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The Shared Ministry Philosophy Of Global Youth Initiative - Dann SpaderPresented by: Dann Spader
A paper presented for discussion at the GYI forum in Singapore, February 2006, by In my new role as President of Global Youth Initiative, one of my four priorities is that of developing a deepened appreciation and understanding of our shared ministry Christology. Each new generation of younger leaders requires an intentional effort at passing on this shared ministry philosophy—especially that which is biblically based and cross-cultural. This “white paper” (an overview of shared ministry philosophy) is my feeble attempts to capture the high points of this philosophy in writing and stimulate discussion. It is my prayer that through discussion together, we can arrive at a renewed appreciation for the values that have brought us together. In GYI our mission statement is “equipping young leaders for movements of multiplication” (disciple-making). Our vision is that of seeing “a movement of God among the youth of the globe… displaying the wonders of God to the next generation” (Psalm 78:3-7). This paper was hard to write, because it is an overview, and not exhaustive in any one area. While this started as a document emphasizing what we are ‘sure of’…it ends with the asking of many questions that I’m ‘unsure about’. Therefore, up front, I have to admit that my purposes in this paper…shifted the more I wrote. Forgive me for this movement away from a “white paper” addressing fixed beliefs to a paper raising questions for future discussions. I will admit up front I vacillated in my writing style. I will also admit up front that this paper is not a research paper with extensive documentation (as most of my previous GYI papers), but instead a reflective paper trying to capture some of our most firmly held beliefs and putting them in writing for more discussion and clarity for those new to the cause of Global Youth Initiative. A CORE CONVICTION From the very beginning in developing a training organization for leaders, I have held the deep conviction that developing emerging leaders involves a unique understanding of leadership development. Equipping leaders differs from equipping workers and/or believers. Leadership development involves the unique task of developing “thinkers” and not just “doers”. Leaders need to ask “why” questions, workers tend to ask “how” questions, and believers tend to think in terms of “what” issue. (What am I to do next etc.) The biblical term for a New Testament leader is an “overseer, shepherd, bishop, or elder”. These terms are used interchangeably (I Peter 5:1-4) in the New Testament and are words used to define New Testament leadership. An overseer, by very nature of the definition, is seeking to oversee a ministry. An overseer must be able to frame up the major “why” questions. Why are we doing this? Why is this a priority? Why does the scripture say what it says? Leadership needs to oversee and shepherd the critical “why” questions. Wrapped around this understanding of leadership is the conviction that we must develop those leaders capable of clarifying and living out a biblical “philosophy” of ministry. A philosophy of ministry seeks to capture the ‘why and what’ of our ministries. Why we exist and what we are seeking to accomplish. This “philosophy of ministry” must be well balanced, full-orbed, and intensely biblical. To say that it is well-balanced means that it captures the true meaning of God’s calling on our lives in a balanced way…not overemphasizing one aspect at the expense of another. To say full-orbed means that the total process is emphasized. It means that each aspect of the disciple-making mandate is captured and nothing is missed. To say that it is intensely biblical means that it does not just proof text our thoughts, but actually exegetes the scriptures to capture the full intent of God’s desires for our lives and ministries. Leadership needs to be able to clarify and communicate the “why and what” of our mandate. It needs to be able to articulate this is “what” we are doing and this is “why” we are doing it. This is a full-orbed biblical philosophy of ministry. I believe Jesus is our primary model for this (but more on this later). After clarifying and communicating this “philosophy of ministry”, leadership in each new generation and context, must identify the critical “guiding principles” which must be emphasized to accomplish this philosophy of ministry. In each chapter of Scripture there are dozens of ministry principles…. but leadership must identify the most critical principles needed to implement this biblical philosophy in each culture and context. After these principles have been identified and defined, then programs and/or activities need to be developed to implement these principles. Curriculum needs to be chosen or written for these programs. The curriculum contains the major content that needs to be taught and transferred. Curriculum is used in the programs, the programs flesh out the principles, and the principles frame up the philosophy. In a linear graph it would look like this: _______________________________________________________________________________ Philosophy (why)………..…….principles (what).………..……..programs (how)………………….curriculum An ideal leadership training organization would have all four areas... a balanced biblical philosophy, clearly defined and transferable principles, a well thought out program, and a written curriculum. Unfortunately, in our quick fix culture, very few leaders have been trained to think through the “why” questions. Having been exposed only to the “what” or “how” issues, they end up trying to implement someone else’s “key principles”, “programs” or “curriculum” verses a biblical philosophy of ministry. They have never been equipped to think “why”, and thus move from one model to the next, or one curriculum to the next. It is my conviction, that in developing a new generation of leaders who are Biblical “thinkers” we MUST focus on the left side of the linear graph above. Forcing leaders to think “why and what” questions develops thinkers…. better than just training in “how” issues. A biblical philosophy with transferable principles is cross-cultural…whereas programs and curriculum are wrapped up in too many cultural and contextual issues. With this framework, let me humbly try to capture some of those critical principles and values that frame up the ministry philosophy of GYI. For discussion sake I have wrapped them in nine statements. They are: · Jesus is our model · Disciple-making is our mission · Love is our motive · Balanced biblical ministry is our method · The Holy Spirit is our means · Fruit is our measure · The gospel remains our message · The church is our movement · Youth are our mandate 1. JESUS IS OUR MODEL It almost seems strange to argue for Jesus as our model of ministry. Doesn’t everyone use Jesus as his or her model? