Continuity of purpose
Robert Webber said; “if you wish your church to become a faith-forming community, it is necessary to establish continuity between ministries of evangelism, discipleship, and spiritual formation.” This comment is born out of a sense of worldwide failure. Webber explains this by saying; “The church has tried to get world evangelization without discipleship making.” Although converts are being rapidly produced in the two thirds world, in the west it is nearing a negative growth rate.
How then do we develop a continuity between evangelism, discipleship, and spiritual formation? What is the essence of this continuity, the missing ingredient? Could it be the disconnection between Christian faith, the life of Jesus in us and our daily lifestyle. Initially the early church grew rapidly, partly out of the observed lifestyle of the faithful. What us important and crucial to our evangelism, discipleship, and our spiritual formation, is that it springs out of who Jesus was and is!
In Acts 4:13 we read “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” The early church saw a dramatic change in the lives of the Apostles. They went from being timid, unsure, afraid, cowardly, to brazen, bold, and enlightened, as if overnight. This change in the lives of Jesus followers continued on into the second and third centuries after Christ. Tertullian, who was one of the great early church followers, and who lived from 160-220 AD, is quoted as having said; “See how these Christians love each other.”
It could be argued then that successful evangelism is the type which models a spiritual character born out of a daily life with and in Jesus. The Apostles had a life changing experience with Christ, beginning at the resurrection and powered up at Pentecost. They were not, they could not be the same. The Christian faith that Tertullian evidenced was the same. Several things define the success of evangelism. This success produces a depth of discipleship, and encourages spiritual formation.
They are;
1) Counting the cost of following Christ.
The following saying although lacking in elegance probably has significant truth attached to it. “You get what you pay for.” For years the church has been concerned with numbers. A concern with Numbers may produce a disciple that has neither understand the cost or the commitment involved to Christ. And it is not a commitment to the local church, or denomination. It is rather to Christ, and to Christ alone. The conversion to Christ then needs to be stressed over membership and baptism in a church. The cost involves one’s life, all of it. Jesus helps us to understand this as recorded in Luke 9:62. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
2) Understanding the decision.
The decision to accept Christ may not always be clearly understood. The following question is hardly inappropriate; “Do spiritual seekers truly know what it means to give one’s self to Christ? In part this question reintroduces the cost, but it introduces another issue. Who is Jesus, and what does he require of us? N.T.Wright in his book “After You Believe” writes; “Jesus is the one true living stone,” and his followers are the “living stones by which the true Temple is built, bringing the presence of God into the wider world.”
3) The development of Christian character.
Thus the question “what happens after you believe?” Have we accepted Christ so we can now hang out and wait for Heaven? Or upon our acceptance of him are we then carefully introduced to the exciting task of establishing his kingdom on earth. What better way to begin but through a character change. “See how these Christians love each other.” Simply through a continuous desire to live holy lives, and by a devotion to prayer, character changes as a bad habit becomes a new one. People take notice.
Continuity between our evangelism, discipleship, spiritual formation, is built on these hinges; Counting the cost, understanding who Jesus is, the development of Christian character.