Read for This Week’s Study:

Exod. 18:13–26; Matt. 7:17-18; Acts 6:1–8; John 4:36; Acts 15:36–40.

Memory Text:

“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:15, NKJV).

Key Thought:

It is not enough for people to be trained for evangelism and witnessing work; they must actively work for souls.

Many church members lament the fact that although they are prepared to attend witnessing and evangelism training seminars, they are not encouraged to become involved when they return to their home church. Consequently, many churches that are not very active in witnessing and evangelistic activities are unaware of the well trained people in their midst. Occasionally some will voluntarily offer their services, but many others conclude that they are either not needed or wanted. The most successful way to stifle member involvement in any church activity is to deny them involvement in areas in which they are equipped to function. It is the responsibility of every local church to discover where, and how, each member can contribute to the witnessing and evangelism strategies of the church. All who are willing do have a place. The key is to find that place.

This week we will explore the concept of intentionally sending out gospel workers and the ways in which maximum member involvement contributes to overall church harmony and spiritual and numerical growth.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 2.

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I love simple. Everything I own fits in the back of a small U-Haul truck with plenty of space left over. Still, about twice a year, I go through my apartment just looking for things to throw away to keep life simple and clutter free.

When I was a kid I loved Taco Bell. Back then they had 7 items on the menu board, and that was all I needed. I would choose the bean burrito. Today I walk into a Taco Bell, and their menu board is all cluttered, and confusing with so many new items offered. I still choose the bean burrito. I love simple.

I recently switched my homepage to Google. It is simple and not too busy like the other search engines. I love simple. Having a complicated life is not a status symbol to me and does not allure me.

Understanding how I love simple, you will understand how delighted I was when I discovered a concept I read in John 15:5. In the NIV I read, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…” . Actually what delighted me is what I did not discover.  Jesus was not telling me that I needed a complicated, long planned out program and agenda in order to bear much fruit. It was really quite simple actually. I just need to live with Jesus and I will automatically bear fruit. Wow. What a concept!

It reminded me of when I came home from College in the Spring of 1985. One Friday evening a friend from church called, and told me a couple of other friends were meeting at one of their homes to study the Sabbath School lesson, and asked me to join them. One of them brought their sister, who was not a baptized Adventist. There was no agenda or schedule set in stone for our small study group. It was not even an “official” small study group. We just hung out together and studied the lesson, socialized, and even started hanging out on Saturday nights with a pizza, and/or movie or bowling. A few months later my friend’s sister was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church. It wasn’t complicated. All we needed was to be living in Christ, in His word, and we bore fruit.

We don’t need a lot of complicated man-made programs when “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”  (Ellen White, Gospel Workers, p. 363) How simple!

Simple does not mean there is no plan or method. It simply means the plan and method is simple.

“There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.” (Ellen White, Gospel Workers, p. 363)

Here I would like to add another word to “Simple.” Practical. Jesus’ method was simple and practical. When I go to Taco Bell, I don’t need a mumbo jumbo burrito with a million toppings on it. It just isn’t practical. A simple bean burrito is practical for me. Jesus spent most of His time, simply meeting the needs of the people. Most of His ministry was spent in simple one-on-one impromptu encounters like the woman at the well or the woman taken adultery. Whenever He did preach a sermon it was not a deep theological dissertation. It was simple and practical, and also brief.

I love the simplicity of Jesus in John 15:5, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” One morning when I awoke, I picked up my Bible to read and spend time with Jesus. As soon as I started reading, I began to think to myself, “How can you just sit here and read when you need to see that church member in the hospital, and follow up on these leads for Bible studies, and plan that seminar that is coming up.” I could barely relax and read my Bible, thinking of all the things I needed to do, but I knew it was important to spend time with Jesus so I made myself do it. I wanted to abide in Him. Later when I got to the hospital, I prayed with the lady I had come to see, and as I left, the lady in the next bed, asked me to pray with her too. I prayed with her, and shared a verse and some comforting words God gave me to share with her. I gave her my number if she needed anything else and invited her to my church when she got out. Impromtu and simple, yet fruitful.

I love simple!

