The Document: Location, Location, Location

The Gospel is Everything

Merging the location of incarnation and not-yet-believers

Perhaps you have found differently, but I used to be a scientific atheist who later explored the major religions of the world before becoming Christian.  I have not known another god who freely gives His presence upon request alone.  There is no other god who gives integrity that soberly stares in the face of trials.  There is no other god I've heard of who gives mercy for faults and grace for victory.  There is no other god who delivers on promises of freedom from bondage in addictions and wounds.  There is no other god who espouses a cocktail of unity and yet variety.  There is no other god which teaches me to lead with weaknesses or miraculously paints a picture of moving closer toward, not gaining distance, from the most dangerous of people on this earth.

Everything I have comes from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is why the most worthwhile things I will steward will continue to come through the gospel.

People are Not Targets

For years when there was a large attraction at which the gospel message was eventually given I would crumple over.  Something struck me as off and for so long I couldn't put my finger on it.  Now I know how to say it:  People are not targets.  There are a few not-yet-believers who are seeking God very consciously and if they should walk into a gospel presentation, they'll joyfully receive it.  I praise God for these.  Most of the rest need more than a two minute invitation if they are to be enabled to understand the significance and power of the gospel.

I'm also feeling like an opportunist, in a different space.  I speak the term "Disciple Making" and it sounds condescending in my ears but Jesus didn't speak that term that way.  I get the same crumple feeling in my own attempts.  I still hope that the right time to share the gospel with a stranger is when they look like they need hope.  However are they too, obligated to hear the gospel message for two minutes?  Maybe.  There's something off inside of me and I know what it is now: people are not targets.

Incarnation Replaces Feelings of Opportunism

I feel crumpled about sharing the gospel and splitting out on a person, because the Spirit is prompting me to make the gospel three-dimensional.  To be fair there is nothing inherently opportunistic in sharing the gospel in two minutes in a large attractive event or on the street corner when someone needs a lift.  There is nothing wrong with approaching people directly and immediately sharing the gospel.  Paul took an opportunity with Lydia.  He sought out the riverside because it was known as a religious place of prayer.  He spoke aloud to see if God would open anyone's heart, and Lydia and her house responded.

After that scene Paul lived with them.  This was more than an opportunity to persuade people, it was a way of life.  He took it past the riverside and into daily life.  I believe daily life is the best avenue to make disciples.  All people are impressionable and are following something.  The ongoing exposure of daily living erodes initial suspicion of opportunism (or even manipulation to some perhaps) that comes through a two minute investment.  It replaces it with a sense of faithfulness and belonging and personality of Christ in me.  The gospel takes on the sensing of a pure gift, completely genuine, because I offer myself just as they do - both parties choose to engage simply through being present.  When I am asked to testify of the gospel in a context of those I see every day, all the walls and defenses have a chance to fall down, as true charity from the supernatural Spirit shines forth.  We call this "incarnation."

The way to make disciples though incarnation includes:

- Loving others and expressing oneness with the human condition  (the beatitudes)
- Serving others and demonstrating their worth at cost to our own interests  (identity as son of man)
- Testifying to others how Jesus is incarnating Himself in our own life  (imitation)
- Listening to others about what is happening in their life and pointing out to them where God is wanting to be or is currently at work in their own life (identity as son of God)

The Location Factor

Those of us engaged in church programs have the opportunity to incarnate Jesus Christ through daily living around those who already know Jesus; this is time spent with those who attend church.  It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to produce a viable program at church and so most of our relationships and time is vested there.  We can love, serve, testify and listen to fellow saints in those church places.  However we're sharing all that incarnation with people who already have eternal life.  We spend the great majority of our time with believers to bring about a two hour event where the gospel is shared with not-yet-believers for two minutes.  Nothing is inherently wrong with that, but is this all the time they're worth?  How might the church merge the location of not-yet-believers into this ripe place of Saints incarnating the Savior?

Below in "Personal Note" are stories of redemption with the people whom I spend the majority of time.  These are people we eat with, go to movies with, run errands with.  They're as good as family, friends to Ben and I and our kids.  We love them dearly and they love us too.  We've been together for years.  I continually need hope through Jesus and live and speak correspondingly.  And they know this and are excited to tell of their own hope in Jesus because they know I would understand it.  There isn't anything opportunistic about disciple making.  We are learning together how there is no other god that saves us.

