801 MEV: Evangelism Session 3: association

The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

Association

Chapter 2 !

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always…

Association

Chapter 2 !

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always…

He stayed with themHaving called his men, Jesus made it a practice to be with them. This was the essence of His training program - just letting His disciples be with and follow Him.This is incredibly simple - no formal school, no outlined course of study, no membership classes- all Jesus did to teach these men was to draw them close to Himself- He was His own school and curriculum

The scribes insisted upon their disciples adhering strictly to certain rituals and formulas of knowledge, this distinguished them from othersJesus asked only that His disciples follow HimJesus did not give knowledge in laws and doctrines, but in his person as he walked among themHis disciples were seen simply by being with Him, and through this took part in his teaching, John 18: 19

Through this fellowship the disciples were permitted "to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God" - Luke 8: 10 Knowledge was gained by association before it was understood by explanation. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - the question already was answered if the disciples would open their eyes to the spiritual reality in their midst.

John 1:35-39 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” At home with Jesus they could talk in private and see intimately into him and his work.

Philip was told, "Follow me" John 1:43 - he then invited Nathaniel also John 1:46Later when James, John, Peter and Andrew were found mending their nets, Jesus said, "Come after Me," adding the reason for it, "and I will make you fishers of men" (Mark 1:17; Mat. 4: 19; Luke 5:10) Matthew was called with the same invitation, "Follow me" (Mark 2:14; Matt. 9:9; Luke 5:27

By responding to this call the apostles in effect started school - their understanding could be enlarged and their faith established - there were many things which these men did not understand, but these problems could be dealt with as they followed Jesus- In His presence they could learn all that they needed to know

Jesus expressed this, ”that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13)- he added that He was going to send them forth "to preach, and to have authority to cast out devils," - but often we fail to realize what came first. Jesus made it clear that before these men preached or cast out demons they were to be with himInitially being with Jesus was far more important than any evangelism/ministry - it was the preparation for it

Smokey Robinson sang “Being with you”

Jesus expressed this, ”that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13)- he added that He was going to send them forth "to preach, and to have authority to cast out devils," - but often we fail to realize what came first. Jesus made it clear that before these men preached or cast out demons they were to be with himInitially being with Jesus was far more important than any evangelism/ministry - it was the preparation for it

Smokey Robinson sang “Being with you”

- as the ministry of Christ entered the 2nd / 3rd years He gave increasingly more time to the chosen disciples, not lessFrequently He would take them with Him in a retreat to an area where He was relatively unknown seeking to avoid people/publicity- Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7, Matt. 15- Decapolis Mark 7; Matt. 15- Dalmanutha Mk 8: 10; Matt. 15: 39- Caesarea Philippi Mk 8 Matt. 16:13 Why did he do this?

- the opposition of the Pharisees / the hostility of Herod- to be alone with themLater He spent several months with His disciples in Perea east of the Jordan Luke 13:22-19:28; John 10:40-11:54As opposition mounted, Jesus "walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed thence into the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He tarried with His disciples" (John 11:54). When the time came for Him to go to Jerusalem, He "took the twelve disciples apart" from the rest as He made His way to the city (Matt. 20:17; Mark 10: 32).

During passion week Jesus hardly let the disciples out of His sightIn Gethsemane, His disciples were only a stone's throw away (Luke 2 2:41). He would soon depart - Coleman suggests that this explains why the writers of the Gospels devoted so much of their content to these daysThis is also seen post resurrection- every one of the ten post-resurrection appearances of Christ was to His followers- not a single unbelieving person saw the glorified Lord

- the disciples who fled following the crucifixion needed to be revived in faith and confirmed in mission to the world“Jesus spent more time with His disciples than with everybody else in the world put together. He ate with them, slept with them, and talked with them for the most part of His entire active ministry. They walked together along the roads; they visited crowded cities; they sailed and fished together; they prayed together in the deserts and in the mountains; they worshiped together in the Synagogues and in the Temple.”