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is NO. Everyone doesn’t use Jesus as his or her model for ministry. While it is true that most everyone will talk about Jesus, quote from Jesus, teach what Jesus taught…my experience is that FEW make the character and priorities of Jesus their model for ministry. Through the years I have found a few who believe that Jesus should NOT be our model for ministry. The church, they argue, began in the book of Acts (a new dispensation or covenant) and therefore Jesus should not be used as our model…Paul or Peter or the epistles better explain how to do ministry. Unfortunately the limited scope of this paper does not allow me to fully refute this position, except to simply state that Jesus planted the first church, commissioned His disciples to do what he did, and then sent them out to make disciples of all nations…following the pattern that He gave them. Paul understood this when he told his followers to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (I Corinthians 11:3). Through the years I have also found many who believe that there are many PRINCIPLES from Jesus that can be used in ministry. These principles are often cited and then a few verses from the life of Christ put behind them. Most in this position would not argue with using the life of Christ as our model, but they would never think of making Jesus their primary model for ministry. For some reason this just doesn’t occur to them as the right thing to do…because He was God and we are not. However, the larger segment of the body of Christ simply just uses the MESSAGE of Jesus…thinking that by doing this they are following the model of Jesus. May I suggest that the message of Jesus minus the methods of Jesus does not reflect the true mandate of Jesus? Jesus was very clear, “do what I have done” (John 14:12), “walk as I have walked” (I John 2:6), and follow the pattern I have given you (as seen in the 30 plus “just as” verses in the Gospels). It is my conviction, that while many have focused on the ‘principles’ of Jesus, or the ‘message’ of Jesus, most have failed to capture the full-orbed ‘philosophy of ministry’ that Jesus modeled and then commanded us to follow. Disciple-making (not discipleship), flowing out of a deep love for God and a love for people, was not a great idea, or great suggestion, but the Great Command (Matthew 22 and 28). We are to do what Jesus did…extending this to all people groups, and then He would return (Matthew 24:14). Jesus is our model for ministry. In His humanity, Jesus was man as God intended man to be. As Charles Ryrie has said, “Never less than God, He chose to live His life never more than man”. As Bruce Ware said, “His deity was unexpressed, so that His humanity could be fully expressed.” Wayne Grudem said it this way; “Jesus refused to rely on His divine nature to make obedience easier for Him.” In other words, Jesus in His humanity became our model for ministry. He became what He was-not, so that we could become what we were-not. He modeled how to create a movement of multiplying disciples and then commanded us to do what He did the way He did it. A proper understanding of both His ‘personal calling’ (dying for our sins), coupled with his ‘ministry calling’ (making disciples who could make disciples)…. helps us grasp this implication. Unfortunately many have not understood the humanity of Jesus…and have knowingly or unknowingly concluded that we cannot do what Jesus did. Therefore why even try. Yet, He commanded us to do what He did…even telling us that we would do greater things than He has done! (John 14:12) Jesus in four years developed up to 120 disciples, 70 workers, and 11 leaders…by God’s grace we may have up to forty years of making disciples…having the capacity of even making more disciples because of the greater amount of time available…. if we walk as He walked! (I have written in more detail on the humanity of Jesus and it’s implications in other articles such as “The Humanity of Jesus” and “The Cost of leading a Movement of Multiplication” See www.globalyouthinitiative.com/articles). To adequately say that Jesus is our model of ministry means that we capture both the character and priorities of Jesus. We must continually work to go deeper in His “philosophy” of ministry and the “guiding principles” He lived by. Anything less would be just quoting from His message or proof-texting a few verses from the Gospels to make us feel good about being like Jesus. Anything less than “doing what Jesus did” and the “way Jesus did it” is doing a disservice to the life and ministry of Jesus. It is not the real Jesus of the New Testament, as He didn’t give us the option of just teaching his messages or proof-texting his life. He commanded us to do what He did and to do it the way He did it. Anything less is not a full-orbed philosophy of ministry that is biblically rooted in the Life of Christ. Let me say it again…Jesus is our model for ministry. We must never tire of calling the next generation to “walk as Jesus walked”…no matter how “basic” this may feel at times…especially those of us who have spent years training in these basics. Remember the very first time you heard about the Life of Christ taught as a biblical philosophy of ministry. We must make sure that each new generation of young leaders has the chance to clearly grasp the Son’s life. We cannot let these values get lost…or it can take several generations to recapture them. For further discussion: Why are so few involved in a study of Christology as it relates to ecclesiology? What can be distorted in