Go and Tell

Good morning, church! For the last three weeks we’ve been in a series called Everyday Disciple Making, looking at three phases of the journey of a disciple of Jesus. Davison started with Come and See, Jared shared Come and Learn, and today I’m wrapping up with Go and Tell.

Our vision here is to be a thriving disciple-making community, rooted in the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” That’s our hope and dream.

A quick reminder of definitions. The Greek word for disciple, mathētēs, means a learner or pupil. I also like the word apprentice. In short, a disciple of Jesus is someone who learns from Jesus.

People are at all different stages of that journey. Research suggests it now takes about twelve links of connection for someone to come to faith. So when you interact with someone, you never know which link in the chain you might be. No one goes from uninterested to disciple-maker overnight. It takes time and many relationships.

Davison spoke about how someone moves from uninterested to seeker. Jared spoke about how a seeker makes a decision to follow Jesus and become his disciple. Today I’m excited to talk about how a disciple becomes a disciple-maker. This is a huge part of my ministry. I’m passionate about raising up disciples to be disciple-makers, and new leaders who will do greater things than I ever could.

I can’t do it all

Church, let me share my heart and a realisation I’ve had as a pastor: I can’t do it all.

I look around at all of you, people I’d love to minister to. There are so many I’d love to visit, do Bible studies with and simply be there for, and I can’t. Then I look at Jesus’ life and think that if Jesus couldn’t be there for everyone, maybe it’s okay for me too.

Feeling relationally stretched, with your bandwidth shrinking, is a real challenge. I’m across two churches with so many relationships. I also want to engage with people outside the church, because I think that’s really important. Then there’s family and friends. It’s tough to navigate all of it, and I keep running into the limits of my time and energy. My heart is for everyone, but my time and energy can’t be.

So I’ve asked: if I can’t minister to every single person, what’s the best way to minister? Exhaust myself on Bible studies, visits and sermons? Or is there a better way? Today I want to share a better way, one I see in the life of Jesus and in Scripture.

What if the greatest leaders aren’t defined by what they do, but by the people they equip and raise up? I once heard it said that as a leader, your fruit needs to grow on other people’s trees. That has driven everything I do. I’ve learned to embrace my limits and realised I can multiply my impact by pouring into a few people and seeing that there are gifts in every person around me waiting to be unleashed.

Jesus the multiplier

Jesus is the ultimate multiplier. Crowds chased him everywhere, everyone wanting a piece of him, but he knew where his focus was. Scripture shows Jesus spending most of his time, by some estimates around 90%, with his disciples, his closest few. He invested in them far more than in the crowds. Jesus knew you multiply to many by investing in a few.

Think of an exponential graph, for the maths people. It starts with a very slow beginning, slowly investing in a few people. Then as they invest in the next generation, and the third and fourth, the curve shoots up until it becomes a dynamic movement.

That’s what Jesus did. He committed to the unglamorous work of discipleship, and it multiplied through those he invested in, releasing their gifts to extend his mission.

Today we’ll see how Paul describes Jesus’ ministry in Ephesians, and how Christ has given each of us gifts, not so we can sit idle in a pew, but so we can be released into the amazing callings God has for us.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

— Ephesians 4:1–16

I love Ephesians. I think it’s a foundational blueprint for Christian theology.

Unity, not uniformity

Paul starts by reminding us that, whatever our differences, if we hold to the core truths of one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all, there is unity.

It’s easy for Christians to fixate on what divides us rather than what unites us. We may differ on non-essentials, but when we centre on Jesus we find real unity, a unity that thrives without demanding uniformity, founded on harmony rather than sameness.

Descent and ascent

Then Paul describes the movement of Christ: descent, then ascent. I picture the gospel as a U-shaped curve. Christ is in the heavenly places with God, with every treasure. He descends to earth, becomes one of us, and goes down to the lowest place, the cross. Because of that he’s exalted. He ascends back to heaven and sits on the throne of God. That’s the story arc of Scripture and the gospel.

Having ascended, Christ gives gifts to ordinary people. And I believe the greatest gifts God gives the church aren’t abstract abilities. They’re people who display different aspects of who he is.

Three lists of gifts

Maybe, like me, you’ve taken a spiritual gifts test with something like thirteen categories: administration, encouragement, prophecy, apostleship and so on. How does it all fit together?

Scripture gives us three main passages on gifts:

• 1 Corinthians 12: manifestation gifts. Miracles, healings, words of knowledge, tongues. These are supernatural gifts for specific moments, and they’re displayed more rarely.
• Romans 12: skill gifts. Serving, encouraging, giving, leading.
• Ephesians 4: calling gifts, or people gifts. These are my favourite, because they’re not just what people do. They’re who people are.

