The Pros, Cons, and Purpose of Structure

I want to share a very important point with you about structure. In this article, I will cover some of the pros and cons of structure, as well as the purpose of it. Structure is important in a church, but there should only be enough structure to support life. The whole purpose of structure is to support life, but if there is too much structure, it will have the opposite effect, killing whatever life was there to begin with. 

Take for example the human skeleton, which is a type of structure that God created to support human life. A human skeleton is very beneficial, in that it provides support and stability to the body, without which we would be blobs of flesh on the floor unable to stand up, move around, open our mouths, or do anything. We would be helpless and useless. So we can all agree that structure is a good thing. But if we have too much structure, then it becomes detrimental to life. For example, if you were to put an adult human skeleton on a baby, its weight would crush the baby and destroy its little life. That is why the Lord in His wisdom has so designed it that at every stage of human growth from an embryo in the womb, to infancy after birth, to childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood, the human skeleton is only big enough to support the life, but not so big as to crush the life. 

It's the same way with the Body of Christ. As we plant churches and build, let us be very careful that in seeking to bring structure that we do not create too much structure. For it is possible to create more structure than is needed to support the life of the Body, thus having the opposite effect than what is intended and destroying the newly planted church. Therefore, the amount of structure should only be in proportion to the life of the Church, and as the life grows, so does the structure grow proportionally.

The types of structures that can be helpful are discipleship structures for example, like Life Transformation Groups (LTGs) and leadership structures like elders to oversee the fellowship. As a church grows, we can also implement leadership and accountability structures, such as boards of directors, boards of deacons, or committees, such as missions committees. We can build organizational structures as the staff grows. We may also find it helpful to create program structures to support various programs like children's ministries, homeless ministries, or other such programs. Some house churches eventually become large enough to need public buildings, which are a type of physical structure. All of these structures are fine in their proper place and at the proper time. But let's keep it healthy and not add any more structure than is necessary. 

That's why we should always remember what the core of the Church is. The core of the Church is the minimum (core) requirements in order for it to still be considered the Church in the sight of God. The core of the Church from a biblical perspective is present whenever two or three people are gathered in Jesus' name (Mt 18:20), who are carrying out the Great Commandment (Mk 12:29-31; Lk 10:27-28) and the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18). Let's always remember that, so that we don't lose sight of what the minimum is for the Church to exist in any given place, and be sure that any structure we create does not become detrimental to it. 

Let us remember that the Body of Christ, the Lord's Church, is an organism, not a machine or a business. We must never try to run the Church like a business or operate it like a machine, but instead always use the organic principles found in Scripture and in nature. Let us always remember that when our Lord described what the kingdom of God is like, he used a lot of organic things, like seeds and yeast, to do so. Therefore, we should seek to operate as Jesus did, according to the organic principles He laid out for us and that He and His apostles demonstrated by their example. 

I'm afraid that many churches today have too much structure and very little life. They may be running like a finely tuned machine, but they are missing some of the basic elements necessary to be considered the true Church. For example, if they are not loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, then they are no longer the true Church, at least not a healthy one. This is essentially what the Church in Ephesus was rebuked for by the Lord in Revelation 2:1-7. Likewise, if a church is no longer loving their neighbor as themselves, then they are not a healthy church. and the same can be said of a church that is not obeying the Great Commission by helping to complete it. It doesn't matter how much structure they have, including a large staff, a great big, beautiful building, or a board of directors made up of prestigious members of the community, because if the basic life of the church is impeded, suppressed, hindered, missing, or found lacking in any way in the sight of God, then they are no longer healthy and pleasing to Him. In some cases, their structure may have become a burden to the members of the church, like a yoke of slavery (e.g., see Unbiblical Hierarchy of the Church of England).

Let us not forget that Jesus didn't die to save the structure, but rather His people that He created in His own image. Let's be careful that as we plant churches we only create enough structure in each fellowship to support life, and not more than is necessary.

