The Christian Church: Clueless – Go Make Disciples – Stories from the fields on discipleship efforts – How Discipleship Movements Among Refugees in Europe Grow out of the migrant crisis – Part 7 of 12
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Subject – The Christian Church: Clueless – Go Make Disciples – Stories from the fields on discipleship efforts – How Discipleship Movements Among Refugees in Europe Grow out of the migrant crisis – Part 7 of 12
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Sunday, 30th June 2019
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The Christian Church: Clueless – Go Make Disciples – Stories from the fields on discipleship efforts – How Discipleship Movements Among Refugees in Europe Grow out of the migrant crisis – Part 7 of 12
Nuggets of Wisdom
“For those who feel their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept that the love of Jesus Christ knows no shadow of alteration or change. When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened,” He assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. These words are a touching testimony to the genuine humanness of Jesus. He had no romantic notion of the cost of discipleship. He knew that following Him was as unsentimental as duty, as demanding as love.”
― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
“Algerian President Houari Boumedienne who in 1974 told the General Assembly of the United Nations, ‘One day millions of men will leave the southern hemisphere of this planet to burst into the northern one. But not as friends. Because they will burst in to conquer, and they will conquer by populating it with their children. Victory will come to us from the wombs of our women.”
― Douglas Murray, The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam
“There are an estimated 258 million migrants around the world, and many of us are migrating to countries that previously colonized and imperialized us. We have a human right to move, and governments should serve that right, not limit it. The unprecedented movement of people – what some call a “global migration crisis” – is, in reality, a natural progression of history. Yes, we are here because we believe in the promise of the American Dream – the search for a better life, the challenge of dreaming big. But we are also here because you were there – the cost of American imperialism and globalization, the impact of economic policies and political decisions.”
― Jose Antonio Vargas, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
“The “show business,” which is so incorporated into our view of Christian work today, has caused us to drift far from Our Lord’s conception of discipleship. It is instilled in us to think that we have to do exceptional things for God; we have not. We have to be exceptional in ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, surrounded by sordid sinners. That is not learned in five minutes.”
― Oswald Chambersd Chambers
“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.”
― Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Based on the English Standard Version
Key verses for Today:
Matthew 28:18-20 Amplified Bible (AMP)
18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Introduction
Dear brethren, welcome to the seventh series on the Christian church – Go make disciples. Today, we are exploring true stories from the mission field where discipleship movements are happening and growing amongst the refugees in Europe. There are some parallels that we can learn and apply to our peculiar situation.
Story 1 – How Discipleship Movements Among Refugees in Europe Grow
In 2015, there were a million people who sought refuge, or what is called political asylum, in Europe. This was called by many a “European refugee crisis.” A refugee is someone who fears persecution in their home country. This can be because of race, religion, politics, or because they are from a particular social group. Today, exciting Disciple Making Movements among refugees are taking place.
With the huge number of refugees pouring into Europe, their needs are hard to address. At the same time, there are amazing opportunities. The gospel is spreading, and new movements among refugees have begun. Thousands of people who come from unreached areas of the world are experiencing the transforming love of God! When disciples and disciple-makers learn to trust the Holy Spirit, growth becomes unstoppable.
Iranian Refugee Fellowships Begin
Steve’s* story goes back to 2001. A small team began working with Iranian refugees in the Netherlands. They wanted to see a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) take place.
Right away, people began to believe. Within one year, there were 30 believers. The movement grew, reproducing disciples and new fellowships. Within these new fellowships, large groups of Iranian believers received leadership training. After seven years, they numbered 500 baptized believers!
A Challenging Conversation
During this time, a young Iranian man named David* approached Steve. David was filled with bitterness and resentment against everyone he knew. In their first conversation, Steve talked with him about these issues. He shared the need for David to forgive everyone who had ever wronged him. The conversation ended and David left.
Steve wondered if he would ever see David again. Had he been too quick to confront him? Then the Lord gave him a revelation. He was to trust the Holy Spirit. He understood deep inside, “God is the One at work in the lives of new believers.”