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As your church seeks to do its part in outreach, keep the following points in mind:

1. At the very least, involve all of the witnessing or evangelism team in the strategic planning process. Ideally the whole congregation will be involved in the church’s setting of goals and direction.
2. Initially plan for the next church year. A twelve month strategy is long enough to start with. Later, you can add more plans and strategies that will continue on beyond the initial period.
3. Give great attention to helping strategic personnel know exactly what is expected of them and at what time. When people are not sure of what to do or when and how to do it, a church’s strategic momentum toward its goals may be slowed or halted. 

Discussion Questions:

   “Every church should be a training school for Christian workers.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 149. How well does your local church fare in this area? If not very well, what can be done to bring about the needed changes?   

  “Every day Satan has his plans to carry out—certain lines that will hedge up the way of those who are witnesses for Jesus Christ. Now, unless the living, human agents for Jesus are humble, meek, and lowly of heart because they have learned of Jesus, they will just as surely fall under temptation as they live; for Satan is watching and artful and subtle, and the workers, if not prayerful, will be taken unawares. He steals upon them as a thief in the night and makes them captives. Then he works upon the minds of individuals to pervert their individual ideas and frame their plans; and if brethren see danger and speak of it, they feel that a personal injury is done them, that someone is trying to weaken their influence. One draws one way, and another in an opposite direction.”—Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 101. How can we, as we seek to do the work of witnessing, deal with the danger so graphically presented in this passage? What is our only defense?  

 In class, talk about someone or some church evangelistic project, as a whole, that has been successful. What can you learn from that person or project? How can you adapt what you learned to the work in your area, realizing that every situation is different and what works in one place might not work in another?

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That same week an Adventist evangelist came to hold meetings in our town. His wife would hold training sessions for people interested in becoming Bible workers. I didn’t plan to go to the workshop; I didn’t even know what it meant to be a Bible worker. But God impressed me to attend.

As the week progressed, war raged within me. I had a chance for a perfect job and great pay, but God seemed to be calling me to work for Him. Should I quit my present job and work for God as a Bible worker? The struggle made me miserable until I surrendered to God. I quit my job and signed up for further training to become a full-time Bible worker.

I returned to India to tell my parents of my decision. I knew that they would be disappointed, and maybe even angry to learn that I was giving up a career to work for God. But the confrontation was far more difficult than I imagined. My father cried and tried to convince me to stay in India and work. Finally my step-mother convinced my father to let me do as I wished with my life.

I took a three-month Bible training course and returned to Australia to begin work as a Bible worker at Gateway, the church plant focusing on university students and young professionals in Melbourne, Australia. We meet with young people on the campus and become friends. Then we invite them to our Bible study and worship group. Most of the young people who come know almost nothing about God. They socialize, eat, study God’s word together, and pray and praise God. In one year about 90 people have come at least once, and 12 to 15 come regularly. A number of these are studying the Bible with us regularly.

Many international students come who have no concept of God. Others have attended church before but have had no personal relationship with Jesus. We tailor our Bible studies to what the students need.

This church plant has received funding from Global Mission, and the mission offerings support the ongoing work. I praise God that He called me to work for Him and that He calls each member of His church to make such ministries possible through their offerings.

To learn about other Global Mission projects that are touching lives for God, visit www.global-mission.org.

Vikram Panchal shares his faith with young people in Melbourne, Australia.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
Find more stories like this at AdventistMission.org

email: info@adventistmission.org

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[Thought questions for Equipping for Evangelism and Witnessing May 23, 2012]

1. Good deeds. If all that is good is of God, what do you make of the statement in the quarterly that good deeds can be performed apart from Jesus Christ? Is that possible? What about equipping someone else for a witnessing or evangelistic program? Can you do that? By the grace of God?

2. Job preparation. What are some of the job requirements you can think of for a job as a soul-winner in the Adventist church? Is there such a job? If so, does the job require skills in salesmanship? persuasion? management? If you had to choose between a professional evangelist with lots of charm and an ordinary preacher with no platform talent at all, what would you look for in making your choice? Why? What do your church members need more…Training in one-on-one friendship and witnessing? or training and experience in group evangelism?

3. Learn by Observing. What could you have learned about evangelism from watching Jesus feed the crowd of 5,000? Have you ever had 5,000 people over for lunch? Suppose this happened, and somehow you got the job done, and it was a great success. Would you give credit to the talents God gave you? How would you feel if, like John the Baptist, you’d been a great success but ended up in prison? Does God always reward the faithful with success?

