SUSTAINABLE DISCIPLE MAKING MOVEMENT
SUSTAINABLE DISCIPLE MAKING MOVEMENT
Victor Choudhrie
The
beginning - The church age started with 120 Holy Spirit baptised people (Acts 2:1-3) in a house and grew to 3000 people (Acts 2:41) on the same day of the Pentecost. It grew to 5000 people in the next few days (Acts 4:4) and into myriads (tens of thousands) by (Acts 21:20). This was only the Jewish church. We do not know how many churches Paul had planted among the Gentiles but we do know that within three years all Asia (Turkey) had heard the Gospel (Acts 19:8-10). It was an international church as pilgrims
from every nation under the sun (Acts 2:5) had gathered in Jerusalem for the season of Feasts
of the Lord which lasted from the Passover, the Firstfruits and the Pentecost.
The pilgrims returned to their home countries soon and shared what they had
witnessed from the crucifixion of Jesus as the Lamb of God (Passover), his
resurrection (Firstfruits) and the Pentecost (Harvest of souls) So the church
became a global church within a few weeks of her birth. This church had no
buildings, no clergy, no pulpits no sermons no musical instruments, no tithing,
no programs, no financial clout and no political power but it had the power of
the Holy Spirit and so grew and multiplied exponentially from the very
beginning. Overtime the simple church became complex with all these
extrabiblical structures, became manmade and stopped reproducing.
Holistic
church - It met in homes and had Apostolic (go) teaching
and fellowship (relational) and breaking bread (Lord’s Supper) from house to
house and prayer. There was healing and deliverance and many of the other
problems were being solved supernaturally. They shared their material blessings
with each other. The poor, the widows and orphans came and joined the church in
large numbers because they could at least get one decent meal in the evening. They
went out and witnessed to all and sundry and naturally the Lord added to the numbers
of those who were being saved every day. It was a holistic as well as a missional
church. (Acts 2:41-47)
Participatory
church - When they met together, everybody actively participated.
Somebody had a Psalm, somebody had a teaching and if it was in foreign language
then somebody interpreted, somebody had dreams and visions while others prophesied.
Prophecy did not mean foretelling but exhorting, edifying and comforting each
other (1Cor. 14:3). Thus, it was a prophetic church where men and women and
youth and children all actively participated together. There were no leaders up
front but the Elders facilitated and encouraged everyone to share. (1 Cor. 14:26-32).
They did not speak in tongues in the church but only privately (1Cor. 14:23). But
most importantly people of other faiths were present and actively participated.
They would repent, get baptized and join the Ekklesia. (1Cor. 14:24,25)
Octopus
Vs Starfish churches – There are charismatic leaders who have vision
and high initiative but poor releasing ability. They control and when the leader
dies the movement withers. This is called an Octopus church because when the
head dies all the tentacles also die. Just like we release our biological
children once they stand on their own feet, we should also release our
spiritual children to function according to their calling and giftings. Strong
controlling leadership is the best way to kill a movement. On the other hand, if
you chop off one of the wings of a Starfish, that wing regenerates into another
starfish. The more you divide a starfish the more starfishes are born. This is
exactly how a true New Testament church must function – it keeps on training disciples
and releasing them. It keeps dividing and multiplying – its aim being to reach
the ends of the earth.
The Great
Commission church is a “Go” church – while the man-made church
is a “come” church. It is anyone, anywhere and anytime church (Malachi 1:11). Jesus
had given the Great Commission to his disciples to go and make disciples of all
nations and to baptize them and to teach them to obey all His commands. (Math.
28:18-20) So Peter after his first exhortation on the day of the Pentecost commanded
them to repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for their
own transformation, for the transformation of their families and of others. Everyone
baptized everyone. Keeping up the Jewish tradition of Mikve, women baptized
women. Everyone was baptized on the day of their acceptance of the Lordship of
Jesus. No one had to earn his baptism by going through a long process of
waiting.
The primary
function - of the gathering was to make disciples who
multiply disciples. The Lord Jesus Christ himself gave fivefold ministry gifts
to his church consisting of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers.
This multiple leadership of APEST gifted elders was to equip the saints to be workplace
ministers resulting in edification and unification of the Ekklesia. (Eph. 4:11-13).
There were no mute spectators, but everyone was engaged in advancing the
Kingdom by witnessing, preaching, teaching, discipling and mentoring, hence the
church grew exponentially.
Generational
Growth - the key to sustainability - Paul further
told Timothy to share what he had learned with those who can teach others (2Tim.2:2).