the statement that Jesus is our model of ministry? What is difficult about defining the “philosophy” of ministry Jesus modeled? In the life of Christ, what needs further discussion and study? What happens when your ecclesiology is not rooted in good Christology? Why is it easy to slip away from teaching the “basics” of disciple making? Other: 2. DISCIPLE-MAKING IS OUR MISSION (THE GREAT COMMISSION) Step back into the first century for a moment, and place yourselves in the context of the initial followers of Jesus. First you have the book of James, and then possibly next you are given Galatians. But it is almost 20 years after Christ’s death before you receive a summary of Christ’s life in the Gospel of Matthew (A.D. 50). Once Matthew is written, it will be almost ten years before you have the gospel of Luke (A.D. 60), then amost 10 years later the Gospel of Mark (A.D. 68) and then finally…almost 20 years later, if you are still alive, you are given the Gospel of John (A.D. 85-90). Imagine what it would be like to be given a first-hand story of Jesus for the first time. Imagine reading that account and then coming towards the end of that Gospel… and reading what you have heard others say so often… ”Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have command you. And surely I am with you always, even to the ends of the age.” Matthew captures these emotional last moments of Jesus with His disciples. Over the previous forty days, Jesus has appeared to his disciples ten times. Five of these appearances were in Jerusalem behind locked doors. Only one of these appearances was pre-announced. In Matthew 26:32 and 28:7 Jesus had told his disciples to go ahead and meet him at Galilee “at the mountain”. Because of this announcement I believe that Matthew 28 was the first pre-announced appearance of Jesus where five hundred were gathered (I Corinthians 15:6). There was excitement in the air and great anticipation. “When they saw Him they worshipped Him…” (Matthew 28:17). Jesus was clear that “all” authority had been given to Him, and they were to go to “all” nations…and He would be with them “always”. This Great Commission was “all-inclusive”. I believe that Matthew 28 is just a summary of Jesus life. One more time, at the end of His life…so that they would never forget it…He told them to do what He had been doing. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. The one command is clear…to make disciples. The three participial phrases… going, baptizing, and teaching to obey tell us how to fulfill the command. In these sixty-two English words, Jesus simply reminds them what His life was about, and then commands His disciples to do what He had done… make disciples who can make disciples. This they understood. They had seen Jesus do this. They were recipients of this focused mission. He now extends that mission to them. This Great Commission clearly frames up our mission. The one command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples” (matheteusate…aorist imperative active). It literally means to make disciples…who can make disciples…and to extend this to all nations. Disciple making is different than discipleship. Jesus did not command us to do discipleship…he commanded us to make disciples. There is a major difference. I’d like to totally do away with the word ‘discipleship’. I believe it is so often distorts our true mission. Discipleship historically is the grounding of new believers in their faith. Disciple making involves discipleship, but it is more. Disciple making involves “going…baptizing…and teaching to obey”. In other words it demands the winning of the lost, the building of the believer, and the equipping of the worker… resulting in the multiplication of leaders to all people groups. I call this “full orbed disciple-making”. Disciple making is not just investing in the committed few. It is more than just equipping. It is the full-orbed process of going… baptizing… and teaching to obey. Disciple making is not just evangelism. Evangelism is the going…the winning of the lost to faith in Christ. While important evangelism is just the first step of disciple making. Disciple making is the whole process of developing fully trained reproducing disciples. It recognizes that people are at different stages of growth and development and ministers to them at their present stage…always challenging them forward but giving them grace to grow at their own pace. Seekers have different questions and need different activities than believers. Believers have different needs than seekers, and workers are also facing very different needs. Jesus recognized these natural levels of growth and maturity, and designed his ministry appropriately. Disciple making involves meeting the needs of people at various stages of growth and development. While we may debate many of Jesus’ methods, we never need to debate our mission. He clearly gave it to us…after modeling it for us. I firmly believe the key to understanding how to fulfill the Great Commission is found in a biblical understanding of the Life of Christ. His life modeled how to do the Great Commission. That is why, without a good Christology, you will never have a good ecclesiology. Jesus is still the head of the Church, and we are still His body. He has told us to do what He did. His life was about creating a movement of multiplying disciples and we are commanded to fulfill that same mission. For further discussion: Why is discipleship not disciple making? How do the two differ? What is so hard about disciple making? Why is the understanding of the Life of Christ essential to understanding the Great Commission? What are we missing in our understanding of disciple making? What happens when we only see a part of disciple making as our mission? When is it okay to make just a part of the Great Commission our mission? When is it not okay? Other: 3. LOVE IS OUR MOTIVE (THE GREAT COMMANDMENT) Imagine the scene. It’s near the end of Jesus’ ministry. The Pharisees just tried to trap Jesus, but He escaped their grasp (Matthew 22:15). The Sadducees also questioned Jesus, who silenced them with His response: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). Next the Pharisees found an expert of the Law to test Jesus. The expert’s question surely