Reading Contemporary Signposts

We all live in a rapidly changing world. What is happening in our world in our times that effects taking the gospel to the nations? Here are some signposts that we see:

1. God is doing amazing things in the nations. He has said long ago through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32), “It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh… and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Our times are witnessing the greatest harvest of souls coming to Christ that has ever occurred in the history of the Christian Church. Great evangelistic meetings with millions attending can be seen on global Christian television. The largest Christian rallies ever held in various nations are taking place. Presidents and Prime Ministers attend. Christian history is being rewritten. God is moving by His Spirit all over the world before the coming again of the Lord (Joel 2:20).

2. Modern technology greatly assists the spread of the gospel. Satellite television sends the gospel across national borders into countries where they would let no missionaries enter. Today, Christians in every country can see through international television what God is doing in other nations. It is no secret. Computer technology allows speedy international communication. This technology is strategic to train people for Christian service.

3. The world’s population continues to grow. Millions need to hear the gospel. This is a signpost also. It tells us that we need to train more labourers and faster to bring in the harvest of the nations.

4. Our website has been receiving requests for training from around the world. There are also requests to set up Bible Colleges, Leadership Training Centres, Missions Schools and the like. There is a huge need to meet in order to help those people to reach their own nations with the Gospel of Christ.

Identifying Some Basic Approaches

Here are some indicators:

1. The need is so great throughout the nations that a simple method or methods needs to be used in order to speed up the training and equipping of leaders.

2. Modern technology provides the methods to do this.

3. All over the world a massive re think is going on about Christian training. There are strong moves to return much training back to the local churches instead of using theological institutions.

4. The theological institution model, patterned on the university model with its emphasis on knowledge and degrees was not the New Testament model. The first century church trained their emerging leaders in their local churches or travelled in ministry teams, like Jesus trained His disciples. This type of training produced relational ministries, well equipped to relate to people at their point of need.

5. We are not against degrees or study for them. They have their place, provided they stick to the Bible! However, it is a myth, a false belief that a Christian worker has to have a degree to be effective. The basic requirements that we see in the Bible are a call to ministry received from the Lord Jesus Christ and the empowerment for service received from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:4).

All over the world God is raising up many Christian leaders to pastor, teach, evangelize and plant churches. Men, women and youth are all alike being called by the Lord in this way. These people have often had little training and certainly no degrees. But they do have a call from the Lord, a love for lost souls and the fire of God burning in their lives.

6. The theological institutional degree model is expensive. It requires students to move away from their regions to go and study. This is often disruptive to home and family life. Institutions cost a lot of money to maintain buildings and to pay staff. They can only train a limited number of students. They cannot train enough people fast enough to meet the needs for workers in the world.

7. Another point needs mention here. International research since the 1950’s has shown that if students are taken from poor nations and trained in a richer western style nation, they often do not want to return back to their home nation. Or if they do, they have lost the spirit of sacrifice that they used to have.

International experience has shown, and our own overseas missions experience has shown, that it is better to train workers in their own nation.

8. Convenience of study. Many leaders or potential leaders cannot leave their homes, families or work places. But they can study using a computer from their own home or office.

9. All over the world the impact of the restoration of the apostolic gift to the Christian Church is causing change. Missionary organizations are changing their approach. The visionary aspect is returning to leadership training styles. Faith is being imparted. This is a return to the New Testament level of leadership. It is important in the raising up of strong churches or to providing leadership to networks of local churches that an apostolic vision be imparted. This approach is not found in many Bible Colleges, even in Evangelical or Pentecostal Colleges. They have not moved into what God is doing in our times. However this approach is in the Bible and we will teach it.

10. The language style used in training. In a theological seminary the language style is often very different from the average person in the street or village. A student tends to copy the style of language by which they are trained. This can produce a barrier to reaching the ordinary person. Here we face another fact. Truth does not have to be complicated. It can be expressed in a simple way. Jesus spoke in ways that the village people could easily understand. And He was successful. So, our courses will use plain English language. If a word needs explaining, we will put another word in a bracket after it so that the student understands. The student will benefit by using an English dictionary. Since this course comes to you from New Zealand the English used will be like that of Great Britain. American English spells some words a little differently. This is usually not a serious problem.

11. Lastly, it is seen all over the world that there are many who compromise and undermine the truth of God’s Word. They do not believe the Bible as it is written. These people are called modernists or liberals. They can be found in churches of various denominations and in Bible Colleges and Theological Seminaries.

Jesus confronted the liberals of His own times. They were called Sadducees. Jesus told them “you are deceived, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).

12. Last, our courses will teach students to not only believe the truth of God’s Word, but also to believe and rely upon the Holy Spirit. We cannot expect a great harvest of souls unless we move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus placed great emphasis upon the Holy Spirit as He instructed His disciples before He left them. The Book of Acts is the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of how the Great Commission of Christ should be carried out.

Paul mentioned that he made the Gentile nations obedient to the gospel by mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God (Romans 15:19).

Our College is not only fundamental and evangelistic, but is also Holy Spirit honouring. Where the Holy Spirit is honoured, sinners are convicted of sin and are saved, the sick are healed, miracles occur, demons are cast out and people are set free in Jesus’ mighty name.

When Jesus spoke to the Sadducees He told them, “you are deceived, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” It is therefore possible to know Bible truth yet not have a faith attitude in experiencing the power of God like the early church of the first century. In many nations today, especially outside western nations, we are seeing what the first century church experienced.

Conclusion

Our courses will be established upon the Bible, the Word of the Living God. That is our standard of faith and practice. We will give to our Lord Jesus Christ the central place that the New Testament gives Him. And we will honour the Holy Spirit, that the Father and the Son have sent to the Christian Church, to give us the power to witness for Christ until Jesus returns.

We have let prospective students see some contemporary signposts and some basic approaches that we have formed in preparing our courses. A stronger breed of Christian is needed in today’s troubled world. The gospel must be preached fully and boldly. These courses will rise up leaders strong in spirit and effective as servants of the Living God.