by johnkking

Hearing and Obeying Jesus

A follow-up question was written that asks me to share what effects the implications of what I have written will have on a different passage written to a different context by a different author. While the question is certainly legitimate, and has the potential to prompt a second-level investigation, it also risks derailing the call. Here is the next question:

John, would you say that the Ephesians 4 pastor-teacher still only teaches others to obey Jesus teachings, or is it more?

Because of my understanding of Matthew I am convicted that I am not obeying Jesus’ final command (in the first gospel) unless I am discipling disciple makers. Teaching to obey all of Jesus’ commands includes his last command which is to make disciples.

Jesus is incredibly intentional and thorough in his teaching in Matthew. There are those five blocks of oral teaching that are recorded in the first gospel (a little similar material appears in Luke in the sermon on the plain) giving this gospel some of its uniqueness. I am convinced Matthew’s five great teaching sections grapple with core issues of discipleship:
• chapters 5-7 the teaching on the mount in Galilee
• chapter 10 the sending of the twelve
• chapter 13 the parables on the Kingdom
• chapter 18 the teaching on greatness in the Kingdom
• chapters 24-25 the teaching on the mount of Olives

Strangely enough, the word “disciple(s)” never appears after Acts. The concept is certainly in the epistles and Revelation, but the word is absent. “Disciple(s)” seems to serve a special function in the narrative sections, while the meaning attached to it is communicated in other ways as communities or individuals of believers are addressed in the letters.

I believe it is far more fruitful to involve people in a process of discovering Jesus’ teaching than in trying to teach it ourselves. Much of our so-called disciple making (here in North America) is teacher centered more than Jesus centered—in my opinion. Jesus has done a wonderful job of discipling those who will open themselves to hearing him and then obeying. At the close of the Matthew 7 he says those who hear his words will fall into the categories of “wise” or “foolish.” What determines this for each of us is whether or not we obey. Do we practice what Jesus teaches? here is the real test of a disciple.

If you want to make disciples, be sure to teach them to obey Jesus’ teaching—all of it. Never underestimate the value of modeling obedience as you teach them to obey.

by johnkking

Hearing Jesus

Interesting things happen when you confine your study of “teaching” (διδάσκω) to Matthew. Jesus has a three-fold ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. He involves the 12 in preaching and healing in Matthew 10, when he sends them out two by two. But only Jesus teaches in the first gospel. Matthew 28:20 is the first time (in the first gospel) where the disciples are included in teaching. Even then what they teach is restricted to teach the disciples they make to obey all of Jesus’ commands.

My study of Matthew leads me to the conviction that Jesus is the only teacher for disciples. As sent out disciple makers we are to point others to Jesus. What we teach them is to obey Jesus’ teaching. It is Jesus who defines what disciple making looks like by the way he makes disciples. His disciples are contrasted with those of John the Baptist and the disciples of the religious leaders. The disciples at the heart of the first gospel are people who have responded to Jesus’ call to follow. It is at its basic core a submissive relationship with the Son of God. Jesus provides the content for all his disciples.

You don’t get this nuanced perspective from the other biblical authors, but only Matthew uses that phrase “make disciples.” We need to be sure we use that phrase in ways consistent with what he reveals about what that entails. Don’t begin by going to Luke-Acts, Mark or John.

I originally posted most of the preceding comments in a discussion area considering the question, “How are we to define the word ‘teaching’ in the Great Commission?” The query sparked much dialogue. My desire was to answer the question by looking to the context where the word “teach” appears. The immediate context of the last four verses is significant, but it is inadequate to know how the term is used by the first evangelist. You only get that from what Jesus has already said and revealed through his actions about the nature of disciple making

by johnkking

Hearing Jesus

One of the first classes I took in Bible College was “The Life of Christ.” While we were told that our text would be Luke, we actually were required to purchase The Fourfold Gospel: A Harmony of the Four Gospels. Every word of the first four books of the New Testament were chopped up and arranged chronologically to tell the story of Jesus.

Maybe every believer needs a chronological overview of Jesus’ life, but I suspect there are significant unintended consequences that arise from such an approach (e.g., venting the smoke, from the cooking fire, out of the grass hut in Africa allows mites to invade):

  • Knowing about Jesus replaces hearing Jesus.
  • We fail to understand and appreciate the nuanced gospeling that the Spirit gives us through the early church.
  • We perpetuate the “string-of-pearls” hermeneutic which is modeled for us.
  • We fail to perceive the power of contextualization.

