FOLLOW-UP: WHAT IT ENTIALS
Genesis 1:28, Luke 1:28, Mark 1:28, Romans 1:28, Colossians 1:28, Philippians 1:28
It is after a child is born that the parents spend more money, time and care to cloth the child, feed him, teach him on how to walk, etc. this is exactly what follow-up can be likened to. If after the child is born, the mother thinks she has done all that she needs to do and neglects the child, the child would not grow well, and would soon die as a result of starvation.
It does not take a mother one week before she starts to nurse and feed the new-born baby with water and milk. The case of the mother is the same with the case of the soul winner –in fact the soul-winner is a spiritual nursing mother whose duty is to see that the child grows unto full maturity, lacking nothing (1Thessalonians 2:7-8).
When a soul is won to the Lord or converted, half of the work is not yet done. Preaching the gospel to sinner is the first side of the soul-winner’s task. It is after the souls are converted that the more important work of making the souls to stand in the Lord and grow in His grace.
“The kind of so-called evangelism that implies that a ‘decision’ is the end rather than the beginning of spiritual growth, is not scriptural and therefore wrong; and it can be harmful to God’s work”. (Ron Smith).
Follow-up is the important aspect of soul-winning that has been neglected by many preachers and soul-winners to the loss of many precious souls, of precious rewards in heaven and to the accumulation of damnation on the soul-winner’s head.
DEFINITION OF FOLLOW-UP
Follow up has been described as the conservation, maturation and multiplication of the fruit of evangelism. It is an essential part of church planting aimed at conserving to doubling a written number, DAWN (Genesis 1:28), by consistently exposing the convert to the truth of God’s word.
The scripture in Colossian says “we proclaim HIM, admonishing (follow-up) and teaching (disciple) every man in all wisdom; that we may present everyman perfect in Christ”. Colossians 1:28.
DATUM’ FOR FOLLOW-UP
A reference point is to be established here that, a change of life, purpose, pursuit, passion, pleasure, submission to the will of God and aspiring for His mercy to see His face are the characteristic of a converted soul. The scriptures outline this as follows:
1. Transformed into Christ likeness to reflect His glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18
2. Walking in the light because He is in the light. 1 John 1:17
3. Purifying our self in Christ purity. 1 John 3:3
4. Increasing love to God and others.1 John 4:7, Acts 17:11,
5. Interest in God’s word 1 Peter 2:2, Acts 17:11
6. Dependence on God’s help in prayers.
DESCRIPTION OF FOLLOW-UP
The following words or phrases will help us with the understanding of our subject. The concept of follow-up is best explained by these:
Follow-up:
*To maintain contact with (effect of earlier activities and treatment).
*To pursue with effort to take future action
*To follow with something similar, related or supplementary.
*To take appropriate action.
Follow-on:
*To follow a sequential order
Follow-shot:
*To go after – a camera following the movement of an object.
Follow-through:
*To continue a motion or press on in an activity to a conclusion.
Follow –Out:
*To follow to the end or to a conclusion.
PURPOSEOF FOLLOW-UP
Acts 13:43, Colossians 1:28, Galatians 4:17-20, Matthew 28:19-20, John 8:32-36
Surely those whom God saves, God is well able to keep. It was the apostle Jude in twenty four verses, who affirmed; to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy”. Yet we see in the book of Acts how the apostle Paul nevertheless showed a deep concern for those who had come to Christ through his ministry and felt a personal responsibility for them.
We follow up a new convert in order that God may be glorified as Christ is being formed in him, uniting him in the local body of believers and eventually reaching through him to others. Our aim in follow-up should always be not merely lives won for Christ but also those who will go out to win other lives.
Therefore it is very necessary for the soul winner to know whether they are having regular quiet time; whether they are still following the Lord consistently; whether they are making use of the word of God as milk for their food and the sword of the spirit to defeat the Devil; whether they are overcoming temptations; whether they are living victorious Christian lives; whether they know how to pray; whether they are also witnessing and wining souls; whether he needs to give a message that will stir them up to make sure they are not lazy and indolent but zealous and active in the work of the Lord.
