The Movement – Redeemer Urban Church Planting Center e-Newsletter:
PRAYER AND THE SEQUENCE OF NEW TESTAMENT MISSION
By John Smed, Church Planter, Grace Vancouver Church
PART 2
The New Testament Sequence
Beyond the biblical means of growth is the significance of sequence in the early church narrative. Study of the text reveals an order that is as significant as the events themselves. The biblical writer Luke seemed conscious of providing the church with a pattern for future mission activity by presenting an intentional chronology that is worth examination.
Specifically, the New Testament mission consisted of the following five stages in chronological sequence:
The outpouring of Christ’s power in the context of waiting prayer (Acts 1:8, 14; 2:1-4)
Conversion growth through the preaching of Christ’s person and work (Acts 2:36-41)
Community formation, notably from the harvest of new converts (Acts 2:41-47)
Mobilization through leadership selection and lay development (Acts 6:1-8, 8:4)
Multiplication through extensive church planting (Acts 9:31)
1. Prayer
The first priority and first in sequence is empowerment through importunate and waiting prayer. The emphasis is on waiting. The disciples were to wait for the Promise of the Father, which you have heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Waiting involved obedience and was absolutely necessary in order to receive the Holy Spirit’s endowment before proceeding. The battle was hard-pitched and to the death. Every advance was met by a counter attack. The disciples were commanded to wait. They did wait but were not idle; they were involved in importunate prayer:
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers ….Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place…(Acts 1:14, 2:1)
2. Evangelism
The second stage of the Acts model was an evangelistic advance that resulted in a great harvest of souls. After being baptized with the Holy Spirit, New Testament believers went forth to a harvest of three thousand and then two thousand new believers. Having listened to Christ, they waited. After waiting, they received the power of the Spirit, and having received power, they witnessed tremendous results.
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3. Community Formation
The third stage in Christ’s pattern for mission is community formation. As fellow church planters, our hearts are thrilled with joy (and perhaps a bit of envy) at the description of the first community of believers in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-25:
Those who gladly received the word were baptized and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor of all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
It’s impossible to argue against the fact that the health and excitement of the New Testament church was directly proportional to the abundance of new converts. A vital community formed spontaneously out of the fertile soil of evangelism radical witness, amazing deliverance, radiant joy, and selfless and sacrificial giving. This was the fruit of newly regenerated hearts.
4. Leadership Mobilization
Leadership mobilization is the fourth stage in the sequence. The rapid growth of the early church resulted in problems among attendees and required swift mobilization of leaders (Acts 6:1). Wisely, the apostles chose to simultaneously expand the leadership base and involve the people in the decision-making process. The results were outstanding! To the credit of the Hebrew Jewish leaders, seven Grecian Jews were selected. These men became outstanding ministers, with Stephen and Philip leading the way. Stephen became the first martyr; Philip became the first evangelist to the Samaritans and beyond. As a result, a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith(Acts 6:7), and the church was mobilized as never before.
5. Church Multiplication
The final stage of the New Testament sequence is church planting. Acts 9:31 reads as a summary and celebratory culmination of the first four stages: Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
This was the completion of Phase One of Christ’s strategy to reach a world. Prayer had received empowerment; bold evangelism had brought forth new believers, who were united in sacrificial and joyful community, who were mobilized by leadership and witnessed the formation of new congregations throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Whole countries were reached!