Every disciple must ensure that his disciples are multiplying 2nd and
3rd and 4th generation disciples. This is the key to
igniting a sustainable Disciple-Making Movement (DMM). A “Movement” is defined
as having at least one hundred gatherings with a minimum of 1000 disciples of
at least four generations. This is based
on the family pattern where parents produce children and then children produce
children and the parents become grandparents and then grandchildren also reproduce
children and so the parents become great grandparents. Similarly, we should
produce spiritual children and become parents and then grandparents and then
great grandparents and so on. So, during reporting we do not only ask how many
baptisms and churches have been planted but how are your spiritual grandchildren
doing? This strategy resulted in, “The
churches were strengthened in faith and grew in numbers daily” both qualitative
and quantitative growth on a daily basis. (Acts 16:5)
Corruption
- Overtime especially after Emperor Constantine came into
power in Rome (AD 312) and became a Christian, he destroyed the original New
Testament architecture of the church by building religious edifices, appointing
salaried clergy and adopting many pagan practices which are now rampant in the
man-made legacy church. Slowly the church added many things like music and
called it worship, pulpits, sermons which destroyed the dialogical and
interactive character of the church. Later they had to add Old Testament Tithing
to take care of finances for maintenance of the church replacing the New
Testament Freewill offering given for reaping the harvest (2Cor. 9:6,7). As
they added this extra-biblical baggage, the task of saving the lost souls was
put on the backburner, which killed the DMM.
The Ecclesia
- The New Testament gathering was called Ecclesia which is a
Greek term. Jesus himself called it the Ecclesia. He said, “I will build my Ecclesia”
(Matt. 16:18). Ecclesia was a legal body with authority to provide justice to
the suffering people. When Paul was about to be lynched in Ephesus over the
silver statue of Diana, the town clerk came and admonished the unruly mob. He directed
them to go to the Ecclesia (court) to solve their problem. Thus, the Ecclesia
is not only a holistic place where hurting people can find food, justice and
salvation but also an authority structure with power to bind the strongman and
to loose those in bondage. (Matt. 16:19; 12:28,29; Luke 10:19)
How to
start a church planting movement – The key is to find a “House
of Peace” This can be found in multiple ways, such as by prayer walking and binding
the strongman of the area, by experiencing or witnessing a supernatural act, an
encounter with Jesus through dreams and visions etc. Then building relationship
with them by eating and staying with them and then power preaching the gospel though
signs and miracles (Luke 10:1-9). Then discipling them through Discovery Bible
study (DBS) method until they are ready to take the baton and run with it (Acts
17:11). Wherever Paul went, he raised local leadership and then moved on. Sometimes
he returned to follow on but he or his disciples like Timothy or Titus never
became pastors of the local church. (Acts 15:36). The best way to ignite a DMM among
an unreached people group is through equipping insiders as DMM catalysts because
they have the advantage of language, culture, context and acceptance by the
community.
The
Present - In the last 25 years there has been an
exponential growth and multiplication of the New Testament church throughout
the world but especially so in the 10/40 Window countries. China, India, Nepal,
Myanmar, Iran, Cuba, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, many African countries, Argentina
and Honduras are experiencing exponential growth. Of course, with growth comes
persecution. Most of the growth in all these countries is due to witnessing by
new believers, the traditional churches have unfortunately often played a
negative role. Some call it the House church, while others call it the Simple
church, the Organic church, the Catholics call it Basic Ecclesial Community Church
(BECC). In the Hindi belt it is appropriately called Satsang (Truth Gathering)
and among the Muslims it is called Jamaat (Gathering). This is important
contextualization as Hindus and Muslims will not go to a church, but they will
gladly go to a Satsang or a Jamaat. The best thing is to call it the New
Testament church because then it is grounded on the Word of God.
Mature vs
Immature Christians - To sustain a DMM, the Great Commission must be
obeyed by all believers. Jesus commanded, “Follow me and I will make you
fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Sadly, many Christians remain followers of Jesus but
do not become fishers of men which makes them immature Christians. Scripture
defines mature Christians as those who can convince and convict those of other
faiths who oppose. (Titus 1:9). The Lord Jesus himself came to seek and to save
that which was lost. So, a Christian who is not intentionally and passionately seeking
and saving the lost, is himself lost. (Luke 19:10)
The
future – As the New Testament church goes ballistic so
does persecution both overt and covert. In the coming decade, the NT churches
will go below the radar and become invisible and will multiply even more
rapidly. Much of the discipling will be done by the digital church. They will
become smaller, like Jesus said, “Where two or three gather in My name, I am
present there.” (Matt. 18:18-20). The legacy church will implode from within as
it has lost its vision and mandate that “the sole purpose of the church is to win
souls” (Matt. 16:26). The disenchanted Generation X is leaving the church in
droves but not losing their faith. They will love the intimacy, friendship,
fellowship and participatory nature of the house church. They will be discipled
in these micro-mini churches as movers and shakers and then go out and change
the world. Seminaries will dwindle, being irrelevant as they just teach how to
sermonize from the pulpits to the converted instead of coaching practical
skills on how to disciple the lost people of other faiths.
Soon this
Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all
nations and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14). God has created everyone including
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and all the others in His image and in His likeness,
so He does not want anyone to perish. He is therefore, looking forward to the
day when all nations, tongues and tribes will be standing before His Throne, wearing
white gowns and holding palm branches in their hands and praising Him. (Rev. 7:9,10)
Only those who are fruitful will enter into the soon coming eternal Kingdom with
those from the east and west, north and south and enjoy a sumptuous banquet
with the Lord. (John 15:8,16; Matt. 8:11,12; Rev. 19:7-9)
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