel of God in Christ that possesses the true church. It should not be confused with “we are the only Jesus that some people will every see”…we must actually speak the gospel and make disciples by God’s Word deliberately.
Blessings,
Chris
Robin,
Amen! I totally agree with everything you say here. Maybe there is hope after all. :)
Chris
You used the word I wish I had, “deliberate.” that perfectly captured what I was trying to say. Disciple making is deliberate. Thanks for clarifying further what I have wrote.
David
With Jesus on the throne, there is always hope. Thanks for dropping by.
Brother Robin,
Kind of to the point of your post… I had the privilege of inviting two young men (freshmen in college) to play golf this morning at 7:00AM before I went on into the office. After we played the round, we had a chance to eat some lunch (BBQ) and discuss more important things. These two boys were known for “hell-raising” and of course they were on good behavior while in my presence….one of the boys even showed up with a “WWJD” bracelet on his wrist (I thought that was priceless).
During our time of lunch, I asked him what he meant by wearing his WWJD bracelet, since he was such a “hell-raiser”. That kind of caught him off guard…but nonetheless we continued,… because our food had not arrived. He went on to tell me that he wore the bracelet to help him remember to act better. I said, how’s that working for you… I told him that wearing the bracelet was sorta like being a Jew and living by the Law and in some ways like how Catholics like the beads and stuff like that…. That really caught him oddly,..and he looked a little puzzled. I said, don’t worry about it…were all sinners here, as I started eating my Georgia Pork BBQ. I told him my main concern was that he knew what the gospel was compared to his “WWJD” bracelet. Since I have known these boys for a few years already through my daughter in High School, I was able to be very frank and to the point and we had a wonderful lunch learning about the gospel, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The boys may have heard the gospel for the first time, yet they had been raised around church “going” people for most of their lives and had never really heard the truth.
As we were leaving the restaurant, the boy with the “WWJD” bracelet caught me at my car and said,…“I really am interested in learning more about that Theology stuff”. I said…OK.
So, brother Robin…this is more of “deliberate” evangelizing than necessarily making disciples (and frankly a lot of fun for me), but I am hopeful that it will turn into “deliberate” discipleship during this next year!
Blessings,
Chris
Chris
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your encouraging story.
Chris,
Amen, Brother.
David
Brother Chris,
What an excellent example of being a faithful witness. Also, the Lord allowed you to witness through something you love doing. That is what we are supposed to be doing, you have certainly challenged me with this example.
Brother Robin,
You have helped me in my understanding of Matthew 28. While I am one that has argued “as you are going” it seemed to be somewhat of a slippery slope for me. I would try to teach my people deliberate evangelism and then they would use my words back at me. Thanks for the insight from Dr. Wallace.
Blessings,
Tim
Brother Tim,
It was a great privilege to share with these college boys yesterday and I believe Robin has brought out a very important aspect that has been lost in many churches concerning the speaking of the Gospel.
I am completing a discipleship training tutorial for our church that focuses on the heart of what God has called us out to do….. I have titled it “Speak the Gospel”.
Speak the Gospel sets its foundation in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. The tutorial is written to address the following eight chapter headings of speaking the Gospel:
God’s Plan is not Born From Error or Vanity
God’s Plan is Bold and Gentle
God’s Plan always Meets Opposition
God’s Gospel is Pure
God’s Gospel is Entrusted to People
Why the Gospel?
The Gospel Must be Spoke
God Examines Our Heart
The theme of the training is anchored in 1 Thessalonians 2: 4 &5, which is how we are made to be “deliberate” and “faithful”. The tutorial will contain a workbook and most importantly a “practical” to help people move from “fear” to “faithfulness” when they understand why they must verbalize the gospel of God.
I am designing a website that will accompany the study for easy access to those participating in our church at http://www.speakthegospel.com (the site will be up in the fall)…..if you or anyone else would like…. I can make the info available and would love to have your feedback for improvement as well.
Blessings,
Chris
Brother Chris,
This may be something that I have been looking. I will give you a call Monday and discuss it further, unless it interferes with your “late morning” of going into the office.:)
Blessings,
Tim
Robin,
One definition of insanity is doing the same things we’ve always done and expecting a different result. Godly pastors have faithfully exhorted their people to witness, but most still aren’t. If we continue using the same methods we will continue to get the same results.
That is why we developed Every Believer a Witness. It is designed to motivate and train Sunday morning attenders to begin actively sharing their faith. It is a return to the “simple evangelism” of the New Testament.
We are seeing God greatly bless and use it. I can give the names and numbers/emails of many pastors who can attest to this. We have one of our Certified Trainers teach it in our “Revival” format, or we train the pastor to teach it over 6 Sunday mornings in our “6 Weeks of Witnessing’ format.
With either format, more than just getting large numbers of believers involved in witnessing, we train the staff in Follow-Up so they can “create and maintain an on-going culture of witnessing and evangelism”. Churches that implement our Follow-Up Plan see their churches changed.
