Just Keep It Simple

Several years ago, our first church plant in Brazil put on a big anniversary service. The church went all out. There was a drama, special music, food, many visitors, and a guest speaker. It was my responsibility to invite the speaker, so I invited a pastor friend whom I had known for many years. My friend was a well-known pastor and the president of his denomination in Brazil. I had heard him speak on many occasions. He was always deep and eloquent. He came to the packed event, he preached, and as is the custom in Brazil, he stood at the back door to greet people as they left. A dear old lady clasped the pastor’s hand in hers, and in a calm, sweet voice said: “pastor, that was a beautiful sermon, but I didn’t understand any of it.” My friend did preach a Biblical message, but he failed to keep it simple.

If we are going to reach people, we really need to keep it simple. Consider the simple instructions Jesus gave to a new disciple in Luke 8. The scene is terrifying. As soon as Jesus and his disciples step out of the boat and onto dry land, they come upon a screaming, naked man who was living among the tombs. He was possessed by a legion of demons. Jesus cast out the demons and the man is saved. The once crazed and naked man, is now “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind” (v.35). It came time for Jesus to leave, and the man wanted to follow, but Jesus responded: “‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him”(v. 39).

We would not do that. We would be afraid of what the man might say. He does not know enough. He will mess it up. Here’s what we would do. We would make it complex. I’ll let you think through what complexity looks like in your circle. In mine, it would involve instructing the man in theology, doctrine, and strategy. Complexity feels secure and safe because we think we have some control over the outcome. If we are asking God for a Gospel Movement, we have to get over wanting to be in control. There is no way around it, Jesus simply said, “go home and tell your family about me.” There is a place for instruction. After all, the Great Commission is focused on discipleship through reaching and teaching, and Jesus did spend three years instructing his disciples before telling them to go and do likewise. Yet, we need to be intentionally simple in how we work. Complexity tends to stiffle and kill. We pursue strategies of simplicity because that is what multiplies.