The Trellis and the Vine (5 page)

Simply by virtue of being a disciple of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit of the new covenant, all Christians have the privilege, joy and responsibility of being involved in the work God is doing in our world, the “work of the Lord”. And the fundamental way we do this is by speaking the truth of God to other people in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Is every Christian a missionary?

Most of the references we’ve looked at in the epistles refer to Christians speaking the truth of God’s word to one another. But what of speaking the word to non-Christians?

It is somewhat surprising that the New Testament contains relatively few exhortations for ordinary believers to speak the gospel to others. Scholars and missiologists have debated the reasons for this. One possible answer lies in the reality that the gospel was advancing irresistibly from one region to another, powerfully breaking into first-century society, saving individuals and forming communities of Christ. The first believers were inevitably caught up in this dynamic, Spirit-inspired movement and could not have avoided ‘evangelism’, even if they had wanted to. If you stuck your head up as a convert to Christ, whether Jew, God-fearing Gentile or pagan, you were in danger of getting it lopped off. At the very least, you would be asked to give a reason for your new hope (cf. 1 Pet 3:13-16).

The new disciples at Thessalonica were a case in point. The gospel had come to them not simply with human words, but powerfully and with deep conviction (1 Thess 1:5). They had become imitators of Paul and of the Lord Jesus in the sense that they welcomed the message of truth with Spirit-inspired joy, despite persecution. And not surprisingly these young converts became missionaries without even joining a mission agency:

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thess 1:6-10)

The gospel had so transformed their world view, and the Holy Spirit had so enlivened them, that the word of the Lord “sounded forth” from the Thessalonians, both locally and further afield. The Greek word used here (
execheõ
) conveys the picture of God’s word ringing out from them as the sound from a clanging bell. They could not keep the message to themselves, even though their social relationships were now very difficult. Wherever Paul went, he heard this report of how the Thessalonians had welcomed the gospel and turned to the living and true God.

Some commentators cannot envisage that these new Christians would have engaged in missionary activity, and so claim that it was the report of their conversion that was spread abroad. But this is not what the text says—it was the word of the Lord itself that rang out from them. Anyway, it is a false distinction. How could the report have rung out without the content of the gospel also being communicated?

My point is that it was inevitable and natural that these new converts, whose religious and social life had been turned upside down, would have spoken to others about the gospel that had transformed them. They would not have had to be
told
to evangelize. How could they have avoided explaining what had happened to them, whether at the meat market or a dinner party?

Which brings us to a central passage on this issue:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor 10:31-11:1)

Becoming a Christian in first-century Corinth raised the social dilemma of which dinner parties to attend, and what to eat when you got there. Unlike our modern Western societies (but like other cultures in the world today), dining and religious practice were integrally related. So what should new Christians do about eating “food offered to idols” (1 Cor 8:1)? The ‘weaker’ brother thinks this is sinful (8:7-8). Paul knows he is free to eat idol meat because there is only one God and one Lord, but he does not exercise his freedom so as to avoid being a stumbling block to others (8:4-13).

The exercise of our Christian freedom is the big theme of these chapters. Paul knows he is “free from all”, but he intentionally makes himself a slave to everyone—whether to Jews, Gentiles or ‘weak’ Christians (1 Cor 9:19-23). And why does he curtail his freedom and forfeit his rights? His goal is to “win more of them” (v. 19), to “save some” (v. 22), “for the sake of the gospel” (v. 23). The goal of his social flexibility was the salvation of others.

It is very striking that Paul calls upon ordinary believers in Corinth to be imitators of him, as he is of Christ. And this imitating is not in some general sense, but in
actively seeking the salvation of others
. They are not to seek their own advantage “but that of many, that they may be saved” (10:33). In decisions about food and drink, and in all matters, the goal is the glory of God (v. 31). They must not cause anyone to stumble in faith, whether Jew, Gentile or a (weak) brother in the church of God (v. 32). Although the mission responsibilities and activities of the Corinthians would have differed from Paul’s, their orientation in life was to be the same. Their whole aim was to be the glory of God in the salvation of others.

The Christian without a missionary heart is an anomaly. The missionary heart will be seen in all kinds of ways: in prayers for the lost, in making sure our behaviour offends no-one, in gospel conversations with friends (at dinner parties!), and in making every effort to save some. We are slaves without rights, even though we are free (cf. 2 Cor 4:5; Phil 2:7).

There are other important passages that portray the missionary heart and activity of ordinary disciples.

