Why Your Best Teaching Might Be Hurting Your Kingdom Impact (The Counterintuitive Secret Shared by Jesus and Silicon Valley)
Practical Urban Mission - Part 5
By S. Crawley
Photo by Patrick Foreon Unsplash
So, we are growing in our ability to be witnesses who point to who God is by our authenticity and spirituality.
And we are increasingly picking up guidance and signals from our Father as we intentionally look for how He is at work around us.
What comes next?
Evangelism and discipleship are the obvious next steps.
In this post we will look at two contrasting approaches. One common, and one less common but more effective - particularly given the complexity of urban mission.
Approach #1 - Evangelism and Discipleship as Gaining Knowledge
Many of us have been trained in a teaching approach to evangelism and discipleship.
The logic is straightforward. We have important knowledge from God. Other people need to hear it. When they hear and agree with it, their lives will change.
Except usually, this does not happen.
People often aren't interested in the information we want to give them. They don't see any connection with their lives and concerns. If they’re not interested, they don’t listen.
Sometimes they ARE interested, they DO listen, and they DO agree. They might pray a "prayer of salvation". They might even start attending church services.
Yet, where evangelism and discipleship are purely a knowledge exercise, there is no transformational impact on their lives or relationships. They may have changed their intellectual opinions about God and even some of their weekly social rhythms. But there is no heart transformation that flows out into the rest of their lives.
Approach #2 - Evangelism and Discipleship as a Journey of Discovery
Discovery is the secret sauce of both personal spiritual growth and disciple-making movements.
Facilitating discovery is about creating an environment or situation where people are exposed to God and His word, and have an opportunity to respond to Him. God is already at work in each person’s life and heart.
“Discovery” happens when an open or hungry heart connects the dots between the Living God and the things that were being stirred in their hearts.
Why is Discovery important?
There are at least two highly compelling reasons.
It Creates Space for God at the Centre
Jesus emphasised the importance of the interaction between the individual and the Father in the evangelism and discipleship process (John 6:44-45). The Father draws people to Jesus, and the Father teaches those who are willing to listen and learn. It is not for us to take the Father's role.
The Holy Spirit has been made available to all people (Acts 2). He has been sent to teach and convict (John 15:26-27; 16:7-15). He is infinitely aware of the hunger in individual hearts.
However, when we tell and teach, we can easily start with our priorities and our agendas. But our perspective is limited, and our agendas can often miss the mark. Even more so in complex urban environments where we are interacting with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds and situations.
When the Holy Spirit tells and teaches, it is always spot on.
What we can do, as we discern what He is doing, is play a part in creating opportunities for hungry or curious people to listen to Him. When we facilitate discovery, we create space for Him to speak and move in a way that He gets the glory.
Most people we meet may not know how to listen to God or encounter Him at a personal level. Few are aware that God actually desires to have a personal and close relationship with them. They may not realise such a relationship is possible.
2. It is a Highly Effective Teaching Approach
Throughout our lives, we've all experienced many people telling us things. Some of it sticks. Some of it doesn't.
"Telling" has been established as an inferior approach to education. On the other hand, the information sticks when we discover it ourselves through experience and our own hunger. This is reflected in training and education trends in business and industry.
This is Discovery.
Bible discovery empowers people. It creates direct connection between Biblical and spiritual truths, and the realities of our personal and social worlds.
Discovery facilitates encounter. Like Jacob at Bethel (Gen 28:10-17), discovery experiences move people from a distant awareness of God to an intimate sense of His loving presence in their lives.
Discovery is life changing. It facilitates an ongoing learning loop of listening and responding to God that transforms us and our relationships, deepens our trust in Him, and enables us to bring peace to the communities where He has placed us.
Given that God is actively witnessing, teaching and convicting, the best way we can serve people in their spiritual hunger is to create and multiply spaces for them to discover God and respond to Him.
Next time we will dive into the practical details of ways to do this.
For Reflection
1. A Scripture - John 15:26-27; 16:7-15
What does this passage tell us about the Holy Spirit's role in helping people discover and encounter God? How might this shape our approach to walking alongside others in their spiritual journey?
2. A thoughtful question
Think about your most meaningful spiritual discoveries or "aha moments" with God. How did they happen? What were the situations or circumstances that made them possible?
3. A possible application
Who is someone in your world who seems spiritually open or hungry. How might you create a simple space or opportunity for them to discover God's presence or activity in their life?
Discipling the Urban Harvest provides practical insights and encouragement to walk with God in multiplying discipleship in an increasingly urban world - growing as children of the Father, serving the communities He has called us to, and discipling those hungry to know Him.