provoked the curiosity of the crowd and the probably the disciples: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31). Imagine the amazement of the crowds, and even perhaps the disciples, when Jesus said, “the most important one is this…there is no commandment greater than these!” In a complex and demanding world, what beautiful simplicity Jesus offers. Love God and love people. While the Great Commission addresses our mission, the Great Commandment (loving God…loving people) addresses our motive. If we get our mission right, but don’t have the right motive…we will only be like clanging symbols. I will never forget Tom. Even though I haven’t talked with Tom for over 6 years, I will never forget him. Tom weighed about 300 pounds. He was a youth pastor in Michigan. In terms of youth ministry, he did almost everything wrong. He greased his hair straight back (that was before it came back in style). He always wore white baggy shirts, baggy pants, and white socks. He’d been through all of our training, but did very little of it…except for the priority of “loving God and loving people”. Because of his deep love for God, Tom had a deep love for people. He never had more than thirty students in his youth ministry. Yet they were students from all walks of life. Early in his ministry, when he went through our advanced training, Tom set a faith goal of reproducing himself sixty-fold. He said he was a thirty-fold kind of guy…definitely not a 100 fold…so he asked God for the ability to reproduce himself sixty-fold. (Matthew 13:8). So over twenty years ago he set a faith goal of seeing sixty youth pastors developed out of his ministry. The last I talked to Tom… over forty-eight students had gone into ministry. Tom’s success is not because of his administrative skills, his good looks, or his great teaching ability. Tom’s success is because he loves God and loves people. Everyone says the number one thing about Tom is the fact that you know he loves you. That love is both relational and life transforming. That love is tough and tender. That love is Tom’s primary ministry skill…but it transforms those that place themselves under it. Without love we are like clanging symbols. Love never fails. Love never gives up. Love is patient and kind. Jesus showed us how to love and then commanded us to “love one another just as he loved us” (John 13:34). For this is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, Jesus said (John 13:35). Unfortunately or fortunately (based upon your perspective), in the crisis of our post-modern dilemma, love is the only answer left. Moderns have given the answers in terms of doctrines and theories, but these have come across as stiff and unrealistic…. and post moderns, with their hermeneutic of suspicion, have rejected these answers as formulaic. Mastering the deconstruction of anything that looks like a man-made formula, yet unable to move beyond deconstruction due to the lack of an epistemological framework and a hermeneutic of suspicion that is essentially nihilistic at its core… the answer for breaking through and constructing the post-postmodern world lies… more so than ever… in the love of God embodied in people truly loving one another. An epistemology revisited by the reality of love. In my experience, this is a truth we will never fully master…nor will we ever fully miss it. Yet this is a principle we must keep at the forefront. Always training it…always teaching it…always living it…always growing in our capacity to bear this type of fruit. For the primary fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). By the very nature of love…this principle demands that ministry remains relational, not programmatic or curriculum driven. All life change happens through loving relationships. I have not told you anything new. You know this. My prayer in writing this is that it will be a reminder to you of the importance of this truth (II Peter 1:12). For further discussion: What would it take for GYI to become known for its loving relationships? Why is “love” the critical component to reconstruct a post postmodern world? As a movement grows, how does the expression of a leader’s love change? Who is really doing this well? What would tough love look like in GYI? Could the great commandment be labeled our mission or must it be our motive? Other: 4. BALANCED BIBLICAL MINISTRY IS OUR METHOD After years of studying the Life of Christ, it is my conviction that the genius of Christ’s ministry model, is that he lived out his ministry in sync with organic processes He established as the creator of the universe. Jesus knew that there was a natural way to reap a harvest, and there were processes that could not be avoided in bearing lasting fruit. On a ministry level, He laid a foundation by cultivating the soil of relationships (Phase 1 in our training). He then invested in a few by planting deep seeds of truth (Phase 2) and finally reaped the harvest by mobilizing for outreach (Phase 3). After a period of prayer he then appointed growing multipliers so that He could spend more time with them (Phase 4). After training, they were released to repeat the process throughout Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (Acts 1:8). These disciples in turn developed other proven multipliers who could repeat the process in new fields of ministry (Acts 6). The movement Jesus created followed a very natural process of organic multiplication which in four and one-half years “filled Jerusalem” (Acts 5:28), and within twenty some years it was said that “all over the world this gospel is bearing fruit” (Colossians 1:5-6). On a personal outreach level, Jesus also acknowledged a God given process of coming to faith. By working a process of cultivating, planting and then reaping (cultivating friendships with the lost, planting the seeds of truth in their lives, and then calling for repentance and reaping the harvest), Jesus modeled a process of winning of the lost (Luke 15:1-2, John 4:34-38, Isaiah 28:23-29) When followers came to faith, the scriptures speak of being “rooted and established” in Christ just as we came to Christ (Col 2:6-7)… an organic process. In time, Jesus involved his followers in a series of at least five ministry experiences over a two-year period, giving them ample