tough issue 2.. is evangelization the priority of the church

following on from my last post on tough issues
(to do with 'inclusivism' - go here http://asthekingdomturns.blogspot.com/2013/10/tough-issue-1-inclusivism.html)
a concern of mine is what has been touted as the priority of the church
evangelization
   converting people by getting them to believe

i am at odds with this philosophy
here's why

the 'great commission' as it's called can be found at Matthew 28
18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

of note is the fact that Jesus didn't say to convert someone
change their beliefs
change their minds to believe things

what he did say was to make disciples of them
and that is quite different ...
beliefs are knowledge-oriented
they are mind-driven
assent to a particular set of ideas or principles

discipleship is moving in a particular direction
and following a particular person
to be just like them ...
it is adopting their lifestyle
and their philosophy of life

so there's movement
specific direction
following a specific person
fundamental adjustment to lifestyle

intellectualism falls far short of that ...
even though evangelistic-oriented people will say
   i'm being simplistic
   and they're not simply talking intellectual
   and there's more to it than that
fact is much of christianity is evidenced by it ...
people believe a certain set of things
and think that by believing those things
they are safe

selah ..~

apostle paul speaks at some length to Messiah's church
as a body
in his 1st letter to Corinth - 12.12-30

in this very important illustration of how the church is to operate
paul uses the individual parts of the human body
working in tandem
supporting each other
in synergy
so that the physical body can strengthen
function effectively
protect the vulnerable parts
etc etc

think of your own body and how you operate
paul takes this analogy to the Body of Messiah

it's a wonderful demonstration of the organism
working in synergy
to support itself  in growth

yet again he speaks in the letter to Ephesus at chapter 4
11-16  And He [Messiah Jesus] personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity  in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 
Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. 
From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

look at the underlined wording
there is apostle paul's favourite theme of 'edification' or 'building up'
he points to unity
to maturity
to growing
to supporting
to growth again
to the body building up itself

there are other pertinent passages
a concordance will direct you

unfortunately more often than not
when paul mentions building up the body
people think he's referring to numbers
to multiplication ...
not so
he's speaking of maturing it
like your body matures
strengthening
like your body
supporting
caring for
like you body

point is this
the priority of the church that Messiah built
is just that ...

not evangelization
evangelization is a natural outgrowing of the maturing body ...
as people live out their disipleship
   in the home
   at school
   on the job
   at the supermarket ...
others see the truth of Jesus in them
and multiplication results

discipleship is a change of life
it involves all of me all the time
i live it
that's a disciple
not necessarily a 'believer'

and people will respond to that truth lived out in me
truth
lived out
in
me

that's my thinking on it
respond as you will

shalom