#1 The Theological Values of Network211

J. PHILIP HOGAN LECTURES

 

 

 

 

NETWORK211: A PROTOTYPE FOR 21ST CENTURY
GLOBAL EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP

 

 

 

 

DR. MARK FLATTERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INAUGURAL LECTURE

 

THE THEOLOGICAL VALUES OF NETWORK211

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER 9, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

Personal Introductory Remarks

            I count it a privilege and honor to be considered for the role of the J. Philip Hogan Chair of World Missions at AGTS. Brother Hogan was a first-class missions leader who influenced the world but who also impacted my family. In 1954-1955, while on furlough from Upper Volta, my grandfather, George Flattery, served for sixteen months in the promotions department led by Brother Hogan.[1] During this time, my father, Dr. George M. Flattery, worked in the Audio-Visual department under Brother Hogan. In 1960, Brother Hogan preached the ordination service for the Southern Missouri District Council held in Sikeston, Missouri and laid hands on my father and my uncle, J. Warren Flattery. In 1966, Brother Hogan invited my father to Springfield, Missouri, to work with the Foreign Missions Department and conduct a taxonomy on Bible schools and the education system.[2] In 1967, my father founded International Correspondence Institute (ICI), which later became ICI University and, in 1999, merged with Berean to form Global University. Consequently, I thank our Pentecostal forefathers, like Brother Hogan, for their service and influence on the generations that took up the mantle and followed in their footsteps in global ministry.

Overview Remarks

            We live in a day that the only constant in life is change. Information is increasing at a rapid rate; some say every twelve months and soon to be every twelve hours. Technology advances change radically in the way we communicate, interact, and even the way that we self-identify within our environments. Alarming changes have occurred in our goals in life, our standards and values, and the determination of our self-worth. Change has impacted the people who attend our churches. While we must embrace change to function effectively and as productive members of society, we must be stridently faithful to the Truth of God’s Word in our values, strategies, and ministry.

Currently, approximately 3.8 billion people use the Internet and this figure represents almost one-half of the world’s population. We will view these 3.8 billion as individuals but also as a “people group” that must be reached with the gospel. Should we fail to embrace them, we will miss the opportunity to speak Truth into the lives of arguably the largest people group in the history of the world. Internet surfers are online seeking to engage other people in shared information, experiences, and activities. They are seeking someone to connect with them. We must give them Jesus.

If we are to continue to go to “all nations” (Matt. 28:19) and leave a global footprint, we must expand our reach to include the cyber world. In this three-lecture series, we will focus on the ministry of Network211 to show how the Assemblies of God can impact this virtual nation on the Internet. Network211 uses twenty-first century technology to communicate the first century gospel. The vision is to proclaim Christ to all people, build a global community of believers, and work with our partners in ministry. The evangelism goal is called “Project 100Million,” as we want to present the gospel to 100 million people around the world.

We will discuss foundational principles needed for this ministry to impact 3.8 billion individuals, including the theological values, the missiological strategies, and the ministry. The theological values will focus on five key beliefs of a biblically-based ministry. The missiological strategies will consider indigenous principles and cooperative multinationalism. The ministry will present “Internet Users” as a people group, “Globalism” as a world system, and “Global Individuality” as the next force in World Missions.

The Theological Values of Network211

            The initial evangelism goal of Network211 was to fulfill Project 10Million—to present the gospel to ten million people in ten years. The Lord accomplished this in five years. Thus, Project 10Million is now Project 100Million. In effort to impact the people group of the Internet nation, one must have foundational theological values that are timeless and can withstand the attacks of the spiritual enemy. These values are found in God’s Word, the Bible. Network211 values the following:

·      The message is Jesus Christ.

·      The method is Pentecostal.

·      The mandate is holiness.

·      The mindset is dependency on God.

·      The mission is World Missions.

As we consider each theological value, we will discuss how the church in Acts related to the values, how our Pentecostal forefathers related to these values, why we need to address these values, and how Network211 relates to these values.

Our Message is Jesus Christ

            The focal point of who we are as a movement, as a church, and as individual believers should be that we are followers of Jesus Christ. In fact, more than followers, we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ. The message that we live and proclaim, individually, as an autonomous cooperative Fellowship, and as a missions agency, is Jesus Christ.

The Biblical Foundation

            As believers, our lives are to proclaim the love of Christ in our words and deeds as we are His disciples. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 provides the mission for every believer but also a definition of a “disciple.” Since all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Christ, He is all powerful and we live under His authority. We are then to go and make disciples of all nations. According to Matthew 28:19-20, disciples are those who are baptized into and live as the family of God, live in the fullness of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), obey everything that Christ has commanded, and live in the presence of God always.

            The book of Acts is filled with examples of believers in the Early Church who centered their message on Jesus Christ and lived life daily as His disciples. Just a brief perusal of Acts 2-4 proves this point. In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost and just after the Holy Spirit filled the believers with evidence of speaking in tongues, Peter addressed the crowd, preached a sermon that centered on Jesus and declared, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in Christian community, a community that honored Christ, blessed others, and was a testimony to the unbelievers of how Jesus Christ changes lives (Acts 2:42-47).

            In Acts 3, Peter and John encountered a crippled beggar, prayed for him “in the name of Jesus,” and the man was healed—he was “walking and jumping, and praising God” (v. 8). Again, Peter addressed the crowd and instructed them to repent and to accept Jesus Christ. When seized by the Sanhedrin for their actions and words, Peter and John were forced to defend themselves. During this defense, Peter proclaimed, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (4:12). Upon their release, the believers held a meeting to rejoice and pray. They asked God to enable them with boldness to proclaim the message and for healings, signs, and wonders to be done in the name of Jesus (4:23-31). In the last portion of the passage, the believers where “one in heart and mind” and “shared everything they had” (4:32).

            Consider also the account of Acts 10 when the Lord directed Peter to take the Good News to the Gentiles. While the audience changed, the message that centered on Jesus Christ remained the same. Peter taught Cornelius, “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42, 43). This ushered the Gentiles into the family of God as believers and disciples. When the message of the Early Church centered on Jesus Christ, lives were transformed, healings, signs, and wonders were normative, and believers lived together in unity. This must be our goal today; it must be our focal point for who we are and for what we do.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

Our Pentecostal forefathers believed our message must center on Jesus Christ. The “Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truth” lists truth number five as “The Salvation of Man:”

Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. … Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life. [3]

Thus, Jesus Christ is the only one who can say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

From an anecdotal perspective, our forefathers in Pentecost proclaimed the name of Jesus and challenged us with the Good News, seemingly at every service. In my childhood, it seemed that every Sunday evening service demanded my presence at the altar to confess my sins or I would be doomed to an eternity in hell. Finally, about the age of eight years old, I asked my father if I had to continue to run to the altar each Sunday night or if there was a way to make my salvation “stick.” I was relieved to learn that I could have an assurance about my salvation and that I could progress in my relationship with Jesus Christ. In retrospect, the emphasis our spiritual forefathers had on centering their message on Christ, “Jesus Saves,” was powerfully effective and impacted each generation that embraced the message.