(from the document...)

Personal Note

By the grace of God I have had the privilege of doing a variety of things through Christ and I believe therefore that anyone else can exercise God's power and even much more. I have leaned into God to settle disputes and provide lay counseling. While sharing the gospel we once prayed for court proceedings against a loved one and the next day the charges were dropped and this person returned to their family. I have fed hungry neighbors and watched children because I was ready according to the whispering of the Spirit. By God's wisdom I wrote a parenting plan for a mother and her children, which a year later both child and parent told me that it was right. A 19 year old woman insists she is another child of mine, and now she calls me to hear what the Bible says about an issue in her life, and shares the gospel where she dwells the most and I am amazed how the gospel has taken on meaning for her. Another precious friend teaches me every time we're together what it means to share the gospel boldly as she believes she is learning that somehow from me.  When only God told me someone should obtain justice, by Him we found free lawyers from Willamette U. and food and money resources for a woman who was being abused and abandoned. God gave me courage to speak truthfully against drug use and homosexuality and lying and fornication and excessive anger. I was arranged by God when a checker at the grocery store was literally about to break at the news earlier in the day that her husband committed adultery and gave her a long hug and reminded her about help from the LORD. I have seen God save the mentally handicapped, children, the ungodly, the cultic, and the agnostic. I accept because I saw evidence of the Spirit, in spite how some barely express they believe for a long time at first. I have later reaped over and over again beautiful articulations of what the gospel means and how they are pleased to trust God with their circumstances. These people used to be strangers to me and without any way to understand who God is and what He means to them personally, even if they had heard the gospel somewhere and at some point may have been persuaded that Christ was their Savior, but had no way to grow. Those I shared the gospel with years ago have subsequently shared the gospel with several people in their sphere and so I am tickled that I have grandchildren in Him. This is my family! :) No one can put a cap on how awesome serving the King truly is. I want more power in me and in my family and more glory for Him. All this is a miracle, I am convinced, because I am not trained at all. Making much of the Spirit before others is His idea. It may be true that I have a gift in evangelism, but disciple making is for all believers; therefore anyone can do it, even if it is just one person in this city. So many Christians already do, so praise the LORD! 


With a prayer alone God could accomplish all these things Himself. He doesn't need anyone, however in disciple making, His way is to use just that. Peter was told to travel to Cornelius and use his own mouth to share the gospel. Cornelius had to wait for Peter to come to be saved. It wasn't until a disciple maker met a God-fearer and shared grace and truth that God had His purpose accomplished. For this reason I am not concerned with criticism of self-centeredness. 


My reason in proposing The Disciple Making Workhorse comes from prayer. God kept saying “Yes” to my prayers to connect with another person, and then later He would say “Stop!” when I was in the midst of it. I want time with my family to remain protected because those relationships are primary in God's eyes. I realized I don't have time to do it all. I want another disciple and God is pleased. But I don't have any more brain cells or moments on my calendar to have another person in. The LORD showed me that what I need to do is reproduce myself. I am willing, but I need not lead it. I think this is the LORD's heart: that the willing be conscientious and transformed to do the work of making disciples. 


There is something significant lost when I hand off a paper instead of talking face to face with other believers. I can't find visible networks of those who make disciples, I must be busy running down the wrong corridors or something. I would rather talk face to face, but I'm not sure who I need to talk to, yet. And the paper gives some advantages. You can check the scriptures mentioned here and see if God brings other aspects of His Word to your heart. It becomes something you can take home and consider how you would explain your hope of making disciples. You could write a testimony of what God has already done for His Kingdom, through you, and I would love to hear this! I don't feel it a matter of pride, God has commanded saints to proclaim the things He has done through His people. In any case, passion for the lost is being stirred up! Perhaps there are a few people at church who gather together outside of church to do this very thing, already - I would like to know where they are and join up with what they are doing! If this isn't for you, that's fine. I know it's for me. And I believe that God is going to bring me to the people who seek to be knit together, wherever they are at.