Can You Help Me?
A few days later, they met a second time. The conversation moved toward the same issues of bitterness and the need to forgive. David then asked Steve, “Can you help me?”
Steve hesitated to answer “yes” to this question. He knew that David had lived as a refugee on the streets for over 9 years. He knew he might ask him about things Steve had never dealt with.
“What do you want help with?” Steve asked.
David responded, “I want God in my life and I need to know what to do.”
Wow! That was exciting! Steve explained how easy it was to talk to God. “Just tell Him what you need from Him.”
David then prayed, “God, I forgive.” He kept praying, naming each one that was responsible for his hurts and resentments. It was a long list. He ended his prayer with, “and God… please come into my life!”
First Visit to Church
Two days later, David showed up at the house church for the first time. As refugees have believed in Christ, they don’t meet in traditional churches. Instead, they meet in small groups in various homes. That day, in the house church, a very diverse group of Iranians had gathered. All kinds of people were there, including government defectors and criminals. When David suddenly asked Steve if he could share with the group, Steve was greatly concerned. He had only known David for a week and only met with him twice. What would this new believer say?
Again, the Holy Spirit told Steve to trust Him and allow David to share. David told the group, “If you want God to forgive you, you need to forgive others!” Though a brand new believer, David spoke directly to the hearts of all who listened. He knew very little, but he effectively passed on what he had learned!
Steve learned something important too. “David was learning to forgive. I was learning to trust the Holy Spirit,” he explained.
Key Lessons for Multiplying Disciples
Relying on the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of new believers is so important. It was a key to seeing the emerging Disciple Making Movement grow.
They adopted these vital practices:
- Keep things simple so the new believers can easily apply it, copy it, and teach it to others.
- Show trust and confidence. Believe in them and affirm them in taking the lead.
- Everyone can share, participate, and help determine what needs to be done.
“…and each day the Lord added to their fellowship all those who were being saved” Acts 2:47 NLT.
From Crisis to Kingdom Growth
Today in this movement, more than 2,000 have been baptized and over 100 fellowships formed. Disciples and new fellowships are spreading rapidly across Belgium, France, and Germany. At the same time, when refugees return to their homelands, they share their faith and start fellowships. They are trusting the Holy Spirit, and He is bringing a supernatural increase in the harvest.
God has indeed used this refugee “crisis” and made it into an opportunity for His Kingdom to spread!
Refugee and Immigrant Opportunities
Are there refugees or immigrants in your area? Christians must take advantage of the great opportunity an immigration crisis brings. Instead of being upset by the problems, ask God how He could use you to share Christ with those from these nations.
Those coming to seek asylum are so often from unreached people groups. They are the least, last, and lost. And they have come to our doorsteps. Find out more about how to reach these unreached peoples in your own area. Fill out the form below to get training in how to reach people from other cultures around you. Let’s your turn refugee problems into opportunities!
*not his real name
Reported by: Nthevheleni
We have made our books free for a limited period for those who would want to avail themselves of the soft copies. Hereunder are the links on amazon, kobobooks.com and shop.otakada.org
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Enjoy and remain blessed
Otakada.org Team
Conclusion and prayer.
In our Christian race, the call to discipleship or disciple making is the core of the matter. Everything else rises and falls to the level of our commitment to discipleship or disciple making. That is the last command to us by Christ Jesus and we must of necessity make it of utmost priority. The way to be committed to disciple making is to make one. Through the various migrant crisis, we see and experience around the world today, the Lord is allowing opportunities for engagement. Are we ready to disciple those who have found a new homeland? Opportunities for discipleship abound plenty!
Thank you Lord for helping us to make disciples as you have commanded. Help us to be willing as You provide the needed opportunities for us to engage for night comes when no man can work. Help us to be obedient to the divine call in Jesus name, amen
Shalom!
Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe – E-discipleship @
- org
- otakada.org
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