1. Sowers – men and women willing to cast the seed.
2. Seed – the word of God cast from the hand of the sower.
3. Soil – the hearts of the lost in which seed is cast.
4. Season – commitment to the harvest.
5. Sickle – mobilized labor in the harvest field.
Hope for the …show more content…
Nations Lutheran Church is about training (equipping) sowers to sow the seed of the Gospel intentionally though training and accountability. We rely on prayer for the work of the Holy Spirit to send us laborers. Training to sow begins immediately with all members and adherents and small groups will be built around sowing groups of accountability. We rejoice in sowing and harvesting as God grants us success in his field. We are stewards of the kingdom as we
1.
Enter and engage new fields – Soil.
2. Sow the Gospel seed – Seed.
3. Depend on the Holy Spirit for increase – Holy Spirit.
4. Nurture the new growth in the form of new believers – Season.
5. Cut and bundle the harvest in the form of kingdom community – Sickle.
6. Multiply Christ’s efforts through committed, faithful followers – Multiplying …show more content…
laborers.
Who is qualified to sow the seed of the Gospel? Jesus teaches us in John 4 that the Samaritan woman at the well was qualified and her obedience to the Gospel shows us kingdom results. Those we take time to train and hold accountable to sharing are those we truly feel are qualified. The testimony of new believers is the sickle that God uses to bring others to the saving message. We will sow the seed of the Gospel with international students from Asian/Indian and also sow the seed of the Gospel with Asian/Indian families in the DFW area and train churches to sow the seed of the Gospel to Asian/Indian communities.
We will use the 411 discipleship approach in training using four questions with one hour of training with one piece of paper. Upon completing training we will send out the disciple for two hours and then return and share the results of sowing the seed. We rejoice that we are called to share the grace of God. The 222 principle of discipleship is based upon 2 Timothy 2:2. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” We must remember that everything needed for the harvest is in the harvest.
Field #1 – Reproducible Entry Strategy
How do we enter a new field? Jesus gives us the answer in Luke 10:2-6 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” The
We look for people of peace whom God has prepared to receive the Gospel.
Jesus focus is on the heart that is open to receiving the kingdom of grace. The home that is open is a gateway to the community. When we discover an open home and open heart we have discovered where the Holy Spirit is leading for harvest.
Field #2 – Reproducible Gospel Presentation – Seeding the Field
What do I say and who is qualified to share. As previously stated we will use 411 discipleship to answer what do I say and use the 222 principle to qualify. The only way to discover effective evangelists is to train everyone and allow faithfulness to reveal fruitfulness. We hold the priesthood of believers accountable for their natural duty. The Samaritan women at the well show us four essentials of discipleship:
1. Immediate obedience to Jesus Christ. “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,” John 4:28.
2. Her personal testimony as a believer in Jesus Christ. “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did” John 4:29
3. Her Gospel presentation “Could this be the Christ?” John 4:29
4. Introduction to Jesus Christ. “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did” John
4:39
Field #4 – Reproducible Discipleship – Gather the Harvest
How do make disciples is by offering short-term and long-term discipleship. Short-term discipleship is training for 1-3 months with material that has been modified from Luther’s Catechism. Long-term discipleship is 1-3 years of training and here we would be looking to train a church planter to replicate what we have at HFTN.