Attribution notice: Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image from Organizational Physics may be subject to copyright, used here per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's Note: If you would like to become a disciple who makes disciples, please prayerfully consider enrolling in Doulos Training School, our international, distance education ministry. I also recommend reading Unbiblical Hierarchy of the Church of England, Divine Strategies for Multiplication, Life Transformation Groups, How to Start an LTG, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, and Multiplication. You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

How to Maintain Weekly LTG Meetings

One of the challenges with a Life Transformation Group (LTG) is faithfully maintaining weekly meetings. As the Scripture says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:24-25)

It is up to the members of the LTG to decide together on which day of each week they will meet, based on their usual availability. All members of an LTG should do their very best to maintain weekly meetings, except when absolutely impossible, such as when there are only two people in the group and one partner is out of town traveling for the entire week. But if there are three people in the group, then the group can still meet on the usual day even if the one who is traveling cannot participate in the meeting that week. 

Otherwise, if a schedule conflict arises one week, which makes it impossible for the group to meet, then the LTG partners must plan ahead and decide together to meet on a different day the same week, so they don't fail to have their meeting that week.

For example, at the end of each LTG meeting, the partners should discuss a) which passage of Scripture to read for the upcoming week, and b) whether to meet on the same day as usual during the following week.

Let's say you are meeting weekly on Tuesdays for example, and at the end of the meeting one week, one of you says that you have a special program (funeral, work or other event) the following Tuesday, and won't be available on that day for the LTG meeting. You should then discuss an alternate day to meet, preferably the day before you usually meet (i.e., Monday) or the day after you usually meet (Wednesday). This way the span of time between the current meeting and the next meeting will still be around 7 days, rather than 5 days or 10 days. This helps with the Bible reading to give you around the same amount of time as usual to finish the agreed upon passage.

This kind of rescheduling will allow the group to still meet once per week without having to completely miss a week of LTG. Using this approach, there should be very few times when the group needs to miss the LTG meeting during a given week. 

The LTG needs to be prioritized in the lives of all participants, too. This is very important. So the partners in the group need to do their best to schedule other events around the weekly LTG, rather than scheduling the LTG around other events, although in some rare instances it will be necessary to reschedule the LTG meeting for one or two days earlier or later than usual. 

If there is an ongoing issue with one or more members of the LTG not being available to meet on the previously agreed upon day of the week, then the group needs to discuss that and decide together whether this is a matter of prioritization, or whether to decide on a new day to meet each week when they will all be available.

Lastly, the LTG members all need to practice good time management of their weekly schedules to ensure they fulfill their commitment to meet together once each week.

Closing Words
In summary, it is very important to maintain weekly LTG meetings each week. If the group often fails to have their weekly meeting, then the effectiveness of the LTG is significantly diminished. By implementing the methods described in this article, the group should be able to continue faithfully meeting each week without interruption for an indefinite period of time as long as they wish.

Attribution: Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Life Transformation Groups by Neil Cole © 2000. For more information about Life Transformations Groups and other strategic resources visit Church Multiplication Associates (CMA). Calendar image from Botanical Paper Works, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's Note: If you would like to become a disciple who makes disciples, please prayerfully consider enrolling in Doulos Training School, our international, distance education ministry. I also recommend reading Life Transformation Groups, How to Start an LTG, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, and Multiplication. You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. Partner with us online by giving to DMI.

How to Reach a Muslim for Jesus Christ

While there have been a lot of books written with many different viewpoints about Muslim evangelism, my goal here is not to share all of that with you, but to give you some concise and practical training that can help you to reach a Muslim with the gospel. 

I want to share with you a video that covers six ways to reach a Muslim for Christ, and then I will add four more at the end. 

In the video below, Nathan Jones covers the following ways to win a Muslim for Christ:

1. The Bible is OK to Read.

The Quran says it is permitted for Muslims to read the Bible. Therefore this is a great way for them to come to know the Lord by reading Scripture and praying for God to show them the truth. There are testimonies of Muslims coming to Christ this way. If they do not have a Bible, which they probably don't, please consider giving them one, and recommending they begin by reading the gospel of John. But be sure to ask them to pray before each time they read, and ask God to show them the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

2. The Life of Christ

When they contrast the life of Christ with that of Mohammed they will see a huge difference, and they will discover that the real Jesus portrayed in Scripture is very different from the one (called "Isa") described in the Quran.  

3. The Love of God

Islam is a religion of hate, Allah is generally an angry God, and frankly the Quran doesn't speak enough about the love of God. Therefore, Muslims need to know about the love of God, which is spoken about so much in Scripture. They need to know that God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8).