Ministry to the masses

Even while Jesus was ministering to others, the disciples were always there with Him, listening and learning- preaching to the multitudes - talking with the Scribes and Pharisees- talking to people along the road, the disciples were close at hand to observe and to listenJesus did not neglect the people - and taught the disciples through example - he could explain things later

All this meant virtually that Jesus had no time to call His ownThe disciples were always in need of attention Even personal devotional time was subject to interruption at the disciples' need - Mark 6:46-48; Luke 11:1Jesus accepted this as he wanted to be with them - They were His spiritual children - Mark 10:24; John 13:33; 21:5- A father can properly raise a family only by being with them

Foundation of follow up

During his last days on earth Jesus felt it necessary to make clear what He had been doing. For example, once turning to the disciples, Jesus said: "And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." John 15:27Jesus was saying that He had been training men to be His witnesses after He had gone, and His method of doing it was simply by being "with them." Consider also Luke 22:28-30

Jesus also showed concern / follow up for others that followed Him- he went home with Zaccheus after his conversion, Luke 19:7 and spent time with him - After the conversion of the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus stayed two extra days in Sychar to instruct the men of that community who believed, John 4:39-42- many believers received some personal attention, but it could not be compared to that given to the twelve - Bartimaeus, the 70 etc.

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- the small group of faithful women who ministered to Him like Mary and Martha Luke 10:38-42, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, "and many others" Luke 8:1-3, Jesus did not refuse their kindness, and often took the occasion to help them in their faithJesus was well aware of the sex barrier, and although He welcomed their assistance, He did not try to incorporate these ladies into the close company of disciples: There are limitations in this kind of follow-up which one must recognize.

Jesus did not have the time to personally give all people his constant attention. He did all that He could, and this doubtless served to impress upon His disciples the need for immediate personal care of new converts, but He had to devote Himself primarily to the task of developing some men who in turn could give this kind of personal attention to others.

Jesus did not have the time to personally give all people his constant attention. He did all that He could, and this doubtless served to impress upon His disciples the need for immediate personal care of new converts, but He had to devote Himself primarily to the task of developing some men who in turn could give this kind of personal attention to others.

On the Isle of Mull in Scotland, in the small

village of Dervaig, there is a stained

glass window in the Kilmore Church. It is

said to be Mary Magdalene and

Jesus. A pregnant Mary Magdalene.

The church as continuing fellowship

The church is the means of following up all who followed Jesus - giving personal care to every believer is part of the nature and mission of the church- the believers became the body of Christ, and ministered to each other individually and collectively- they could only do as they had been trained and inspired- Jesus trained them to do it by example of constant personal association with a few chosen men

When will the church learn this lesson? Building men is not easy - It requires constant personal attentionThe church has failed at this point!The church shows little concern for this when it becomes evident that such work involves the sacrifice of personal indulgence- most churches bringing in new members using class which usually meets an hour a week for a month or so - they also attend the worship services

Often a new Christian is left on their own to find the solutions to many practical problems of life, any one of which could mean disaster to his faith.Coleman says that “about half of those who make professions and join the church eventually fall away or lose the glow of a Christian experience, and fewer still grow in sufficient knowledge and grace to be of any real service to the Kingdom”“If Jesus, the Son of God, found it necessary to stay almost constantly with His few disciples for three years…how can a church expect to do this job on an assembly line basis a few days out of the year?”

Jesus shows us that the church must have as its basis a person to show concern for those entrusted to their care. To do otherwise is essentially to abandon new believers to the Devil.- Develop a system where every convert is given a Christian friend to follow until such time as he can lead another

They should stay with the new believer as much as possible, study the Bible, pray together, answer questions, clarify the truth, and seeking together to help othersKnowing how this is to be done is good but leads us to understand that this method can accomplish its purpose only when the followers practice what they learn

There is simply no substitute for being

with people

There is simply no substitute for being

with people