Christlike Character and the Church Planter

       Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

When Village Church Planting leaders tell church presidents and bishops about

VCP, we often say, “VCP is a practical training program for church planters.”

And that is true. In the New VCP program, students learn to apply the Four

Fields Model as they work to start and multiply churches. They learn to look for

and find persons of peace. They become experts in using the Four Seed Sowing

Tools to communicate the Gospel and make disciples. VCP students learn to

teach others to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ by telling Bible

stories and asking open questions. And, of course, church planters learn to

equip church members to make disciples and start new cell groups and

churches. All of these practical skills are essential for Christians who long to

fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples. It’s good to

describe VCP as “practical training for church planters.”

But if you look carefully, you’ll notice that VCP is far more than just a course

on practical skills needed to form new churches. The New VCP program is also

a practical course in Christ-like living. From the very beginning, VCP students

learn to depend upon God in prayer. You pray for persons of peace. You pray

for God to use your testimony and help you share the 3 circles. You pray for

your disciples. Many, many VCP lessons end with focused prayer. We just can’t

make disciples and start healthy churches in our own strength. Instead, we

learn to depend on the goodness of God in every circumstance.

Early on, in the lessons on the Seven Basic Commands of Christ, you were

challenged to overcome ethnocentric ways in order to show respect for all

persons regardless of tribe or country of origin. As you prepared to teach your

disciples to love God and neighbor, you were challenged to personally show

respect to both men and women, adults and children, to people who speak

your language and to people who do not. Yes, even to respect people who do

not share your faith in Christ. Even as late as Term Seven, you considered how

to respect fellow church leaders whose spiritual gifts differed from yours.

A Christ-like character is so important for VCP students that you spent a whole

term, Term 5, learning to access the power of the Holy Spirit to live a holy life.

Of course, we all know that we cannot live a righteous life or a truly good life

in our own strength. But it’s not always easy to receive the Spirit’s

empowerment to turn away from selfishness and put on love. The good news is

that the Holy Spirit delights to produce his fruit of love, joy, peace, and

patience in our lives.

So, my beloved VCP students, my word of encouragement to you today is to

always remember the unconditional love of Jesus. Thank him for his grace at

work in your life. Trust Him to produce his character in you so that your words

and deeds will be filled with his love. In this way, the churches you plant will

be far more than human groups and gatherings; the churches you plant will

truly be communities of the Kingdom of God where love is the law and

goodness is the norm.

I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Christ-likeCharacter

Steward Leadership - Stewarding Our Authority

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

We continue our series on steward leadership as we examine some major themes on this topic. Today I want to share about a prayer I recently heard from one of my fellow OMS Regional Directors. 

To quickly review, a steward is defined as “someone who manages resources belonging to another person in order to achieve the owner’s objectives.” In our context, we are managing resources and authority provided by the Lord for our Village Church Planting work.

Here is his prayer. “Lord, please help us steward the authority entrusted to us.”  This caught my attention as throughout this series on Steward Leadership, my focus has primarily been upon our stewarding of financial or human resources. God gives us good people to serve with us, and He provides funds for ministry.

But, He also entrusts us with His authority. Let’s examine this concept today. Here are two scriptures addressing this theme.

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” – Hebrews 13:17 

As leaders, God has placed us in positions of authority. Yet as servant leaders, that authority must be exercised to serve others and to serve the Kingdom. I want to highlight two points here.

1.      We are to keep watch over the well-being of those whom we are leading

2.      We are accountable to God for how we watch over them.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age … These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” – Titus 2:11, 12, 15

Again, I want to emphasize a few things that we see in the Apostle Paul’s instruction. 

1.      God’s message of salvation is for all people.

2.      God’s grace is not to be misused. We are to use our authority to teach disciples to avoid worldly passions and to live godly lives.

3.      As we exercise our authority, we are to both encourage and rebuke, and we must do both in a balanced way. Too much encouragement may inflate others’ egos. Too much rebuking may bring discouragement. Those who are under our authority need both of these, and we need discernment to know which is appropriate.

Next time, we will continue our study of steward leadership. This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Evangelistic Gifts for Multiplication

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Every Christian is commanded to make disciples; every Christian is commanded to preach the Gospel to others. But God in has grace has equipped some Christ-followers with an amazing ability to share the Good News and help people put their trust in Christ.  These are your brothers and sisters who have the gift of evangelism. They may or may not be called “Evangelist,” but they make sharing the message of salvation a top priority. Gifted evangelists take the Good News to people; they find persons of peace; they persuade others to trust Christ as Lord and Savior.