Before you take a section from one gospel (or any New Testament author) and join it with one from another, you should make sure you understand what the first author means. Context deals with more than the paragraph or chapter.

Let me illustrate my point by raising two issues. The word “disciple(s)” is very significant in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts. It never appears in the rest of the New Testament. You must grapple with the function of the word “disciple(s)” in the narrative sections. While the epistles and Revelation deal with the concept of discipleship, they never use the word.

Only Matthew contains Jesus mandate to “Go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded.” What does “make disciples” mean here? You have to understand the model of disciple making that Jesus has used with these men. You cannot just drop into the first gospel at this point and know. You will import a connotation from somewhere else if you are not careful. Over the next couple of weeks I plan to share from my study of hearing Jesus and being obedient.

by johnkking

Guest Posts Schedule

My guest posts are scheduled to go live on the Brett’s blog

http://jamesbrett.wordpress.com

on February 9, 10, 11(Wed., Thur. & Fri.).  Each post will publish at 7:00 am Central Standard time. I encourage you to subscribe to Brett’s blog, since he’s an interesting writer and he is attempting to do some of the things I write about here. He and his wife, Christie, are part of a team that has lived in Tanzania for the last two years.

It is still my intention to post some connected thoughts here. My last-minute preparations for a trip to Asia are making this harder than I hoped, but I am still working to make this happen.

by johnkking

What’s Up With That?

As most of you know, I have not posted to my blog in the last couple of weeks. I entered the New Year with the anticipation of doing more consistent writing. It appears that resolution has been dashed with many others. But wait, I have been writing during those two weeks—just not for my blog.

A friend asked me to be a guest author on his blog. I shared with him that I realize I need a goal and a deadline. He was offering me the goal (write three blog articles on discipleship) and set my due date as January 25. I sent him the three articles on the 22nd, so he has time to prepare those to be automatically posted, even though he will be traveling during February.

Why would I write for someone else, rather than myself? To help him out. To see if my posts might draw some readers to my blog. To see what kind of reaction his followers have to my articles (he has attracted people who comment frequently). One of the things I am pondering is whether my style and/or subject matter may limit dialogue. Or, have I just not pushed the right buttons yet.

But another piece of this is I am experimenting. Many of the blogs I have read suggest that helping others is a great way to grow your own audience. We will see.

Now I plan to write some articles that I will publish here that work off the guest posts on his blog. That way if some of his readers hop over they will find some connections. The other thing it pushes me to do is plan ahead more.

Most of my posts build off of other conversations or experiences. Often I take a section of an email conversation and expand it. Or maybe I drill deeper into an issue that arises from a dialogue with a friend. Someone asks a mission-related question and that prompts me to fashion a response. Those are usually pretty easy to write, but they are reactive, more than proactive. I want to become more proactive in my writing. I will continue to respond to things that come up in the flow of life, but I also need to write regularly and consistently to build my discipline.

Thanks for checking in to my site. Any comments are appreciated. Questions are certainly welcome. If there are topics that come to your mind as you read any of these posts, please respond in a comment.

Those three posts will be on Brett Harrison’s site, Aliens and Strangers, (http://jamesbrett.wordpress.com) during the month of February. Brett does a good job of writing interesting and thought-provoking articles. He also has about four different types of posts that he mixes up well to attract and engage a diverse readership.

Is it possible I will gain more from giving those articles to Brett than if I had just posted them here? Join me as I test the promise of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

by johnkking

Praise God for His Character

As noted in my earlier blogs on Discovery Bible Studies, there are four questions that can and should be asked of every text: 1) What do we learn about God? 2) What do we learn about men and women? 3) What will obedience to this passage look like in my life? and 4) Who do I know who needs to hear this passage?

The beginning point is learning what any text reveals about God. The Bible is his self-revelation. From beginning to end God is always involved. He is always creating. He is calling. He is renewing. He is bringing order out of the chaos. The Bible is God’s protracted biography.

Yes, it is also our story, but that is secondary. Only God was there in the beginning. He precedes us. He is before us. The story of the Bible is his story! Much of what is revealed about God will fall into six character traits.

We serve an awesome God!  He is so unlike us.  While created in his image, we see our inadequacies and failings most clearly when we look upon his divine character.

God is righteous. He always does what is right and good.  There is no wrong in him.  Could we be more unlike God?  Even at times when our intentions are good we mess things up.  There is something broken in our world that only God can repair.

God is all-powerful. When he spoke the world came into existence.  It’s no wonder his Son could quiet the stormy Sea of Galilee with those words, “Peace, be still.”  Our inability to produce peace may be the greatest single testimony to our power shortage.  We are limited by our inabilities.

