Reasonable Service

George W. Peters in his book A Biblical Theology of Missions draws from the Scripture 7 characteristics of a true disciple of Christ. They are as follows.

A Disciple of Christ is a Believing Person:
1. living a life of conscious and constant identification with Christ
a. in life, death, and resurrection
b. in words, behaviour, attitudes, motives and purposes
2. fully realizing Christ’s absolute ownership of his life
3. joyfully embracing the saviorhood of Christ
4. delighting in the lordship of Christ
5. living by the abiding, indwelling resources of Christ
6. according to the imprinted pattern and purpose of Christ
7. for the chief end of glorifying his Lord and Savior.

[Peters 188]

By: Melvin L. Hodges

Hodges has some tremendous material in toward the back of this little book in which he summarizes the missionary’s ministry to the indigenouss church.

Here is the summary of what he says:
1. The missionary is primarily a planter of churches. This includes two phases: evangelizing the lost, teaching the new Christians, and training national leadership.

2. “The missionary is a temporary factor in any local area, and he should build the church in such a way that it will be able to continue after he is gone.” He should not make himself the indispensable part of the church. He should not make everything rise and fall on himself. “Make the church the center.”

3. The missionary should not allow himself to become bogged down with the routine of maintaining the work, but seek to occupy new fields. He cannot expect every detail of evangelism and organization to be worked out perfectly before he relinquishes the direct oversight.

4. “The missionary should refuse to occupy a position that a national can fill. He should avoid becoming tied down to a local pastorate, but keep free for the work of extension. He should count it a triumph when he is able to place upon the shoulders of national leaders the responsibilities which he has been carrying.”

5. “The missionary should not be jealous of his own authority or position, but be willing for others to take the lead. If the national church has produced leaders who can fill the offices in the work, the missionary should not object to their taking office; nay, he should insist that they do so.”

6. “There is undoubtedly a danger that the missionary may withdraw too soon from the work.” But there is also the danger that he may fail to withdraw at the proper time. A withdrawel is too soon when the missionary leaves the FIELD before he has provided for the teaching and leadership that are vital to the indigenous church.”

****”Failure to withdraw at the proper time breeds discontent and dwarfs the national Christian leadership. It also holds the missionary in that one district when he could have moved on to a fruitful pioneer ministry.”*****

In Christ-Centered Counseling by Charles Solomon, the author talks about how to view the presenting problem. Here is some of what he has to say about the issue.

He states that the presenting problem is the reason the person seeks out counseling. This is what the person seeking counseling sees as the problem in his life. This is not always the case.

But many times after buying into what the counselee sees as the problem, we as disciplers set about to help remove this problem from the counselee’s life.

It could be a marital, financial, or job related issue. But what we don’t see and we do not understand is that this may be the very thing God is using to remove the self-life out of that person.

Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another’s burdens. It does not tell us to remove it completely.

We put ourselves between the person and God becoming an accomplice in trying to subvert God’s plan when we try to remove these burdens out of their life because these, many times, are the very things God is using to gain full surrender in the life of the disciple.