Man of Depravity - Tyler Braun's posts on Church Ministry, Worship, Seminary, and Theology.

The Church Question .2

2008 December 02

by Tyler

The question yesterday was what is most important for the local church: discipleship or evangelism?

A lot of you had some great answers and reasons why for one….or both, for those of you who gave a cop out answer (Don’t worry I still love you).

You can read the first post HERE.

Today I’ll provide my answer:

Evangelism.

This isn’t to say that discipleship isn’t important and isn’t key for a church to focus on though.

My main reason is this: good discipleship leads to evangelism.

For too many churches, discipleship becomes keeping people happy. Christians in American love their comfort. I love my comfort. Evangelism isn’t comfortable. It means we have to go somewhere. Whether that be out the door, away from our comfort, or across the world. Evangelism means we can’t just stay put.

Here is the main reason why I say evangelism. Matthew 28:19 was a popular quotation for why discipleship is most vital, but I think it shows that evangelism is most important. Why?

The verse begins with “Go therefore,” and this phrasing invokes a sense of as you are going, do these things. And then the verse follows with make disciples, baptize, and teach. For me, to go is to evangelize and as you are doing that then you make disciples, baptize, and teach.

I can’t imagine the goal of Jesus’ ministry was to come and teach people and perform miracles and yet draw no one to himself. A lot of Jesus’ ministry was focused around discipleship, but all of it encompassed His passion for people to be drawn towards Him.

So in my worship music at a church role, how does this play out?

I’ll answer that tomorrow…I don’t get paid to blog so I’ll to stretch this out a little

For now you can argue with me about my poor Bible study and my use of only one verse to back up my point (hey famous pastors do it all the time!)

Let’s hear it.

By the way if you ever want to frustrate my wife ask her the same question: discipleship or evangelism? She wasn’t very happy when I wouldn’t accept her “both” answer. At that point she refused to answer the question because she said it was dumb, haha.

Filed under: the rest...

http://ash-nits.blogspot.com ash

your wife is wise.

first off, saying that “both” is a cop-out is unfair only b/c the question itself is unfair. think about the one verse you use….the evangelical calling is to disciple! in the world we live in today, we must tackle relationships- why?? b/c that is what people lack and that is what they crave. if they see that we are out to have relationship w/ them and still serve the Father, then they too will be drawn to the Him. and tyler? you say discipleship is comfortable and keeping people happy? i think you misunderstand discipleship. what churches are doing, is what i said before, entertaining- thinking that they are accomplishing both of these things and in truth, those such churches are not doing either (therefore it appears comforting)…despite their claims for one, the other or both. entertainment, bells and whistles might interest people into jesus, so their not wrong, but when it’s time to get the meat, they need to do more….and when they do, neither is comfy but that’s where each individual comes in. it is our calling, not the head of church institutions, to reach out to people….starbucks, the streets, the mall, over dinner and a movie even….and that is where both evangelism and discipleship becomes the MOST effective
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

To a point I totally know that my question is unfair. That wasn’t the point of the question. Every church leans one way or the other whether they know it or not.
http://newheights.wordpress.com/ Darin

For me I guess I heard in the question the idea of inward or outward focused. Do you look within and focus on who you have, keep them happy etc., what seems to be called discipleship, or do we look outward, evangelism, think about those who are not here or might be here for the first time.

I think the church has to be outward focused. As I tell people we are called a body not a blob. The very image of church is one that is moving, going, doing, impacting, touching and changing.

Jesus didn’t sit and wait and circle everyone who believed he moved and touched more and reached more. Did he take breaks to pray and get away from it all? Yes but notice that in places like the feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus is going to get away and pray with the disciples the needs are so great he puts that off to do what? Well one gospel says he healed another that he taught and his response to this group was to notice that they had no shepherd. It says he had compassion on them.

I think we should see the shepherdess world and be touched. Not with what do you have for me but what can we do for others. Yes people need to be fed but if I had to pick I would say it is always looking outward, evangelizing if you would, seeing those without a shepherd first and wondering what can we do before we see the found and what they need.

Every question could be answered both, I believe your point is which is most important or should carry the lead focus because you can’t focus on both no matter what one may think.
http://seth.heasley.net/blog Seth

Who’s the true audience for the “Go therefore” passage? Mightn’t it be the Twelve (eleven, actually)? I don’t think everyone is called to evangelism. But everyone *is* called to discipleship (the “take up your cross” stuff). Christian=disciple. We’ve lost some of that.

I guess it depends on perspective. The local church, as an institution, exists to make disciples. The local church body should be doing the evangelism, even if it’s the passive kind (letting our light shine and such). But the meetings should be focused on Christians and not unbelievers (if we want to go with a Biblical model of church).
Yonas

Argue with your wife=wife mad=wife makes no sandwiches=hungry=wife wins.
Miranda

hahaha!
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

Yonas- Good point…I made my own lunch today, ha.

Seth- I think there is a lot of Biblical evidence for Christians being called to both disciple and evangelize. I think there has to be more for a Christ follower than simply building up the body through discipleship.

Darin- Someone agrees with me!
http://richkirkpatrick.com Rich Kirkpatrick

It sounds like this conversation would make more sense if you used “target” rather than purpose in the equation. Your purpose to evangelize might mean you target Christians in worship to help them love their neighbors which then helps your purpose of evangelism. Your purpose to disciple might mean putting together a seeker service to allow your people to grow by inviting friends to come to church. Is not target more the issue when talking about worship services and what we favor?
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

Yeah I think that makes sense Rich. I was using the word “focus” but “target” might make it easier to see what I’m getting at here.
Yonas

See? Keep it up, and next thing you know, you’ll be sleeping on the couch, which is bad for your back.

Wife controls everything (so I’ve heard), so at all cost you shouldn’t make them angry.
Andrew

Why don’t you accept ‘both’ as an answer? I think you will find that the Bible does not define the question ‘what is most important for the local church: discipleship or evangelism?’ but it does talk about the church’s role as being the body of Christ. And in that body Jesus says there are many members, the eyes, the feet, the mouth, etc, etc. I am not saying that only some believers are called to be the evangelizers, this is the duty of all those who love Christ, however, I am saying that main focus of the church should be an attitude of teaching, loving, encouraging, rebuking, and being servants to each other. As it was in the early church. If we truly have love for our brothers, we will love them enough to bring them the gospel or at least plant seeds.

Philippians 2:1-8
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!