Our forefathers in Pentecost valued the formation of each believer as a disciple so that our lives could center on Jesus Christ. Believers had opportunity to grow in their relationship with the Lord in Sunday School, Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service, midweek service (usually, Wednesday nights), Vacation Bible School (for the children), choirs for kids, youth, and adults, Bible Quiz, week-long revival meetings, and camp meetings. One could gain an understanding of God’s Word by being taught through sermons and studies and by being around the proclamation of Truth so often in the various weekly meetings that individuals simply captured the Truth due to their regular attendance. In retrospect, this too proved to be effective as people had a grasp of God’s Word. Some people were discipled well enough to teach God’s Word while others may not have been the best presenters of Truth in front of people but they were certain when they heard falsehoods and heresy.

 

Why Must We Address This Value?

Why must we address this value? Centering our message on Jesus Christ is so core to our belief system that it would be spiritually criminal to ignore or neglect this value. Thus, we must consistently align our theology and activities with our values or run the risk of being diverted from our primary directive like a ship running off course in the ocean degree by degree. We must ask ourselves challenging questions to ensure that we stay the course. For example, as a movement, are our core values centered on Jesus Christ? Does everything we do bring people to Jesus? If so, what are the results? As a missions sending agency, we must ask, “What message are we exporting?” Is our message forged from diligent study of God’s Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit or is it a product of our culture and contemporary thought?

            As a local church, do people attend because they want to see Jesus and become His disciples? We utilize different techniques and church growth strategies hoping to bring people into our church buildings and then believing that they will want to become disciples. Often, when asked about a church, attendees will respond with the peripheral aspects of church life such as, “We have great music (worship),” “We are not like other churches,” or “We will make you feel welcomed.” However, at the end of the day, the reason people return to fill our church seats is that they have an authentic and personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

            As individuals, are we focused on being “disciples,” which is an all-encompassing endeavor, or are we seeking to feel good about ourselves? Is our view of Jesus one that comes from the Bible or are we looking to society to define who Jesus is?

            If our message is about anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ, then we are a social club and not the Church. Our mission is to fulfill the Great Commission. If we, as the church, should neglect this responsibility, in any way, then we are not fulfilling our purpose on this earth. If we do not fulfill the Great Commission, then who will? Must the rocks cry out?

Our primary directive is not to save the world, end world hunger, end poverty, cure every disease, make every nation a democracy, or bring world peace. Truly, the love of Christ compels us to express His love in ways that influence positively the world in which we live. But, our prime directive is the Great Commission. As we go, we present Christ. Yes, we seek to improve this world and help people but we do so in the name of Jesus Christ so that He will be glorified. We must do this without hesitation or doubt as to our purpose.

John C. Nugent in his book, Endangered Gospel addresses this issue. His challenge is his belief that God did not call us to save the world from destruction but to bring people to Jesus Christ. “If we’re not careful, we may gain the whole world and lose the church—and then, ultimately, we’ll lose the world, too. When Christians begin substituting activism for discipleship, it’s not a world that becomes endangered, but the gospel.”[4] Nugent developed this thought, “Contemporary Christian activists are right. It is time for God’s people to do something. But let us be sure to do the right thing. Jesus said to some of the do-something activists of His day:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:21-23)”[5]

The world in which we live promotes moral relativism because of their belief that there is a lack of absolute truth and, as a result, they proclaim that the church must transform its message to become relevant to contemporary thought and culture. Our response as believers and disciples must be to stand firm and center our message on Jesus Christ. Should we miss this opportunity for any reason and neglect the Great Commission then it will indeed be the Church that becomes endangered. Conversely, the church that centers its message on Jesus Christ in proclamation and action will be the church that endures persecution, stands the test of time, effectively fulfills the Great Commission, and is ready to be presented to our Savior as His bride.

 

Network211

The practical application of this theological value is seen in Network211, a ministry that centers its message on Jesus Christ. Dr. George M. Flattery started this ministry as a way of using twenty-first century technology to communicate the first century gospel. We use the Internet to help individuals discover and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Individuals from 244 countries and territories have gone online to a search engine like Google to seek help for the issues of life that trouble them such as anxiety, depression, insignificance, and brokenness. Network211 is there to present the Answer with our main evangelism sites, www.JourneyAnswers.com and www.WhoJesusIs.com. Through videos and articles, we present the simple, yet powerful, truth of Jesus Christ. He alone is the Answer the world is seeking. He alone brings love, joy, and peace. We strive to make a clear and simple presentation to highlight and honor Christ. Truly, “there is no other name by which mankind can be saved” (Acts 4:12).

            The Holy Spirit moves on the hearts of our website visitors and challenges them to respond to the message of the love of Christ. Some visitors respond immediately by praying a salvation prayer, clicking an evangelism response button, and then writing to us. Other individuals need time to process the Truth they have received, some for the very first time, and consider the implications to their lives and families.

            Network211 values the message of Jesus Christ. Our message is that Jesus loves you. He will transform you and journey with you in life. He is your friend. All you need to do is to ask Him into your heart and then do what He says.

            May we be people who center our message on Jesus Christ. Like our Savior, we must be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49, NKJV). We must proclaim Jesus Christ and Christ crucified (Acts 10:42, 43). Like the Apostle Paul, we must declare, “For I am determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2) and, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:2).

Our Method is Pentecostal

Once we determine that our message is Jesus Christ, we must utilize the best method possible to convey this message to the world. If we are to follow the example of the Early Church, as recorded in the book of Acts, then we must be disciples who are empowered, equipped, and led by the Holy Spirit. We must embrace our Pentecostal heritage, both biblically and in our church history, so that we can complete the mission given us by Christ and fulfill our raison d’être as believers.

The Biblical Foundation

The starting point for us as individuals, churches, and the movement to live as the church in the first century is that we must be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. If we emulate the behaviors of believers in the book of Acts, we will walk in the Spirit individually and collectively, live in Christian community as a testimony to the world that God transforms lives, seek to win the lost and disciple the found, and we will see signs, wonders, and miracles follow.

            Jesus directed His followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. This was imperative because if had they proceeded on their own they would have attempted to fulfill the Great Commission by their own strength, ingenuity, and worldview. The result would have been a sect of Judaism that, more than likely, would have continued its prejudice against the Gentiles. This “business as usual” mentality was seen by what the disciples did while waiting for the Holy Spirit to visit them. In Acts chapter one, they determined that they needed to replace Judas with a new disciple to complete the set of Twelve. So, they prayed and, in Acts 1:26, they cast lots to determine his replacement. The casting of lots was an acceptable means of decision-making in their day. However, this is the last time they did this, as recorded in Scripture. After the Holy Spirit visited them on the Day of Pentecost, the phrase that characterized their spiritual maturity was, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28).

When the Holy Spirit was poured out on them at the Day of Pentecost, their lives were changed forever. Their encounter with the Spirit of God in a personal and intimate manner gave them power and boldness that exceeded human ability. They had the Spirit of God in them! They were now able to move forward, as a group and as individuals, to propagate the message the gospel. This was a reminder of a comment Moses made, as recorded in Numbers 11:29: “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached before the crowd, quoting Joel 2, and declared, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2:17-18)—sons, daughters, young and old, men and women, servants.

