4. What we need is a New Testament Theology of Church

• The church and outreach/missions are key components of the Great Commission.
  • The biblical mandate is to lead the lost to the Lord and make disciples.
  • The biblical method is to plant churches.
• A compassionate heart creates a desire to learn how to reach the lost and hurting.
• True compassion is not just evangelism theory – it is love in action.
  • We should always be looking for ways to improve our witness and make our lives even more fruitful for the Lord.
  • We should always be mentoring others before us, sharing with our peers, and learning from those ahead of us.

• We should be Lifetime Students – Disciple Makers because we never know who we might lead into the Kingdom of God and the impact of their life on both the kingdom and other people.
• Prime Example:  John W. Hurston, 1922-2007, served more than 65 years in ministry and was an AG Missionary to Eastern Asia. He personally led two special men to the Lord:
  • Dr. David Yonggi Cho (1936 – 2021) – a South Korean pastor and Christian leader who founded the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the world’s largest Christian congregation in the world (over 800,000 attendance).
    • Thousands of churches planted in Asia.
    • Untold millions saved and discipled through his ministry over the years!
  • Dr. Paul Ai in Vietnam
    • Planted thousands of churches in S.E. Asia and over 100 other countries in 55+ years of ministry.
    • Untold millions saved and discipled over the years!
    • Led Joshua Duong to the Lord – who established over 20 Bible schools, planted hundreds of churches, and led thousands to the Lord in China.  Founder of China for World Missions – still disciples missionaries in large conferences.
  • Can you even imagine the receiving lines in heaven of those saved through his efforts and obedience to God’s Great Commission call on his life?

The Fire Next Door Analogy

• What would you do if you came home late one night, and your next-door neighbor’s house was on fire?  Virtually all of us would immediately respond without thinking: 
  • Call 9-1-1?
  • Pound on their doors or windows to alert them to the danger?
  • Maybe even enter the home to save the people or their pets if it was safe to do so? 
  • Correct? 

• I can’t imagine too many people would just drive into their garage and shut the door, thinking that someone else will call the Fire Department or warn their neighbors.  Some might – but I personally don’t want them as friends or neighbors!

• Do you believe in hell? 
  • Jesus clearly testified how awful hell will be for those who choose not to believe in and give their lives to Him.
  • Revelation 20:10-15 – And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. … Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

• Realistically, it’s not our neighbor’s home that is on fire – it is our neighbor themselves – if they don’t know Jesus and haven’t ask Him to be their Lord and Savior.
  • Why would we even consider not telling them?  Why keep Jesus a secret?
  • This is directly related to our compassion for others – mercy, pity, and concern.
  • As much as I love God, I will never be an effective witness unless I love people.
  • Apathy is often fed by our own selfishness, of which we must repeatedly repent.
  • Christ’s love must be our motivator.

Our Challenge – We must get the church (that’s us!) out of the four walls of a building and into the world!

• The world is increasingly less likely to come to the established church for multiple reasons.
• This is a function Small Groups could be fulfilling this function at all local churches!

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