I believe the greatest gift God has given his church is people who walk confidently in their calling. These five gifts have one purpose: to equip the church. They aren’t committee roles or administrative titles. They’re lived callings, deeper than any nominating committee request.

(Verse 11 says “pastors,” but some translations say “shepherds,” and I prefer that. “Pastor” has picked up connotations that don’t always reflect what the word means.)

The five callings

Here’s a snapshot of each.

Apostles, the pioneers. We often think of the twelve, but the Greek word means “one who is sent” for a particular people and mission. Apostles ask, where are we going? They think about extending the church outward as a missionary movement. We often picture overseas missionaries, but apostolic ministry happens locally too. Melbourne has so many groups and ethnicities, and we need missionaries to take the gospel into new spaces. Apostles love risk and innovation.

This is the gift I most identify with. I love risk. That makes me sound like a gambler. I’m not! But I love putting myself out there and challenging the status quo. My mum always tells me to stop testing God. An immature apostle runs over people and leaves them behind because they want to move so fast.

Prophets, the aligners. When we hear “prophet,” we often think of canonical revelation, visions or Ellen White, and those are part of prophecy. But the word is broader. It appears well over a hundred times in the New Testament, more than any of the other four. In Ephesians, this isn’t about the office of prophet but a prophetic calling: calling people back to covenant faithfulness with God. It’s the voice that asks, are we being faithful to the things of God? Prophetic people often care deeply about justice and the marginalised, just like the Old Testament prophets who stood up for the oppressed. An immature prophet can become self-righteous, overly critical and fixated on what they dislike.

Evangelists, the inviters. They ask, who else needs to hear this? They really believe the good news is good news, and they share it with anyone they meet. They’re often charismatic, great salespeople who could sell ice in Antarctica. They’re the salespeople of the gospel and love building relationships with people outside the church. An immature evangelist can be so enthusiastic that they make unwise decisions, or draw people to themselves instead of connecting them with others.

Shepherds, the protectors. They ask, is everyone cared for? They make sure people are connected to community: known, loved, cared for and protected. They care deeply, and people bring them their burdens because they can be trusted and can bear the weight of others’ problems. An immature shepherd can be overprotective and so sensitive to people’s feelings that the desire not to offend drives everything.

Teachers, the instructors. They make the deep things of God simple and convey them in captivating ways. They love theology and Scripture. An immature teacher can be so obsessed with accuracy and being right that they miss the relationship, and they can speak in such black-and-white terms that they come across with a hard edge.

If you’d like to do an assessment, email me and I’ll send one through to help you discover where your calling might lie.

Why we need all five

We need all five, because each sees the church differently:

• The apostle says the church is a place of experimentation and pioneering, always asking how we can reach new ground.
• The prophet says the church is where people learn to live righteously.
• The evangelist says the church is a place with soul, life and energy.
• The shepherd says the church is a spiritual hospital where people find healing and belonging.
• The teacher says the church is a spiritual university where we learn truth and how to live it.

Who’s right? All of them. But none captures the full essence of the church alone. That’s why Scripture says God gave these gifts so we can attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” When all five are working, we represent the fullness of Christ.

It’s like the body’s systems. Medical people, help me out: respiratory, cardiovascular… endocrine? Wow. Nervous system. I don’t really know how the body works. I just know my legs move and I can talk, and that’s all good! But if one system is out of balance, you go to the doctor. In the same way, Christ’s body has five systems working together to keep it healthy.

Much of the modern church has been built on the shepherd and teacher gifts, and that’s usually what’s expected of pastors. In the process we often miss the other three, which are just as important.

You are his body

Jesus is risen, and his physical body is no longer on earth. What captivates me is that his body here now is us: his church, his people, operating in the gifts and callings he’s placed on each of us.

And Jesus is the perfect example of all five:

• The true apostle, sent by the Father as the ultimate missionary and founder of our faith.
• The true prophet, announcing that the kingdom of God is here, calling people to respond, and advocating for the marginalised and those treated unjustly.
• The true evangelist, who not only proclaims the good news but is the good news.
• The true shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep and pursues, finds and protects those in his care.
• The true teacher, who makes the deep mysteries of God simple and beautiful, revealing truth not just in his teaching but in his life. He is the way, the truth and the life.

I share this because every one of you has a unique calling. Biblical leadership is bigger than the roles and offices we create for an organisation. You don’t need to be a pastor to be called to ministry. You don’t need a theology degree.

Notice why God gives these gifts. (Next slide, please. Thank you.) It’s not so a few people can do all the work, but “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (v. 12). We’re called to be multipliers.

• Apostles equip everyone to be missionaries.
• Prophets equip us to carry God’s holy presence.
• Evangelists equip us to share the good news.
• Shepherds equip us to love deeply.
• Teachers equip us to learn and apply God’s truth.

