Steve Addison's Blog, page 26

255-Measure What Matters

Randy Murray talks about how to measure quantity and quality in a multiplying movement of disciples and churches.

Download the Measure What Matters manual.

Randy recommends Measure What Matters by John Doerr.

 

Propelled by Persecution

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8:1

Kabul is overrun and the Taliban are in control of Afghanistan. Bad news for the nation and especially of the many Afghans around the world, and within the country who have turned to Christ in recent years.

This is the second of my reflections on the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian movement.

On the same day that Stephen was killed a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, so severe that people fled in all directions throughout Judea and Samaria and as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19) where they found refuge among relatives and fellow believers. Some settled permanently. The Twelve remained in Jerusalem for now, they had already shown they were willing to withstand the attempts to silence them.

Saul of Tarsus led the attack with the intent to destroy the movement. The word for “destroy” is a word used in the Greek Old Testament for a wild beast tearing at raw flesh. He would have regarded the idea of a crucified Messiah as blasphemy. Christians met in homes, so he went from house to house breaking up the churches and arresting and jailing both men and women, some were killed (Acts 22:4; 26:10). Notice the escalation, previously the authorities had targeted the movement’s leaders, now Saul is going after the whole church.

The scattering of the believers added momentum, everywhere they went they proclaimed the word. This is a pattern in Acts, persecution doesn’t stop the advance of the word but enhances it as Jesus’ disciples move to new locations where the gospel has not yet been proclaimed.

Persecution leads to gospel growth, not because a mission plan is approved and put into action by the leaders of the church, but because ordinary believers take the opportunities given to them to preach the apostolic message wherever they go.

David Peterson

Philip escaped to Samaria, about two or three days journey north of Jerusalem. A region where Jesus already had followers (John 4). He proclaimed the Messiah, and like Jesus and the apostles, performed signs and wonders and cast out demons. Jews regarded Samaritans as half-breed heretics. Yet Jesus included them in his mandate to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

Philip is representative of many ordinary believers on the run from persecution proclaiming the Word everywhere they went, as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19). Philip’s mission to Samaria was not planned or authorized by the apostles. On the run from Jerusalem, Philip took it upon himself to obey Christ’s command and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, the message about Jesus. God turned persecution into an opportunity for advance and Philip took it.

For the first time the gospel has gone outside the boundaries of the Jewish people, as Jesus intended. The initiator of this breakthrough was God himself and his means was the death of the first Christian martyr and the violent opposition of Saul of Tarsus. God propelled Philip out of Jerusalem into enemy territory and Philip obeyed Jesus’ command to go to the Samaritans. This was not the plan or initiative of the apostles in Jerusalem. The Spirit doesn’t wait for the apostles to be ready before the mission to Samaria can begin. They have to catch up to it. They got on board and supported and extended the work throughout Samaria.

Neither Philip, Peter or John settled down as missionaries in Samaria. We can assume they established local churches and returned, or sent others, to strengthen the disciples and identify leaders. The new churches in Samaria became active in reaching their people. For later Luke tells us that, “the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers” (Acts 9:31).

Stephen opened the door with his vision of God who cannot be contained within Judaism. Philip walked through that door and now through Peter and John the mission to Samaria is embraced by the whole church. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth—this is God’s agenda.

Previously: Stephen the First to Die

The Church in Jerusalem was the Beginning of a Movement

The church in Jerusalem was the first church of the new covenant. As such it stands as an example to all the churches follow including today. That’s why Luke devotes so much attention to the beginning, the life and the mission of this one church.

The story begins with the call of Abram to be the Father of a people who would be a blessing to all the people’s of the earth. Since the fall of Adam and Eve the story of human history was the story of an unending cycle of sin, judgment and grace. In Abraham God chose a people who would bear witness to him among the nations. He chose Israel for the sake of the world. Repeatedly Israel failed in that calling but there was a chosen remnant within Israel who remained faithful and looked to the day when God would send a deliverer to his people and fulfil Israel’s calling to be a light to the nations.

That deliverer was Jesus, the second Adam, the true son of Abraham, the son of David, the Messiah. Through his life, death and victory Jesus fulfilled the destiny of Israel and called out of Israel a people for himself. The new Israel was made up by all those who turned back to God and put their faith in him as King and Saviour through his death and resurrection a restored Israel emerged who would receive the blessings of salvation and the mission to take the good news to all nations. For now the people of God will comprise both Jews and Gentiles.

