Jesus' Model of Evangelism

When we look through the New Testament and the ministry of Jesus, it seems that we often overlook the choosing of the disciples and preparing them for the work that they will later face. Often we focus on Jesus healing the sick or feeding the hungry, but these miracles would have been forgotten if not for the leadership of the disciples.
    After looking at the strategy that Jesus displayed with his disciples, one would get an idea that Jesus was demonstrating a highly effective strategy for preparing men and women for ministry. After this study, it is evident that this strategy is not only effective but necessary for effective ministry. The first step that Jesus displays is choosing the disciples who will follow him and learn from him. These disciples will also inherit Jesus’ ministry and continue it. Throughout the New Testament, it is easy to see that Jesus often chose those who were the least likely to be chosen, yet they were willing to learn from Jesus and accept the calling of God. In the book The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, he states this about the disciples, “Their mannerisms may have been awkward and their abilities limited, but except for the traitor, their hearts were big” (Coleman, 2006).
    Once Jesus chose his disciples, he focused on developing relationships with these men. In Luke 6:12-13 it states, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed, 2019). This verse shows two very important things; first, Jesus prayed before choosing the disciples, showing that he carefully and prayerfully chose the disciples; and secondly, this verse indicates that Jesus most likely had more followers than the twelve. Yet, he wasn’t choosing followers he was choosing his successors. In the book The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, he adds, “His only hope was to get leaders inspired by his life who would do it for him” (Coleman, 2006).
    When it comes to the American churches of today, especially the church that I attend, I believe that this is one of the most forgotten steps in discipleship. From my experience current-day churches have a single primary focus; get people into the doors of a church. We preach from a pulpit or stage and tell our congregations to simply invite our friends and family to church. We phrase it to feel as if that is discipleship, it is not. Jesus will often demonstrate discipleship by fully investing in the twelve disciples over ministering to the masses. The American church has often forgotten the leaders and fully focused on ministering to the masses and adding to the overall size of the church. This is why so many young pastors burnout and feel unsupported. In the book The Complete Book of Discipleship by Bill Hull, the author states, “Discipleship isn’t for beginners alone; it’s for all believers for every day of their life. Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does; it is what the church does.” (Hull, 2014). This is evident in Jesus’ ministry and should be mirrored by the church at all costs.
    looking further into Jesus’ strategy for developing evangelists, one would notice that while Jesus focused on developing leaders, he did not forget about the masses that would seek out help and healing. Jesus was looking for a greater impact through his evangelism. In the book The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, he states, “His concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow” (Coleman, 2006). We also see that Jesus helped the disciples to understand the impact of his ministry on the masses. This is evident in Mark 6:30-31, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed, 2019). These verses indicate that Jesus brought the twelve to places where the masses were being cared for. Which gave them a solid idea of what would be expected; while displaying Jesus’ care for the disciples, giving them food and rest after the people were served and cared for. Robert Coleman adds, “For this reason, unless Jesus’ converts were given competent men of God to lead them on and protect them in the truth, they would soon fall into confusion and despair, and the last state would be worse than the first” (Coleman, 2006).
     In regards to the church that I attend and am being mentored in, I see that this is an area where the church needs a lot of improvement. I believe this is partially because the majority of my church is attended by elderly people who feel they have been disciplined and taught. There are very few young men and women being trained for pastoral care. Also, there are few children and young adults in the church at this point. At this point in my mentorship, I am being trained in preparing and running a church service. I have not had much training in training other leaders in the church. I also believe that I need more training in the various expectations and pressures of a pastor. I believe that I need further training in the spiritual guidance of the congregation and how to spiritually lead members of the church through difficult times.


References
Coleman, R. E. (2006). The Master Plan of Evangelism. Baker Books.
Hull, B. (2014). The complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ. Tyndale House.
NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed (Indexed, Thumbed). (2019). Zondervan.