4. Learn by Doing. If you study every move and then copy what a prize-winning golfer does, do you become a prize-wining golfer, too? Do you remember learning to swim? Until you plunged into the water, could you have been a success at swimming? Do you like going from house to house inviting the people to attend a special church program? Is it always a surprise, or can you know ahead of time if you are capable of inviting someone to participate in a program or activity?

5. Failure. Have you ever tried to bring up a spiritual topic with someone and been told to jump in a lake (or in some other way to disappear)? Would you consider that encounter a failure? If your goal is  to bring everyone you meet next week into a saving relationship with Jesus, what would constitute a failure in your thinking? Did Jesus’ disciples ever fail? Have you ever observed well-meaning words drawing a wedge between the speaker and the listener? Can God help us turn our failures into steping stones? How?

6. Success. In God’s terms, what is success? How does God’s definition differ from that of most people’s? Do we have better success in winning people to our church affiliation when we follow tested rules and procedures? Will some of our mightiest successes in our church turn out to be disastrous failures in the end? In what way(s) does Satan succeed with his plans? Does God want us to enjoy success in winning souls? Is it a challenge to be both successful and unselfish?

7. Local church training. Does your church plan evangelistic or outreach programs a year in advance? If not, why not? Who is involved in developing your outreach plans? What are Satan’s specific plans for your church? Should we encourage our church’s children to develop their skills such as public speaking, music, and friendliness? What temptations come to us as we endeavor to prepare our church for a ministry that reaches far and wide?

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There are two areas in which we can learn through success. There is the area that can be called practical/procedural and the area that can be called spiritual cooperation. Although it can be rightly argued that there is a spiritual aspect to both areas, we will deal with them separately in order to better highlight what can be learned from success.

The practical/procedural is where we learn from what we actually do. For instance, we learn the most acceptable sequence in which to present Bible studies in our area. We learn which preaching venue is best, which advertising draws the most people, and a host of other practical and procedural choices that best fit our particular location.

Spiritual cooperation is an emphasis upon the fact that God is intimately involved in the believer’s witnessing and evangelism. After all, it is God’s will that everyone be saved.

Read 2 Peter 3:9. What crucial lesson must we take from this verse that we should always keep in mind and claim in all our witnessing activities? See also 1 Cor. 3:6. 

It is no use planting if no one is going to water the seed. Likewise, it is no use watering if you don’t put the water where the seeds are planted. And even if the sower and the one who waters get it all right, there is still no increase unless given by God. As we see the blessing of God bringing success to our humble efforts, we learn. We learn the extent to which God is, and wants to be, involved in our endeavors. We learn to trust Him more. We learn the importance of a close spiritual cooperation with God as we strive to reach the souls for whom Christ died because there isn’t a person you witness to for whom Christ has not died and whom He doesn’t want to see saved. How important it is that we never forget that crucial truth.

How do we take the words of Jesus in John 15:5 and make them practical and real in our life, particularly in our work of witnessing and evangelism? How can we as individuals or as a team ministry truly experience what Christ tells us in this text? What things must we change in order to have that kind of connection with Him?

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Have you ever tried to learn how to play a new game by just reading the directions? It’s pretty hard to do, isn’t it? It’s much easier if someone in the group already knows how to play the game and they walk you through the first couple of times.

Have you ever wondered how skateboarders and motocross riders learn to do what they do? Do they sit in classes, read books on their tricks, take tests over the physics involved and write papers? In fact, a person could read an infinite number of books about how to skateboard, but until he or she actually got on a skateboard and tried to ride it, he isn’t going to learn how, right?

When Jesus called His disciples, He followed the same pattern of teaching that we now know ensures the most success. First, He talked about what He wanted them to learn. Next, He showed them, and then He had them try it, both with supervision and without. That’s how apprentices used to learn their tasks.

We don’t have many apprentices around anymore, but my father, who was born in 1910, began his working life as a blacksmith’s apprentice. Since he was kind of on the cusp of what we would consider “old world” ways of thinking and “modern” ways, he went to school too. He became a tool and die maker/machinist and never lost his love of creating things with his hands. He was also a sculptor and could make pretty much anything out of metal, stone or wood.