God knows everything. He doesn’t have to wonder what we are thinking.  No library research is required for our Creator.  Google doesn’t have to be his information aid.  God knows when even one bird falls from the sky.  He knows every human being intimately.  He knows all of Satan’s plans.  He alone is all-knowing and the rest of us are left to investigate and humbly confess our knowledge limits.

God is the source of grace. He created Adam and Eve and provided for their every need.  His response to their rebellion was tempered by his grace.  Yes, their process of death was set in motion and they were separated from the tree of life, but God provided clothes and there was a way to provide food, even though man’s work became much more difficult.

God hates sin. He is righteous.  Sin runs counter to his nature and it prevents us from receiving all the blessings he has prepared for us.  God knew that sin would ruin our lives.  His directions would have protected Adam and Eve from such devastation if they had obeyed them.

God keeps his promises. He can be counted on to deliver on his word.  We don’t have to question whether or not God’s commitments will be fulfilled.  They always are.  Even if it takes thousands of years, God accomplishes his purposes.  God is truly worthy of our praise!

Learning to ask questions which help people discover these character traits in the passages they are hearing is at the heart of Discovery Bible Studies. An expanding awareness of what God is truly like blesses us like nothing else. Jesus’ supreme purpose for his life was to show us the Father’s heart.

by johnkking

Dialogue on Disciple Making and Evangelism

Recently I was asked to respond to a quote: “The making of disciples is not an end in itself. The end result is evangelism, and disciples are the means.” Jim Downing – Agree or Disagree? Why? I replied, “I would disagree, because I believe discipleship is a lifelong process of transformation into the image of Jesus while evangelism deals with the beginning of that process.”

At that point I was directed to the interview from which this quote was taken. You can find it at:

http://missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/75-years-as-a-disciple-maker

Reading the whole article certainly puts Jim Downing’s words in their original setting and that gives me greater understanding of how he uses these terms. There is much that Jim says with which I wholeheartedly agree.

But just as I originally responded to his words without their context, I fear we all do the same with Scriptures from time to time. For example, I do not believe Mathew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8 are synonymous (an issue that was raised by another respondent). These two passages are spoken at different times, in different places, commanding different responsibilities. Combine this with the fact that one is the close of a gospel and the other is the opening of the sequel to another gospel, and we ought to intuitively realize they are probably accomplishing different things in those contextualized presentations of the story of Jesus. (Before we juxtapose or combine two texts from different authors we must be sure we understand each in its original context.)

My studied conviction is that the Great Commission is the crowning completion of Jesus’ disciple-making paradigm—in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus models a three-fold ministry of preaching, teaching and healing in the first gospel (Matthew 4:17-23). As he calls the twelve he uses the three strategies to which Jim Downing refers. Jesus teaches (even with thousands overhearing in chs. 5-7), coaches (ch. 10) and mentors them in groups of three or less. But Matthew never speaks of these hand-picked, sent-out representatives being sent out to “teach” until the Great Commission is given. They imitate Jesus by proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and by healing the sick, but in the first gospel they never teach until their final sending, and even then it is qualified as “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Only Matthew records Jesus’ difficult saying about not being called “Rabbi” or “Teacher” (Matthew 23:5-11). Jesus alone is the teacher in the first gospel. He radically contrasts the many teachers of first century Judaism (cf., Matthew 7:28-29, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”). The Great Commission launches the reproductive process of making disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all of Jesus’ commands. This is how the first gospel insures that Jesus is kept front and center.

By contrast, it is my studied conviction that Acts 1:8 is particularized—exclusively addressed to the apostles and compelling them to remain in Jerusalem as witnesses (at risk of martyrdom) because they are to insure that the gospel flows to Gentiles unfettered by Jewish culture. I agree with Steven Hawthorne when he writes, “God drew the apostles together in body, heart and mind for one of the most important moments of history—the Jerusalem council recorded in Acts 15.” Unlike some who believe the apostles were disobedient by remaining in Jerusalem, I am convinced they were stubbornly obedient. Jerusalem was not their home—Galilee was and that is where Jesus speaks the Great Commission.  Remaining in Jerusalem places them at grave risk as is evidenced by what happened to James, John’s brother. But Jesus’ special directives to them required they stay in Jerusalem as his witnesses (Acts 1:8). The Greek word “martus” was a primitive word from which we get our word “martyr”; a witness. Witnesses establish the value of following Christ.  Their persuasive power is not only because their words match their life—their words and their life match those of Christ Himself. It is as if Christ Himself stands to testify before the world.