When Jesus rose from the dead he restored his defeated and disillusioned band of disciples and over forty days, beginning with the Books of Moses and then the Psalms and the Prophets, the risen Lord showed them God’s plan that the Messiah must suffer and then rise again and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins much be proclaimed throughout the world until he returns. Then he promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit whose power would enable them to be his witnesses.

The birth of the church in Jerusalem is at the same time the birth of a movement. Jesus always intended that the church in Jerusalem would not remain alone. How could it and still fulfil his command to disciple the nations? Jesus is the true founder of the church in Jerusalem. It is his church, not the invention of his disciples. The foundation was laid when God called Abraham. This first church is a part of a great work of God which he planned before the world began. The source of its life is none other than the crucified and risen Lord Jesus. By his will this church was brought into being, its foundation is the living Word of God written in the Hebrew Scriptures. Its life and breath is the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. Its mission begins in the holy city and continues to the ends of the earth.

The church in Jerusalem was the source of a missionary movement that has the whole world in its sights. Are we following its example?

254-NoPlaceLeft Utah

Cassie and Matt Foshee talk about NoPlaceLeft in the Mormon heartland of Utah.

What if Jesus is still in charge?

What if Jesus is still in charge? What difference would that make to how we pursue movements of disciples and churches everywhere?

In the book of Acts, Luke reveals that the risen Lord is in heaven at the right hand of the Father. One day he will return as King to judge the world, but he’s not absent. Jesus continues to actively pursue his mission—this Word of the gospel is going to the ends of the earth, every place, every people group.

The risen Lord chooses a replacement for Judas. He appoints his witnesses. He sends the Spirit. He appears in a vision to Stephen and multiple times to Paul. The risen Lord directs the mission of his servants.

Luke intentionally blurs the distinction between “the Lord” as applied to the Father and Jesus. The risen Lord does what Father does. Luke doesn’t draw rigid boundaries between the activities of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus continues to heal and to speak through his witnesses. Without the name of Jesus there is no salvation.

He is present among his people, the church. His presence through the Word and Spirit explains their life together and how every day the Lord can add to their number those being saved. He is united with them so that persecution of them is at the same time, persecution of Jesus.

That’s why Luke can say, “In my first book I wrote about everything Jesus began to do and teach.” The story of the early Christian movement is the story of what the risen Lord continues to do and teach.

What if Luke not just writing to say, “This is how it was.” What if he’s writing to say, “This is how it still is.”

What difference would that make?

The Last Word from Les

Another update on the interview with Les. The African leaders whom Les has trained and coached have seen multiple streams of fourth-generation disciples and churches.

Here are ten lessons Les has learned from what God is doing in Africa.

1. Orality Preferred

Orality as a preference is crucial for the work on this continent. As discipleship lessons progress they need to be rooted in a narrative less than in isolated verses or passages. All lessons must be one-point lessons. This is key to rapid multiplication.

2. Leadership and Orality

Orality does not mean that a movement will not make use of its readers (often younger) but they will take the place of the scribe in the community—a reference point for ready access to the written Word—and not an authority of an elder. Giving too much authority to a young man flips the cultural hierarchy on its head and inhibits multiplication. A pastor does not have to be literate, he merely has to have access to, and rightly divide, the Word of truth. He can get this through oral methods of memorization, recordings, or a reader in his household.

3. 3-Thirds Discipleship

The 3-Thirds model of discipleship is crucial no matter what DMM/CPM methods are being used. Continuity of the pattern of the 3-Thirds from evangelism to multiplying apostolic church is key to unity within the movement. Africans love ritual that gives shape to expressive communal learning and worship.

4. Methods of Communication

Song, proverbs, hand motions, and other methods of oral memory are crucial to rapid reproduction and integrity of the discipleship material within the movement. Most likely the expat worker will not have the nuanced language and cultural skills to be able to compose these. The missionary should have an intentional prayerful spirit and expectation for the Spirit to raise up an early believer with the skill set to develop the material early as a partner.

5. Accountability in a Shame Culture

Accountability in a shame culture (most African cultures) needs to be an expectant celebration of Spirit-empowered obedience. In the dominance of shame, the drive to obedience should not be guilt or shame, but the Holy Spirit. Don’t ask, "Did you share the Gospel this week?" But, "How did it go when you shared with your neighbor?" Then praise the Father for all He accomplished or help problem solve or encourage for a better application.