opportunity to be equipped in ministry (John 4, Mark 1, Matthew 10, Luke 9, Luke 10)… causing a movement of multiplying disciples. Commissioning a few proven multipliers to oversee the process, Jesus left His disciples with another counselor who would keep guiding them through the process (John 14:26). The natural development of His disciples was nurtured to multiplication health…not violating the natural processes involved. Jesus understood and worked this natural process. He did not force-feed the development of his disciples, nor did he try to short-circuit the processes. His fruit was real and natural. He understood the seasons of growth and worked the processes appropriately. He commanded His disciples to do the same and told them that if they abided in the vine (like He did) they too would increasingly bear ‘fruit’, ‘more fruit’ and even ‘much fruit’ (John 15). Again, this was a picture of natural and organic processes. The process involved addressing viruses, nurturing the soil, creating a healthy environment, and being patient with the process. But it was a process…and one that could not be violated. God the Father was free to speed up the process through the miraculous, but He never violated natural processes. The fruit was not plastic…it was real. It yielded a true harvest of righteousness. Perhaps one of the most significant impacts of the ministries represented in GYI is the clarity of teaching on the natural processes that Jesus employed in building that multiplying ministry. As a trainer of the life of Christ, I’ve probably heard a thousand times, “You didn’t tell me something I didn’t already know…but you showed a process of growing a multiplying ministry”. Following Jesus means we must follow the priorities and processes He established for us. In a postmodern world that is suspicious of any processes or forced mechanical inventions, we must go beyond the mechanisms of the modern world and get back to the organic models Jesus created. It is my conviction that following Jesus means that we work with Him in the natural processes that He ordained, created, and abided by. Fruit bearing takes time and there are processes that must be followed. For further discussion: What are some examples of violating natural processes as we enter into new countries? Why are some of the dangers of understanding the processes Christ abided by? How has our modern world failed here? What hinders organic processes from happening? Where have we gotten this right in GYI? Where have we failed? Other: 5. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR MEANS When I first became a Christian, I was extensively taught on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christians life. Participating actively in Campus Crusade, I studied, taught, and personally experienced the transferable concepts labeled “How to be Filled with the Spirit”, “How to Walk in the Spirit”, and “How to Witness in the Spirit”. My second year of Moody, after studying the Spirit filled life and teaching it extensively, I personally experienced an anointing of the Holy Spirit that I could only define as supernatural in origin and impact. My life was transformed. When I was involved in youth ministry in two different situations, I watched the Holy Spirit bring a brokenness and repentance that transformed both ministries…usually beginning with my own confession of sin. It was supernatural and outside of my ability to control, manufacture, and/or create. It was the Spirit’s working. As a result, when I began Sonlife, I assumed that everyone understood the importance and critical role the Holy Spirit played in a believer’s life. I now believe that was a mistake. In a recent study I conducted on the Holy Spirit as my Counselor in John 14, I was impacted by the fresh reality of this truth. Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going to leave them (John 13:36). They would have a go through many troubles but were not to let their hearts be troubled (John14:1). They were to follow His example…doing what He did… even doing greater things than He did (John 14:12). To all of this Jesus stated that it was good that He was going away (John 16:7), because then He would be given a gift (Acts 2:33) that He would pour out on them…the gift of the Holy Spirit. In describing this “gift” in John 14:16 Jesus used a very unique and interesting word. He told them that He would send them “ another Counselor”. Jesus was already called the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). But the word “another” was the unique Greek word “allos” (rather than the common word “heteros”). It literally meant “another of the exact same kind”. In other words, the Holy Spirit would be to the disciples (and to all future disciples), exactly what Jesus had been to them. The word for counselor was the word “parakaleo” literally meaning “comforter, protector, defender, helper, and counselor”. Jesus had been all of these to his disciples and now the Holy Spirit would be another of the exact same kind. In John 1 the disciples were called “followers”, in John 4 they were called “co-workers”, in John 13 He called them “servants”, and now in John 15 He calls them “friends”. In other words, Jesus said He would send them another friend…the Holy Spirit. I have had to ask myself…is the Holy Spirit my best friend. Over 40 times in the book of Acts you see this friendship with the Holy Spirit pictured. Look at some of the following verses: Acts 1:2 The Holy Spirit gave instructions Acts 1:8 The Holy Spirit came upon them Acts 1:16 The Holy Spirit spoke Acts 2:4 The Holy Spirit enabled Acts 9:31 The Holy Spirit strengthened and encouraged Acts 11:28 The Holy Spirit predicted Acts 13:4 The Holy Spirit sent them on their way Acts 13:62 The Holy Spirit filled them with joy Acts 16:6-7 The Holy Spirit closed doors Acts 16:9 The Holy Spirit opened doors Acts 20:23 The Holy Spirit warned them And then my favorite verse in Acts… which so clearly portrays this intimate friendship with the Holy Spirit. Acts 15:28 “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us!” The Holy Spirit is our God given means of “walking as Jesus walked” (I John 2:6) and “doing what Jesus did” (John 14:12). This shouldn’t surprise us because Jesus in His humanity leaned upon this same