Disciples are called to a distinctive, ‘salty’ lifestyle characterized by good deeds and righteousness. By living this way we shine as lights in the world, attracting praise not to ourselves but to God our Father (Matt 5:13-16). We are called to pray for the bold proclamation of the gospel in the world (Col 4:2-3). Our conversation with outsiders should be gracious yet provocative, giving appropriate answers to the questions that are prompted by our way of life (Col 4:5-6). The sound doctrine of the gospel produces a radical Christian way of life that gives no grounds for slander, and makes the teaching of the gospel attractive to the world (Titus 2:1-10). Like God’s chosen people Israel, Christians both corporately and privately are to make God known to the nations by declaring his mercies in the gospel and by living a holy life (1 Pet 2:9-12, 3:1-2). Even in the midst of persecution, believers are to surrender to the lordship of Christ and gently give a defence of the hope we have in the gospel (1 Pet 3:15).

We have to conclude that a Christian with no passion for the lost is in serious need of self-examination and repentance. Even the atheists have worked this out. Penn Jillette is an avowed and vocal atheist, and one-half of the famous comic-illusionist act Penn and Teller. He was evangelized by a polite and impressive man, and had this to say about the experience:

“…I’ve always said, you know, that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward… How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that…”
[2]

Whenever and however to whomever

The New Testament envisages that all Christian disciples will be prayerful speakers of God’s word, in a multitude of different ways and contexts.

In each context, the message is essentially the same. It’s not as if we come to know Christ through the gospel word but then use a fundamentally different message to encourage each other as Christians. The ‘word of God’, the message that he has revealed in and through Christ by his Spirit—this is what converts us, and it is also what causes us to grow, bearing the fruit of godliness. The vine grows, both in the number of leaves and in their quality and maturity, through the word and Spirit—through God’s truth being heard, and the Spirit making it effective in people’s hearts.

This happens in our gatherings, but it also happens day by day as Christians speak the truth to each other and exhort one another to stay strong (Eph 4:25; Heb 3:13). It happens in the home as fathers bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). It happens in the world as we proclaim the excellencies of Christ before the nations (1 Pet 2:9), or engage in gracious, salty conversations with outsiders (Col 4:5-6), or give gentle, respectful answers about the Christian hope (1 Pet 3:15-16).

Let’s pause for a moment, and tease out what this means in practice. Here, off the top of my head, are ten ways in which any Christian might “speak the truth in love” to someone else in the name of Christ, and thus participate in God’s great work in the world:

• Geoff is asked by his workmate Peter what he did on the weekend, and he replies that he heard an excellent sermon in church that helped him understand for the first time what was really wrong with the world. When Peter asks him to elaborate, Geoff explains why sin and God’s judgement explain the problems in our world. Geoff continues to pray for Peter that these sorts of opportunities would continue and that Peter’s heart would be softened to respond to the message.

• Sarah’s teenage son is having real problems at high school, and as they talk about it at night, she reassures him that God is stronger and more faithful than any friend, and prays with him.

• Bill is chatting to George after church, and shares with him how encouraged he was by a particular verse in the Bible that day.

• Michael meets one to one every fortnight over breakfast with his mate Steve, who is a newish Christian. They use the
Just for Starters
set of Bible studies to work through some of the basic issues of living the Christian life.

• Alison is worried about her friend Debbie, who struggles with anxiety and has been missing church quite a lot. Alison writes her a one-page letter, offering encouragement, quoting a few Bible verses, and offering to get together to pray.

• Warren goes to a Bible study group each week at Jim’s house with six other people. He makes sure that he has read and thought about the passage before he goes, and prays that God would help him to say true and encouraging things in the group.

• Irene is quite elderly and finds it hard to get out, but she phones her friend Jean every second day, talks to her about the Bible passage she has read that morning and prays with her over the phone.

• Clare has been praying for her friend Shirley for months, and finally invites her to an evangelistic evening that her church is running. On the way home in the car, Clare talks to Shirley about the message, and does her best to answer Shirley’s questions.

• Trevor rearranges his work schedule so that he can take Wednesday morning off to teach Scripture classes in his local primary school. He and his wife end up doing this for many years, and have an enormous impact on the lives of kids and teachers at their local school.

• At Phil’s church, they take a few minutes during the Sunday meeting for a congregation member to give a testimony or to bring an encouraging word to the congregation. This Sunday it’s Phil’s turn, and he tells how the teaching of Ephesians 5 has turned his marriage around.

The names and details have been changed slightly, but these are real examples of Christians prayerfully bringing the truth of God to other people. It can happen at home, at work, over the back fence, at church, in small groups, in a coffee shop—anywhere. But that it happens is vital, because this is the “work of the Lord”; this is the Great Commission in action; this is the vine work that all Christians can and should be engaged in.

For those who like to think more systematically, here’s another way of looking at the different ways Christians can be involved in prayerfully bringing the word of God to others. We all exist in three spheres or contexts of life: our family or home life; our interaction with friends, colleagues, neighbours and the wider community; and fellowship with God’s people in our congregations. How might we speak the truth of God’s word in each of these contexts?