NETWORK MEETING
NETWORK MEETING
VISION DOCUMENT
THEME: HARVEST INDIA
OBJECTIVE: To equip Great Commission Harvest
Force based on T4T and 4x4 (2 Timothy 2:2)
Good News: At the present moment
in world history, The Great Commission based Christianity remains the fastest
growing faith movement on earth. Almost all the states of India now have some
kind of “Movement” going, some more than others. There are 638,000 villages where 72% of the
population lives, in addition to 8,000 towns in India. Villages in States like
Andhra now have 90% Christian presence while Bihar has only 20% of villages
reached and in Jammu Kashmir the trickle has started. Planting Christian
presence in every village does not mean that the task is finished, as many
nations, tongues and tribes remain to be reached. However lighting a little
lamp in every village of India must remain our immediate goal. With the Kingdom
advance that has taken place in the last decade or so, today, this is eminently
doable.
First of all we
must thank the Lord for creating hunger and thirst for the Word; “Behold, the days come, that I will send a
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of
hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos
8:11) and secondly for many leaders turning from mere “Church Planters” to “Movement
Planters”, focusing on training of Disciple-Makers. Almost every geopolitical nation
now has a DMM (Disciple Multiplying Movement), many without Sunday worship, fancy
musical instruments, church buildings, Bible schools, qualified pastors or Scriptures
in their heart language.
We now know, as
in the West and in some countries of the global south that stability, security,
sustainability and comfort lead to eventual fossilization. Sadly many of our
house churches are now turning into traditional churches, complete with
building, pastor, Sunday worship and tithing etc. Normally there is a huge
disconnect between this kind of church and the lost, even as there are many
sincere Christians who could be filtered and challenged to be engaged either as
on site apostles or as facilitators, funders and senders. We cannot afford the
luxury of “unreached
and unengaged Christians stagnating on the pews, “Being only hearers rather than doers of the Word” (James 1:22). They
must be weaned from mere milk drinking Christians to being teachers of the word
(Hebrew 5:12). With a hundred million Christians today (guestimate), if every
single Christian made just one disciple every year, India could be reached in
this generation. It is as simple as that but for that to happen, every believer
will have to be implanted with the DNA of the Great Commission so that the
gospel can go viral. The more volatile the situation, as in many Arab countries,
the faster and deeper the gospel takes root.
Bad News: This growth is taking
place at a cost. There were around 4000 registered
cases of targeted acts of violence, including seven murders, against Christians
in 2013. That cost is growing everywhere, where public displays of Christianity
are discouraged even in Christian educational institutions, hospitals, public,
government and other forums. Politicians, Police, Courts of justice and the Media
are often hostile and promote the idea that any Christian activity is for the
purpose of conversion by fraud or inducement of people of other faiths. If the
BJP comes into power, as is likely, in the next federal election, due in
April/May this year (2014), then their first priority would be to pass
Draconian Anti-conversion law on national level. Overtime, foreign funding of
churches and missions is also likely to be stopped. Tax exemptions to the
churches and Foundations in the Western countries are also likely to come under
the axe. Hopefully this will lead to kingdom explosion.
The Challenge: We must be ready with
a roadmap, both for discipling the nations as well as for funding, for the
coming difficult times and not be found complacent. We must remember that every
obstacle is also an opportunity. This does not mean that we go looking for persecution
but act as Jesus commanded his followers, “
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as
serpents and innocent as doves.” “When they persecute you in one town, flee to
the next.” The challenge is to fulfil the task of the Great Commission to
go and make disciples of all nations, without disturbing the wolves. This will
mean going invisible below the radar and even deeper into rabbit holes and
breed like the rabbits.
