JAC Online

Five Suggestions
by Captain Diane Hobbs

Captain Diane Hobbs  -  Hobbs started a corps several years ago in Victoria Australia that she continues to lead and that continues to prosper.

 

For Peter Hobbs and I in the ministry commenced on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, we believe that it clearly tells people within Luke 10 how to advance the Kingdom of God.[1] This then has been fundamental in establishing the ministry and has subsequently been the blueprint of our church plant within our area. Obviously the context in which Jesus instructed the disciples has changed but the underlying principles remain the same. It is within the context of a western modern missiological approach with which I write. However, I believe that these principles are transferrable within any socio-political, economic context.

Tip no 1:  Go with someone- do not go alone:

Within Luke 10 we see that Jesus sends out the 72 in pairs[2]. I am in no way saying it needs to be gender specific i.e married couple. I am simply speaking numerically[3]. Gender, nor gifting, is specified in this story.[4] What is specified is that they do not go alone and I think there is good reason for that. In the next sentence you get a picture of the realities of the mission field. You are being sent out as sheep among wolves.[5] In other words you will have opposition; there is no escape from that reality.[6] Opposition will impose a threat to you and at times will be extremely intense. Isolation increases the risk of vulnerability and chance of being consumed by the opposition. Partnership immediately doubles defence.

There are a lot of practicalities within this specification. Having a chosen partner go with you who shares the mission and vision[7] provides you with companionship, someone to talk to, someone to share your highs and your lows with, to pray with, seek advice, seek strength from, be strength for, etc. This person often keeps you grounded in reality. This person minimises the sense of being alone.

Tip no. 2:  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. [8] The need is great, but the people available for mission and ministry are few. So pray! Peter and I were commissioned as prayer warriors- and for our commissioning song some of the lyrics included “prayer is our warfare, Come lead us Lord!’ For all followers of Jesus, prayer is essential to ministry. There are multiple reasons for that, one of which is simply that the wolves are real. The reality of ministry is not easy and certainly requires personal sacrifice. That sacrifice at times can be too great, and many get put off by the realities of ministry. Jesus insists; pray continuously for God to raise up workers for the harvest.

These people are not necessarily always going to be leaders of groups, but they will be your alliance. Some of these people of peace will initially be simply the people that fan your flame. These people are powerful within themselves and within their networks. They will come from within the community that you are going to, or find yourself in. The nature of their influence may not be predictable or foreseen. Nevertheless, they will hear the gospel message and respond; often not just them but their family and their networks. They are people of peace. Jesus insists ‘whoever is not against us is for us’.[9] The seed that is planted within their own lives will grow. They will become passionate about the mission of God and will join you in the mission.

Often I think we graft people from outside of the community that we have been sent to, people that might already be strong in their faith, but nonetheless from outside of the community. I believe the workers for the harvest that you are praying for will come from within. From my experience, the best workers for the harvest are new Christians- or these ‘people of faith’, who have been raised up from within the new community of believers.

Tip no. 3:  Go with minimal resources!

Do not take a purse or bag or sandals.[10] There are again practical reasons for implementing this. Often today, we go into communities, with a building plan, or programme being our main priority. From the beginning we can become focused on what we want to achieve rather than what God is already achieving within the community that we are simply going to tap into, and partner in. Often a temptation in ministry is to have the greatest and best resources because it is falsely understood that that is what will ultimately attract and keep people. Jesus is actually saying- that is not what is important. I actually believe that what Jesus is trying to say to his disciples in this instance is to ‘Go! Be dependent on the community that you are being sent to’. Resources are not finite. Believe that what you need for ministry will be found within the community you are being sent to. What you are taking with you, the message of the Gospel, the reality of Jesus, is enough. There is no hiding the fact then, that you are there for one reason only. People will either want what you have- the message of the Gospel, because you have nothing else to give them, or they won’t.

By going into a community with limited resources- this forces the disciple out of their comfort zone. They are then reliant on the hospitality of the community that they are being sent to. Accept that hospitality. This stops them from saying- ‘come to me- see what I have to offer’ and instead forces them to look at what the community has to offer them. God has already gone before them and is already working within that community. By going with minimal resources, this allows us to have eyes to see what God is doing within that community, which we can then tap into, enhancing community contacts, building and establishing relationships.

Tip no. 4:  Find a person (people) of peace and sow the seed

Speaking obviously from a modern day missiological approach, when you go into the new community with nothing, you will begin to establish relationships from the natural rhythms of your own family life, interests and hobbies. i.e. the shopping centre, the post office, the kindergarten, school, your next door neighbours. I find it interesting in this passage that Jesus suggests for them not to stop anyone on the street.[11] We too have taken this quite seriously, in that we do not chase people on the street or stand on street corners preaching the Gospel. I am very aware within Australia, the majority of people are extremely wary, cynical, sceptical of people who do this. Obviously Jesus and the apostles spoke often in public places however, in this instance, I think that the advice, given by Jesus, additionally addresses another practicality.