resource of the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit Jesus was: · Conceived (Luke 1:35) · Anointed (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38, Is 11:1-2) · Filled (Luke 4:1,14; John 3:34) · Sealed (John 6:27) · Led (Luke 4:1) · Rejoiced (Luke 10:21) · Performed miracles (Matthew 12:28, Luke 4:14-15,18) · Raised from the dead (Hebrews 9:14, Romans 8:11) A Spirit filled life is not an additional luxury to the Christ follower. It is an essential element of life and ministry. Without the Holy Spirit we are doomed to failure. For further discussion: Is the Holy Spirit your friend? What would need to change for that to become a reality? Why is it significant that Jesus said He’d send another Counselor of the exact same kind? What does a renewed emphasis upon the Holy Spirit look like? In what ways is your ministry emphasizing the Holy Spirit? Other: 6. FRUIT IS OUR MEASURE Over 55 times the term fruit is used in the scriptures. Fruit is always a picture of multiplication and is linked to God’s blessing. In Genesis we are told that “God blessed them”…and then said “be fruitful and multiply’”. (Genesis 1:28) God’s blessing was connected to fruitfulness, and fruitfulness was linked to multiplication. In John 13 Jesus knew that His time had come. He washed His disciples feet, predicts His betrayal, and then tells His disciples that He would be leaving them. In John 14 Jesus has a question and answer time with Thomas, Philip, and Judas. In John 14:31 Jesus said, “Come now, let us leave”. In their commentary, Wescott/Hort believe that the rest of Jesus discourse is conducted on His walk from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane. As Jesus passes through a vineyard He begins to talk to His disciples about His agenda for their lives. He begins to powerfully describe what He is going to bring about in their lives and His desires to see them bear “much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). Jesus understood a process He graphically describes to His disciples. It is a four step process…no fruit (vs. 2), fruit (vs. 2, 4), more fruit (vs. 2), and then much fruit (vs. 5, 8). Each step of the process had barriers, breakthrough points, and a proper response. Let me quickly share my understanding of this vivid lesson Jesus shared with His disciples on the road to the cross. Graphed it would look like this:  The first barrier was sin, which will yield no fruit. We see this in verse 1 when Jesus speaks of the vine ‘in’ the branch yet it yields no fruit. A vine that has fallen off of the fence goes down in the mud; needs to be washed off, lifted back up into the sunlight, before it can bear fruit. The barrier is dirty sin, the breakthrough is cleansing, the response is repentance. The second barrier is stuff. As a vine grows…. often 10-12 branches will spring out of the vine. Without careful pruning by the gardener, all the sap from the vine will be consumed by the increasingly tangled web of branches. A good gardener carefully studies each individual plant, carefully prunes it back to 2-3 branches…allowing the sap to flow abundantly to these fewer branches and produce abundant rich grapes. But without the pruning the vine will eventually end up with a tangled web of multiple branches, little fruit, and eventually the death of the plant. The barrier is stuff, the breakthrough is pruning, the response is rejoicing (James 1:2). The third barrier is satisfaction. Being busy with the ‘more fruit’ we can become content with the increased harvest. Five times in this passage, Jesus speaks of abiding (meno-a rich Greek word meaning ‘making Jesus our permanent dwelling place’). It is only through deep abiding are we brought into that place of learning what needs to take place for ‘much fruit’ to happen. The barrier is satisfaction, the breakthrough is deep abiding, and the response is remaining. But however you understand this passage (perhaps disagreeing with my description of it), it is clear that Jesus stated directly and powerfully… that His agenda in their lives was to get them to the “much fruit” category. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). There was no question in the disciples mind what Jesus’ desires were. They understood the vineyard. They understood the role of the branches, the gardener, and the desired fruit. Jesus made it clear this was His agenda for their lives. This was not something new for the disciples. They had watched Jesus speak to thousands, train seventy, recruit twelve, graduate eleven, and pour His life into three. They were slowly coming to understand that Jesus mission was not to reach the world as much as it was to make disciples capable of reaching the world. Soon they would be launched out into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world. Within two years they would fill Jerusalem with His teaching (Acts 5:28), within four and one-half years they would have multiplying churches (Acts 9:38), within nineteen years they would turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). Multiplication was God’s DNA. Fruit was God’s description of that multiplication. The implications of this for GYI are numerous. First, we can say with confidence that God’s agenda in each of our lives is to mature us to the “much fruit” category. This will involve various seasons of life…both good and difficult…but He desires that we “bear much fruit and so prove to be His disciples” (John 15:8). Secondly…we must without apology be fruit inspectors. When we appoint and select leaders to oversee ministries we must ask the tough questions of fruit bearing. Questions such as: · Is fruit evident in this leader’s life? · Is it coming forth? · Is it growing? If not…why not? · Are we just about the talk…or are we about the walk? · If God’s agenda is fruit…is it ours? As we ask these questions, we must keep in mind that in the scriptures, fruit is described as character (Gal 5:22-23), conduct (Romans 6:21-22, Phil 1:11) and converts (Romans 1:13). Thirdly…it is God’s desire to see a movement of multiplication out of the impact of our lives and ministry. Our dream in GYI is to see 100 countries by 2020 with movements of multiplication among the youth of that country… this is not a pipe dream…it is God’s passion. For further