4. The Assurance of Salvation

The man in the video, Nathan Jones, who is unknown to me, mentions the fact that Muslims don't have the assurance of their salvation that the Lord gives us when we give our lives to Christ, since the assurance of salvation is unknown in Islamic literature. I would agree with that completely, but not with his use of the term eternal security, which is a false teaching. There is a difference between having the assurance of your salvation as taught in Scripture, and the unbiblical teaching of eternal security, which I have proven false in my article The False Gospel of Eternal Security. I would advise you to steer clear of that heresy, but the rest of what the man in this video teaches is helpful, in my opinion.

A couple examples of verses that teach about our assurance of salvation are:

"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 Jn 5:12-13)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24)

For more on that, see the Keeping Power of God.

5. Grace

Muslims believe that they must work to please God and to gain His favor. Living in the religion of Islam is like living in chains. The grace of God as taught in the Bible will set Muslims free from that prison. As the Scripture says, "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time..." (2 Tim 1:9).

6. A Relationship with God

We as Christians enjoy a relationship with God in Christ, which is something unknown to Muslims. We personally experience the love that our heavenly Father has for each one of us, which is something that they long to experience, too.

Video 

Please watch the video at this link on Youtube or watch the embedded video below on this page.

In addition to the six ways to reach a Muslim for Christ that are covered in the video, I would also like to encourage you with six more:

7. Dreams and Visions from God

Many Muslims have come to know Christ through supernatural encounters they've had with the real Lord Jesus Christ in their dreams or in visions. Scripture teaches us that this is one of the supernatural things God promised to do in these last days.

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Act 2:17)

In addition to praying for your Muslim friend to have such dreams and visions of Christ, you can challenge or encourage them to pray that if Jesus Christ is real that He would come and reveal Himself to them. You can also share with them some of those dreams that other Muslims around the world have had as well. 

One website that contains several of these video documentaries is called More Than Dreams, and you can suggest they check it out, as well provide them with the link. If you do so, let them know that you can watch the videos in different languages. (If you click on one of the videos, to the left, it will say "More Languages". If you click on that, it has a whole list you can choose from.). 

One Muslim source estimates that approximately six million Muslims per year are converting to Christianity. For more on this, please see the short, six-minute video called Millions of Muslims Convert to Christianity: Having Dreams & Visions of Christ.

8. The Power of the Holy Spirit

The kingdom of God is not merely a matter of talk but of power (1 Cor 4:20). When a Christian has been baptized with the Holy Spirit according to Acts 1:8 and 2:4, they will be endued with power to be a witness for Christ. This includes power to heal the sick and cast out demons (Mk 16:17-18). Look for opportunities to lay hands on your Muslim friend with their permission to release healing and miracles from God in the name of Jesus and by faith in His name. As they get healed and set free, they will come to experience firsthand that Jesus Christ is real, and know that He loves them. There are certainly testimonies of Muslims coming to Christ this way, as a result of healing.

For more on this, please see Baptized with the Spirit, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, Laying on of Hands, and especially The Power of God to Heal.

9. Your Witness

Some Muslims see the hypocrisy of other Muslims and the violence within their religion. But when they see the life of a genuine disciple of Christ whom they know, and observe that person's godly character distinguished by the fruit of the Spirit, they are drawn to the Lord through that person's witness for Christ.

10. Confrontational Approach

Some people choose to use the confrontational evangelistic approach in their outreach to Muslims, whereby they proclaim the gospel to the person and/or seek to disprove Islam through a frontal attack on it (see The Truth About Islam). That can work to some extent on a limited basis. But keep in mind that a Muslim would typically think of himself as being born Muslim, and would assume that he can no more change his being Muslim than he can change his race. That's probably one reason why people typically experience limited success using a confrontational approach with Muslims. 

Another reason you may encounter resistance using this approach is that when you confront people's deeply held religious beliefs, they are likely to become defensive, which means they typically put up a wall to protect themselves and close their minds to what you are saying. 

One could argue that since we are at the end of the age, the merit of that approach is that it seeks to quickly deliver the gospel to anyone who will listen. After all, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). I would agree that we no longer have the time to spend years seeking to influence them for Christ through long-range approaches. But let me encourage you to also consider trying other approaches that have been proven more effective.