The infilling of the Holy Spirit in individuals empowered them personally and yet united them collectively in one heart, one vision, and one mission. This is a biblical example of the “global individuality” mindset that we will discuss later. The Holy Spirit empowered believers individually to reach the world. At the same time, the world is won to Christ as the Holy Spirit individually convicts unbelievers and as they hear the Good News from believers.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

Our spiritual forefathers in the Assemblies of God formed the movement as a means to fulfill the Great Commission by the power of the Holy Spirit. Darrin Rodgers, in the Assemblies of God Heritage magazine wrote,

Why did the doctrine and experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit become attractive to large numbers of people? Because it addressed one of their most basic spiritual longings—a desire to be close to God. Many believers were captivated by the desire for a deeper life in Christ; they were spiritually hungry and desired to be more committed Christ-followers. These ardent seekers saw in Scripture that Spirit baptism provided empowerment to live above normal human existence; this transformative encounter with God brought believers into closer communion with God and empowered them to witness.[6]

The individual experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit united people, young and old, in one vision and mission. Rodgers notes the impact and unity produced by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit: “They were unified by a common experience of the Spirit which brought them close to God and propelled them to be witnesses to the world. They were on a mission to share the love of Jesus in word and deed. They preached the gospel, prayed for the sick, witnessed miracles, published profound insights on the spiritual life, and established churches, schools, orphanages, and rescue missions.”[7]

            In the early days of the Assemblies of God, the questions were not about whether or not believers would seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and live in the Spirit, but rather focused on how they would live as a community of Spirit-filled believers and what the purpose of their movement should be. The calling of the first meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas in April of 1914 stated these reasons for the first General Council of the Assemblies of God. First, they were seeking doctrinal unity within their group. Second, they sought the best means to conserve their work domestically and internationally. Third, they desired to understand the needs of world missions and how to best utilize their financial resources. Fourth, they wanted to put their churches in proper legal order. Fifth, they wanted to establish a Bible Training School as they understood the importance of preparing the next generation for life and ministry.[8]

            The group of approximately 300 ministers who meet in 1914 has now expanded to a global movement. “Today there are 13,023 churches in the U.S. with over 3 million members and adherents. There are more than 67 million Assemblies of God members worldwide, making the Assemblies of God the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination.”[9] Their emphasis on presenting the message of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit continues to make a significant contribution to the fulfilment of the Great Commission and serves as a positive example to the generations that succeeded them.

Why Must We Address This Value?

            Since the Assemblies of God was founded by Pentecostals and continues to be led by Spirit-filled believers, why must we address this value? We must do so to ensure that our work is aligned with the Spirit of God and so that the next generation will have their own intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit and be empowered in their own right.

            We must recognize the spiritual temptation to attempt to accomplish the Great Commission by our own power and strategies. We have access to excellent education outside of our movement and so many church growth models and missions strategies that appear to be successful. We can attempt to construct the same outcomes without the leading of the Holy Spirit, and it will produce results on some level. However, the only lasting fruit will come when the Holy Spirit leads, empower and enable us. We must take the time, however long needed, to pray, fast, and wait on the Holy Spirit to move in our lives individually and collectively.

            Our methods must be Pentecostal so that the generation that follows us will experience the same intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit that empowered believers for centuries. Each generation must encounter the Holy Spirit so as to live in their vibrant and personal relationship with Him instead of living off their parents’ stories of past victories. In our church services, we must give time for the gifts of the Spirit to move in words of knowledge, tongues, and interpretation of tongues, word of wisdom, and to share testimonies of what the Spirit is doing in our community of faith.

            As I travel across the United States as a missionary to promote Network211, I see a lack of time given for the Spirit to move, especially in churches where they have two Sunday morning services and time is of the essence. There was one particular church that caught my attention because the pastor told me, “I know that this sounds bad but I don’t want the Spirit to move in our services because it scares away the visitors.” While we should not build a defense based on one situation or individual, we should heed this as a warning.

            If we are going to impact our world for Christ, we must do so by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual enemy, the devil, has dominion over the earth for a time and demonic forces are at work worldwide. We will not be effective in fighting the spiritual forces of evil without the Holy Spirit. The only effective method of engaging in spiritual warfare is to do so by the power of the Holy Spirit; all other methods will end in inglorious defeat.

            It seems natural for our spiritual defenses to be in full force when we are overseas because we encounter opposition openly. For example, it is easy to see that I was thrown into a spiritual battle when I walked down the street from my hotel in Jaipur, India and saw a two-story shrine to the Monkey god that stood before one of the slum areas. Yet, the same spiritual battle is being waged here in the United States as we must filter what we watch on television and the Internet, in the name of entertainment, or we will fall prey to our enemy, the devil.

            As our world is moving rapidly away from biblical values and the church is being attacked in so many ways, we must stand firm as Pentecostals or the Church will lose its “saltiness” (Matt. 5:13). May we be people led of the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, counseled by the Spirit, united by the Spirit, and so full of the Holy Spirit’s presence that He overflows abundantly upon everyone we encounter.

Network211

You may wonder how the Holy Spirit can be active in an Internet ministry. He is present in what Network211 does in a variety of ways. First, Network211 buys Google Ad words so that an individual searching online can find our evangelism sites more readily. This moves our advertisements closer to page one. The individual still has many options from which to choose, but I believe the Holy Spirit directs the person to click the Network211 presentation.

Second, the Network211 evangelism site uses a video and article to address the life issue that the individual Googled and then offers the Truth of Jesus Christ in a gospel presentation. I believe that the Holy Spirit moves on the hearts and minds of these individuals to be open and to hear the calling of our Savior. We then request that they click a response button and write to us to tell us about their life issues. Again, the Holy Spirit is moving in them to respond and to continue their quest for truth and answers.

Third, the Network211 response team, called “1-2-1 Connectors,” replies to people within 48 hours. They are Spirit-filled believers who pray that the Holy Spirit will give them insight, wisdom, a word of knowledge, and the most effective response to present the Truth of Jesus Christ.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit then moves on the hearts and minds of the individuals who receive a response from our 1-2-1 Connector teams to act upon the Truth they have received. Some will ignore us, others will write a second time, and still others will provide their contact details so that we can connect them with a local Assemblies of God church in their city, town, or village.

We can use the Internet as a tool of the gospel to present the Good News to individuals around the world and allow the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts. The tool is only a device, but when used for God’s glory it can connect us with people we will never meet in person.

As the story of this world winds down to its ultimate ending, the rise of evil in our world is inevitable. The church that determines to be relevant to its culture and accommodate society will fall. The church that stands firm to the end with the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit will be a church that will celebrate the Lord for eternity. May our message be like that of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor. 2:4).

Our Mandate is Holiness

            We must be disciples who center our message on Jesus Christ and whose method is Pentecostal—by the power of the Holy Spirit. In order to do this, we must recognize that we need clearly articulated biblical standards, boundaries, and spiritual goals to guide our lives. In the past, we used to discuss theological terms such as “holiness” and “sanctification.” However, years of abuse has led people to equate “holiness” with “legalism” and avoid the term so much that our children do not have it in their vocabulary. “Sanctification” is another term that few can define and they do understand the concept of discipleship, obeying all that Christ commanded. Our mandate is to be holy as God is holy (Lev. 11:45). Therefore, we must address this core theological value.