discussion: What are some difficulties in being a fruit inspector? What are some dangers in not being a fruit inspector? Why is understanding the seasons of fruit-bearing important? (fruit, more fruit, much fruit etc.) Where do we usually blow fruit inspection? How do we accurately measure the phase of the movement in our country? Other: 7. THE GOSPEL REMAINS OUR MESSAGE Critical to the development of that next generation of leaders capable of becoming “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) is the clear biblical model in Jesus life of helping his disciples learn to boldly proclaim the message of the Gospel. Assuming that the clarity of the Gospel remains intact (Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again I Cor. 15:3, Galatians 1:8-9), the challenge that we face, and every generation faces, is the courage and boldness needed to keep proclaiming that Gospel. All the pressures of the world, the flesh, and the devil are mobilized to hinder that proclamation. I believe three challenges must be met in every generation to keep the Gospel central. First and foremost is the theological challenge. Is the Gospel message clearly being presented? Does the next generation understand the content of the Gospel message…or has it been lost in the multiplicity of messages sent their way? Have we watered down the Gospel to be about just belief verses repentance? Are we giving that next generation intentional and multiple opportunities to be equipped in presenting that Gospel? (Philemon 6). This leads to the second challenge. It is a leadership challenge that Paul speaks about this in Romans 10. Paul presents a six-step process…being sent… proclaiming… hearing… believing… calling out… being saved. Two of these steps directly rest in our hands… sending and proclaiming. Simply put, without going and without proclamation…the other steps cannot happen. Jesus clearly modeled this intentional development of the disciples in this proclamation process. On at least five different occasions, approximately every six months, you see Jesus taking His disciples on a ministry experience where the good news was proclaimed. (John 4 thru Samaria, Mark 1:39 throughout Galilee in the synagogues, Luke 8:1-3 throughout the cities and towns, Matthew 10 when the twelve are sent out two by two, Luke 10 with seventy-two being sent out). The last two events have Jesus very clearly sending His disciples…with only the last event in which Jesus did not participate. At the end of this process Jesus was “full of joy by the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21). He had strategically and intentionally developed His disciples to become fishers of men. His passion and focus was very intentional. His energy was very focused. His life modeled the clear priority of developing disciples capable of proclaiming the good news of that Gospel. The third challenge is personal. Are we as leaders actively engaged in proclamation and leading our ministry in this bold and risky challenge? It is no accident that Paul often and repeated asked for prayers in being able to boldly proclaim the Gospel. (Ephesians 6:19-20, Colossians 4:4) Failure to ever get to proclamation, in time has the effect of loosing the clarity of the Gospel message. A generation that never proclaims the Gospel is the generation that looses the significance of that Gospel. As we are active in sharing our faith we come to a “full understanding of every good thing that we have in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 6 NIV). In today’s culture of political correctness, personal truth, tolerance of one another’s viewpoints; and constant emphasis upon belonging verses believing, sanctification versus justification, following verses repenting…I see a generation moving away from the simplicity and power of boldly proclaiming the Gospel message (Romans 1:16). The Greek word ‘euaggelizo’ (evangelism), literally means the proclamation (declaring verbally) of the good news. While ‘outreach’ is a process of cultivating and planting; ‘evangelism’ is an event meaning to proclaim. Biblical evangelism hasn’t occurred until proclamation happens. In GYI we have always held to the training value of asking tough questions about the end result of the evangelism and discipleship process. The end result of evangelism is measured by asking the tough question…Is the gospel being proclaimed clearly and concisely and to what extent? The end result of the discipleship process has always been measured by asking the tough question…Is peer-to-peer reproduction happening and are we developing fully trained fishers of men? Both of these questions are rooted in the concept of proclaiming the gospel message and calling others to do what Jesus did. Central to this whole process is the clarity and courage needed to boldly “proclaim” that Gospel message which is the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). The Gospel must remain our message, and as we seek to develop that next generation the proclamation of that Gospel must remain at the core of GYI. Every generation must swim upstream in this resistance to proclamation. GYI members need to be the warriors and champions that keep leading the new generation to become “fishers of men” not just “keepers of the aquarium”. For further discussion: Why is proclamation so difficult? Why is proclamation so necessary? Is proclamation ever easy? What happens to a generation that sees evangelism as just acts of service, cultivating or planting? What are some of the additional pressures in this culture against proclamation? Other: 8. THE CHURCH IS THE MOVEMENT It is true that the church is God’s chosen vehicle for fulfilling the Great Commission. It is true that Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). It is also true that the local church is the visible expression of God’s universal Church and it is the Bride of Christ. Jesus remains the Head of his Body…the church. The church is God’s movement (Ephesians 3:10-11). We don’t need to create a movement; we need to fuel God’s existing movement of healthy local churches. We know that the mission of the church is disciple making. We also know the nature of the church is defined as a ‘family, a priesthood, a community, a body’. These are all terms