Now, even though my father learned his skills mostly through practice, I remember that he had a book he would refer to from time to time. It was called the Machinist’s Handbook. I really couldn’t tell you what all it had in it, even though I have looked through it many times, because it made absolutely no sense to me. But he could look through its pages and find a solution to a problem that he had encountered in one of his tasks. He even had parts of that book memorized because they were the most helpful to him. Hm … are you thinking what I’m thinking?

We could say that the disciples were Jesus’ apprentices, couldn’t we? Apprentice fishers of men.

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:18-20

“The prompt, unquestioning obedience of these men, with no promise of wages, seems remarkable; but the words of Christ were an invitation that carried with it an impelling power. Christ would make these humble fishermen, in connection with Himself, the means of taking men out of the service of Satan, and placing them in the service of God. In this work they would become his witnesses, bearing to the world His truth unmingled with the traditions and sophistries of men. By practicing His virtues, by walking and working with Him, they were to be qualified to be fishers of men.”¹

Can you imagine what that must have been like for the men that Jesus called? Did they really understand what Jesus was calling them to do? Did they have any idea what was involved in being a fisher of men? I’m thinking, probably not. And they went anyway. Isn’t that odd?

Do you think you would have gone? Did Jesus call other people who chose not to go with Him? Do you realize that Jesus is calling us, right this moment, to become fishers of men, just like He did those men?

How do we become fishers of men? I mean, the disciples had Jesus right there with them for three and a half years, and they still didn’t really figure it out until after Jesus died. How can we even begin to learn?

Well, in addition to the Holy Spirit, we do have the Bible. We can sit at Jesus’ feet almost like the disciples did and learn from His words. In some ways, it might even be easier for us, because it’s condensed to the most important information.

We have to remember, though, that it’s easy to get stuck in the book phase of learning. We can get all caught up in theory and debate, but that’s probably not going to lead anyone to Jesus.

A few years ago, I decided to learn to crochet. I got a book or two, I looked on the internet. I read how to get started and I looked at picture after picture of all the different kinds of stitches. I looked at pictures of afghans and baby sweaters. But until I picked up a crochet hook and some yarn and started practicing, I hadn’t learned how to crochet.

Reading the directions is fine, but we have to move on from there. We have to start practicing what we’ve read. How many of us come to church every week, study our lesson, read our Bibles, and that’s all?

We’re stuck in the first phase of becoming fishers of men.

That’s all good stuff to do, but it isn’t enough. We have to move on to phase two: practicing what we’ve been learning.

What? You don’t think you’re ready?

“One of the lessons I have learned in six and half decades of life is that very few dreams should go on hold while you improve the shortcomings of your life …. To be sure, there are times when you need to stop what you are doing and focus on conquering a flaw. But if you wait till all your shortcomings are remedied, your dreams will die. All our advances are with a limp.

“If you wait till you are beyond criticism to pursue your dream, you will never do it. You won’t marry or stay married. You won’t decide to have children or raise them. You won’t take your first job or keep it. You won’t go into missions or stay there …. Few things paralyze people more than their own imperfections. And there are always people around to remind you of your flaws and suggest you can’t move forward until you’re better.”²

You know what? On our own, we’ll never be ready. And Satan will make sure that we never, ever feel ready. We have to start anyway, holding Jesus’ hand, and He’ll take us where we need to be. We just have to start doing something. Jesus didn’t spend three and a half years teaching His disciples and then say, “OK, the teaching’s over, go home.” No! That’s when the real work started! If you doubt that, you need to re-read the book of Acts.

I’m sure that sometimes the disciples didn’t feel like they could do what they were supposed to be doing. And without the Holy Spirit, they couldn’t. But, with the Holy Spirit, they could do absolutely anything!

The same goes for you and me. There will be times when we’re tired or when we mess things up or just don’t know what to do next. But Jesus is right with us, whispering to us, “for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20b

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Sometimes we may fail to reach all of the goals that have been set for a particular evangelism activity. Does this mean that we have totally failed? Of course not. Regardless of the strategy we employ in our search to win the lost, we will have both successes and failures. We may even set the bar too high. For instance, if we fail to reach set baptismal goals, we may have set unrealistic goals; or this activity may have been more of a seed-sowing venture rather than a reaping program. In short, however much we might think the harvest is ready for reaping, it might still only be sowing time. We aren’t always in a position to know.