The Biblical Foundation

There are numerous occasions when believers are commanded to be holy. For example, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44). “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them, ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy’” (19:2). “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own” (20:26). The New Testament has this command as well, “For it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

            This command was vital for the creation, ongoing existence, and future of a people group formed by God to serve as an example to the nations of the world. God took them from the bonds of Egyptian slavery to be a powerful nation than continues today. As He formed them, they needed rules, regulations, boundaries, discipline, and a future. He set the standard so high that they could not fulfill it without His help; be holy as I am holy.

            In the Old Testament, the emphasis was on the nation of Israel being the family of God first and foremost. This meant they won the world to God by bringing outsiders into their community of faith and becoming Jewish. Whenever the Israelites interacted with the nations around them, often they accepted their idol worship and, as a result, their behavior before the Lord became offensive.

            In the New Testament, believers in the book of Acts impacted their Jewish community with their strong Christian witness in three ways. First, believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles and, thus, ministered like Jesus. This fascinated the Pharisees as they noted the disciples were “ordinary men.” Second, believers were empowered to form and live in Christian community. Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, slaves and freed all formed the community of faith because they were each saved by Jesus Christ. Their ability to thrive, as seen in Acts 2:42-38, was a powerful testimony to the nations that Christ’s love changes lives and transforms society. Third, believers displayed a life of holiness that Jewish followers could not deny. While the believers followed Christ, they lived by standards that honored God and aligned with God’s Word. Had the believers failed to exhibit a standard of holiness in any of these areas, it would have invalidated their witness and faith and sentenced them to being a cult.

            When the believers shared their love of Christ to the Gentile world, their life and ministry honored the message they proclaimed. The Gentiles came to Christ because of the signs, wonders, and miracles that accompanied the message believers presented. The love exhibited by believers in Christian community was a witness to unbelievers that following Christ changes lives and transforms society. Again, the standards of living within the community of faith served as a testimony of God’s love.

            Believers also testified to the Gentile world when they lived as model citizens, even in a society that held polar opposite beliefs. In Romans 13:1-10, Paul taught the church to be submissive to the governing authorities and fit into society. For example, “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” (v. 7). Their ability to be separated unto God and yet live as respectable citizens in the Roman world would present a powerfully effective testimony of God’s love and transformation.

            Holiness is so much more than achieving a spiritual status by observing rules and regulations. Holiness is choice of our heart and mind to be in an intimate and relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:

Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matt. 15:17-20)

            The Apostle Peter revealed that we are more than just workers in the Kingdom of God and that we play a special role: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). So, we are called out of the darkness and away from our former nature to flourish in the light of God’s love and be the people that God created us to be.

            The book of Colossians provides excellent insights on how a life of holiness is to be lived in any generation, situation, and location. In Colossians 2, Paul taught that we are freed from the condemnation and judgment of following rules. We have “died with Christ to the basic principles of this world” (v. 20) and are made “alive with Christ” (v. 13). He finished the chapter with this warning about rules: “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (v. 23).

            In Galatians 5, Paul shared how believers can live in holiness. He started with, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (v. 1) and continued, “But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather serve one another humbly in love” (v. 13). Then, Paul provided us with the key relationship: “So I say, walk by the Spirit” (v. 10). He listed the acts of the flesh and contrasted it with the fruit of the Spirit (v. 23). He concluded with, “Against such things there is no law” (v. 23b) and “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25). We can fulfill our mandate to be holy if we allow the Holy Spirit to empower, enable, and guide us.

Scripture provides ample teaching to equip us to live a holy life. We can label this “holiness” or “sanctification” or “discipleship.” Whatever the name, we must identify these issues, live them daily, and set our standard high to live a life that glorifies and honors God.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

            As the Assemblies of God gathered for the first General Council in 1914, they addressed the predominant issue of sanctification. The issues did not focus on whether one must live a holy life to honor God but rather on how a person becomes sanctified. Rodgers, the Director of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, provides insight into these foundational days of the movement:

One of the first major divisions within Pentecostalism pertained to the issue of sanctification. Some held to a radical Wesleyan view that it is possible for the sin nature to be eradicated following an instantaneous experience of sanctification. Many who disagreed advocated a more traditional Wesleyan view (termed ‘Finished Work’), contending that sanctification is progressive, not instantaneous, and that perfection is not possible on earth. Most Assemblies of God founders adhered to the latter ‘Finished Work’ view.”[10]

The primary perspective taught emphasized a point of salvation, the process of being saved as we walk with the Lord during our lifetime, and complete salvation when we enter heaven. Thus, our being set apart unto the Lord is done legally, progressively, and ultimately.

            The doctrine of holiness soon created conflict when it came to the pragmatic matter of its application in everyday life. On the one hand, a leading teaching emphasized that a believers attain holiness by keeping rules and regulations, as defined by the local Assemblies of God church. Thus, dress codes and strict regulations as to what a believer could or could not do in the areas of personal entertainment often served as a litmus test for one’s spirituality. On the other hand, some people proclaimed that holiness was a personal matter of the heart only; therefore, it was not to be a concern for anyone else.

            The Doctrinal Committee and the Executive Presbytery approved the official position paper of the Assemblies of God concerning holiness. It addresses both sides of the issue: man-made rules and regulations versus personal Christian liberty. It defines legalism and worldliness as stated by the General Council Bylaws, Article IX, Sections 2 and 6. It declares that believers must address “matters of conscience,” void making legalism a basis for salvation, urges believers not to love the world or the things of the world, and to avoid activities that would take one’s eyes off of the Lord. It concludes by saying: “Though some Christians may err on the side of legalism and others on the side of permissive license, the Assemblies of God maintains and teaches a biblical position that honors God out of a heart of loving obedience.”[11]

Why Must We Address This Value?

            We must address the theological value of holiness because the Assemblies of God is a worldwide movement that touches the lives of people in various cultures, customs, political views, worldviews, and who hold differing ideas of what the term means. Rather than create a definition of holiness and demand that people around the world comply, with no regard for their history and current context, we must encourage one another to obey the commands of Christ (Matt. 28:19), to be in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), and spur one another on to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). At the same time, we cannot be so permissive in the expression of our faith that we are no different than the people we should be reaching with the light of God’s love. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in The Cost of Discipleship, called this “cheap grace:” “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession … cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”[12]

            Our challenge is to empower believers in local churches worldwide to balance the attitude of living in their freedom in Christ with Bonhoeffer’s teaching: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”[13] I submit that the church must steadfastly teach “a biblical position that honors God out of a heart of loving obedience,” as stated by the Assemblies of God position paper on legalism. They must allow for people to live their faith in a way that is appropriate to their life context as long as their expression is biblically appropriate and accomplishes the goal of obeying everything that Christ commanded.

