It was recently reported that over 13,000 souls have been saved in the collective work of our missionaries. This is worth shouting about!
However, without dampening the spirit of this wonderful report, we must ask the question, "why have there only been 14 new works started in six months on the foreign field and only 6 new works on the home front so far?" There is something very ominous about this. Now, I do understand that you can't get everybody baptized that gets saved, and everybody that gets baptized doesn't necessarily end up in church or part of a new church. But if only half of these people ended up in church or a new church there would have been significant church increase and new works being started and it would have been widely reported. But there hasn't been that I can tell. What's going on? Can someone answer my question? Maybe I'm missing something.
With 13,000 plus having been saved we should have heard of dozens if not hundreds of new churches being started. Someone enlighten me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
No offense intended by this comment Bro. Smith! But can you enlighten me on how you have came to your hypothesis that there should be "hundreds" if not "thousands" of new church plants started from the "13,000" people that were saved through our missions and missionaries?
It would seem that you would need some time to disciple them, even Paul took some time to be discipled and taught before he went on the field to start a new church. Moses even took some time before he went and lead people out. Etc.
I agree and have a GREAT heart for church planting (I am doing one), but I have a BIGGER heart for sending men who have been taught and discipled FIRST!
Not only that, but the question and conundrum(?) is that I don't see how in your words, "hundreds if not thousands" of churches should have been planted.
Using your own thought process lets take it a bit further. Not all people who get saved get baptized, not all people who get baptized stay faithful, now let's take it further, not all people who are faihful to their church are called to the ministry, and not all who are called to the ministry are called to church planting (i.e. some called to youth, some to music, some to administration, some even to outreach within their own Jerusalem, etc.)
Again I do not want to sound disagreeable with you nor sound like I am against church planting! It is my heart as well as part of our vision here at Harvest Oaks. I just think (and have experienced in my own ministry here) that it takes more than just a few months (or in your argument one year) to get someone saved, baptized, taught and discipled into helping them see their purpose and calling in life and then to send them off with the blessing of the church and the annointing of the Holy Spirit.
Now don't take me wrong, the Lord can do anything He wants and if He choses to take someone and go start a new church plant and they just got saved and baptized, etc. then that is His perogative(?).
But to say "...if only half of these people ended up in church or a new church there would have been significant church increase and new works being started and it would have been widely reported..."
I don't see how if half of them that would be 6,500 over however many churches or missions (whatever you want to call them) there are should have planted "hundreds if not thousands"? If that was the case then that would mean that tonsof those would be leaving the mission or church as soon as they got saved and baptized and left to go start works without any teaching, or discipling. God tells us in His word to not be too quick to lay hands on someone, and also to not let a novice lead a church.
You said that there were, "...only been 14 new works started in six months on the foreign field and only 6 new works on the home front so far? There is something very ominous about this..."
I don't see this as ominous, but rather I pray that they are discipling those who were "just saved this year" (the 13,000). And in the next year or so begin to see the fruits of that discipleship in people surrendering to their callings in life and then to see new church plants started (from the 13,000 that was saved this year).
Now we can conclude my thoughts. The question is not why aren't there more works than these started this year, when 13,000 people were saved this year, but rather why weren't there more works started this year since there were X amount of people saved in previous years?
I think the reason is obvious, a lack of doing what Christ has called us to do! He did not say in His last words to us go and plant a church! I know that may fly in the face of most people and how to gho about doing things, but rather He said go and make disciples! Period! The church being planted will take root and happen as a result of this! You don't plant a church first and then make disciples. You make disciples first and then a church may or may not be planted out of that discipleship.
I hope I made sence on all this and also showed my "changed" and enlightend heart! May the Lord continue to use me to go and make disciples teaching them all that He has commanded!
Because of Him,
Pastor Jay
Hey Jay,
Thanks for the comments. I agree with you wholeheartedly, however, you need to quote me accurately. Take another look at my blog and you will have to admit I said nothing about "thousands" of new churches.
Do the math a little more carefully. We have only 129 missionaries total on the ABA list of salaried and designated missionaries.
Reporting souls saved is wonderful,(and I encourage it) but reporting new churches that are made up of "disciples" is more important overall.
Keep your comments coming. I am not offended by your straight talk.
David
Post a Comment