11. Sharing Jesus without Fear

As I have written about in my article called Share Jesus without Fear, I have learned from an evangelist named Bill Fay a powerful and effective, non-confrontational way to share the Lord with anyone in any place that is not offensive and allows the Scripture to speak to them. Let me encourage you to study and learn that approach, so that you can use it to reach Muslims, as well as anyone else you meet, as the Lord gives opportunity to do so.

12. The Jesus Film

A wonderful way to share Jesus with Muslims is to show them the Jesus Film, which is offered in more than 1,120 languages. There are a number of ways to do this, including showing it to groups of people or sending someone the link to watch it online at home, if they have internet access. This allows them to see the life of Christ in living color, dramatized by actors according to the gospel of Luke. 

The Lord has used this project in a powerful way.  There have been over 6 billion recorded viewings of the film, and over 200 million recorded decisions for Christ connected with it. It's also a great way to help reach restricted areas with the gospel, such as the Mideast. Please see my article about The Jesus Film Project for more on how to use this approach.

Closing Words

I hope this has been helpful to you in your efforts to reach Muslims for Christ. May the Lord grant you great success in doing so for a greater harvest.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Original video upon which the above video was based on is at this link.
  
Author's note: You are invited to read The Truth About Islam, Share Jesus without Fear, Rescue Souls!, Millions of Muslims Convert to Christianity: Having Dreams & Visions of Christ, Here I Am Send Me, Give Me Children or I'll Die!, The Sin of Silence, Confrontational Evangelism, and Being a Witness for Christ. You may find more articles about being fruitful and multiplying on the Home Page of this blog. You may also find my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Share Jesus Without Fear

I have studied many different approaches to evangelism, but in August 2000 the Lord led me to discover a simple, easy way to Share Jesus Without Fear as taught by an evangelist named Bill Fay. I’ve been practicing this for about 19 years now, and it has been used by the Lord to help me share comfortably with people without fear.

People have many offensive ways of sharing their faith.  The gospel is going to offend people, but we don’t have to be offensive in the way we share it. This is a non-threatening way of asking people simple diagnostic questions, in order to find out where God is at work around you, so you can join Him. It’s not a technique, but a way to partner with the Lord in ministering to the lost.  It’s something I cannot fail at, if I am simply obedient. It’s a way to share that emphasizes prayer, preparation, power, presence, and partnership. I'm talking about the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and our partnership with Him. I have actually felt the power and presence of the Holy Spirit while sharing my faith this way. It doesn’t require you to commit to giving additional time each week to going out and doing evangelism. It’s a lifestyle of sharing with people, especially those closest to you, such as friends and family.

In addition to using this approach myself, I have also taught it to others including pastors, elders, and disciples of Christ in the US and abroad. When I taught this in our home church in New Hampshire here in the US, I spent four weeks with each of the three home groups that met together once each week. So it took me a total of twelve weeks to teach this to all three groups. During the four weeks I spent with each group, one person came to Christ through one of the people in that group, so that at the end of twelve weeks, three people had accepted Christ. They did so not as a direct result of my sharing with them, but through the people in the home groups that learned this approach and began to put it into practice. Praise the Lord!

I hope you will take the time to study this way of sharing the Lord by going through the presentation that I have created (with permission) based on the book called Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay and Ralph Hodge. You won't regret it. Now here is the link to the presentation, which is not for duplication.

DTS Requirement: If you are a DTS student, please be sure to watch both videos featured above and view the presentation at this link.

Resources: You can find more resources related to Share Jesus Without Fear online, such as the book, the workbook (which I highly recommend), the Share Jesus Without Fear New Testament (also available here), and the DVD Leader Kit. When I originally taught this it was on VHS video tape, and our church bought the leader materials for me to use in order to teach it, so I would recommend getting the DVD Kit if you can afford it.

Attribution notice: All material in the linked presentation is from Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay and Ralph Hodge, copyright 1997 Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN. Duplicated and used by permission.
 
Author's note: You are invited to read How to Mark Up a Bible to Share Jesus Without Fear, Rescue Souls!, Here I Am Send Me, Give Me Children or I'll Die!, The Sin of Silence, Confrontational Evangelism, How to Reach a Muslim for Jesus Christ, and Being a Witness for Christ. You may find more articles about being fruitful and multiplying on the Home Page of this blog. You may also find my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

How to Mark Up a Bible to Share Jesus Without Fear

If you have read my article called Share Jesus Without Fear and viewed my presentation by the same title based on the book by that name, then hopefully you are ready to take the next steps to putting it into practice. Here I would like to explain how to mark up your Bible in order to share Jesus without fear.