            We must clearly proclaim what the Bible teaches and willingly admit that we are stating our opinions in matters that the Bible does not expressly address. Our understanding of God’s Word is often an expression of what we have been taught during the varying seasons of our personal spiritual journey. Other factors, such as personal experiences, the worldview of the society in which we lived, and how people in our lives interpreted their life experiences and how they imparted that to us, contribute to the building of our personal theology. We must resist the temptation to consider our personal beliefs as biblical or timeless truths that apply to any situation in the world.

            In our proclamation of biblical teaching, we must be unapologetic in standing for truth and righteousness, as taught in the Bible. God’s Word provides clear teachings about how one can live a life of holiness and how to be sanctified. At the same time, we must allow other individuals to express their faith even though it is not something that we would do personally. Just as the Lord allows for many denominations and movements in the Kingdom of God, we must allow and respect various personal expressions of faith within the Assemblies of God.

We are not seeking unity for the sake of peace but allowing for personal expression of one’s faith to honor God so that we maintain our goal of glorifying God by obeying Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. E. N. Bell, who served as the first chairman of the Assemblies of God, gave such a warning:

So we do not intend to make creeds written by men a test of fellowship. Do not be afraid of the General Council on that line … It is a sure sign of fanaticism when a man feels he must cast you out in order to be honest and true to God just because you don’t see works of grace or some other doctrine just as he does. That is exactly the sectarian spirit which has split up Christendom into over 300 fighting sects to disgrace the name of Jesus and the unity of the Gospel of the Son of God.[14]

Network211

            Network211 is a ministry that values holiness and works diligently to provide content online that will help believers apply truth and grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As previously stated, we present the gospel in our evangelism websites. We respond to people who write to us, not as counselors, but as believers who will share the Truth of God’s Word. Should counseling be needed, we direct people to the appropriate Christian counselors to continue the journey with them.

            Network211 leads people to “The Jesus Path” (www.globalchristiancenter.com/jesus-path) where they can find content to help them journey with Christ. The four steps are:

1.     Jesus is the Answer reveals who Jesus is and how He can change your life.

2.     Walk with Jesus is a series of videos that help you take your first steps as a new follower of Jesus Christ.

3.     Grow with Jesus guides you through vital personal developmental stages as you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

4.     Serve Jesus prepares you in the basics of servant leadership so that you can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all areas of your life.

The Jesus Path is an introduction to Global Christian Center (GCC), the Network211 online church found at www.GlobalChristianCenter.com. This site provides thousands of articles, videos, and devotions that help individuals learn how to obey Christ and to live a daily life that honors Him. Currently, Network211 is averaging approximately 65,000 visitors a month to GCC and this group represents 244 countries and territories.

            The other departments within Global Christian Center are as follows:

·      “Christian Living” is a section of GCC that focuses on life issues common to most believers around the world. The content is presented in the following categories: men, women, marriage, family, singles, seniors, students, and kids.

·      “Family” is part of GCC but also its own web site at www.Family-Relationships.com. It presents content in four parts: Prepare for Marriage, Adjust to Marriage, Relating in a Marriage, and Succeeding as a Family. This offers video and written content.

·      “Resources” is the final section that offers resources for Life, Ministry, Media, and Missions. Life Resources offers content to help believers grow in everyday life and includes devotions. Ministry Resources includes content for Administrative Leadership, Bible and Theology, Holy Spirit Studies, Churches Resources, Sermons, and Worship Resources. Media Resources presents audio and video content. Missions Resources displays content to inform and equip the reader to understand missions and missionaries.

Every page on Global Christian Center provides response buttons so that the readers can interact with us about the matters of their hearts and also about their questions and responses to the content online. The buttons are “I Need Jesus,” “I Have Questions,” and “I Need Prayer.”

            Network211’s main evangelism sites are in the top ten languages of the Internet. Our goal is to offer The Jesus Path in these same languages and for this to be the beginning of Global Christian Center for each one. The plan will not be to translate English language content into these languages but to create and acquire original content for each one. The idea is for the content to be language specific and culturally appropriate.

            Network211 offers Global Friend Link (GLF), at www.GlobalFriendLink.com, as an online community in a social network format to encourage and develop biblical relationships within the Christian community. GFL members join so that they can share testimonies of what the Lord has done, learn in Bible studies with open groups and invitation-only groups, share videos and pictures, and encourage one another in the Lord. Activities that are not allowed include using the site for dating or fundraising. The reason is that we encourage believers to center their interaction on Christ. The idea is that this will provide a platform to learn from, and to encourage, one another to be more like Christ.

            Holiness is an attribute of God. Yet, for some people the term conjures negative images such a legalism. However, we must reclaim this word and teach the next generation the value of holiness in our beliefs and actions. We must return to the original intent of holiness and that is for us to be devoted entirely to God and separated from anything that detracts from this sacred relationship. We must be in step with the Holy Spirit and seek the contemporary applications of these biblical values as defined by the Word of God and not by contemporary society. May the Lord equip us to reexamine this important value and to be able to present it properly so that we can live the life that God ordained us to live for His glory.

Our Mindset Must Be Dependency on God

            Our mindset to accomplish our God-given tasks must be complete dependency of God. We thank the Lord for the advantages that bless us such as education, finances, a solid movement with strong doctrine and a vibrant history, and success stories that encourage us to persevere and do our best for God’s glory. But, all of our abilities are insignificant in and of themselves. The wise man has a mindset that depends on God, for he know that “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1). Our mindset must be focused strategically on Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

The Biblical Foundation

            Throughout the unveiling of human history, as recorded in the Bible, God empowered people to fulfill their God-given vision and for God’s glory. Often, the people God chose to use were not the most qualified or those with the most impressive backgrounds but rather people who were willing to be used by God. They received a task so great that it was beyond their abilities, so much so that without God’s help they could not fulfill it.

            The Bible provides many examples of people who depended on God. In Genesis 6-9 we read of Noah, whom God chose to build an ark and fill it with animals. Some believe that this event occurred in an era when people had not seen rain. As doomsday approached, Noah faithfully executed his God-given task and probably endured ridicule and torment by the people. Yet, his undying belief in God, as expressed by his faithfulness, caused him to move forward. The Lord empowered him and he fulfilled the task.

            Another example is when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to call upon their deities to light an altar with fire so as to prove that their gods had ultimate power (1 Kings 18). When the pagan gods failed to answer, Elijah increased the odds of his God not being able to light the fire on the altar by adding water. Elijah then called on the name of the Lord in front of the pagans. Would God come through and light the fire? What if God did not answer? Did Elijah even consider that God would not prove himself? Apparently, Elijah was so relationally in tune with God that he never doubted that God would prove himself. Elijah completely depended on God, so much so that if God did not answer Elijah probably would have died at the hands of his pagan adversaries.

            The book of Acts reveals many examples of believers who radically depended on God. Believers came from various backgrounds, societal statuses, economic statuses, and religious viewpoints. Jesus had given them a vision to reach the world, a mission to make disciples, and a strategy yet to be explained. They just knew that they were to go and that the Holy Spirit would empower and guide them along the way. Some believers preached to the Jews while others reached out to the Gentiles. Some Christ-followers were brought before spiritual leaders to explain their faith while others stood before political leaders. Ultimately, all of these people were led by the Holy Spirit, saw manifestations of the Spirit in their lives, and encountered persecution for their faith and actions on some level. Each person was so dependent on God that if He did not move in the situations where He placed them, they would be ridiculed, at least, and even be threatened unto death, at worst. God did move and His name was glorified.

