Let's Talk About The Great Commission!

As it should be, very often the witness or writing of another Christian believer will spark thoughts and ideas we should share within our own circle of Friends, our Concentric Circle of Influence.  Think of a concentric circle, where a pebble dropped into a body of water will cause circles of waves to emanate out from that point of contact - spreading wider and wider, possibly to points unknown.

In 2009, a Forum Friend on the TimesDaily Religion Forum posted a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "The life of man is a self-evolving circle, which, from a ring imperceptibly small, rushes on all sides outwards to new and larger circles, and that without end."

And, I responded:

My Friend, you have just described the very best method of Christian Evangelism: Concentric Circle Evangelism.

We all can make a splash, ever so small.  Yet, from that small splash, like a small pebble, the concentric circles of our Christian life expand.  First, to those in our immediate family - then to those in our circle of friends - then to those in our community, our city, our state, and our nation - to the ends of the earth.

Your quote prompted me to think of waves of concentric circles of Christian evangelism - starting small, spreading, never ending, reaching the far corners of the earth.

"And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness for all the nations, and then the end shall come" (Matthew 24:14).

This train of thought was prompted, on January 9, 2018, by a post my Facebook Friend, Jeff Reiman, made on the Evangelists & Pastors group page:

Our Great Commission as followers of Jesus is to go and make “disciples” – not converts.  Is there a difference?

It’s interesting that the only time Jesus refers to making “converts” is in his criticism of the Pharisees – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15)

The problem with the Pharisees was that they were hypocrites – they didn’t practice what they preached.  And, by example, trained their followers to do the same.  They made converts to an empty religion - rather than disciples in a loving relationship.

It’s easy for us to conclude, then, that we should give up on evangelism to unbelievers in favor of discipling new believers.  But where do new believers come from (if not evangelism)?  And what do we get when we tell new believers that they should share their faith - when we don’t intentionally do it ourselves?  We get mere converts who follow our hypocritical example of not practicing what we preach.

After work I had the wonderful opportunity of discipling a young believer – Elias – not just by teaching out of the Bible but also by example.  We were to meet at a Dunkin’ Donuts, but Elias was a little late so I began a witnessing conversation with a man named Alfredo who was sitting next to me.  We were deep in a Spanish-only conversation about the Gospel when Elias arrived, and since Elias is a native Spanish speaker he was able to do a much better job of communicating some important truths to Alfredo than I could.

After Elias and I finished our Bible study, I was also able to share some Gospel truths with Prith, a medical doctor from India who had sat down near us.  As a disciple of Jesus, Elias is learning to share his faith in three ways; (1) by studying God’s Word, (2) by seeing my example, and (3) by putting it into practice himself.

And, perhaps most importantly, he is learning to be someone who loves Jesus by practicing what he preaches, not just by being a convert to empty religion.

I can relate to Jeff's Dunkin' Donuts experience through an experience I had a few years back.  A Christian Friend, Bob, visiting from Arizona and I were working at my computer and took a break to go to Norms Restaurant in Riverside for a late dinner.  Our discussion soon turned to one of my favorite subjects, End Times Prophecy. 

It was late in the evening and the restaurant was not very busy, so when the waitress walking by heard our discussion, she stopped to listen.  And pretty soon she was asking questions.  When we left, I told my Friend, Bob, "Do you realize we just had a nice late evening Bible study?" 

To quote Jesus Christ, in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

He was with Bob and me that evening when we shared with the waitress at Norms Restaurant - just as He was withJeff Reiman, Elias, Alfredo, and Prith in that Dunkin' Donut shop.

Jeff draws a comparison between disciples and converts - and that, too, reminds me of what Billy Graham practiced in his many Crusades over the years.  He wrote that the thousands of people coming forward at a Crusade should be called "Inquirers" and not "Converts" - for many of them come forward for different reasons.  Some come out of pure conviction, while others come out of emotion, because a friend went forward, or even because their driver went forward and they did not want to get separated.

That is why the Crusades had many counselors on the on the field, to pray with and counsel those who had come forward, one on one, and get their information so that they could be referred to a local church fellowship.  For as Billy Graham states, "When a person comes forward, he is most often inquiring about salvation.  When we connect them with a local church and they begin to participate in that local fellowship's worship services and Bible studies - after a while, they are on their path to becoming a real convert, a real believer."

All to often, in the Billy Graham Crusades, in the Greg Laurie led Harvest Crusades, and in all Crusades - a lot of people come forward on emotion.  And during the following week, when they begin to experience life again at work and in their social context - the emotion begins to fade and that person sinks back into what the world wants - and not what God wants.

So, I agree with JeffReiman that we should be evangelizing to make converts - and discipling them.

Matthew 28:19-20, "GO therefore and MAKES DISCIPLES of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Part of that discipling should be getting them involved in a local Christian fellowship where they can participate in regular Christ-centered, Bible teaching Conversational Bible Studies.  Interactive Bible studies where, together, we can study and discuss what is written in God's Word. 

Sermons are great for Sunday worship services.  But believers need a good discussion style Bible study with other believers if we are to continue growing more mature in His Word.  Imagine a Bible study where there is a mix of Bible maturity among the participants.

The "babes in Christ" and those just beginning to get their feet wet in the Gospel - can come up with great questions, questions which could and should stretch the maturity of we older believers to answer.  

The discussion is a process through which we ALL learn and grow more mature in God's Word.  That is an element which is missing in sermon type Bible studies, no matter how well taught.

I thank my Friend, Jeff Reiman, for his post on January 9th, which started my thought train rolling.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill