Torch, Spring 1980

teach all you reach, win all you reach, train all you win, enlist all you train. If such a program were carried on systematically and continuously, the work of the Lord would continue to steadily grow and move forward. These principles can be applied to church planting as well as disciple– making. This was the approach that was used in the establishment of the church at Antioch in Syria in Acts 11. In the beginning the Lord sent people to Antioch to carry on a ministry of evangelism through preaching and witnessing (Acts 11:19-21) . One of the words used here implies that these believers simply talked about the Lord to their fellowJews. This was followed by a ministry of exhortation and edification by which these new believers were discipled to Christ (Acts 11:22:26). Workers were then sent out from this assembly to evangelize other areas (Acts 13:1-4). These workers later returned to give a report of their work of evangelism and to minister to the congregation at Antioch (Acts 14:26-28). They were sent out a second time to carry on additional ministries of evangelism and confirmation (Acts 15:36-41) . This cycle was repeated a third time (Acts 18:22,23). In the progress of doctrine in the Scriptures, the methods and commands of Christ provide the pattern for carrying on His work invite them to trust in the Lord Jesus? Do I encourage new believers to identify with Christ through water baptism? Am I involved in discipling someone by teaching him Christ's commands? Am I training someone to serve the Lord? Am I praying that the Lord will send forth laborers into His harvest (Matt. 9:38)? Am I concerned that a great and ripening harvest awaits an adequate supply of workers? Since these basic commands of Christ comprise His last instructions, they must be the principles by which we evaluate the program of our local church, mission agencies, and para– church organizations. We must ask ourselves: Does my local church have an evangelistic outreach to our local community? Does it have a strategy to reach our country and countryside for Christ? Do we have a ministry to a present day Samaria? Do we have a missionary program that reaches to the uttermost part of the earth? Is our approach to missions balanced? Do we have only a busing ministry to reach our city or only a foreign missions program? We must have a concern for and an outreach into all these areas if we are to fulfill the commands of Christ. We must also ask ourselves: Do I support para-church organizations which only evangelize and do not baptize? Do I give to ministries which only teach and have no emphasis on evangelism or enlist in the work of the Lord? If we are to reach our generation with the Gospel of Christ, we must follow the mandate of Christ to evangelize, baptize disciples, and enlist workers for the harvest field. If these principles are followed faithfully, there will be no lack of workers in the local church and no lack of candidates for the mission fields of the world. The Lord Jesus made disciples. He commanded His followers to continue the process. They are the same principles that we should follow in our personal ministries, in our local churches, and in our mission agencies. God will bless both the message and the method if they are biblical. today. How then do principles of Mr.Mcintosh is an Associate Professor of Bible evangelism and discipling apply to in the Biblical Education Department at us? We must ask ourselves: r:=::::::::;i!Jr-~-:f.~~~1~~~~~~~~~8 Cedarville College and Am I involved in the work of - serves on the Missionary evangelism? Do I seek to Internship Service advisory witness to others and to PREACHING BAPTIZING DISCIPLING EVANGELIZING ENLISTING 11