            A word that captures living with a mindset that is dependent on God is faith. Immediately, our thoughts go to Hebrews 11, a chapter that is called “The Hall of Faith.” The chapter lists examples of men and women who depended on God for their very lives. Key verses that we memorized in Sunday School and helped form our theological foundations from this chapter include the following:

·      “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (v. 1).

·      “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (v. 6).

·      “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth” (v. 13).

·      The author lists more examples of believers who held firm in their faith in God, even to the point of persecution and death. It is then declared, “the world was not worthy of them” (v. 38a).

·      The chapter concludes with, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us they would be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39-40).

May we have the insight and wisdom to follow their examples and serve the Lord with a mindset that is dependent on Him and Him alone.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

            A reading of the history of the Assemblies of God, reveals that believers depended on God completely or their mission would not be accomplished. Truly, they believed in Zechariah 4:6b, “‘Not my might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” God called believers to a task and equipped them to accomplish that task: for instance, believers witnessed about the love of God to people they knew; pastors planted churches in locations where no churches existed; and missionaries went to new nations, and learned a new language so they could preach the Good News to people they had never met.

Their message was centered on Jesus Christ. Their method was Pentecostal. Their mandate was to be holy as God is holy. Now, their mindset combined all of these values to produce a mindset dependent on God. The Apostle Paul understood this mindset as he wrote,

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-11)

The title of an article in the Assemblies of God Heritage magazine captures the value of this mindset: “What Made Them Think They Could?: Ten Early Assemblies of God Female Missionaries.” These ten women “were neither powerful nor ideal candidates for missions. Yet they seized the opportunities to evangelize, disciple converts, and provide humanitarian care. They persevered in foreign lands to overcome spiritual opposition, physical dangers, emotional hardships, and cultures resistant to ministry by women. What made them think they could?”[15]

            God called these women to win the lost and disciple the found. The Holy Spirit empowered and emboldened them to impact their world. Frequently without proper financial support, they wrote of hardships on the field such as famines and natural disasters that led them to deprive themselves and left them susceptible to illness and diseases. They considered it a privilege to suffer for the name of Jesus and they expected persecution. They did suffer rejection and hardships, but chose to continue reaching out in evangelism, humanitarian care, and even in the building of Bible schools worldwide.

The women constantly affirmed their reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit for the missionary task. They adapted to their surroundings and circumstances, trusting that God would guide where, how and when to witness. The supernatural was a part of daily life. The women peppered their reports with the astonishing interventions of God and supernatural resources beyond their talents, abilities, and training. God accompanied their gospel proclamation with divine guidance and healing, godly power to overcome demonic forces, and other miracles.[16]

These missionaries demonstrated the mindset of total dependence on God. They needed Him to intervene, reveal himself supernaturally, provide, encourage, and comfort them or they would be overcome by the task and never recover.

Why Must We Address This Value

Stories of the early days of the Assemblies of God often mention that our forefathers were “from the wrong side of the tracks” and sometimes even lacked financial means. Nevertheless, this did not deter them from their goals of producing “the greatest evangelism effort this world has ever seen.”[17] They won people to Christ, built churches, and established a global movement that now has over 68 million adherents. The question is, “How?” They did so by focusing on Christ, by living holy lives, and by being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In short, they relied on God to move. Often, they lacked the financial and personnel resources and so this forced them to rely so much on God that if He did not intervene then their efforts would fail. The verse, “When I am weak, He is strong” (2 Cor. 12:10) characterized their lives.

            We must keep this spirit of reliance on the Lord: “blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3). We are blessed with financial position, educational training, and contemporary strategies, but we must not rely on these gifts for without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and a move of God, our efforts will lack spiritual vitality and depth.

            The Lord has blessed the Assemblies of God USA with a variety of resources: financial, personnel, talent, strategy, and passion. “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48) is a statement that sobers us and yet encourages us to maximize these resources to further the Kingdom of God. At the same time, many believers around the world do not experience the blessings evident in the AG USA. However, they are blessed with a great number of people who are called of God, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, and serve as prayer warriors passionate about reaching their nation and sending missionaries to others countries. Both situations are blessed by God and find that the fulfillment of the primary objective comes through complete dependence on the Lord.

            Unfortunately, a church can increase the size of the congregation without the help of God by updating the church music, offering a strong children’s program, having well-known speakers, presenting a good social media presence, and creating a first rate branding and promotions campaign. However, this does not automatically mean that the church is fulfilling the objective of evangelizing the lost and bring believers to spiritual maturity. These tactics are certainly beneficial, yet they are secondary to relying on the Lord to provide the resources, spiritual depth, and guidance to speak into the lives of individuals and the church, as a whole.

            Missionaries, in general, have a great appreciation for the concept of depending on God. They must rely on the Lord or the work will not move forward. Their journey begins with walking by faith in their efforts to enlist prayer and financial supporters in their home nation. They share their calling, their passion to win the lost and disciple the found, and their burden to be used of God as He wills. When they are new to their field of service, they do not know the language, the culture, the local customs, have no friends, and have yet to learn how to communicate effectively with the indigenous people. Then, they work diligently in all these areas with the hopes of one day being able to connect effectively with the people in this land. But, they also pray, fast, and seek the Lord for help, hope, and direction. When they are weak, then He is strong.

            An interesting topic, as we discuss dependency on God, is whether or not our comfort level is aligned with our effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission. If we are so comfortable with our ministry and how it is going, then we may not be doing all that could be done for the Lord. Attempting “great things” for God demands a complete reliance on Him. As someone once said: “Have your goal close enough that you can begin to see it and yet far enough away that unless God intervenes, it will not be accomplished.”[18] We must refuse to settle for status quo but seek to be all that God wants us to be as people and as servants of the Lord.

Network211

            Network211 has learned the value of depending on the Lord. While we can identify ways to expand the ministries and become more effective, first and foremost, we look to the Lord to provide. For the ones serving at Network211, we look to the Lord to provide for finances, personnel, answer prayers, and assist those who contact us through our website outreaches.

            As with all developing ministries, financial resources are always a great need. Faithful donors, who lay a solid financial foundation upon which to build, bless the ministry of Network211. Their consistent and generous giving provides the financial resources for all aspects of the ministry, including building and upgrading our websites and content, daily operational expenses, promotional items, and Google advertising. If donors give, the ministry can forge ahead, but if they do not give, the ministry is stymied. We are dependent upon the Lord to speak to the hearts of donors and potential donors so that Network211 can move forward.

            The vast majority of the personnel at Network211 are Assemblies of God World Missions missionaries who raise their personal monthly work budgets. As long as they receive their support, they are able to continue ministry at Network211. We are dependent on the Lord for financial backing, both for the ministry, as a whole, and for each individual who serves.

            As with any ministry that envisions accomplishing even greater things for the Lord, Network211 is constantly in need of the Lord calling people to serve in the ministry. The need for more personnel is ongoing. While we attempt to inform Assemblies of God churches as to the opportunities available to serve at Network211, we are dependent upon the Lord to speak to their hearts and to call them into missionary service.