Read 1 Peter 5:8. What other power is dedicated to undermining your attempts to win people to God’s kingdom? How can being conscious of this threat help us to better prepare and execute witnessing and evangelism strategies?

In all of our attempts to win souls, we are up against a supernatural foe that is very active to influence people against the gospel. Sometimes when we let go of the hand of the Lord, the evil one can cause some problems with our efforts to work for God. Our only defense is the complete surrender to Christ every moment of our lives.

As with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, failure may sometimes cause us to play the blame game, one of Satan’s most successful tools for bringing disharmony among God’s people. Rather than looking for people to blame, we would better undertake serious, honest, and intensive evaluation, remembering that even Jesus, the greatest Preacher/Evangelist, did not win everyone to whom He appealed.

Compare Luke 10:17 and Matthew 17:14–20. What did the disciples do when they encountered failure in their ministry?  

Rather than give in to despair over our perceived failures, we can learn from the disciples again. Even though they had been given the power over evil spirits and had indeed been successful in casting them out, it is evident that sometimes they failed to accomplish that for which Jesus had gifted them. On such occasions they came to Jesus and asked Him to explain what was happening and why (see Matt. 17:19). Here is a principle that we would do well to note; an important part of our search for reasons for failure, and how to do better, is to take our witnessing and evangelism situations to the Lord.

What have you learned from your failed attempts at witnessing to others that can help you in future attempts? How often does fear of rejection hold you back?

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[Teaching Plan for "Equipping for Evangelism and Witnessing" May 21, 2012]

1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 11:4-6.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. What kind of reporting would you feel was important to share with others?
C. Personal Application: How can we go and show others what we have seen and heard when we are far removed from Jesus’ physical presence and miracles?
D. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “The only healers I hear about and see are on TV asking for my money in Christ’s name. I think they are fake and crooked. So where are Christ’s real people and miracles today?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Luke 10:1-11.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. When do we give up on trying to reach a city, country, or a person with the gospel? When they first reject it? When they refuse to hear it? When they persecute you? Why did Jesus tell the 70 to turn away after the first try?
C. Personal Application: What are church members usual excuses for not witnessing for their faith?
D. Case Study: One of your friends states, “This kind of witnessing is like missionary work, where a person leaves home and lives in other areas for a long time and depends on others for food and shelter. Our social structure and Christian witness doesn’t follow this model anymore, and a lot of counsel doesn’t seem to apply to us today.” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Matthew 17:14-21.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. Is fasting something of the past, or do your church members fast and pray for special occasions? Share.
C. Personal Application: Have you ever tried to witness to a friend, neighbor, or coworker that didn’t turn out very good? What did you learn from that experience in regards to false witnessing? Share..
D. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “So according to this Scripture, the reason many people aren’t healed or cured from many physical and mental problems is because the church members don’t have enough faith or connection with God.” How do you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read 2 Peter 3:9.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. What are some ways that the devil uses to keep us from sharing the gospel with someone else? Does social status, personality differences, culture, race, or financial status have any influence on our efforts?
C. Personal Application: How urgent do you feel it is that you try to reach people for Jesus before the end comes? Are we waiting for Sunday laws before we start taking things seriously?
D. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Note: “Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.” MH p. 149)

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No matter how many books a person reads about his or her favorite sport, and no matter how many games are watched, if someone wants to be a player they have to put their boots on and get out on the field. We call it hands-on experience, learning by doing, and without it a person is simply not equipped for the task. This universal truth even applies to the Christian’s witnessing and evangelism. Sometimes we hear people say that they don’t want to get involved because they are not completely ready. They must understand that active participation is a vital part of becoming ready. Starting small, step by step, building up, is the way to go. As the Holy Spirit leads us, our skills, experience, and confidence increases.

Matthew 10:1–14 records Jesus equipping His disciples and then sending them out. However different the situation than what we face today, what can we learn from Him sending them out that reveals how this was part of their training?