When everyone is functioning in their gifts, we reach unity in the faith and the full measure of Christ.

“I see in you”

So how do you equip someone? Here’s a simple tool that has powered my ministry: four letters, I C N U, I see in you.

When I catch up with leaders or potential leaders, I say, “I see in you…” and fill in the blank. Here are some conversations I’ve had with our current Echo Youth leaders, whom I’m so blessed to invest in:

“Ethan, you’re incredibly focused, intentional and organised. You hold the team together and see things others don’t. I think there’s some apostolic gifting there. You help move this team towards a common purpose. God has put that in you.”

“Dane, I see the gift of a shepherd in you. You care deeply for people and make them feel so warm and welcome in our community.”

“Michaela, you have a real gift for connecting with new people. I see an evangelist in you. You make new people feel welcome and part of God’s story.”

“Ben, you’re a solid rock for our team: stable, showing up, picking up the slack when no one else will.”

Four simple letters can help someone see in themselves what they couldn’t see before. They’ve helped raise up new leaders who began to see God’s calling on their lives because someone spoke into them.

Multiplication, not addition

Back to where I started. I’ve learned the power of multiplication and of activating gifts in people. You can be a far greater leader by investing in people and their gifts than by trying to do everything yourself.

How did Paul plant so many churches? He wrote to Timothy: “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” (2 Timothy 2:2). See the chain? Paul to Timothy, Timothy to reliable people, and those people to others: four generations. That’s how churches spread around the world, not by addition but by multiplication.

Here’s a personal story. I’d been doing Bible studies with Jordan and Viki for about two years. They hadn’t decided to be baptised yet, and I wondered when they might, but I’m not someone who forces decisions. The timing has to be right.

Usually you keep doing Bible studies until someone’s baptised. But I went against protocol and told them, “Sometimes good things need to come to an end. You both know so much now. We’ll still catch up, but I’m going to stop doing official studies with you, because it’s time for you to start doing Bible studies with someone else.”

Some of you will remember when Viki preached a while ago. She shared that she and Jordan had been in a discipleship relationship with Tommy, whose gamer name is Kilroy, because they met online. Jordan started sharing his faith with Tommy, Tommy was soaking it all up, and he began growing in his relationship with Jesus.

I saw teaching and prophetic gifts in both Jordan and Viki. They can understand difficult concepts and explain them in ways that connect with different people. I knew they could lead Bible studies, so I encouraged them to start intentional studies with Tommy. They messaged him, and he was really keen. They meet on Tuesday nights, very, very late. I joined one and faded fast!

Through those studies Tommy decided to give his life to Jesus through baptism, and so did Viki and Jordan.

It made me realise: the end goal isn’t baptism. The end goal is disciples who make disciples. That’s what the Great Commission is about.

Don’t stay on the sidelines

We’re better together. We’re not meant to do this alone. We’re called to the mission of multiplication.

It’s easy to sit on the sidelines, watch ministry happen, critique and complain from a distance. But every one of you has something essential to offer this body. Some of you have been in the church game a long time and have never really understood your calling or felt you were operating in your gifts. It’s not too late.

You’re called to notice the gifts in the people around you, call them out, speak vision over them and name the potential you see. Empower people to step up and do great things for God. Be a hero-maker, a disciple who makes disciples who make disciples.

You don’t need a theology degree for this. Look at how Jesus did ministry. He met the woman at the well, and immediately she became the evangelist for her whole Samaritan village. He didn’t say, “Go to Avondale for four years first, then share with your neighbours.” She dropped her water jar and went. The disciples still didn’t fully understand the kingdom, yet Jesus sent them out to preach it. He trusted them even though they didn’t have it all figured out.

When are you ever ready to be a disciple-maker? None of us are. We figure it out as we go.

God has placed unique gifts in the person on your left and the person on your right. Do you have the eyes to see them? Don’t stay on the sidelines. Go out, speak vision, be a hero-maker, and make disciples who will make other disciples.

Prayer

Take a moment to think of someone God might be putting on your heart: someone to invest in, speak life into, and raise up as a disciple-maker.

Jesus, thank you for descending to our earth and taking the lowest place by going to the cross. Thank you that it didn’t end there. You were raised to the highest place, and you gave us gifts so we can be your body and represent you here.

You’ve placed unique gifts and callings in every person here. Each has a sphere no one else can touch and people only they can reach, people they can raise up, speak life into, and call to be heroes in the story you’re writing. Help us think beyond ourselves. Remove our selfishness so we can step out and fulfil the Great Commission, to be multipliers of beauty and of disciples wherever we go. In Jesus’ name, amen.