Genesis 1:28, Luke 1:28, Mark 1:28, Romans 1:28, Colossians 1:28, Philippians 1:28
It is after a child is born that the parents spend more money, time and care to cloth the child, feed him, teach him on how to walk, etc. this is exactly what follow-up can be likened to. If after the child is born, the mother thinks she has done all that she needs to do and neglects the child, the child would not grow well, and would soon die as a result of starvation.
It does not take a mother one week before she starts to nurse and feed the new-born baby with water and milk. The case of the mother is the same with the case of the soul winner –in fact the soul-winner is a spiritual nursing mother whose duty is to see that the child grows unto full maturity, lacking nothing (1Thessalonians 2:7-8).
When a soul is won to the Lord or converted, half of the work is not yet done. Preaching the gospel to sinner is the first side of the soul-winner’s task. It is after the souls are converted that the more important work of making the souls to stand in the Lord and grow in His grace.
“The kind of so-called evangelism that implies that a ‘decision’ is the end rather than the beginning of spiritual growth, is not scriptural and therefore wrong; and it can be harmful to God’s work”. (Ron Smith).
Follow-up is the important aspect of soul-winning that has been neglected by many preachers and soul-winners to the loss of many precious souls, of precious rewards in heaven and to the accumulation of damnation on the soul-winner’s head.
DEFINITION OF FOLLOW-UP
Follow up has been described as the conservation, maturation and multiplication of the fruit of evangelism. It is an essential part of church planting aimed at conserving to doubling a written number, DAWN (Genesis 1:28), by consistently exposing the convert to the truth of God’s word.
The scripture in Colossian says “we proclaim HIM, admonishing (follow-up) and teaching (disciple) every man in all wisdom; that we may present everyman perfect in Christ”. Colossians 1:28.
DATUM’ FOR FOLLOW-UP
A reference point is to be established here that, a change of life, purpose, pursuit, passion, pleasure, submission to the will of God and aspiring for His mercy to see His face are the characteristic of a converted soul. The scriptures outline this as follows:
1. Transformed into Christ likeness to reflect His glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18
2. Walking in the light because He is in the light. 1 John 1:17
3. Purifying our self in Christ purity. 1 John 3:3
4. Increasing love to God and others.1 John 4:7, Acts 17:11,
5. Interest in God’s word 1 Peter 2:2, Acts 17:11
6. Dependence on God’s help in prayers.
DESCRIPTION OF FOLLOW-UP
The following words or phrases will help us with the understanding of our subject. The concept of follow-up is best explained by these:
Follow-up:
*To maintain contact with (effect of earlier activities and treatment).
*To pursue with effort to take future action
*To follow with something similar, related or supplementary.
*To take appropriate action.
Follow-on:
*To follow a sequential order
Follow-shot:
*To go after – a camera following the movement of an object.
Follow-through:
*To continue a motion or press on in an activity to a conclusion.
Follow –Out:
*To follow to the end or to a conclusion.
PURPOSEOF FOLLOW-UP
Acts 13:43, Colossians 1:28, Galatians 4:17-20, Matthew 28:19-20, John 8:32-36
Surely those whom God saves, God is well able to keep. It was the apostle Jude in twenty four verses, who affirmed; to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy”. Yet we see in the book of Acts how the apostle Paul nevertheless showed a deep concern for those who had come to Christ through his ministry and felt a personal responsibility for them.
We follow up a new convert in order that God may be glorified as Christ is being formed in him, uniting him in the local body of believers and eventually reaching through him to others. Our aim in follow-up should always be not merely lives won for Christ but also those who will go out to win other lives.
Therefore it is very necessary for the soul winner to know whether they are having regular quiet time; whether they are still following the Lord consistently; whether they are making use of the word of God as milk for their food and the sword of the spirit to defeat the Devil; whether they are overcoming temptations; whether they are living victorious Christian lives; whether they know how to pray; whether they are also witnessing and wining souls; whether he needs to give a message that will stir them up to make sure they are not lazy and indolent but zealous and active in the work of the Lord.
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