F16. Movement accelerators and inhibitors
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
F16. Movement accelerators and inhibitors
Bill, an old friend of ours, a missionary who served in a huge movement in Asia, was asked once what he saw as potential ACCELERATORS for a movement. In other words, what could be done to open the door to a healthy spiritual movement, so that it would really took off massively in a certain region. “I see two basic movement accelerators,” Bill said thoughtfully.
- „The first lies in daily question of how many people within my reach have heard the Good News intelligibly today!
- The second accelerator lies in question: How many believers have I taught effective sharing in the past week.“
Then dear Bill explained the well-known assumption that if people have not heard the Good News, they cannot decide for Jesus, and they cannot be taken by the wonderful flow of Jesus‘ love into a healthy spiritual movement, where they would then immediately share living Jesus themselves. And when believers are not continuously trained and encouraged in these skills, they don’t know what to say to someone or they do it rather awkwardly! That’s why they don’t share anything. So much experienced Bill.
Think with me, please. What can we do so that, first, more people around each of us would hear the Good News every day? In connection with this question, I have the impression that it is a time of major repentance for us Christians. So it’s time to change our mindset. A time of deep inner change. When I look at lives of the vast majority of believers, and when I ask now and then when was the last time they communicated the Gospel to someone, some perceive the question itself as impertinent, that is, as inappropriate, even offensive. And if some do answer, they usually find their contact with the unbelievers somewhere in range of ancient months.
And the other accelerator of the life-giving movement?! In addition to our own effective sharing, we need to equip other believers in this! Will you teach someone the fifteen-seconds personal story and then other tools in a small group? Will you check out a few lessons here on the Bridges to People website and try out some practical ideas? Will you take your friends from the church to the next Bridges to People training? Or do you have another idea, how to equip them for effective ministry to non-believers, and how to support them long-term and effectively?
Bill, our old friend, a missionary who served in a huge movement, was then asked what he sees as the INHIBITORS of a movement, i.e. what elements might limit a movement. He thought for a moment with a sad face: “From our long-term observation, I would say that the major limitation of a movement are the Bible teachers who do not serve the unbelievers themselves and do not think about a movement! I am not against good teachers, at all!” he added hastily and very emphatically, “we need them very much! But many times I’ve seen these godly people who have no idea how discipleship multiplication works or don’t even believe in generational church multiplication become a hindrance of a movement. New believers want to study God’s word; which is great! But if the biblical teaching of the disciples is separated from their own personal and frequent sharing of the Gospel with unbelievers, or if the biblical teaching is even presented as something more important than sharing the Good News to the perishing people, it is simply a hindrance of a movement! Those new believers curve into themselves very quickly! And at a later time after their conversion, they find it difficult to reorient themselves in order to be proactive again towards their non-believing acquaintances, whom they mostly have lost, in the meantime. We’ve seen this so many times that I can’t stress it enough! Good biblical teaching must take place in balance with sharing the Good News in the field, right in the context of sharing the Gospel, that’s how the Lord Jesus and the apostles did it,“ Bill summed up his answer to the question about the inhibitors of a movement.
An old friend of ours, a missionary who served in a huge movement, was asked about the accelerators and inhibitors of a movement. What do his answers imply for your own spiritual life with the Lord Jesus, and for your ministry to non-believers and believers? If you think we could help you somehow, contact us!
Lord Jesus, Your example of spiritual ministry to disciples in the midst of unbelievers is extremely powerful. Wake up your people in our country, please, so that they would see how much you care about the lost and also how much they would enrich their own connection with you by serving out there.