What should be the relationship between Missions Churches and The Great Commission? In Part VI we considered ways that The Great Commission could be obeyed by a missions organization and individual believers. Now we will consider missions churches and how they fit into God's plan as presented in The Great Commission.
In Part VI, we considered two hypothetical nations: Large-Sparse and Small-Dense. In Large-Sparse one person, we called him First Believer, came to saving faith through the radio broadcasts and printed literature of TGC, International--a hypothetical missions organization.
Subsequently, as First Believer went through his daily activities, he sought for those whom the Holy Spirit was giving an interest in spiritual things. Then, following up, he used the printed materials he had received to present the Gospel. As a result, Second Believer came to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Even though he felt inadequate, since there were no other believers near there, First Believer believed that it was his duty to nurture Second Believer to the point of reproductive maturity. This he did, using the printed materials that had been furnished to him by TGC, International.
Subsequently, through the efforts of Second Believer, Third Believer was brought to saving faith. Now they had a problem. Whose responsibility was it to nurture Third Believer to reproductive maturity? First Believer was older in the faith by a few months, and he understood more Scripture. However, although he felt inadequate, Second Believer had a deep yearning to nurture Third Believer.
Since there were the two of them, and First Believer was more mature in the faith, should they agree to confer authority and responsibility on First Believer? Or, does The Great Commission teach that each believer is to disciple those brought to the Lord through his efforts?
Paul spoke of Timothy being his son in the faith (1 Tim. 1:2). Reasoning from this comment of Paul, and their understanding of The Great Commission, First Believer and Second Believer decided that, since Third Believer was the spiritual son of Second Believer, Second Believer should use the Bible study lessons furnished by TGC, International to nurture Third Believer to the point of reproductive maturity.
As time went on, the experiences of First Believer, Second Believer, and Third Believer occurred in dozens of remote regions of Large-Sparse and in dozens of localities in Small-Dense, groups of believers sprung up, both in Large-Sparse and Small-Dense, and each group multiplied as believers were nurtured to reproductive maturity.
As the number of believers in each group continued to multiply and become reproductive disciples, both in the widely-spaced regions of Large-Sparse and high above the asphalt jungles of Small-Dense, spontaneously, or should we say by the leading of the Holy Spirit, one group after another proclaimed, "We want to worship together; we need a local church."
Jesus said, "I (1st person singular) will build My (1st person singular) church (singular) and it is My body (Matt. 16:18 with John 6:44 and Eph. 1:22). You (2nd person plural) make reproductive disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).
Have these hypothetical situations and decisions seemed strange? Unbiblical? If so, perhaps your study of the Scriptures will confirm your feelings. Or, perhaps even your disagreement and subsequent Bible study will lead you to new, or modified, philosophies and methodologies of ministries. At least, you will agree that present missions philosophies and methodologies are failing to produce results that are commensurate with world population growth. Shouldn't we reexamine what our Lord has commanded?
Rather, perhaps the question should be: do we dare neglect making repeated reevaluations of our philosophies and methodologies of ministries in the light of Scriptures?
Almost identical methodologies were used in the imaginary countries of Large-Sparse and Small Dense. That is, Bible study courses, standardized by the mission board, were promoted by mass media, these standardized lessons were used to teach the way of salvation, new believers were brought to the point of reproductive maturity by standardized lessons, and then the new believers used the standardized lessons to teach the Gospel and to disciple others.
The results in both Large-Sparse and Small-Dense were the same: groups of believers sprang up in dozens of places almost simultaneously, and these groups of new believers were led by the Holy Spirit to establish local churches.
As pictured in the example of Large-Sparse and Small-Dense, with God's plan for reproductive discipleship, the growth of Christianity should be like human reproduction, each believer begetting another and helping him to become a reproductive disciple, and the number of believers exploding, even as the population is exploding. Sadly, in church planting, typically, numerical growth is far less than population growth (or death) in the geographical area of the local church serves.
The importance of local churches is firmly grounded in the Scriptures. There is no doubt of their importance, both in the plan of God and in the lives of believers. The question pertains to methodology and order.
Reproductive discipleship is commanded in The Great Commission. Is there any command in the Scriptures to plant churches?
If the command to make reproductive disciples is obeyed, will the Holy Spirit lead the new believers to want to worship together? Will the Holy Spirit lead them to establish a local church?
If the plan of God is first to make reproductive disciples, with the number of believers multiplying simultaneously in a number of different localities, and then for the Holy Spirit to plant a local church in each locality, thereby starting more local churches in a given time than can be done by "church planting" ministries, does this in any way diminish our concept of the value of, and need for, local churches?
If local churches are planted by the Holy Spirit, rather than by human efforts such as a mission board, does this in any way diminish our concept of the value of, and need for, local churches? Or, does it magnify our concept of the local church?
The Great Commission includes the command to teach new disciples. As pointed out in Part VI, this teaching must include grounding in the great doctrines of the faith--knowledge that can make the new believer cult proof--knowledge that the new believer will need to become effective as a reproductive disciple. This teaching should be started without delay. In church planting, is there danger that the new believer may miss this essential training by merely being incorporated into the standard programs and services of a local church that is already using all available personnel to run established programs?
Further, as pointed out in Part VI, the new convert should be taught biblical principles for overcoming personal problems and problems in interpersonal problems. Otherwise, problems from the new believer's past may stagnate his spiritual growth, or cause him to give up in despair. In church planting, is there danger that the new believer may miss this essential training by merely being incorporated into the standard programs and services of the church?
In church planting, is there danger that the need for leaders, teachers, and workers will result in some being taken from the ranks of those who have not been grounded in the great doctrines and/or those who have not learned to overcome problems in their own lives? Is there danger of these untrained believers being led into error and then leading other believers, or even the missions church, away from the doctrines held by the mission board and into the hands of those who teach diverse doctrines?
In church planting, is there danger that those who should be making reproductive disciples (the missionary and his converts) may be entangled in the duties and responsibilities of running the local church before the total number of believers can support these activities without adversely affecting obedience to the command to make reproductive disciples?
In church planting, if reproduction is only through the church and the missionary, is there danger that unbelievers will tend to reject Christianity as a foreigner's religion, whereas they would be more open to the Gospel through reproductive discipleship of a native believer?
In church planting, is there danger that, in the worship service, or in even in church building design, foreign unbelievers will see and reject Christianity as a Western (or American) religion?
The questions that have been set forth are those of methodologies and timing. Is it the plan of God first to make reproductive disciples, and then later for the believers to establish their local churches? Or is it His plan to plant churches as the first step to making reproductive disciples?
If church planting is not explicitly commanded in the Scriptures, but there is good reason to believe that church planting is God' way to fulfill The Great Commission, then isn't is reasonable to believe that one of the top priorities of the planted church should be to bring believers to reproductive maturity?
Copyright 1997 by Wendell E. Miller
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Coming Soon: Rethinking The Great Commission: Part VIII
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