Like every other kind of gifted leader, evangelists need to be recognized and helped to minister as teammates with other gifted leaders such as apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers. Sometimes it’s hard to coordinate the work of evangelists with the other work of the church. That’s because evangelists often want to go where the rest of the church is not ready to go. Evangelists are so burdened with the lost condition of people who have not heard or understood the Good News that, at times, they move out alone to witness for Christ.

This impulse to go and evangelize is praiseworthy, but it will bear much more fruit if it is coordinated with the work of pastors and teachers.

Pastors and teachers are often more sedentary than evangelists. Pastors want to protect and feed the sheep already in the flock and in the fold. Teachers want to instruct believers. By nature, they are not always ready to leave ninety-nine sheep in the fold to go out with an evangelist to rescue one lost sheep. But pastors and teachers need evangelists, and evangelists need pastors and teachers. Before evangelists go out to evangelize, they need to have a clear, workable plan to teach their converts to obey all that Jesus commanded, just as Matthew 28:20 says they should. Gifted pastors and gifted teachers should support evangelists in the instruction of new converts. Churches should plan for such instruction so that the good seed of the Gospel, sown by the evangelist, is not wasted when weeds grow up and try to choke out the faith of new believers.  Simply put, the gifted evangelist needs a plan for follow-up of new believers. It is not enough just to help them express faith in Christ; they must be discipled. Pastors and teachers will need to get outside their comfort zone to ensure that new believers who are not well connected to their congregations get the care and instruction they need.

In many parts of the world, people are ready and willing to pray to receive Christ, and they do so when invited. But for some reason, many who pray do not persist in faith after seeing a Christian film or after receiving an evangelist in their home. There are several reasons for this falling away. but church-based ministry, in which the work of evangelists is respected and well-coordinated with the work of gifted pastors and teachers will yield greater long-term fruit for God’s Kingdom.

So, if you’re are an evangelist, share this podcast episode with trusted pastors and teachers and talk it over with them. And if you have pastoral gifts or teaching gifts, get together with the evangelists in your church and tell them you appreciate them. Then make a plan to better coordinate your respective ministries to advance God’s kingdom. You will be glad you did!

 

I’m Dean Davis, asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Evangelist #FiveFoldMinistry

Coaching for a Greater Harvest

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden. 

John 4:35-38   Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already, the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that Sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Jesus, in his ministry to His disciples, taught them in such a way that it could lead to many questions in their hearts. In the scripture we just looked at, these questions could have been going on in their hearts. What am I looking for? Who is it that is reaping, and what are they reaping? How did they find the fruit? The thoughts and questions can go on and on. Jesus gave us so many examples of discipling with open-ended questions that would lead to a deeper discussion and understanding. This ministry was about their growth and the place of making a difference in this world. The impact that each one of them would have and the countless lives that would be changed.

It is no different for us; the Lord wants to pour into us so that we grow in understanding of who He is and so much more. He also wants us to be used to lead others and to help them grow in their ministry to this world. How can we be the encouragement in their lives that is needed? How can we challenge others that there is more that the Lord wants to do through them? How can we share the right words that will create a fresh vision? Who is the Lord putting on your heart to reach out and walk beside to see them become great harvesters? What are the discussions needed for them to take the appropriate steps in accomplishing God’s plan for their lives and for those who need hope? Church planters, leaders, it is a joy when we pour into our disciples and see their hearts become wise.  Proverbs 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Whatever we can do to encourage, teach, model, walk alongside, and pour into others so they can become wise in the things God’s heart is pleased and glorified in, then we have done a good thing. Keep on doing for in time, you will reap the benefits of all your hard work. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today?

Assurance of Salvation

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

I spoke today with a brother serving Christ in a West African country. He told

me that he had asked over 1,000 people if they knew where they would spend

eternity after they died. Of the 1,000 people he asked, many of whom

attended church each Sunday, only seven reported that they knew they would

live eternally with Christ because of what He had done for them. The rest

reported that they were not sure where they would spend eternity or that they

knew, in fact, that they would spend eternity in hell. My brother was quite

concerned that many who were going to church did not have assurance of

salvation in Christ.

So, my word of encouragement today is that we can live in this broken world

knowing for sure that we are children of God, joint heirs with Christ, forgiven,

justified believers who have a new and eternal life in Christ. We need not fear

death or hell.

I found assurance of salvation when I was 13 years old. I have lived in that

assurance for the last 55 years. Here is how I found it. I told a brother in Christ

that I wasn’t sure that I was a Christian. He opened his Bible to 1 John 5:10 and

read these words to me:

Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not

believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the

testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given

us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever

does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Then the brother asked me, “Dean, do you have the Son of God in your life?” I

thought for a moment and then I said, “Yes. I have trusted Jesus as my Savior.