Paul’s life was brought under this same directive when Jesus sends Ananias: “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’” (Acts 9:15-16). “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.’” (Acts 22:12-15).

Let me summarize what all of this means to me. 1) Each of the four gospels is a contextualized proclamation of the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus. Each presents those portions that will especially resonate with and transform the believers who are being called out of four different worldviews. We will be better served to grapple with, understand and then appropriate those diverse presentations than to conflate them into just one chronological gospel—like we Westerners are inclined to do. 2) In our calling to develop the mind of Christ, we will learn to make disciples by watching, imitating and obeying Jesus. 3) From time to time he will call representatives to step forward as witnesses who will withstand attempts to shackle the gospel with cultural baggage that would slow or cripple its spread. 4) Teaching obedience to Jesus is at the heart of disciple making—here I am heavily influenced by Matthew’s proclamation. 5) Care to use some of these terms with a more nuanced meaning will give us greater clarity, but only to the extent we can agree on such meanings.

In the context of the original interview with Jim Downing, I want to conclude by noting a further point from his context. While the interview opens with a question about the Great Commission, Jim begins with a reference to Matthew 24:14. Do not overlook this because it sets the perspective for everything that follows. If you are familiar with the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement materials you know that this earlier text is a lens for interpreting the Great Commission. Everything Jim says in this interview is colored by what he believes about this verse.

Personally,I am still wrestling with the Perspectives understanding of Matthew 24:14. It has grown on me over the last five years, but I am not totally settled, yet. We all have texts that shape how we interpret other blocks of Scripture. Recognizing this is very important for us to grow in our ability to hear God’s Word afresh in our lives.

by johnkking

Encouraging Missionaries

Do you know a cross-cultural missionary who is away from loved ones for Christmas? Do you help financially support such workers through your church or personally? If so, I encourage you to keep at it and prayerfully consider increasing your contribution.

Regardless of your ability to give additional funds, there is a way for you to help them. Always respond to their communications. Always write them after you receive a report or prayer request.

Maybe you don’t know them that well. Don’t let that get in your way. You can overcome that deficiency given enough time. Realize the cumulative effect of consistent actions. If they stay on their post for five years and you respond to their monthly reports you will have written them 60 times. They will have come to value and anticipate your communication as much as you do theirs.

Last February I travelled to Asia to encourage English teachers to be intentional and strategic in making disciples who make disciples. I shared my email, Facebook, Twitter and blog addresses. Over the next several months I began to have contact with a few of them. I always made it a point to respond to their posts on their blogs, reply to their newsletters and acknowledge their prayer requests.

The second thing I began to do was take note of the blogs they read. Checking these out led me to additional teachers in the same region engaged in the same work. I began to respond to their reports and posts also. Today I follow about 35 missionary blogs. I am encouraged by my increased awareness of what God is doing in our world. I am also more mindful of the needs of these workers.

You probably don’t have time to interact with as many as I do, but will you encourage one or two? Will you pray for one or two? If so, I suggest you always respond (in writing) to their correspondence. Be sure to take note of where they are and what their special needs are. If they are in a restricted access country, realize the need for care. If they use the phrase “good book” instead of “Bible,” then follow their lead. If they speak of the “church” where they are as “family”, do likewise. Most will not allow your comments to be posted without moderation and they will catch your mistakes and not allow them to be viewed publicly. Just use good judgment, but always be encouraging.

Build them up. Note the things they are doing that are praiseworthy and express your appreciation. Use your abilities to let them know that they are not doing this work alone. Let them know that you are lifting them up. From time to time I encourage you to write out a prayer and send that to them. Claim one of God’s promises for them. Pray the Lord’s Prayer for them. Ask King Jesus to let his kingdom come, that his will be done in ___________________ just like it is in heaven. Be an intercessor for them.

Some of those couples in Asia asked me to be a mentor to them because they found my comments helpful. The fact that I did this without knowing any of them well made me stand out. (May I be brutally honest? One reason I stood out was so few of their family and friends comment on their blogs.) I realize I do not have access to their personal email accounts, so they may get lots of encouragement that way, but I suspect that does not happen either. We can do better than that.

It is easier to intend to change than it is to build new patterns of behavior. I once shared a 31 day list of prayers to pray for missionaries with the church where I preach. I realized a couple of weeks later that I was not practicing what I was preaching. I sat down with that list and adapted it to use as daily Facebook posts—reminding myself to pray for these friends. I wanted to redeem the beneficial opportunities I saw available in social networking, but I needed to be disciplined. I get more comments about those posts than anything I do online.

