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REFLECT
JESUS IN OUR LIVES AND MAKE OTHER DISCIPLES (FRUITFULNESS)
Fruitfulness
is the ultimate test of discipleship. Jesus said, “If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified
by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
(John 15:7-8) There are some who use such passages to preach
the "gospel of abundance," claiming that God bestows
material blessings on His followers, but such a belief is
contrary to both the Word of God and good sense. One only
need look around to see that there is no distinction between
believers and unbelievers when it comes to the wealth of this
world.
The
kind of fruitfulness Jesus referred to take two forms:
1. Internal characteristics or what Paul referred to as the
"fruit of the Spirit," which he described as "love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control." These characteristics are not really inherent
to human beings, but as we mature
in the Lord, we exhibit them more and more, becoming more
like Jesus.
2.
The second aspect of fruitfulness has an external component,
and it is often a controversial topic among Christians—evangelism.
The word “evangelize” (Greek, euaggelizo)
comes from two roots: eu (good, well) and aggelos
(a messenger, angel), so the word literally means “a
messenger of good (news).” The word “Gospel”
(Greek, euaggelion), which literally means “a
message of good,” comes from the same roots, so an evangelist
is simply a Gospel messenger. In most Bible translations,
euaggelizo is translated “preach the Gospel.”
The
Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is a simple command to
evangelize the world, and it is evident that the Apostles
and many other disciples took Jesus’ instructions very
seriously; “And every day, in the temple and from
house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching
[euaggelizo] Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42)
Evangelism was not an occasional events for the ekklesia,
notice that it was a every day.
Writing
to the churches of Asia, Peter said “…sanctify
Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make
a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for
the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
(1 Peter 3:15)
When
Saul persecuted the ekklesia, the believers were scattered,
but they went on evangelizing (Acts 8:1). Philip evangelized
in Samaria (Acts 8:12,25) and elsewhere (Acts 8:40). He evangelized
to the Ethiopian court official (Acts 8:35) Believers from
Cyprus and Cyrene evangelized in Antioch (Acts 11:20), founding
the great missionary church of the New Testament. Paul, after
his conversion on the Damascus Road, conducted a series of
missions with the express purpose of evangelizing (Acts 13:32;
14:7, 15, 21; 15:35; 16:10; 17:18). He had a particular passion
for evangelizing in areas that hadn’t heard about Jesus
(Romans 15:20) and considered himself compelled to evangelize
(1 Corinthians 9:16), having been personally commissioned
to do so by Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:17).
Evangelism
is absolutely essential to salvation of the world: “How
then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And
how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:17)
Without those who preach (euaggelistes or kerusso),
Paul suggests that others cannot be saved.
What
was the form of preaching in the early church? Jesus taught
that “‘You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind’, calling that the
“great and foremost commandment.”
(Matthew 22:37-38) Loving with the heart relates to emotion,
loving with the soul to spirituality, and loving with the
mind to reason. All three were part of New Testament preaching.
o The Ethiopian court official asked if he could be baptized
after hearing Philip preach the Gospel, “and Philip
said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
(Acts 8:37a)
o
“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all
that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted,
which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)
o
Paul was probably the best New Testament example of a reasoned
evangelist: “And he [Paul] entered the
synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months,
reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.”
(Acts 19:8)
So
the evangelism of the ekklesia involved experiencing God,
worshipping God, and explaining the Gospel.
The
second century seems to have ushered in an era dominated by
witnessing (martyrs) and intellectual evangelism (apologetics).
Many detailed treatises were written, many ostensibly to Roman
officials including emperors. For example, in his first apology,
addressed to Emperor Antonius Pius (138-161), Justin Martyr
lays out the case for Christianity and demands a judicial
investigation. One of the primary purposes of Justin’s
apologies and others was to convince the Empire that Christianity
was not a threat; hence, Justin wrote that Christ taught civil
obedience. He refuted charges that Christians were atheists,
he cited ancient prophesies of the Christ, he attacked certain
pagan practices (such as exposing unwanted children), and
he described Christian practices such as baptism, the eucharist,
and weekly meetings. His approach was entirely one of reason,
but there is no evidence that his apologies had any affect
on emperors.
Such
apologies were powerful statement of reason, but in focusing
on the mind, the heart and soul began to be lost. Today, many
Christian groups have returned to more emotional and spiritual
approaches to the Gospel, but it seems that every group is
imbalanced in some direction. Some emphasize reason over emotion,
others emotion over reason. What is really needed is a return
to the balanced evangelism evident in the New Testament
There
are few words in Christian vocabulary that are as emotionally-charged,
both inside and outside the church, as evangelism. In today’s
politically correct world, many Christians view sharing their
faith as intrusive. One of my own relatives once told me,
“we should allow people to believe what they want to.”
But even a cursory reading of the New Testament clearly shows
that evangelism is not an optional activity.
There
are many ways to evangelize, and I don’t think the Bible
suggests we are all supposed to be biblical scholars capable
of detailed apologetics. Nor do we all have an emotional story
of conversion from degradation. But each of us has been given
his and her own gifts, and when we fail to exercise these,
we fail the test of discipleship.
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