Preferably begin with a Bible that you have not highlighted, so the pages are clean and presentable. So you wouldn't want to use your regular study Bible that you've marked up already with highlighting and your handwritten notes inside. I suggest a pocket edition of the New Testament that you can easily carry with you in your pocket, purse, laptop bag, backpack, or glove compartment of your car. I have a black, leather copy of the official Share Jesus Without Fear New Testament, which is translated in the Holy Bible New International Version, but you can use any good, reliable translation of the Bible that common people can understand. I also recommend using a non-ink, yellow, wax highlighter, designed especially for highlighting Bibles, rather than the ink ones that can tend to bleed through the pages.

Here are the recommended steps:

1. Bookmark Romans 3:23 in your Bible, since this will be the first of seven Scripture verses you use. I suggest using the Bible's built-in ribbon marker to do this.

2. Highlight Romans 3:23.

3. On the page containing Romans 3:23, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up as if you were handing it to someone to read the verse. In the upper margin of the page, the margin closest to you, write "Rom 6:23" (without the quotation marks), which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read Romans 3:23. I suggest writing it in pencil not too big yet big enough to you can read it as you take the Bible back from the person after they've read Romans 3:23.

4. Highlight Romans 6:23.

5. On the page containing Romans 6:23, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up. In the upper margin of the page, write "Jn 3:3," which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read Romans 6:23.

6. Highlight John 3:3.

7. On the page containing John 3:3, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up. In the upper margin of the page, write "Jn 14:6," which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read John 3:3. Also draw the cross next to that verse to remind yourself to ask the person "Why did Jesus die on the cross?"

8. Highlight John 14:6.

9. On the page containing John 14:6, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up. In the upper margin of the page, write "Rom 10:9-11," which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read John 14:6.

10. Highlight Romans 10:9-11.

11. On the page containing Romans 10:9-11, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up. In the upper margin of the page, write "2 Co 5:15," which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read Romans 10:9-11.

12. Highlight 2 Corinthians 5:15.

13. On the page containing 2 Corinthians 5:15, turn the Bible with the text upside down with the print facing up. In the upper margin of the page, write "Rev 3:20," which is the next verse that you will turn to after the person has read 2 Corinthians 5:15.

14. Highlight Revelation 3:20.

Now you are reading to begin using your New Testament to Share Jesus Without Fear!

Resources: You can find more resources related to Share Jesus Without Fear online, such as the book, the workbook (which I highly recommend), the Share Jesus Without Fear New Testament (also available here), and the DVD Leader Kit. When I originally taught this it was on VHS video tape, and our church bought the leader materials for me to use in order to teach it, so I would recommend getting the DVD Kit if you can afford it.

Attribution notice: All material in the linked presentation is from Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay and Ralph Hodge, copyright 1997 Lifeway Press, Nashville, TN. Duplicated and used by permission.The method of Bible marking is taken from the same book.
 
Author's note: You are invited to read Share Jesus Without Fear, Rescue Souls!, Here I Am Send Me, Give Me Children or I'll Die!, The Sin of Silence, Confrontational Evangelism, and Being a Witness for Christ. You may find more articles about being fruitful and multiplying on the Home Page of this blog. You may also find my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Serving Within Your Sphere

Let's take a look at a verse from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 10:13). Paul said, "We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you." While Paul did boast of what Christ was doing through his ministry, he boasted within certain limits, specifically to what he called, "the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us" (NIV). Let's take a moment to examine this phrase more closely.

The Greek word for sphere is kanon, which means rule or standard, by implication it means a boundary, that is, (figuratively) a sphere (of activity): - line, rule. From this word kanon we get the English word canon, as in the canon of Scripture, which refers to the limits set by the Church as to what is Scripture, so that everything outside those sixty-six books is not considered to be Scripture.

Now let's consider how various versions of the Bible translate this phrase in 2 Corinthians 10:13:

In the NASB it is "the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure..."

The 1978 NIV says, "the field God has assigned to us..."

In the ESV it is translated, "the area of influence God assigned to us..."

The GNB calls it, "the limits of the work which God has set for us..."