The operating
principle should be on the basis of “Anywhere; Anytime, Anyone, Any number and Any gender”
(Malachi 1:11), remembering that Jesus is present with all power in heaven and
on earth, wherever 2 or 3 gather in his name (Matt. 18:18-20). We need to come
up with an action plan to equip at least a million competent and confident
servant-leadership over 50, 100, 1000 and 10,000, based on Jethro principle, to
oversee that a population of a billion (thousand million) people in every human
habitation is reached. Every habitation needs at least ten righteous people who
can save their domains. God promised Abraham that he will not destroy sinful
cities like Sodom and Gomorrah if there are 10 righteous people, which in is today’s
context boils down to Great Commission Christians. Exodus 18:25; Genesis 18:32
Present Situation: For the last few years we have been on the fast track shooting for a
million holy dips every year. This happened because God led us to intentionally
and systematically train tens of thousands of disciple makers and church
planters. Praise God that so far we have rapidly “grown wide” but sadly not
necessarily “grown
deep“; while the operating principle of the New Testament model of
churches is, “And the churches were strengthened in
faith (deep) and grew in numbers
(wide) daily” (Acts 16:5). We have many converts but proportionately few
Great Commission Disciple-makers who birth healthy
reproducing churches. At this rate we will end up with shallow
Christianity like African churches which are said to be “mile long and only
inch deep.”
The Task: The opportunities are
huge but we must seize it. There is a significant deficit of competent trainers
and coaches. Jesus said, “Follow me and I
will make you fishers of men.” It is not enough to be a follower of Jesus;
every believer must become a prolific fisher of men. Jesus preached to
thousands but invested himself on making only 12 disciples who went and turned
the world upside down. We must remember that Jesus did not choose his disciples
from the religious elite but common people like Peter and John. While we
encourage all able bodied Christians to renew their minds and offer their
bodies as reasonable service (latreia=worship: Romans 12:1, 2), for ministry
among the least and the lost, but we also know that in these last days God is
pouring out his Spirit on all flesh, especially so on the first generation passion
filled zealous saints and turning them into grassroots level movers and shakers
(apostles and prophets) that are bringing in abundant harvest and making the
kingdom grow at the fringes as never before (Acts 2:17,18; Eph. 4:11,12).
It is here that
we need to invest our synergies and resources for training harvesters. It is
not right to gather large numbers of followers of Jesus and turn them into “milk drinking Christians” but rather
each follower must have the opportunity to be trained as a prolific fisher of men,
seeker of lost souls and as sower of the seed, to qualify as a mature
Christian. Matt. 4:19; Titus 1:9; Hebrew 5:12
“Seeds are the sons (children) of the Kingdom” (Matthew 13:37,38). The difference between “seed” and the ‘good seed’ is, that while the ‘seed” remains in the store house (church building) and is
eaten up by insects, rats or human beings without reproducing but the “good Seed” is the one that has decided to fall on the ground
and die, to reproduce, 30, 60 and even 100 fold fruit. “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread to eat will also supply you
with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness (seed
sown).” 2 Cor. 9:10
We look at a
fruit as food, but the tree looks at it as a reproducer and multiplier. God
designed every seed to reproduce and multiply. Genesis 1:11,12, 29
In the last
couple of decades, we have trained tens of thousands of grassroots level church
planters but now with the aging population of senior trainers, who are
traveling less but occupied more with building resource centres, and rightly so,
as long as they continue to mentor and empower the next generation. We also
need to identify target states that need more attention such as Jammu Kashmir, Bihar,
Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal
etc. Of course there are movements going on in these states but many still need
vision casting and the roadmap to the finish line. Some of you need to enlarge
your vision and adopt some these states. Paul instructed Titus to go and
appoint elders in every city in Crete to “set
things right.” Titus 1:5
Cutting edge
equipping with insights and skills is not enough; intentional tracking to the
fourth generation, just as we do in the natural with our biological children
and grandchildren, is the key to reaching the ends of the earth. This is to be
done by passing on the baton to all the “faithful men (men=anthropos in the
Greek signifying male and female; plural, more than one person), who can teach others” (2Tim. 2:2). Timothy was never considered a
scholar but a faithful young man who watched Paul imitating Christ and obediently
followed God breathed Scriptures (2Timothy 3:16). This way the spiritual parents
stay in the orbit contributing their wisdom and influence but delegate
authority and responsibility for equipping the next generation. It is the effectiveness
and the productivity of the fourth generation that is the true test of leadership
and the sustainability of any movement.