6. Evangelism in Natural Groups

Do evangelism in natural groups (ie clan, compound, household). Africans are suspicious of one-on-one private discussions. This increases the potential for persecution. We have to be comfortable with consensus-based decisions for Christ. This is the norm in the New Testament (ie Cornelius, Lydia, Philippian jailor).

7. Creation to Christ

Creation to Christ (C2C) is essential as an evangelism tool but more essential as an oral Biblical framework for discipleship. Teaching the grand narrative of salvation history is crucial to developing a Luke 24 hermeneutic, "how Moses and all the prophets pertain to him." This helps to guard against heresy and builds a Word-centered worldview from the beginning.

8. Address Animism For Everyone

Make sure that the C2C specifically addresses Animism as a worldview. Even the most educated in Africa are wrestling with this worldview at the deepest heart level. Origin and nature of the spirit world, power and spiritual indwelling of the natural world, all have to be addressed and shown as being inferior to Christ.

9. Invest in Multipliers

Encourage leaders by investing in those who achieve fourth-generation multiplication. In Africa, many capable leaders hold onto power too much and too long. If you invest a lot of time in an extremely capable "adder" you will not have enough time for a less flashy "multiplier". Multipliers are where movements happen.

10. Establish Peer Accountability

Investing in multipliers means establishing interdependent peer accountability and encouragement times. Specifically focus on the character of Christ and the gifts of the Spirit (ie Eph 4, Gal 5). Each person gives two encouragements or more of Christlike character and Sprit empowered gifting as exhibited in the lives of each of the other leaders. Then identifies one example of character growth into the image of Christ with some suggested spiritual disciplines to match. In a hierarchical culture, leaders need a place to be challenged. If you do not provide it early and often, abuse and moral failure will hijack the movement.

Previously with Les

252-What does NoPlaceLeft look like?

One Lesson Every Two Minutes

More Lessons from Les on getting to NoPlaceLeft

Final Lessons

253-Zume

Eric Derry talks about Zume — the online training for multiplying disciples and churches around the world.

Explore zume.training

Final Lessons from Les

image

This is the third and final instalment in a series on what I learned from Les, a movement pioneer in North Africa.

15. Success is failure if you don’t grow leaders

The pace picked up as our national partners saw one in five they shared with turn and believe. But we made the mistake of not preparing ahead of time for the leaders we were going to need. We didn’t pass off leadership quickly enough.

One young man had 23 groups of disciples he was meeting with on a two-week rotation. He came to me one day and he just said, “I’m done. I quit. I'm done. It's too much. I can't do it anymore.”

We took him away and just let him sleep. We spent time in the word and singing and praising God and praying. On the third day we asked, “What does God want us to do?” And he really opened up a plan for us to hand off leadership of the groups. Then we focused on leadership development and encouragement.

Within four to six months, we were running through about 750 to a thousand leaders through mid-level trainings run by nationals. Each of the leaders had four generations for more of new disciples and new churches.

16. Great Commission Partners

The nations had a growing burden for the Great Commission. They were praying for the Middle East and the deserts of North Africa. At a mid-level training they had prayed for five hours for the lost among people groups of other nations.

One year later, they introduced the twenty-six young men and women who they were going to send to those people groups. They all had passports and working visas paid for. Now they wanted Les to train them before they go.

One young woman went and served as as nannie. She led al the women in that wealthy household to faith after the matriarch of the family was healed of breast cancer.

A group of six young men got jobs in a construction camp and led Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to Christ.

17. Know when it’s time to leave

Now that the nationals are participating as full partners in the Great Commission, it was time to exit. They completely lead all aspects of the work. Les continues to coach and encourage at a distance.

They have completely embraced the mission themselves so it was time for Les to ask, “Where else should we go?”

Previously

252-What does NoPlaceLeft look like?

One Lesson Every Two Minutes

More Lessons from Les on getting to NoPlaceLeft

More Lessons from Les on getting to NoPlaceLeft

image

I’m learning so much from my interview with Les on how he reached NoPlaceLeft (Rom 15:23) in North Africa. Here’s the second installment.

7. Expect trouble

After six months the family was outside of the country for medical treatment when severe persecution hit the new disciples.

The woman who has our best evangelist was forced into a marriage with an unbeliever. Two of our leaders were sacked and thrown out of their homes by their families. Another was beaten with an iron bar and two bones were broken in his arm. We were out of the country. All we could do was pray.

