Find Persons of Peace - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus said to Peter and his co-workers, “Follow me and I will make you fishers

or men.” Perhaps, you, like me, heard that story and responded, “I want to be

a fisher of men. Make me a fisher of men too.” Fishing for men is not easy.

Calling men and women, boys and girls to repent and believe the Good News is

often hard work. I know there have been times when I have worked hard to

prepare to go to a place to proclaim the Gospel. I have prepared my message

very well. I have prayed much. And then, when I got to that place I preached

and saw zero impact. Have you ever had experiences like that? How

discouraging.

But about 30 years after I started preaching the Gospel, I learned about

persons of peace. Luke 10:1-12 teaches us that God helps us find men and

women who are hungry to know him. When we share the Good News they

listen. When we offer to pray, they are very glad for us to pray. When they

have questions about the Bible they ask them… and then they listen to every

word we say in response. When we teach them to obey Jesus, they do. These

people are called “persons of peace.”

When I go fishing for men and find persons of peace, it’s as if I don’t have to

cast my net and pull it in. These “fish” seem to jump into my boat! That’s

because God in his grace has prepared persons of peace to respond to the Good

News.

During August, September, and October you will be working to start daughter

churches. But God did not wait until August to start this project. Long before

August he was working in the hearts of men and women who are hungry to

know God. Its’s your job to find them.

Finding persons of peace is the key to planting new churches in villages without

churches. But have you taught your disciples to find persons of peace? Have you

told them the story of the women at the well. She lived in adultery, but when

she met Jesus, her heart was changed and through her, so was her village (John

4). Have you told your disciples about Cornelius, the Roman soldier that called

for Peter to come to his house? Because of Cornelius, his whole family heard

the Good News and the Holy Spirit came upon them all. (Acts 10). Have you

taught your disciples to look for persons of peace by sharing their 15 second

testimony? Have you shown them how to offer to pray for the sick and for other

needs of people who are far from God? Have you taken disciples with you when

you asked someone, “May I tell you a story from the Bible that means a lot to

me?” Have you shown them how to simply tell a Bible story and then discuss its

meaning by asking six simple questions? Do your disciples know how to find

persons of peace? Now is the time to train them. Now is the time to help them

experience the work of God as they look for and find persons of peace!

We are in the first month of 90 Days of Prayer, Fasting, and Church Planting.

Now is the time to train your disciples to find persons of peace. Now is the

time to go with them to villages without churches so that, along with you, they

too can fish for men. Now is the time to rejoice together when you and your

disciples find person of peace.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FishersOfMen #PersonsOfPeace