If any pastors truly want to see a GRC in their churches, I would love to talk with them and share some of the things that make Every Believer a Witness so powerful and effective.
Dennis Nunn
Brother Dennis,
Please let me know how I can get access to the teaching you have mentioned….
Thanks,
email: chris.johnson@fmc-na.com
Brother Dennis,
I found your website…. thx,
-Chris
Hi folks!
I’m new here, and I assure you I’m not looking for trouble, but I do have a question: Has anyone (OK. any Baptist) ever seriously claimed that making disciples is NOT a deliberate act or effort?
Bro. Robin,
Your post has truly been a blessing to read. It is challenging and causes one to pause and consider one’s ways.
I want to throw a question out to you and the others on this site. It plays off your post and I want to hear other’s opinions. As we all know, the Great Commission tells us to “GO and make disciples.” Do our people equate “inviting to church” as an act of sharing the Gospel? While we all affirm “go and tell” in our head, our practice contradicts this by often using the slogan “come and hear.” Is this why our preaching is so shallow today? We have to serve milk rather than meat because of people from the outside (non-believers) coming in? Is it why Sunday School lessons are geared toward the lowest common denominator because of non-believers? Is this why our churches are so weak (theologically and even membership) because we focus to much on the outside rather than our members?
My latest soap box has been this issue. We exchange the meat for milk because we try to cater to the world and not to the members of the church. The church is for believers. It is where we grow our people so that they “go and tell”. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Adam
Brother JND,
I can unequivocally answer your question with a “yes”. I don’t think if “confronted” that any Baptist would “not” claim to deliberately preach the gospel, but the past forty years are a testimony to the fact that it has not been deliberate. It is possible that it is just simple ignorance. It appears to me, since there is a great number of Baptist church attendees that cannot define the gospel, those folks would have a hard time conveying what they can’t define. The ignorance problem is larger than those that would give lip service.
Some do actually believe that they have shared the gospel if they invite someone to a church service. I have even seen some church members get excited and angry if the Pastor preaches on hell, sin and the gospel, because their friends were somehow offended.
Blessings,
Chris
Brother/Sister JND,
Your question has been accurately answered by Brother Chris. I cannot add anything to what he has stated other than give you an example from a personal experience.
I was in a pastor’s gathering in a recent ministry and this very subject came up. The discussion centered around churches have an active visitation outreach ministry. There were 12 pastors as this gathering and the question was asked how many led their churches in an active outreach ministry. Only me and another pastor answered in the affirmative. I was truly shocked as I figured that all pastors struggled with equipping people through an active outreach ministry. I stated that I was amazed that they did not equip their people in witnessing. One pastor then condescendingly explained to me the meaning of the Greek word was “as you are going” make disciples. He went on to express how churches that do have these “fire insurance salesman” going door to door do more harm to the Kingdom. His argument was that most of the times someone prays to receive Christ in their home they never go any further and we have given that person a false hope they are now going to heaven. He went on to express the reason the other pastor and myself were seeing converts through FAITH was due to our “charismatic personalities”.
You talking about being floored. I was stunned. We sat there with 12 Baptist preachers and only 2 of us had a deliberate outreach visitation while the rest did nothing to deliberately share the gospel. The other pastors chimed in, in agreement, with the first pastor. The Bible, they said, does not tell us to deliberately steer a conversation toward salvation. The ones, they all agreed, that did these things make it harder for those that merely try to live out their Christ life. I asked for a reason they would make such a statement. They told me it was because by the time their life brought them to a gospel presentation, they were being told that they had already done that and it did not work.
As convoluted as it sounds that is what I found out from a personal discussion with other pastors. Does that mean that those who do not see witnessing as a deliberate act feel the same way? No! But I would not think they would be far off from the arguments presented.
Blessings,
Tim
Brother Chris,
Sorry I haven’t called. We had to put Gail’s mother in the hospital yesterday. Too many medical issues to discuss. Suffice it to say that we need everyone’s prayers.
Will call you when I get the chance.
Blessings,
Tim
Brother Tim,
No problem…we can catch up by phone at some point.
As a follow-up to your point about personal “deliberate” evangelism and discipleship…. It seems amazing that among Pastors…. that evangelism would be debated. The “go-tell” aspect of the gospel is a simple reality. The most common mistake I have found among Baptist church goers is the approach of “live the life” without speaking the message.
All disciples take up this pronouncement of the “stumbling stone”. That is why Jesus made it clear that his disciples speak. “Making Disciples” is not a spectator sport. Pastors that have allowed or ones that have led their congregations to believe that they are “gatherer’s” and not “proclaimer’s” have got the message and the mission completely backward. Believer “proclaim and disciple” while God calls and gathers! That truth will never change.
1Peter 2:6-10 For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (7) This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” (8) and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (9) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Pastors that have been duped into thinking that discipleship or evangelism is anything short of proclaiming (vocally with clarity and accuracy) need to find another line of work and allow that flock to be shepherded by a faithful shepherd.
Blessings,
Chris
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