I've been reading "Radical" by David Platt. Yes, put it on your 'must-read' list! If you've already read it, then you understand what I'm saying!
I'm one of those who has struggled with 'evangelism'. I'm not good at cold turkey witnessing. I want people to move in with me and then I can best reach them! Thus we did foster care and other reaching out. But, I felt like a failure because I wasn't winning more people. Platt's book is helping me be more encouraged....and challenged. The type of discipleship I prefer is the kind He encourages. The challenge to me is to do more of it and make more of a conscious effort to pursue the deeper relationships that I feel more comfortable sharing the gospel inside of.
Platt reminds us that at the end of Jesus life, He didn't tell the Father how many people He had healed or how many huge crowds He had spoken to. He told the Father how He had been faithful to the 12 men that God had given them and only one had been lost (Judas).
Maybe this is a good sign that we need to quit putting ourselves on a guilt trip that we haven't performed miracles or preached to thousands, and start trying to disciple those God has put across our path.
Read this quote:
"The more I read the Gospels, the more I marvel at the simple genius of what Jesus was doing with His disciples. My mind tends to wander toward grandiose dreams and intricate strategies, and I'm struck when I see Jesus simply, intentionally, systematically, patiently walking alongside twelve men. Jesus reminds me that disciples are not mass produced. Disciples of Jesus - genuine, committed, self-sacrificing followers of Christ - are not made overnight.
Making disciples is not an easy process. It is trying. It is messy. It is slow, tedious, even painful at times. It is all these things because it is relational."
Now reread the quote above, and think about it in relation to raising children for the Lord. Are our own children not multiplying the Gospel? Isn't it messy and trying at times? Should we be dreaming about reaching the world and neglecting those young branches He has put right in our home?
Here's more:
"He spent three years with twelve guys. If the Son of God thought it necessary to focus his life on a small group of men, we are fooling ourselves to think we can mass-produce disciples today. God's design for taking the gospel to the world is a slow, intentional, simple process that involves every one of his people sacrificing every facet of their lives to multiply the life of Christ in others."
Praise the Lord! It's more 'doable' than we thought! And it's more 'tedious and systematic' than some of us thought too. What a great example Jesus was!
What if we don't have arrows to whittle and refine? Get to know your neighbor....WELL. Co-workers, cousins, acquaintances at church, etc. Platt's book will give you more ideas and challenge you to use your gifts globally to 'make disciples'.
Praise the Lord for Jesus training those 12 disciples! Then the Holy Spirit took them and Christianity has spread like wildfire! Let the Holy Spirit take the discipling we've done and bring the increase!
I'm one of those who has struggled with 'evangelism'. I'm not good at cold turkey witnessing. I want people to move in with me and then I can best reach them! Thus we did foster care and other reaching out. But, I felt like a failure because I wasn't winning more people. Platt's book is helping me be more encouraged....and challenged. The type of discipleship I prefer is the kind He encourages. The challenge to me is to do more of it and make more of a conscious effort to pursue the deeper relationships that I feel more comfortable sharing the gospel inside of.
Platt reminds us that at the end of Jesus life, He didn't tell the Father how many people He had healed or how many huge crowds He had spoken to. He told the Father how He had been faithful to the 12 men that God had given them and only one had been lost (Judas).
Maybe this is a good sign that we need to quit putting ourselves on a guilt trip that we haven't performed miracles or preached to thousands, and start trying to disciple those God has put across our path.
Read this quote:
"The more I read the Gospels, the more I marvel at the simple genius of what Jesus was doing with His disciples. My mind tends to wander toward grandiose dreams and intricate strategies, and I'm struck when I see Jesus simply, intentionally, systematically, patiently walking alongside twelve men. Jesus reminds me that disciples are not mass produced. Disciples of Jesus - genuine, committed, self-sacrificing followers of Christ - are not made overnight.
Making disciples is not an easy process. It is trying. It is messy. It is slow, tedious, even painful at times. It is all these things because it is relational."
Now reread the quote above, and think about it in relation to raising children for the Lord. Are our own children not multiplying the Gospel? Isn't it messy and trying at times? Should we be dreaming about reaching the world and neglecting those young branches He has put right in our home?
Here's more:
"He spent three years with twelve guys. If the Son of God thought it necessary to focus his life on a small group of men, we are fooling ourselves to think we can mass-produce disciples today. God's design for taking the gospel to the world is a slow, intentional, simple process that involves every one of his people sacrificing every facet of their lives to multiply the life of Christ in others."
Praise the Lord! It's more 'doable' than we thought! And it's more 'tedious and systematic' than some of us thought too. What a great example Jesus was!
What if we don't have arrows to whittle and refine? Get to know your neighbor....WELL. Co-workers, cousins, acquaintances at church, etc. Platt's book will give you more ideas and challenge you to use your gifts globally to 'make disciples'.
Praise the Lord for Jesus training those 12 disciples! Then the Holy Spirit took them and Christianity has spread like wildfire! Let the Holy Spirit take the discipling we've done and bring the increase!
This is encouraging to me regarding my witness at the Assisted Living home, since I seem to have plenty of opportunities to answer questions from co-workers about how I'm different than they are (I wear a skirt, I don't have a boyfriend, etc.) and mention that my love for Jesus is the reason for that difference. At the same time, I wonder if I'm doing it the right way because no one has actually accepted Christ...but I guess that like you said, it takes time and diligence to make disciples. And prayer, for that matter. :)
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