So Paul knew that there was a sphere that God apportioned to him as a measure, and that is the sphere he worked within. Everyone has a sphere and we all need to stay within our sphere and not overstep it. This is our specific area of activity and influence that the Lord has determined according to His own will and purpose. It includes the people whom our lives intersect with and touch, such as our children, parents, brothers, sisters, other relatives, neighbors, coworkers, friends, classmates, and people we meet in the market place or social networks, as well as people in far away lands that we either know or whom the Lord has enabled us to reach.

As God's fellow workers, let's work in the field God has assigned to us, rather than in someone else's field. Even within our own field, we each have specific duties, as the Lord has assigned to each his task (1 Cor 3:5b), such as planting the seed, watering, or reaping. One man plants the seed, another one waters, but God makes it grow, until the time comes for someone else to reap the harvest.

We should not try to go beyond the specific limits of the work which God has set for us. He will stretch us past what we thought we were capable of doing and even expand the reach of our territory so that it becomes enlarged beyond what it once was. He will do this, especially if we pray and ask Him to do so. If we are faithful with the little things, He will entrust us with much, even increasing the limits of the work which He has set for us. But we must first prove faithful in the little things. As Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (Lk 16:10, NIV).

So don't despise the day of small things, but be faithful to bloom where He has planted you. Don't try to be somebody else or have their ministry. Be who God has made you and called you to be. Use those gifts and talents that He has put into your hands. Serve the people the Lord has called you to serve. If that's a small flock of twenty-three people, then tend that flock diligently and faithfully. If it's a handful of people at your place of employment, then serve the Lord among them. Plant those seeds of the Word in the garden the Lord has given you to tend. Then in due time, as your garden produces good fruit, the Lord may give you a larger garden to tend.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, where noted, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures from The Holy Bible NIV, coyyright Zondervan, used by permission. First image copyright Amy Kauffman, Amplifying Specks of Life. Second image copyright ClipArt extras, used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like and Multiplication and Multiplication Illustrations,  Life Transformation Groups, How to Start an LTG, Being a Witness for Christ, What's That in Your Hand, Multiplying Your Talents, and the other posts available through the Home Page of this blog.  If you would like to become a disciple who multiplies disciples, please prayerfully consider enrolling in Doulos Training School, our international, distance education ministry. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

How to Start an LTG

In my previous article, I explained Life Transformation Groups (LTG), which are an excellent way to make disciples that multiply, as Jesus did. Anyone in Christ can start an LTG. It's not difficult. That's one reason why it is so effective, because it is easily repeatable by disciples of all ages around the world. However, for those who are not sure how to start an LTG, please allow me to give you some simple steps.

1. Step One: Pray and ask the Lord whom you should invite to join you in an LTG. Wait on the Lord to answer you as you consider the people you know. Find another person who has a hunger for more of God in his or her life. The groups are not mixed-gender, so consider those of your own gender.

2. Step Two: Once you determine whom the Lord is leading you to invite, go to the person and invite them. For those who don't know how to do that, here is how I suggest you do it. Begin saying you believe the Lord is leading you to invite them to a "discipleship relationship." Be sure and smile as you open the topic. Explain that it involves reading lots of Scripture, praying for the lost, and meeting together once per week for an hour. Explain that neither of you will be the leader or teacher, but that you will be coequals. Explain that the group is limited to two or three people of the same gender, so it will always remain small, but new groups can be started as more people want to join. Explain that you would like them to read the article, Life Transformation Groups, and pray for a week or two about whether the Lord wants them to join you in one of these groups. Ask them to get back to you afterward and let you know if this is what the Lord wants them to do. Be sure and ask them to pray first about it, even if they seem sure immediately that this is what they want to do.

3. Step Three: After a couple weeks, if the person has not yet gotten back to you with a response to your invitation, ask them if they have a sense from the Lord yet whether or not this is what He would have them do. If they say they have not, tell them to pray about it for another week, but that you do need a response, so you know whether they will join you, because you would like to start as soon as possible.

If you receive a negative response from the person you invited, then thank them for praying about it, and move on to inviting someone else by following these same three steps. If you receive an affirmative response from the person you invited, then proceed to step four below.