When people are busy moving from place to place, often the relationship cannot be well established, is often superficial conversation as one of the parties is usually distracted, and keen to get to their point of destination. The Message Bible also says- Don’t impose yourself.[12] What Jesus might be implying with this, as he exampled often within his own ministry i.e Zaccheus, Mary and Martha, we go into the comfort zone of the person of peace and relax with them in their space. Rather than inviting people out of their comfort zones into our space- we go where they are most comfortable, into theirs and build and nurture relationship there. By going into other people’s spaces it also affirms them.  This is where personally I think hospitality is one of the greatest gifts, which cannot be under-estimated.  We simply meet people, their families, their neighbours, our neighbours, contacts from other people…we listen and are often directed to people who need help or who are interested in what we do, or who simply want to be friends. In the process we sow the seeds of the Gospel. The people who accept our message are by definition ‘people of peace’. These people welcome you into their home, not just you but the message you bring.

Tip no. 5:  Stay with them!

‘Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages’. Do not move around from house to house. [13] I think this also taps into the instruction- do not meet people on the street. Because what Jesus is encouraging are genuine relationships. Accept the hospitality of the community that you are going to. When you find that person of peace do not move from house to house. Now I know this seems quite contradictory to Jesus’ own ministry and the ministry of the apostles, Paul in particular- because they did move around a lot. But what it is saying in this instance is when hospitality is offered to you, take it. Stay with them. Don’t go look for something bigger or better. Meet people on their own turf and accept their hospitality, and in so doing you humanise and validate this person. You are modelling the Good News of the Gospel with them. Don’t just move on- perhaps assuming that this one person is not responding to the message of Jesus in the way anticipated, or this person can’t offer me what their neighbour can, and in so doing move on to the next person. No one can determine how a person is going to respond to the Gospel.  Go with no assumptions and with great patience.

Jesus’ ministry is again a great example of that, in that he called his disciples to follow him. The 12 men that were probably not the most ideal candidates to be followers of the Son of God were however chosen by Jesus. Why? Down the road, or in the next town there certainly would have been more educated, more articulate, more self-controlled, more financially established men… but Jesus stopped and stayed with these 12. Why? Because he saw the potential within all of these flawed individuals. Even when he was exasperated at their lack of faith, their unbelief, their squabbling for position, their abandonment, he remained with them, never forgetting and investing in their potential. The seeds sown in their lives were seeds that slowly took root, that required great suffering and periods of doubt to become deeply established, but Jesus never left them. He remained with them and from this- they saw the reality of the Gospel. Through the life lived by Jesus. We are to be like that to the people within our communities. The reality of Jesus.

Be prepared that sowing the seed of the Gospel does take time. The nurturing and growth of the seed takes care and time. We plant the seed. We are also reminded in Scripture clearly- that the Spirit of God is the one who grows the seed.[14] We can become anxious in ministry, wishing our little seedlings would grow and mature into plants faster; this is again an area where prayer is vital. We need to pray believing that God will grow the seeds that have been planted. However, the realities of ministry again are not hidden from us in Scripture. The parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 exhibits the realities to be anticipated. As the sower we might anticipate how our seedlings could grow, but there can be no guarantees.

Whilst I said never assume, anticipate that potentially a person of peace could become the greatest asset to the advancement of the mission of God. As with the disciples it might take time for the reality of Jesus to be revealed. Jesus does also say that for the people who are not ‘people of peace’- who do not accept the message- you tend to know quickly who these people are…then move on.

In conclusion: having implemented these key tips, within Luke 10 it tells us to heal, set people free, bring people into the reality of Jesus. I can testify that people of peace, have come to know Jesus as a reality, not only themselves as individuals but their families.

Currently we have four generations from one family who have come to faith and are now a part of our community. When we first met them- they had little to no knowledge of Jesus now they are all followers of Jesus.  One is employed by us and another is leading Junior Soldiers. All are members.

One person within our community was on hard drugs and had been for years. Her children were malnourished and neglected. Her eldest daughter at a territorial youth camp prayed that her mum (the most unlikely of people- she actually was not a person of peace when we first met her) would find Jesus. The mother one day prayed that if God was really real that he would help her. At that moment Captain Peter Hobbs knocked on her door. She stopped taking drugs immediately (which was a miracle in itself) she required no detox, and she commenced study and has now gained qualifications.

We started caring for a family whose son became a Junior Soldier. The mother and son both became followers of Jesus, and subsequently she found the courage and strength to leave an abusive relationship that she had been unable to leave for 16 years. She had been unable to share that abuse with anyone else. Only her children knew.

 

By implementing these instructions by Jesus, stories of faith, healing, restoration, forgiveness have been evidenced. The stories could continue but I have run out of time J Of course, there are many other fundamental principles that could be covered however, these have been for us, the essentials.



[1] Similar to the instructions echoed in Matthew 9. 35-10.42  and in Luke 9 when Jesus sends out the 12 disciples.

[2] Luke 10.1

[3] Contextually obviously gender considerations could be variable
[4] However, I do think there are benefits to having a male and female contingency or a combination of personality types: extrovert/introvert, alpha-beta personality types; a variety of gifts expressed- apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher (APEST teams). I would certainly add the gift of hospitality as being high on the agenda too. The importance of gifts for ministry can be elaborated on in another paper.

[5] Luke 10.3

[6] The similar account in Matthew 9, elaborate on the implications of ministry in even greater detail.

[7] Sowing seeds of the Gospel which will lead to the expansion of the Kingdom of God. 

[8] Luke 10.2

[9] Mark 9. 40

[10] Luke 10.4

[11] The message Bible specifies :’Don’t loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way’.

[12] Luke. 10.6

[13] Luke 10.7

[14] 1 Cor. 3.6

 

  

 

 

   

 

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