8. Call for commitment

We learned an important lesson when we found the deepest word in the culture for commitment, beyond just an assent to believe. We used their word for making a covenant and applied it to their commitment to Christ. When some people refused to believe because of the cost of commitment, we knew we’d found the right word.

9. No baptism, No church formation

Our people were from an ancient Christian background and had been baptized as infants. Of 1,500 who had turned and believed, only 25 had been baptized and new churches were not forming.

Without baptism, there can't be church formation. The new disciples weren’t obeying Christ’s command to be baptized and churches were not formed.

Les was sitting on my porch one morning praying when he was overwhelmed with grief that the church was not being formed. He started to weep and a national brother came and consoled him. When he shared the problem, the brother said he had a solution, “We should pray and study the Word together.” Which they did.

Then he announced, “I know how to change the lesson on baptism.” He added just a few sentences to the lesson. He added the story of the twelve disciples of John the Baptist who were rebaptized when they heard the message about Jesus (Acts 19). He added the story of Jesus’ circumcision and presentation at the temple by his parents. Finally, he added the story of Jesus’s baptism at age 30.

They taught the new lesson on baptism to seven young men who were in discipleship and asked, “What do you need to do to obey this lesson?” The men replied, “We need to get baptized right now.”

They trained all the leaders who were multiplying groups of disciples to teach this lesson. They saw the same results and baptism became the norm, not the exception. Then churches began to be formed.

10. Persecution and power

As disciples chose baptism and started new churches, persecution intensified.

Disciples lost their burial rights. They were expelled from local farming cooperatives and could no longer buy fertilizer for their crops.

The disciples had their crops burned and the local police refused to take action.

As people were obedient in baptism, persecution increased but so did the miraculous work of the Spirit. Many Demons were cast out.

11. God is faithful

An elder in the one village was a large landowner. He led the persecution against the disciples. A massive hail storm came through and decimated just his crops. You could draw a line around the edge of his fields and right next door, the crops were safe.

God convicted him of his sin and he repented. They shared the gospel with him and cast demons out of him.

The valley nearby had a bumper crop. When they heard that their brothers in the valley next to them had their crops burned they shared out of their abundance. And the families that had had their crops burned had plenty to eat that year.

12. Muslim breakthrough

Les and his team had been praying for a Muslim people group in the region. They went to visit one of their villages and were invited into two homes. In one home, Les and his group were treated with disrespect, despite the invitation.

In the second home, the head of the household, Abba Yasin, had a four-year-old son named Isa (Jesus). They asked why he’d called his son Isa?

He answered, “Four years ago my wife was very pregnant and in a vision, a man came to me in white and said, ‘I am Isa. One day, I will send to you, someone from across the ocean to tell you my story, believe that man. To show you that this is true, your wife will give birth tonight. It will be a son, name him Isa, after me.’”

Then he asked, “Why did it take so long to come?”

The team shared the story of the gospel and all nine adults in the household stood up and said, “What must we do to be saved?” Later that day the team left for a nearby village uncertain about how they would disciple these new believers, none of whom could read.

13. The resources are in the harvest

In the next village there was a young man who had come to faith in the city while a student. He had multiplied himself and formed groups that had become churches. Then he returned home and lead his family to Christ. His father, Michael, was the village chief elder and about 180 people in that village came to Christ.

The father had been praying for a year that the feud between his village and the Muslim village would end. God was answering his prayer.

When he heard the Muslim village had no one who could read he offered his son David to go to the village and teach them. The next day they hiked six hours over the mountain to meet their new brothers in Christ.

Michael told Abba Yasin, “David is your new son.” That day David moved into the Muslim village and began taking them through the discipleship lessons.

Abba Yasin then taught his village.

14. Trust the seed to grow

Six months later they went back to the Muslim village and hundreds wanted to hear them teach. The tea, soon discovered that the stories they shared about Jesus were already well known by the villagers. David had taught Abba Yasin, well and he had taught his village well.

Next

In our third and last installment, we’ll discover how Les dealt with the challenge of rapid growth and prepared the way for his departure.

Previously

252-What does NoPlaceLeft look like?

One Lesson Every Two Minutes

Lessons from Les on getting to NoPlaceLeft

image

I’m learning so much from my interview with Les on how he reached NoPlaceLeft (Rom 15:23) in North Africa. Here’s the second installment.

7. Expect trouble

After six months the family was outside of the country for medical treatment when severe persecution hit the new disciples.