Apologetics: The attacks come not
only from without but often more so from within which can be very confusing and
hurtful for a new entrant to Christianity. “You are not qualified, not ordained
therefore you cannot baptize or serve the Lord’s Supper; you are only a woman
so sit quietly with your head covered and do not try to teach etc. In case of
sons of Ishmael, their standard objections are that God cannot have a son,
Jesus never died on the cross, you believe in trinity, three Gods, Jesus is
only a prophet, and anyway your Bible is corrupted. In case of the Majority
faith, the objections can be more tenuous and abstract. All these objections need
to be answered from their own scriptures, Christians included, which require culture
specific training in apologetics.
Paul said that
he is set for the defence (apology) of the gospel (Philippians 1:17). He told
Timothy to be instant, in season and out of season, for preaching the Word (2Tim.
4:2). Paul told Titus to shut the mouth of those who oppose with sound doctrine
(Titus 1:9). Peter instructed all believers to defend (apologetics) their
faith, asking them always to be ready to give an answer to candid inquirers (1Peter
3:15). Sadly most Christians are grossly deficient in this area for lack of
training in apologetics. Jesus said, “I
will protect you from others and from your own people” Acts 26:17, 18
Training for Kingdom Explosion: The first century
church gathering was centred around a common meal with breaking of bread (fellowship
meal) from house to house, into which seekers were invited, relationships were
built and the whole wisdom of God was shared (Acts 2:42, 46,47; 20:7,20, 27; 1
Cor. 11:20-22; 14:24-32). That is how the new believers were added daily who
matured very quickly in the highly interactive environment and the church not
only grew wide in numbers but also deep in faith (Acts 16:5).
Teaching is
neither hollering motivational talks from the pulpit nor a series of lectures
on discipleship in a classroom situation but asking strategic questions and
extracting answers from them. Jesus asked about 345 questions and counter
questions while Paul asked 350 questions. People must discover the truth for
themselves. Never
tell them the answer when you can ask. It is only through questioning,
thinking and reasoning that internalization takes place without which the truth
does not penetrate. A wise teacher not only asks probing questions for clarity
in understanding of the topic but also life application questions.
Because of this highly
interactive system in their schools, 12 million Israelis have won 183 Nobel
Prize whereas 1.3 billion (1300 million) Indians with our non-interactive
system have gotten only 9 Nobel prize, that too when Indians worked abroad.
Paul did not
just transfer knowledge and information but also modelled, “The things that you learned
and received and heard and saw in me, these things do:
and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Phil. 4:9); “And Ezra had set his
heart to study
the law of the Lord and to practice it, and
to teach His statutes and ordinances
in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
In this participatory
dialogical and discussion method you
may cover less number of subjects but the impact would be immense. Our
Lord designed this highly interactive system, where everyone has an opportunity
to participate. This method eliminates the pulpit-artist/pew potato and
superstar-preacher/creature divide (Acts 17:11).
The Bride is designed to Reproduce: “If we are serious
about changing the spiritual profile of India and beyond, then shifting from merely
making barren converts to birthing reproducing
disciple-makers that plant healthy multiplying
churches, will require our
Laser like focus and henceforth must become the norm. This is the way forward
for reaching both “deep and wide”.
Evaluation: One day, saints from
all nations, tongues and tribes will be standing before the Throne of God,
holding palm branches in their hands. Saints are those who, like the palms,
bring forth abundant life saving fruit, wherever they are planted, even in very
hostile desert like situation.
Churches and missions
and their products will require a new paradigm for their evaluation -
germination rate, fertility and productivity of the seed (sons and daughters of
the kingdom) they are sowing in the harvest field. We will have to raise the
bar on the metrics of measurement of the ministry of the Great Commission from
the simple numbers of disciples made, baptized, equipped and sent, to the next
level of numbers of disciplers, baptizers, equippers and senders.
This paradigm shift we need to do swiftly, urgently and quietly.
“And so I am sure that God, who began this good work
in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6
Shalom,
V.
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