Glowing in Discipleship - Evangelize or Fossilize!

by Commissioner Lim Ah Ang

William Booth the Founder of The Salvation Army was asked to send a message to his officers around the world. Someone had offered to pay for the cost of sending this telegram. At that time, radio telegraph was this in its infancy and the charges were relatively expensive. William Booth, wanting to save costs, condensed his whole message into one word - 'OTHERS'. And that is still our mission today. The Salvation Army translated the mission of The Salvation Army into Chinese reads literally 'Save World Army'.

General John Gowans summaries the mission of The Salvation Army with a very succinct statement. We are "to save souls, grow saints and care for suffering humanity."

Jesus came into the world with a great and unique mission. The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. He Himself claimed. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) No one else could accomplish this mission and cannot in any way compare our mission to His.

Christ Jesus,, Who being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Phillippians 2: 5-8.

We who claim to be His followers are entrusted with The Great Commission. Go and make disciples of all nations., baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matt 28: 19-20. Mark has it: Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mark 16:15).

Just prior to His ascension to Heaven, Jesus said to His disciples: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8.

John's gospel clearly states His mission. In His high priestly prayer to the Father Jesus sais As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:16. He made His mission the model for ours when in His prayer statement in the form of commission He declared, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. The authority and mandates comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at the life of Jesus. He not only preached and taught the values of the Kingdom, He also served suffering humanity. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, comforted the sorrowing and even restored the dead to life again.

Evangelism must partner our social and healing ministry. Bishop John V Taylor calls it, the "three stranded presentation of the Gospel". We, His followers are to be engaged in the threefold ministry as enunciated by General John Gowans mentioned earlier in this article. We cannot disconnect evangelism and social action in our ministry.

The apostle John writing to the church had this to say, If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but he has no pity him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts and rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3: 17-20.

We have been emphasizing the Great Commission. This has been the theme of our territory for a while. "Go make disciples NOW". May we be intentional in our mission for Him to "save souls, grow saints and care for suffering humanity".