The woman who has our best evangelist was forced into a marriage with an unbeliever. Two of our leaders were sacked and thrown out of their homes by their families. Another was beaten with an iron bar and two bones were broken in his arm. We were out of the country. All we could do was pray.

8. Call for commitment

We learned an important lesson when we found the deepest word in the culture for commitment, beyond just an assent to believe. We used their word for making a covenant and applied it to their commitment to Christ. When some people refused to believe because of the cost of commitment, we knew we’d found the right word.

9. No baptism, No church formation

Our people were from an ancient Christian background and had been baptized as infants. Of 1,500 who had turned and believed, only 25 had been baptized and new churches were not forming.

Without baptism, there can't be church formation. The new disciples weren’t obeying Christ’s command to be baptized and churches were not formed.

Les was sitting on my porch one morning praying when he was overwhelmed with grief that the church was not being formed. He started to weep and a national brother came and consoled him. When he shared the problem, the brother said he had a solution, “We should pray and study the Word together.” Which they did.

Then he announced, “I know how to change the lesson on baptism.” He added just a few sentences to the lesson. He added the story of the twelve disciples of John the Baptist who were rebaptized when they heard the message about Jesus (Acts 19). He added the story of Jesus’ circumcision and presentation at the temple by his parents. Finally, he added the story of Jesus’s baptism at age 30.

They taught the new lesson on baptism to seven young men who were in discipleship and asked, “What do you need to do to obey this lesson?” The men replied, “We need to get baptized right now.”

They trained all the leaders who were multiplying groups of disciples to teach this lesson. They saw the same results and baptism became the norm, not the exception. Then churches began to be formed.

10. Persecution and power

As disciples chose baptism and started new churches, persecution intensified.

Disciples lost their burial rights. They were expelled from local farming cooperatives and could no longer buy fertilizer for their crops.

The disciples had their crops burned and the local police refused to take action.

As people were obedient in baptism, persecution increased but so did the miraculous work of the Spirit. Many Demons were cast out.

11. God is faithful

An elder in the one village was a large landowner. He led the persecution against the disciples. A massive hail storm came through and decimated just his crops. You could draw a line around the edge of his fields and right next door, the crops were safe.

God convicted him of his sin and he repented. They shared the gospel with him and cast demons out of him.

The valley nearby had a bumper crop. When they heard that their brothers in the valley next to them had their crops burned they shared out of their abundance. And the families that had had their crops burned had plenty to eat that year.

12. Muslim breakthrough

Les and his team had been praying for a Muslim people group in the region. They went to visit one of their villages and were invited into two homes. In one home, Les and his group were treated with disrespect, despite the invitation.

In the second home, the head of the household, Abba Yasin, had a four-year-old son named Isa (Jesus). They asked why he’d called his son Isa?

He answered, “Four years ago my wife was very pregnant and in a vision, a man came to me in white and said, ‘I am Isa. One day, I will send to you, someone from across the ocean to tell you my story, believe that man. To show you that this is true, your wife will give birth tonight. It will be a son, name him Isa, after me.’”

Then he asked, “Why did it take so long to come?”

The team shared the story of the gospel and all nine adults in the household stood up and said, “What must we do to be saved?” Later that day the team left for a nearby village uncertain about how they would disciple these new believers, none of whom could read.

13. The resources are in the harvest

In the next village there was a young man who had come to faith in the city while a student. He had multiplied himself and formed groups that had become churches. Then he returned home and lead his family to Christ. His father, Michael, was the village chief elder and about 180 people in that village came to Christ.

The father had been praying for a year that the feud between his village and the Muslim village would end. God was answering his prayer.

When he heard the Muslim village had no one who could read he offered his son David to go to the village and teach them. The next day they hiked six hours over the mountain to meet their new brothers in Christ.

Michael told Abba Yasin, “David is your new son.” That day David moved into the Muslim village and began taking them through the discipleship lessons.

Abba Yasin then taught his village.

14. Trust the seed to grow

Six months later they went back to the Muslim village and hundreds wanted to hear them teach. The tea, soon discovered that the stories they shared about Jesus were already well known by the villagers. David had taught Abba Yasin, well and he had taught his village well.

Next

In our third and last installment, we’ll discover how Les dealt with the challenge of rapid growth and prepared the way for his departure.

Previously

252-What does NoPlaceLeft look like?

One Lesson Every Two Minutes