to describe the church’s nature…with family being the number one term. However, we must not confuse the nature of the church with the mission of the church. Many have wrongly defined the mission of the church as that of being a family or a community…however that is not our mission… it is our nature. By functioning according to our nature…we will most successfully accomplish our mission. We must not confuse the two. However, the question often unanswered is simply this…what is the church? Every resource I have which seeks to define the church always talks in terms of it’s mission or nature…not it’s definition. When is a local gathering of believers a church? Some would argue a gathering of believers is a church when it reaches a certain size (most denominations call a local gathering a ‘mission station’ until it can sustain itself at which point it becomes a ‘church plant’…at 50 or 75 or 100 people). Some would argue a local gathering of believers is a church when it has appointed leaders. Yet Paul said in Titus 1:5 to go back and do that which is unfinished and “appoint elders in every town”. You can be a church without having elders appointed. It may take time to grow biblical leadership. So when is a local gathering of believers a local church? What is the definition of a biblical church? If we are to fuel a movement of multiplication…then, it is imperative that we can define the local church. For simplicity…let me present my definition of a local church and then wrestle with some of the problems. I simply define the local church as “two to three people gathered in His name for the express purpose of glorifying Him and fulfilling the Great Commission”. This definition contains two elements. First is the size factor. Size, I’d like to suggest, is not the factor. A local church, can be just two people, gathered in His name. The Lord’s presence is what makes it a church. Secondly, it is purposeful…not just two Christians meeting for a bible study. Its purpose is the furtherance of the Great Commission. With this definition, we then need to notice that the Great Commission is not to go and plant churches! The Great Commission is to make disciples…and then cluster them together into local churches…repeating the process locally. Our role in GYI is to fuel this movement of healthy churches, which are making disciples who can make disciples. We are not about working around the church or even being para-church. Our model is that of being pro-church and within the church. We are about movement building and that movement is about healthy gatherings of believers living and walking as Jesus walked. For further discussion: What is wrong with this definition of the church? What are some of the problems of being church-centric? Why is the great commission not “go and plant churches”? What is the result of loosing the focus of making disciples vs. making churches? Is a church a church if it is not about disciple-making? Other: 9. YOUTH ARE OUR MANDATE George Sweeting, former President of Moody Bible Institute, used to always say the main job of leadership is to keep “the main thing the main thing”. James Stewart in his classic book the Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, starts the book by saying, “Christianity began as a young people’s movement. In thinking of Jesus and his disciples, that is the first fact to make quite clear. Unfortunately, it is a fact which Christian art and Christian preaching have too often obscured. But it is quite certain that the original disciple band was a young men’s group. In this connection, notice how the apostle Paul, writing almost a generation later, reports that the five hundred to whom the risen Christ appeared, “the greater part remain unto this present” (I Cor. 15:6). The natural inference is that the spiritual conquests of Jesus had been mainly among the younger people.” (pp. 55-58) He then goes on to argue that we’d be foolish if we did not; at every stage of our lives devote all of our time, talent and treasures to mobilize the next generation for the cause of Christ. We believe this in GYI. We know the truth of these statements. We know that the most strategic way to birth a long-term movement of multiplication is through mobilizing that next generation of young leaders. By doing so, like Jesus did, we ensure the long-term ongoing success of the movement. Why is this so true? Why is so strategic to focus on that “13-30 window” of potential young leaders. Let me suggest some reasons: First: Youth are the most moldable. They have little to unlearn and if developed early with the right DNA, they can become life-long reproducers. Second: They are looking for a cause. In our postmodern world, it is still the great cause of the God’s metanarrative that will rally the next generation…despite what the skeptics may say. Looking for a cause to which to give their lives they can challenged at a strategic time to refocus their life calling and direction. Third: They have universal tendencies. In our M-TV culture, they easily communicate across borders and nationalities and truly have become the first global youth culture. Fourth: The scripture mandates the reaching of that next generation. Not only did Jesus focus on younger leaders, Ps 78:3-7 tells us to do the same. Fifth: They are the most responsive to the gospel. Over 85 % of all of those who come to faith do so before their 20th birthday. Sixth: The world is full of them. By 2020 over 50% of the globe will be under the age of 25. Over 60% of many nations are now under 20. They are a massive people group to be reached and mobilized. Seventh: Jesus modeled this. Jesus by the model of His life invested in that young leader. He knew that the most strategic way long-term was through raising up that next generation of leaders who could leave a legacy of ministry impact. For further discussion: Are youth our focus or are young leaders our focus? What would the difference be? What happens as all of us grow older (or already haveJ)? How do we keep youth our focus? What are some of the weaknesses of this approach? To focus on youth, does this mean in time we have to focus on adults, parents or the church as a whole? Other: Download this article - 92 KB
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