He lives in me.”

Then the brother read again from 1 John 5:11, 12: “God has given us eternal

life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” Next, he asked,

Dean, do people who have the Son of God in their lives have eternal life? I said,

“Yes.” Then he asked me, “Do you have eternal life?” I said, “Yes, I have Jesus;

I have eternal life.” Then the brother confidently told me, “Dean, you can go

from this place and never doubt that you are a child of God, a Christian who

has eternal life.” And do you know what? I did go from that place with full

assurance that I am a child of God and that I have eternal life. I have

experienced many fears since that time. But I have never been afraid of going

to hell or being separated from Jesus. I have him, and He has me.

Do you have assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ? You can. Do your disciples

have assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ? They can too. Please, without

delay, share with them the wonderful truth about the assurance of salvation from

God’s word is found in 1John 5:10-12.

I’m Dean Davis, praying for a church in every African village, and that each

person in those churches will live daily with full assurance of the saving

presence of Christ in them, the hope of glory.

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #AssuranceOfSalvation

Steward Leadership - Fruitfulness

    This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

We continue our series on steward leadership as we examine some major themes of stewardship. Today I want to share about a prayer I recently heard from a Nigerian pastor.

To review, a steward is defined as “someone who manages resources belonging to another person in order to achieve the owner’s objectives.” In our context, we are managing resources provided by the Lord for our Village Church Planting work.

Here is Pastor Isaac’s prayer from just a few weeks ago. “Above all, we pray that we will be more productive for your Kingdom.” Let me say that again. “Above all, we pray that we will be more productive for your Kingdom.”

As I break down that prayer into its parts, I see three points that he made.

He began with “Above all”. This implies a first priority for our leadership. Exemplary steward leadership places an emphasis upon fruitfulness. I will share further in my next podcast about the importance of accountability. Our “Owner,” God, like the owner in the parable of the talents (you can read this again in Matthew 25:14-30) expects a return corresponding to what He has entrusted to us.

Secondly, in Pastor Isaac’s prayer, he prayed that we might be “More productive.” Fruitfulness is the earnest desire of steward leaders. One of the scriptures that motivates me greatly is Luke 12:48b. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” “Demanded” in the New International Version is a very strong word. In the New English Version and several others, this is translated as “required.” As I studied this verse, other translations used “expected” or “responsible.” The clear point of this instruction is that the Lord will hold steward leaders accountable to be fruitful with the resources entrusted to us.

Finally, he closed his prayer with the words “For Your Kingdom”. I appreciate this. You see, Christ’s Kingdom is to be the beneficiary of our service. We serve not to build our reputations or to call attention to our personal ministries. Steward leaders serve not to seek positional promotion or advancement. Jesus taught this in His Sermon on the Mount. We are to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) Sometimes acclaim or promotion may follow our service, but these are a byproduct, not the objective, of our steward leadership.

Next time, we will continue our study of steward leadership. This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Prophetic Gifts for Multiplication

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. 

In my last episode, I mentioned that the word “apostle” is often misunderstood because it has so many different meanings for different churches. Even so, we need to be looking for Christ to provide apostles to our churches just as He promised in Ephesians 4. We need people, gifted by God, to be sent out and start new churches where none has existed before. That is the work of an apostle!

Ephesians 4:11,12 tells us “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Wow, the first word on that list, apostle, is often misunderstood, and so is the second one: prophet. Even so, Christ wants to give His churches prophets so that the Body of Christ may be built up. But for the Church, what is a prophet?

A prophet has God-given strengths to encourage the church and to identify situations in the world that grieve the Lord. A prophet proclaims truth from God and calls believers to obedience. Prophets strongly rely on prayer and spiritual gifts to accomplish the ministry. 

But when a prophet fails to walk in the Spirit, negative traits may appear. The prophet who fails to submit to the Spirit may have a condemning attitude or become arrogant because of their spiritual insight. He or she may claim to prophesy without having heard to Lord’s voice or understood His word in the Bible. And he or she may interrupt others to speak an inappropriate word.

Your churches need prophets just as they need apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Your churches need both encouragement and correction. They need leaders who spend much time in prayer and who are willing to speak messages from God. Prophets energize the evangelistic and church planting ministry of a church by calling church members to action and by providing encouragement to those who do obey.

But are you looking for men and women with prophetic gifts in your midst? Jesus said he would give our churches prophets. If we are to be good stewards, we must look for prophets to emerge, accept and encourage their ministry, correct them when they fail to walk in the Spirit, and give them a place to speak messages from the Lord. As the apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.”

My prayer for your churches is that God will provide the gifted men and women of God you need to do his will, to grow and multiply!

This has been Multiply! And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Prophets