            Funding for the ministry, financial support for each missionary, and the need for personnel are examples of reasons why the work day at Network211 begins in prayer. We recognize our complete dependence on God to enable, direct, and answer. Praying together as a team aligns us, individually and collectively, with the One who matters most. This time allows us to support one another for our personal and family needs and builds unity among the team.

            We are thankful that people worldwide go online looking for answers and are depending on someone to present Truth to them. Some people are seeking solutions for the dilemmas of life that trouble them while others have needs that challenge their very existence as they search online “one last time” to see if anyone can provide them with a reason for living. We believe each person’s spiritual DNA has a God-given desire for a personal relationship with Him. People who do not know the Lord can react when they hear a presentation of the Truth for the first time. However, the Truth penetrates their facades and resonates deeply in their souls. They write to us and depend on someone to help them. We know that the “someone” they are seeking is Jesus.

            While we praise the Lord when people write to let us know of their salvation, we also value comments from believers who are seeking answers to life’s issues and who need God to intervene in their situations. The Network211 “1-2-1 Connectors” respond with encouragement and with the Truth of God’s Word to inspire believers to continue to “fight the good fight” and not to be overcome by discouragement. When people encounter debilitating illnesses or insurmountable situations, they often feel that God has abandoned them and they are ready to give up of their salvation. We, at Network211, are dependent upon God to empower us by His Holy Spirit to answer these people with God’s wisdom in their moment of need. They are dependent upon God to move, and we are dependent upon God to journey with them to keep the faith.

            May the Lord correct us immediately if we ever believe we can do the work of the ministry in our own strength. We need the Lord to empower and direct us as we obediently follow His strategy to fulfill His will.

Our Mission Must Be World Missions

            We have discussed biblically based theological values held to by the founders of the Assemblies of God. Our message is Jesus Christ. Our method is Pentecostal. Our mandate is holiness. Our mindset is dependency on God. And now, we must ask, to what end? Truly, these theological values will enrich our personal lives, usher us into the presence of God, and be a springboard to a more intimate relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Equally important, however, theological values must find fulfillment in our Christ-given mission to reach everyone, everywhere with the gospel and to make disciples in all nations. Failing to address what we call “The Great Commission” would cause us to miss the heart of God and result in failing to live in the fullness of who we were created to be.

Biblical Foundation

            The starting point for a biblical basis for world missions begins in Genesis 1:26 when God said, “Let us make mankind in our own image, in our likeness.” Just as God was in a personal relationship with Adam and Eve, He wants to be in relationship will all of His creation. We know that He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

            We will not take the time to trace the biblical thread of God reaching out to His creation with reconciliation and a saving relationship, but rather focus on the “The Great Commission,” as found in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, and John 20:19-23. We will briefly consider seven aspects of Matthew’s Great Commission.

1.      All authority belongs to Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18). Matthew has just written twenty-eight chapters to tell us that Jesus Christ is King. Jesus is the Messiah. He was born with the lineage of a King, lived a sinless life, taught with unparalleled authority, was obedient to the Heavenly Father even to the point of suffering and death, and rose again to conquer sin and death. He is the King of Kings, The Giver of Life, The Conqueror of Death, and The Ruler for Eternity. Acts 4:12 states it this way, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the Ultimate Authority.

2.     We must be people of the “therefore” (v. 19). It is because of what Christ has done and by His authority that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our King, our Master, is now calling us to live in the “therefore.” Therefore, we are compelled to serve the King by sharing with others the story of the One who gives Life. Living in the “therefore” means that we declare to Him, “not my will but your will be done!” instead of degrading Him to the place where our wish is His command. Therefore, we must proclaim Christ as King to the world.

3.     We must go (v. 19). The Good News, this Gospel, must be preached. It must be proclaimed in word and in deed by you and by me. If we understand truly the love of Christ, we are compelled to action. We are to be willing to go to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

4.     We must make disciples of all nations (v. 19). The construction of the sentence in Greek directs us to go with purpose. We do not just “go” for the sake of making motion. We go with the specific purpose of making disciples of all nations. We are to journey with others to lead them to the Lord, to help them grow in the Lord, and to become the people that God created them to be. We are to go to all people and to all nations.

5.     Specifically, we are to baptize people into the fullness of God and into the family of God (v. 19). New believers are to be baptized in the fullness of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is an outward expression of an inner work. It is more than just a public ceremony; it signifies that we belong to God and that we are members in the family of God. We have a new identity in Christ and we live in a new community of faith.

6.     We must teach others to obey everything that Christ commanded (v. 20). Christ’s teaching is now the standard upon which we base our lives. His Words are Life! We express our love to Jesus by obeying Him, as stated in John 14:15. Disciples identify with the fullness of God, live in the family of God, and obey everything that Christ commanded.

7.     Our reward is living in the presence of God (v. 20). The promise of proclaiming Christ as King is that we will be in His presence today, tomorrow, and for eternity. In His presence there is healing, hope, order, peace, and purpose. There is no greater reward than being in the presence of God, as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

            One of the purposes for the call of “General Convention of Pentecostal Saints and Churches of God in Christ” in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1914 was world missions. However, the call to meeting was not a challenge to begin a world missions outreach but to do it more effectively:

We come together for another reason, that we may get a better understanding of the needs of each foreign field, and may know how to place our money in such a way that one mission or missionary shall not suffer, while another not any more worthy, lives in luxuries. Also that we may discourage wasting money on those who are running here and there accomplishing nothing, and may concentrate our support on those who mean business for our King.[19]

At the end of the second General Council of the Assemblies of God, held at the Stone Church in Chicago, Illinois, in November 1914, they “resolved to achieve ‘the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen.’”[20] Built into the blueprint of the movement was a deep desire to see everyone in the world come to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They did not focus on what they lacked, such as finances, personnel, and how to relate to new cultures, customs, and languages, but rather on their love for Christ, empowerment and enablement by the Holy Spirit, and their unwavering dedication to express their love to their Savior by fulfilling His Great Commission. Our spiritual leaders had the foresight to know that their mission to reach the world was the heart of their existence; in fact their raison d’etre.

Why We Must Address This Value

            We must address the theological value of our mission being world missions because many Assemblies of God churches in the United States do not allow missionaries to speak in their churches nor do these churches give funds through Assemblies of God World Missions to propagate the gospel worldwide. In 2015, of the 12,897 AG churches only 52.2% of them, or 6,727, had at least one service with a missionary speaker.[21] Missionaries readily recognize that churches that allow missionary speakers will give more funds to missions, pray more for world evangelism, and see more people from their church called to missionary fields of service.

            According to the 2016 Assemblies of God Statistical Report, 13,023 Assemblies of God churches reported a total membership of 1,818,941 with 3,240,258 adherents and 2,004,897 attending in their “major worship service.”[22] It is admirable that they gave $212.3 million in 2016 to Assemblies of God World Missions.[23] If one divides the total dollars given to AGWM in 2016 by the number of people attending a major worship service in 2016, it would indicate that, on average, each person gave $105.89 for the year, or $8.82 per month.

