Paul’s Venue
In today’s church, the pastor is expected to invest significant time preparing for a major weekly sermon address. This is considered his important teaching ministry. But if our focus shifts to making disciples, then we might rethink this approach.
Paul taught the believers in Ephesus, “publicly, and from house to house.”
Paul spent time teaching people in their homes, one to one and in small groups. He was focused on building disciples, and this is not something accomplished by weekly lectures. Jesus also taught both publicly and in homes, in large groups and small and in one to one or one to a few opportunities. If your pattern is to invest most of your time and teaching efforts to a weekly public delivery, then you are not using the methods of Jesus and Paul to build disciples.
Paul’s Power
The secret power Paul used was that He believed God was alive and active in the affairs of His people. Paul entrusted the new believers in the hands of God at work in and among them.
Paul felt no need to maintain control or build a large network with himself at the head.
“And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” –Acts 14:23
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” –Acts 20:32