By the way, you can invite a second person, following steps one to three above before you have received a response from this person. But do not invite more than two at a time, because the group is limited to three people. I recommend inviting one person at a time, and keeping it simple, but feel free to invite two at a time, if the Lord leads you that way. Starting off with just you and one other person in the group initially has many advantages to it, and you can always invite another person to join the group once you two get started. If you invite two people at once, you should probably wait for both to decide whether to join before you get started, unless one person is taking longer than three weeks to decide, and the second person has already indicated they would like to join you. The reason is that you need to move forward with starting the group, and if a person really wants to do this, they will not take very long to decide.

4. Step Four: Decide together with the person who has agreed to be your LTG partner which day of the week you will meet for at least an hour, as well as the time and place where you will meet. You do not have to meet at the same place every week. It can be in a home, church, office, or food court in a mall for example. The main thing is that it is conveniently accessible to all members of the group, and it affords enough privacy to speak confidentially to each other. The weekly meetings must be held face-to-face and in-person, not by phone or video conference. Once you have decided when and where to meet, proceed to step five.

5. Step Five: Decide together with your new LTG partner which passage of the Bible to read before your first meeting. Pick a passage of 25 to 30 chapters in the New Testament initially, and I recommend staying in this part of the Bible for the first year. You could choose a book like Matthew, which is 28 chapters. Or you could choose to read Galatians five times for a total of thirty chapters. Each member of the LTG should individually and privately read the same passage of Scripture that you agreed upon together in step five. You do this throughout the week during your own personal devotions with God.

6. Step Six: Print out a copy of the five questions that will be used in your first meeting, as listed in the article Life Transformation Groups, or write them down. You may also order LTG cards from  Church Multiplication Associates (CMA). As you go through your week, you will make notes to yourself, so that you can answer the questions when you meet together for your LTG meeting.

7. Step Seven: Meet together for the first time at the appointed place and time. Begin with a word of prayer, and then decide who will go first in answering the five questions. Remind your partner that any sins you confess to each other in the group must remain confidential between the two of you. One person can then ask the other each of the five questions, while the other person answers them. Afterward, trade places and the other person now gets to answer the questions.

8. Step Eight: During your first meeting, ask your partner(s) to decide on two people they know that they would like you both to be praying for to come to Christ. I suggest you ask them to pick two people who are not in Christ and who would be strategically influential, if they came to Christ. They should be prepared to give you the names of these two people the next time you meet. Once they give you the two names, you should both write down the names. Likewise, you should give them the names of the two people you would like them to join you in praying for.

9. Step Nine: If everyone in the group has finished reading the agreed upon passage of Scripture, then do step five again before you end the meeting with prayer, so you know what to read before your next meeting. If any one person did not finish the reading, then everyone knows they must re-read the entire passage, even if they have already finished it.

These are the basic steps to starting an LTG, and once you have started one, you can invite a third group member, if you don't already have one.

Dealing with Issues
If your LTG partner is consistently not reading the Scripture passage you have agreed upon, or not coming to the meetings, or not submitting to the LTG process in any particular way, then you need to speak to them privately. I suggest you let them know that you would be glad to continue meeting with them for discipleship as long as they are willing to submit to the LTG process. But remind them that there are two criteria for being in an LTG: 1) a hunger for more of God in his or her life, and 2) a willingness to submit to the LTG process. Remind them that when you first asked them to pray about joining you in an LTG, they said they felt led by the Lord to join, but lately they do not seem to be submitting to the process. You might consider asking them to pray for two weeks about whether they still feel led to continue to meet with you for discipleship, and ask them to let you know. If after praying, they decide they no longer want to continue, then let them go, and you will need to find someone else. If they want to continue meeting, just be lovingly firm with them that you will be expecting them to submit to the process.

I hope this has helped you understand better how to get your LTG started and how to deal with issues that may arise.

Attribution: Life Transformation Groups by Neil Cole © 2000. For more information about Life Transformations Groups and other strategic resources visit Church Multiplication Associates (CMA). By the way, CMA has LTG cards containing the explanation of an LTG and the five questions, which you can order from them online. I recommend getting the blue cards with the five questions, rather than the red ones. Butterfly photo by my fifteen year old daughter Hope Lacroix.

Author's Note: If you would like to become a disciple who makes disciples, please prayerfully consider enrolling in Doulos Training School, our international, distance education ministry. I also recommend reading Life Transformation Groups, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, and Multiplication. You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. Partner with us online by giving to DMI.