            We rejoice for the churches that allow for missionary speakers and for the significant funds raised through the Assemblies of God, USA. Nevertheless, the Assemblies of God could make a greater impact on missions if every Assemblies of God church would embrace the theological value that our mission must be World Missions.

            Churches that embrace the Great Commission will be churches that grow in influence, membership, finances, and, most importantly, in intimate relationship with God. It behooves each attendee of an Assemblies of God church to take an overseas missions trip to see how people in other countries live and the state of their spiritual condition. I believe this would help many American believers to understand why missions is the heartbeat of God and thus, experience an expansion or transformation of their world view.

 Network211

            Network211 is a ministry that uses 21^st century technology to communicate the 1^st century gospel with the purpose of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone, everywhere. Dr. Because George M. Flattery founded Network211, it has its roots in International Correspondence Institute (ICI), ICI University (ICIU), and now Global University.

            ICI officially launched in 1967 and used the technology of that day, correspondence, to spread the gospel in evangelism, make disciples, and lead people into local churches. Individuals around the world would receive a brochure called, “The Great Questions of Life,” offered in multiple languages that reveal how Jesus Christ is the Answer to their question. These individuals would answer questions in the back of the brochure, mail it to an ICI office, and receive the next brochure. Then, they would receive discipleship materials in this same format. Through the years, ICI received millions of responses from people around the world who shared salvation testimonies.

            ICI was a ministry of the Assemblies of God Division of Foreign Missions (AG-DFM). It utilized the ministry of missionaries in the home office as well as missionaries in nations around the world. Local believers and local churches were engaged in the creation, distribution, and follow up of materials. Ultimately, individuals received discipleship training and became part of the church—the local communities of faith.

            Dr. Flattery incorporated Global Colleagues, now Network211, in December of 1997 and used the ICI blueprint with the internet as the updated means of communication. The main evangelism site is “Journey Answers” and addresses thirteen relevant life issues that people around the world Google. Network211 is an Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) ministry within International Ministries (AGWM-IM) and utilizes the ministry of missionaries in the home office as well as missionaries in the nations of the world. Like ICI, local believers and local churches are engaged in the creation of materials and in the follow up of individuals. Presently, Journey Answers is presented in the top ten languages of the Internet and sixteen languages overall.

            People from 244 countries and territories have visited Network211 evangelism sites—even people in nations closed to missionaries and Americans. They visit from the major nations of the world such as China and Russia and from the smallest territories in the world. They access our sites from the Islamic world and from the countries that comprise the 10/40 window. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Agnostics, and Atheists all access the sites. Matthew 24:14 says, “This Gospel will be preached to all nations and then the end will come.” Truly, the endeavors of Network211 contribute to the fulfillment of this end-time Scripture.

            We praise the Lord for His abundant blessing to us! The promise that He will be with us always (Matt. 28:20) is a wonderful intimate relationship of forgiveness, acceptance, and love and is our greatest reward. However, the Bible teaches and our Pentecostal forefathers believed that the Master’s plan for humanity is that everyone should be reconciled to the Father and in right relationship with Him. Our role, as servants to the Master, is to realize that we are blessed to be a blessing to others and that we must take His Name to the ends of the earth. Until the last person has called upon Him as Savior and Lord, our task is incomplete.

 

Concluding Remarks

            The starting point for a ministry is to establish and maintain its theological values. We must know what we believe, as that determines who we are and how we can fulfill God’s calling on our lives. Our message must be Jesus Christ. Our method must be Pentecostal. Our mandate is holiness. Our mindset is complete dependency on God. Our mission is World Missions. These theological values are non-negotiable. May the Lord give us the grace to stand firm on these values and the creativity and passion to convey them to a world that needs them desperately.

Network211 launched JourneyAnswers.com officially on October 15, 2008 as the flagship evangelism site.  Our goal was Project 10Million, to present 10 million Gospel presentations in ten years.  The Lord accomplished this is five years.  Project 10Million became Project 100Million.  In the last four years, we praise the Lord that we made an additional 20 million Gospel presentations.  On Sunday October 15^th, we will celebrate nine years since the launch of Journey Answers.  We praise the Lord that we have made 30.1 million Gospel presentations, with 1.4 million individuals making an evangelism response and over 261,000 writing to us in a discipleship connection.  These people come from 244 countries and territories. 

            I believe that the results have proved that Network211, as a prototype for 21^st century evangelism and discipleship, is making an eternal impact on the lives of individuals worldwide.  May the Lord give us the insight to increase our efforts and embrace “Internet Users” as a people group that needs to be presenting with the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

            In the second lecture, we will examine the missiological strategies of Network211.  This will include Indigenous Principles, Cooperative Multinationalism, and the Network211 core strategy of taking a journey with individuals so that they can go from where they are to where they need to be in Christ.

            The third lecture will discuss the global ministry of Network211.  It will view “Internet Users” as a people group, “Globalism” as a world system, and “Global Individuality” as the next force in World Missions.

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[1] George W. Flattery, Pentecostal Pioneering (Self-published, 1992), 154.

[2] George M. Flattery and J. Phillip Hogan, “Conversations,” 1983. Unpublished transcript of a video produced by ICI University in the 1970. Accessed through the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, 2017.

[3] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “The Salvation of Man,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org/Beliefs/Statement-of-Fundamental-Truths#5.

[4] John C. Nugent, Endangered Gospel (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2016), 7.

[5] Ibid., 22.

[6] Darrin J. Rodgers, “Fully Committed: 100 Years of the Assemblies of God,” Assemblies of God Heritage, 34 (2014), 5-6.

[7] Darrin Rodgers, “Full Committed,” Pentecostal Evangel, April 13, 2014, 19.

[8] George O. Wood, “Why the Assemblies of God Exists,” Pentecostal Evangel, April 13, 2014, 7-15.

[9] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “Assemblies of God,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org.

[10] Rodgers, “Fully Committed: 100 Years of the Assemblies of God,” 8.

[11] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “Legalism,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org/Beliefs/Topics-Index/Legalism.

[12] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quotes,” Goodreads.com, accessed September 25, 2017, https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/29333.Dietrich_Bonhoeffer.

[13] Ibid.

[14] William J. Molenaar, “Christian Unity: A Founding Principle of the Assemblies of God,” Assemblies of God Heritage, 34 (2014), 62.

[15] Rosemarie Daher Kowalski, “What Made Them Think They Could?: Ten Early Assemblies of God Female Missionaries,” Assemblies of God Heritage, 34 (2014), 67.

[16] Ibid., 68.

[17] Rodgers, “Fully Committed: 100 Years of the Assemblies of God,” 26.

^[18] Anonymous quote of a speaker I once heard.

[19] Rodgers, “Fully Committed: 100 Years of the Assemblies of God,” 6.

[20] Ibid., 9.

[21] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “Index to 2015 AG Statistical Reports,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org/About/Statistics.

[22] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “2016 Vital Statistics District Summary and National Church Size by Attendance,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org/About/Statistics.

[23] Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “AGWM Vital Statistics: 2017 Issue 4,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://agwm.com/assets/agwmvitalstats.pdf.