Key: Commit
COMMIT to reaching the goals God gives
Stephanas and his team made a firm commitment to planting reproducing churches. “We will reach the goal God has given.” [1]
They were committed to the task rather than to a time period. They would stick with it in spite of how many years it might take.[2]
They continually sought the Lord, to know the Scriptures and to hear His voice, trusting Him to lead step-by-step.
Jesus sent the 72 ahead, to places where He Himself was about to go. Stephanas prayed, “That is what we want too, Lord! Please send us where You, have prepared a ripe harvest! Show us the way.”[3]
[1] Intentional Planting of Reproducing Churches: A UNIVERSAL ELEMENT IN CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS “One might assume that a potent combination of extraordinary prayer and abundant evangelism would naturally result in spontaneously multiplying churches. Many missionaries and church planters have held this view, and so were surprised and disappointed when multiplying new churches did not follow. What we found instead was that Church Planting Movements did not emerge without a deliberate commitment to plant reproducing churches.” David Garrison, Church Planting Movements, How God is Redeeming a Lost World, page 181.
[2] Luke 9:62
[3] Luke 10:1-2, John 4:34-38