In recent years, we have swung to the other side where we focus a lot more on miracles, signs and wonders. We say, “Let’s just love on people.”
Now that’s nothing wrong with that statement. But it’s only one part of love. After ministering for a number of years in the streets of Singapore in all kinds of situations/locations with signs and wonders, I come to the realisation that it is way easier to give people an encounter of Love, than to disciple/journey with them.
It is easy to love on people by releasing healing, word of knowledge and the prophetic. It is another thing to live in close proximity with them and journey with them.
Reaching the lost, in my humble opinion, is way easier than discipleship. In the former, you just give them an encounter. You demonstrate the Power of love. You give them a hug and say, “Jesus loves you and I love you.” Everybody can do that, because it’s just for a moment or a session. Yet most of us celebrate that platform because it’s usually in the public and it’s very tangible with all the manifestations, etc.
But in discipleship and follow-ups, you get to see the reality of your maturity. Your time is challenged. Your service is demanded. Your love is tested. This is why I really applaud all those leading home groups or small groups. Preachers, on the other hand, often just need to preach and minister but not live in close proximity with the rest where values are challenged and iron gets sharpened.
Jesus was both. He was a preacher. But He also lived with the Twelve. He discipled them. Those were extremely difficult bunch of uneducated fellows. But never once did He say, “Well, don’t waste My time. This is not my calling. I just need to reach the lost.”
The Scriptures tell us that “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)
That included Judas, who betrayed Him. That included Peter, who denied Him. That included John, who wanted to call down fire from heaven. That included James, who wanted to be the greatest. That included Thomas, who doubted Him. That included Andrew, who had no faith. That included Philip, who still didn’t see Jesus as God’s Son. But Jesus still loved them to the very end.
In evangelism, Jesus demonstrated His love publicly. In discipleship, Jesus revealed and demonstrated His love privately. You can do a hit-and-run kind of love in evangelism, but you need persevering love in discipleship. The latter reveals the kind of love we really have on the inside.
I have been corresponding with a brother and the messages are sent from him. He ministered to a guy in the streets and the guy encountered Jesus and gave his life to Him. During a follow-up, he realised that the guy actually didn’t quite understand (still identify himself as a free thinker).
In reality, this is what happens in outreaches. We often get overwhelmed by zeal (I used to be like that too) and think that people are born again because we led them to the Lord (salvation prayer and whatever religious blah blah blah) after an encounter. But in actuality, they only made a decision to know Him more, because they didn’t really understand. Their minds were still in shock after the encounters, signs and wonders. Their emotions were still getting a hold on them. So they just said “Yes” to receive Jesus into their lives. How many of us are guilty of not following up with these people who probably are not really born again because they didn’t exactly know what they said Yes to?”
Anyway, this brother found out the truth —— the toughest and the challenging part is not evangelism, miracles, signs and wonders. It is discipleship and the process requires true love, faithfulness and commitment.
Don’t mistake zeal for truth and miracles for love. And don’t mistake evangelism for the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.
Disclaimer: I love evangelism and I still minister to people daily. So let’s keep doing that, without neglecting the true essence of love found in discipleship.
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