Growing into Christ (8)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5.8

The Master Plan of Evangelism
Robert E. Coleman (1928 - )
“Jesus never let His disciples underestimate the strength of the enemy, nor the natural resistance of men to His redeeming Gospel. They were not looking for trouble. Indeed, His admonition to them to be ‘as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves,’ (Matt. 10:16) underscored the need for propriety and tactfulness, but in spite of all their precautions, the fact remained that the world was not likely to receive the disciples with favor when they faithfully preached the Gospel.”

It’s the devil’s lie to make believers think their lives in Christ should never offend anyone. This is why we’re so reticent about the Gospel, why we hesitate to reach out to others in the love of Christ, and why it’s so easy to settle into a kind of status quo faith. We don’t want to be discomfited ourselves, and we don’t want to offend anyone by what we believe. We make a mistake when we allow God’s people to think that everybody has to like them all the time. The Gospel is demanding. The Christian life is demanding. Building the church is everybody’s work. When leaders lean on folks to get growing in the Lord, get involved in the work of the Kingdom, pitch in, take up some slack, and get out of the pews, they can expect some push-back. Are we equipping them to deal with that effectively? Do we see that as a subtle ploy of the devil to divert us onto some side track? We need to be on guard concerning his wiles, so that we can stay on task with Jesus, helping others to know and grow into Him.

What are some of the greatest temptations your leaders face in seeking to build the church? How are you equipping them to deal with these?

If Men Will Pray
Paul explicitly declared that men everywhere should lift holy hands in prayer, so that the Gospel could flourish (1 Tim. 2.1-8). So how is it with the men of your church? Are they men of prayer? Do they take no rest, and give God no rest, seeking Him in prayer? Men at Prayer provides resources for you to use in enlisting, equipping, and encouraging your men for prayer. Watch this brief video, then begin developing a strategy for leading the men of your church to take their place on the wall, seeking the Lord for revival, renewal, and awakening in our day. If you need helping thinking this through, or you’d like to talk about this effort, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism(Old Tappan: Revell, 1963, 1987).