What can you do? Pray for and encourage one.

If you realize it will take some kind of external reminder for you to build a new habit of praying and encouraging, comment on this blog and I will help. I know about an email application that will send you a daily reminder to pray/write. I will be happy to share it with you if you wish.

Be the encourager these kingdom spreaders need!

by johnkking

Overcoming Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder

No, that disorder does not appear in the official DSM3 (my apologies to my counselor friends). But is an observable condition if you hang around church people too much.

We talk about not having time to be in the Word, but sure are able to quote the words of songs and movies (have you ever noticed how many lyrics are used as Facebook statuses?). Oh, well, that’s another rant for another day.

Every other Friday I lead a Bible study at the local jail. This morning their were seven guys who participated. Six of them were there two weeks ago and the other guy was incarcerated since then. While we were waiting to see if anyone else would join us, one of the guys told me some good news.

He said, “You know that study method you taught us? I’ve been using it and it really helped. I really have trouble reading the Bible and staying on track. It helped me. Thanks.”

To be honest, I had been pondering whether or not it was time for me to discontinue my role in this ministry. Another guy does a study for this same pod on the alternating weeks and he would be pleased to teach the same group every week. “Would that continuity be better for them than what I am doing?” is a question I have been asking myself.

How do you know when your efforts are worthwhile? How do you know when you are being called to make changes?

It encouraged me to hear this unsolicited assessment. I also thought about three friends who work in foreign mission points who have been encouraged to start Discovery Bible Studies in their local jails/prisons because of the testimonies I have given regarding how God has worked here through me.

I always share with these guys how to do a 3-column study. They have much time on their hands. They have a Bible, paper and pen. They can do these studies. God will bless them as they handle his Word. He has promised that when it goes out it will not come back without having an effect. I believe his promises and have seen fruit in numerous lives–as long as they keep hearing God and putting what they hear into practice.

Many of my older posts touch on this same theme, so I won’t bore you with a rehash. But you might want to check out:

https://johnkking.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/overcoming-apathy-in-your-walk/

https://johnkking.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/dbs-in-jail/

https://johnkking.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/dbs-and-3-column-studies/

One way to assess your work is to determine whether or not it is reproducible. God’s creation celebrates reproduction. Jesus used horticultural metaphors to reveal that God is into the multiplication business. He works in us an through us to produce fruitful practices. But we often get in the way–especially by complicating things.

Now sometimes we are doing the right things, but in the wrong places. If nothing is reproducing then you are either in the wrong place or using the wrong strategies.

I am still assessing this place. How about you? Are you bearing fruit? Are you bearing much fruit? Keep me in your prayers and I pray you will experience the joy of God’s desire to produce an abundant harvest (John 15:8).

by johnkking

A Recommended Site

Many of the blogs I follow periodically tell their readers about other sites that they find useful. Today I want to recommend one to all my friends who are passionate about cross-cultural missions. It is the website archives of the International Journal of Frontier Missiology:

http://www.ijfm.org/archives.htm

At this site you will find the archives of twenty-seven years of articles that were written for this journal. The subject-matter in these volumes is thought-provoking and well worth your time.

Let me whet your appetite by suggesting you begin with an article written by Keith Williams and Leith Gray. The article addresses cross-cultural evangelism and is titled, “The Litte Phone that Could: Mobile-Empowered Ministry.” You can get a pdf copy by going to:

http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/27_3_PDFs/mobile_williams.pdf

The authors do a great job of weaving fascinating information about the rapid spread of cell phone technology throughout the remotest parts of the world with efforts to use this for the spread of the gospel. Keith is a church planter in the Arab World and he recently launched Mobile Advance (www.mobileadvance.org), an initiative focused on enabling the rapid, widespread, and effective implimentation of mobile phone ministry among the least reached people groups.

When a dramatized audio Bible was produced in the language of the people group that was being targeted, the missionaries assumed these nomads did not have access to any form of media player. But what they failed to recognize was these people were using their phones to listen to music and poetry as well as view videos.

Now they share individual Scripture stories on their phone during a visit. If the person shows enough interest, they transfer it by Bluetooth. When a person comes to faith in Jesus they are given an inexpensive mobile phone memory card containing the entire panoramic set of Bible stories. Such technology allows the message to go viral.

Read the article. It will stretch your imagination. I’m hoping we will become creative in finding ways to get the good news out.