Jesus makes it clear in John 6:26 that it is not demonstrations of the miraculous that cause people to become disciples. People are searching for something that will meet their needs.
“Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you have been searching for Me, not because you saw the miracles and signs but because you were fed with the loaves and were filled and satisfied.”—John 6:26 (AMP)
Too often, our outreach approaches have been focused only on leading people to salvation, ignoring, at least temporarily, any other needs they might have had, no matter how pressing. “After all,” we reasoned, “there is no need greater than eternal salvation.”
What we have not understood is that when people’s needs are truly met, they will naturally be drawn to the source that provided the answers to meet those needs in their lives.
We will experience the greatest effectiveness in our ministry efforts when we purposefully reach out, in the love and power of Jesus Christ, to meet the needs of the people we encounter in our daily lives.
God’s Priorities for Ministry
If you were raised in an evangelical church, you may have been taught that when you stand before the Lord, you will have to give account for each situation in which you did not share the gospel with someone when you had the opportunity to do so, but Jesus tells us very clearly what He will hold us accountable for in Matthew 25:34–40. Notice what He emphasizes in His criteria:
“Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me,
I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.
Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?
And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?
And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?
And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.”—Matthew 25:34–40 (AMP)
Nowhere in this passage is “witnessing” (sharing the gospel of salvation) even mentioned as a criterion. Of course, we are certainly not saying that we should neglect the preaching of the gospel, but if we preach the gospel without demonstrating the love and power of Jesus to meet the needs of people, we are presenting an incomplete gospel.
In Bob Jones’ death experience in August of 1975, he watched as the Lord Jesus Himself stood as The Door to meet people who had just died. Jesus met people one by one and asked them only one question. He did not ask them how many people they witnessed to. He did not ask them how much money they gave to the church. He did not ask them if they were faithful to attend church services. He asked them only this question: “Did you learn to love?“1
You can hear Bob Jones tell this story in his own words online. There are several videos on YouTube in which Bob relates this experience himself. Just search for “Bob Jones death experience” or “Bob Jones Did you learn to love?”
Nicodemus
The need for salvation is the most important need in every person’s life. Jesus, however, who knew this better than anyone, rarely, or actually never, began a conversation by talking about a person’s need for salvation. You may want to say, “Now, wait a minute! What about Nicodemus in John 3? Jesus started that conversation by saying, ‘Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
That is true. Jesus did begin that conversation by speaking of the necessity of being born again, but that was a theological discussion with a high-ranking Jewish teacher. Jesus’ purpose in that conversation seemed to be to expand Nicodemus’ understanding of truth, which Nicodemus could then pass along to those within his sphere of influence.
If instead it was an effort to lead Nicodemus to personal salvation; it seems to have been a failure. At the end of the encounter, the two men seem to have gone their separate ways. There is no record that Nicodemus followed Jesus as one of His disciples after that encounter. In John 7:50, Nicodemus was back with the Pharisees, “being one of them.” There is no evidence that Nicodemus was converted or ever confessed Jesus as Messiah, although he was sympathetic to Jesus’ cause and, with Joseph of Arimathaea, cared for Jesus’ body after His death.
Usually in outreach ministry, the Church has had an agenda that was pushed—pushing people toward salvation. In contrast, Jesus flipped that completely around and asked, “What do you want? What do you need? What is it you are seeking? What are your goals?” Our focus must be the same.
At this point, I would highly recommend that you find and read chapter 10 of “Angels on Assignment” by Roland Buck.2 You can read the entire book online at www.angelsonassignment.org, or you can order a paper copy from Amazon.com or many other online book sellers. Unfortunately it may not be available yet in many languages other than English.
Roland Buck was a pastor in Boise, Idaho, who had the remarkable experience of being visited by angels of God many times. As wonderful as his angelic visitations were, the message they brought from the heart of God is much, much more valuable. I highly recommend reading the entire book, but for now, if you can, please take time to read chapter 10, “When God Says Thanks!”
Discipleship Practice:
Seeing the Needs Around Us
Objective: To become more alert to the needs of people around us and begin preparing to meet those needs.
1. List a few of the people with whom you communicate on a regular basis.
- Beside each person’s name, write one or two of his or her most pressing needs.
a. If you are unaware of someone’s needs, take that as a signal that you need to take time to ask appropriate questions, listen, and learn more about what he or she is going through at this time in his or her life.
- Choose one person’s need, and commit to helping him or her meet that need. In doing this, you will be fulfilling Christ’s command:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”—John 15: 12–13 (NKJV)
You may need to gain more knowledge or skills in order to meet the person’s need. Realize that if you prepare yourself to minister effectively to one person’s need, you will also be prepared to help many others who have similar needs. This growth experience will give you more “tools” for your “tool belt.”
References:
1Jones, Bob, & Warner, Sandy (n.d.). Bob Jones’ Testimony August 8, 1975 Death Experience. Retrieved from The Quickened Word: http://www.thequickenedword.com/rhema/BobJonesTestimonyAugust81975DeathExperience.htm
2Buck, Roland, Hunter, Charles, & Hunter, Frances (n.d.). Angels on Assignment. Retrieved from Angels on Assignment: http://angelsonassignment.org/index2.html.