Jesus had taught the disciples “in the classroom,” so to speak. He had also taken them out into the field where they learned by observing what He did. Then after Jesus had equipped them with power to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons (vs. 8), He sent them out without Him. But notice the amount of instruction He gave as He sent them out. Jesus instructed them about what to preach, what miracles to perform, what not to take with them, with whom to lodge, and when to leave an unfruitful field of labor. We can safely assume that they received other instructions, as well. Only through this interaction with people would many important lessons be learned. This passage shows on-the-job training at its best. They couldn’t minister to those with whom they didn’t come into contact; this is a point we must never forget.

Read Luke 10:1–11. What similarities are there between the instructions Jesus gave to the 12 and to the 70? Again, what principles can we learn for ourselves from His instructions?  

Although initially Jesus sent the seventy into places where He intended to shortly go Himself (vs. 1), He knew what the disciples and other missionaries would encounter as they attempted to spread the gospel after His ascension when they were on their own. The instructions given to the seventy disciples as they were sent out indicates that Jesus was preparing them for what lay ahead.

How many excuses do you manage to find to not witness for your faith when the opportunity arises? What’s your usual one?

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There are two aspects to learning for those who wish to serve the Lord, and one leads to the other. First there is learning to know Jesus; then comes learning how to share Him and what He offers to the whole fallen human race.

Read about the time Jesus fed the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–44, Luke 9:10–17, John 6:1–14). List the things that the disciples would have observed that would help equip them for their future ministry. What things can we safely assume they observed that are not specifically mentioned in the Gospel accounts? Read also what Ellen White adds to this story in The Desire of Ages, pp. 364–371.

How exciting not only to listen to the greatest preacher but to observe His presentation as He preached about the kingdom of God (Luke 9:11) in a way that would have created a desire for the kingdom in every heart.

The principle of learning through observation is applicable to everyone. Book learning, or listening to instruction, must always be built upon through observation and involvement. Jesus expected the disciples of John the Baptist to learn from what they had observed.

Examine Matthew 11:1–11. What had the disciples of John the Baptist observed, and what did Jesus expect them to tell John as a result of their observations? What lesson was Jesus teaching not only John but His own disciples?  

John the Baptist had previously presented Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But then John was imprisoned with no opportunity to preach, and he heard only secondhand reports of Jesus’ ministry. It seems that his prison experience caused some doubts to surface in his mind regarding Jesus. When doubts arise we should go to Jesus, and this is exactly what John did. Jesus sent John’s disciples back to tell him what they had heard and seen. As their reports encouraged John, we are left to wonder how the things that they had seen impacted their own witnessing and evangelistic ministry.

In most cases we can’t do the kind of miracles performed by Jesus. But with a willingness to die to self and live for others, what can we do in our own sphere that reflects the kind of work that Jesus did when here?

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In Matthew 9:37 Jesus told the disciples that the harvest was plentiful but the laborers few. Today the harvest is infinitely larger and the laborers are still relatively few. There is a great need to send out harvest workers who are thoroughly trained and equipped. While it ever remains true that the Holy Spirit’s influence is the major factor in the success of witnessing and evangelism, it is still important that those whom God calls to service be trained through formal instruction, observation, and participation. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, there should be a definite endeavour to equip people for the many and varied aspects of ministry and service.

God has promised to bless leaders with certain gifts that will help them function as leaders and trainers for ministry. We can’t stress enough, however, that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are not following scriptural guidelines if they are doing all the work themselves and are not equipping others for service. Everyone who is training for witnessing and evangelism work must be brought to the strong conviction that it is indeed God’s will that the world be saved from sin, that the God-given work of the church is to reach out to a lost world, and that it is God’s will that His church in the world will grow.

Read Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 in the context of Matthew 28:19. What significance do you see in the fact that the first recorded command of Jesus was “ ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’ ”? What should those words mean to us today as Seventh-day Adventists with our understanding of the three angels’ messages? How much “fishing for men” are we really doing as opposed to just “tending to our own boats”?  

It is significant that Jesus did not simply call the disciples to be fishers of men. He did not say “Follow Me, and be fishers of men.” He said, “ ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” Right at the beginning of their formal association with Jesus these men understood that they were embarking upon important training. Jesus called them into a learning environment where they would be trained for the task to which He had called them. The disciples would learn much through watching and doing. Only when they had learned, on the local scene, what to do and how to do it would Jesus issue to them a worldwide commission. Without the appropriate training, instruction, and personal spiritual development of workers, the task of taking the gospel to our neighborhoods would seem impossible.

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