The Church's Greatest Strategy

Part three of the Mission Messages

We have spoken about God's Greatest Passion and the Church's Greatest Passion. Today I want to touch on the Church's Greatest Strategy.

Let's look at a base camp Scripture together:

Romans 15:17-23: 17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

‘Those who were not told about him will see,

    and those who have not heard will understand.’

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain...

So what, Paul's asking some comments that seem to make interesting reading but little more. Let's look a little more closely at them:

19b: So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ...

23a: But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions...

It seems that Paul is saying, "job done, goal reached." These are massive statements when you consider the enormity of the task.

It is estimated that the population along the coastal corridor that Paul is talking about was 25 million people at that time. 

His three missionary journeys took place over a period of roughly 15 years according to scholars.

Paul is claiming that he reached 25 million people over a fifteen year period. No Google. No Skype. No TV ministry. No radio outreach. No tracts. 

How did he do this.

1. Replication is the Key to Multiplication:

2 Timothy 2:2: And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

It seems that Paul's method was not to physically see all 25 million people himself. He visited the regions, cities and towns, but he trained the new converts there. Sometimes he would send others to go there in his place after his initial church planting efforts.

There was a different rationale though in the early church. They replicated themselves in others. Those others the replicated themselves in others. And so it continued.  Until the Church became institutionalised and organised and professional clergy took over.

Word of mouth became the best means of communicating the gospel. Telling the story of Jesus to whoever would listen. 

Paul did not have one thing on the go at a time. He appears to have had six streams of church planting on the go, developing simultaneously. 

Paul reached a population of 25 million; Chelmsford district has an estimated population of 171,000. There are hundreds of us! We should be looking for the new places, like Paul!

2. Knowledge is the Key to Wisdom:

Something is not known until it is actually done. In churches we tend to think Discipleship is learning more, knowledge based and intellectual. For the first century Christian they knew knowledge was not something known, but something done.

One of the things I am trying to do is learn Spanish. I have to say it is not going well. I have a little app on my phone and it is quite useful but till have to still use it In fact when I don't use is it sends me an email and a reminder pops up on my phone screen.  It reminds me that to learn a language I have to speak it. Knowledge is to be used.

We are the most privilege generation ever. We have books, apps, TV shows, live video streams, yet we are the most unengaged wth the unsaved around us.

Proverbs 2:6: For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:10: For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Knowledge is for the internal you - the heart - and wisdom is for the outward you - what to do with the knowledge. 

This is why the the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, for knowing Him begins the heart change. Wisdom demands that knowledge is used, lived out, demonstrated and shared with those around us (Proverbs 1:7).

Wisdom expressed is witness!

Proverbs 11:30: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise

3. Witness is the Key to Discipleship:

In our churches today we have a knowledge based view of Christianity, but not one based an sharing wisdom. We think that strong disciples are made by more Bible studies. Now, don't get me wrong, we end those, but they are there to feed the witness!

I have a personal trainer. I know that's still a shock and he's been working to help my weak achilles tendon. His job is to kill me. I know I am going to physically stretched and pushed to the very low threshold I have! One of the things he has told me to do is to feed the workout. In other words, eat right the meal before the work out. The Bible is to prepare us for the work out of our witness. We feed on it not get fatter, but to get fitter!

People still need to hear the good news.

Romans 10:17: 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Paul's model was one will tell another who will tell another who will tell another.

Steve Kempton, our Elim Pastor in Weston- super-Mare used to be a missionary in Nepal. At a recent conference I was at he spoke about the frustrations of eating a discipleship programme going whist trying to see the indigenous people saved. The few in his church wanted more studies, more knowledge, more solid food, but no one was getting saved. He heard of an idea and decided to implement it. 

He challenged his few believers to hare their faith with five different people each week. He would do the same. They would then come back and meet and discuss what they had been asked. They'd share the answers with each other, and start again, five new people each week. 

Three things happened. Firstly, people started becoming Christians. Secondly, the Christians grew in their discipleship knowledge because they were using what they knew and found themselves teaching the nee Christians, passing on the same model. Thirdly, over 20 churches were planted in a few years.

Before you say in your heart, "We that's fine for Nepal, a non Christian nation, it won't work here!" Think about how you came to faith: chances are someone told you initially about Jesus! Someone told you and me! Also, Nepal may be a non-Christian nation, but guess what, so is England!

Wrapping it up:

Anyone want to accept that challenge? Anyone dare to believe that they have a unique story that others would love to hear? Anyone got the heart of God for the lost - heartbroken at their eternal destiny!

Go for it!

(Indebted to Steve Kempton for allowing me to adapt a couple of his powerpoint slides and using his story.)