Only God Who Gives the Growth

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

Evangelism and discipleship is hard. Telling others about your Christian beliefs and convictions is hard. Raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is hard. It is easy to desire immediate outcomes when you share the Gospel with others, particularly your children. But evangelism and discipleship are exercises in patience. Evangelism and discipleship are oftentimes a long slog in the expedition that is a life lived to bring glory to Christ.

The Apostle Paul lays out the truth in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; if saving faith in Christ is a plant, then your responsibility is to plant and water the seed. However, the growth only comes from God. This article is meant to encourage you in your planting and watering while also encouraging you in your trusting in God’s divine providence.

How does this play out in real life? I would like to examine three areas and how evangelism and discipleship plays out in each: the church, the home, and the world.

1. Evangelism and Discipleship in the Church

Ministers and ruling elders are called to be at the forefront of ministry labors in the church. They spend countless hours throughout the month ministering, shepherding, discipling, teaching, and preaching. It can be frustrating when you are shepherding someone in the church and it seems like they just never “get it.” I encourage you to be patient in these labors as it is not about you, but rather it is about the spiritual well-being of your congregant and your work in glorifying the Lord.

In a practical sense, I encourage you to create a structured plan for discipleship within the church. You could study a book of Scripture with a young man or a married couple; you could move your way through the Westminster Confession of Faith or the Larger or Shorter Catechism with them; you could study a book on a certain topic with them. Whatever you choose to do, be structured and intentional about it. This structure will help when you hit the doldrums of ministry; when you become weary and feel as if you cannot continue. Structure will help keep you on course.

It often takes months or even years for someone to learn the lessons which God is teaching them. I know this from firsthand experience in my own life and sanctification! People are often stubborn and do not learn well, myself included. I encourage you to be patient as you continue to shepherd people and direct them to the Scriptures. Do not give up, even when it seems as if you are not making headway. Be intentional about your work in planting and watering, but remember that God is the one who gives the growth.

2. Evangelism and Discipleship in the Home

Ministering to and discipling your wife and children takes time. If you are married to your wife for many decades (Lord willing), then you have a long time to minister to and disciple her. But for your children, they are only in your home for a relatively short period of time before they become adults and move on. Now, this is not to say that you stop discipling your children when they are grown, but the relationship obviously becomes different. Take advantage of this short period of time when your children are at home. A steady diet of Scripture, catechesis, prayer, and Lord’s Day worship is essential for your family.

It may take a lifetime of sharing the Gospel with and training your children in the Scripture for them to come to saving faith. The important part is consistency and trusting in the Lord’s providence in the process. It glorifies the Lord to raise your children in the true Christian faith. It glorifies the Lord to teach your children the Scriptures. It glorifies the Lord to pray with and for your children. Be consistent in this and remember that it is God who gives the growth. I confess that I have been frustrated with my children when it seems like they are not “getting it.” I have also been discouraged and wondered if God would even bring my children to saving faith at all. This is a constant struggle for the Christian parent. I would like to encourage you to remain patient, remembering that God is faithful to His people and His covenants, and that God will never cast out those whom He has called to Himself (John 6:37).

In a practical sense, I encourage you to be intentional about family worship. It can be difficult to be consistent in this, but it truly is important for the spiritual wellbeing and health of your family. Take some time every evening or a few nights a week to read a passage of Scripture, read and study a question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, sing a hymn, and pray together. Robert Cathcart’s book Shorter Catechism Devotions: Timeless Truths for Today has been particularly helpful for me and my family.

Family worship is a rich time of submitting yourself and your family to God and His Word. I encourage you to be in constant prayer about the spiritual well-being of your wife and children. Ask God that He would continually lead them to His Word and to saving faith. Be intentional about your work in planting and watering, but remember that God is the one who gives the growth.

3. Evangelism and Discipleship in the World

I mentioned earlier that evangelism is hard. Well, it is also scary. When you are faced with the prospect of sharing your Christian faith with unbelievers in the world, in your workplace, in your school, or wherever, it can be quite daunting.

It can also be discouraging when you are sharing the Gospel with people and they reject it, mock you, or react in indifference. When you share the Gospel with unbelievers, I would venture to say that more often than not, you will not receive a positive response. Remember that it is not you whom they mock, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ. Be patient when you share the Gospel with others, because it is not your effort which brings them to faith but rather, it is the Lord’s.

When I think of evangelism, I am reminded of my family’s trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina last year. We rented a house on the Currituck Sound with a dock in the back. I spent some time every day fishing on that dock. For the first half of the week, I caught absolutely nothing. Not a single bite, not a single fish sighting, nothing. Fishing is like evangelism in that it requires patience. After several days, I discovered that the fish were sitting in the water below a certain area of the dock. After I figured that out, we caught plenty of fish for the rest of the week. I learned pretty quickly that it was not my skill as an angler which brought me those fish, but rather those fish were delivered to me by God.

Be patient when you share the Gospel with others. It may take an extended amount of time of ministering to someone before God brings them to saving faith. Be intentional about your work in planting and watering, but remember that God is the one who gives the growth.

Conclusion

Brothers, I would like to encourage you to remain faithful, diligent, and patient in your labors. I know it is not easy to preach the Gospel and to disciple others. But God is glorified when you do so. Remain steadfast in your work, knowing that God is the one who gives you strength and who gives the growth.

Jared Dean serves as Assistant Pastor of Liberty Presbyterian Church in Owings Mills, MD, as a police officer and chaplain at a county police department in Maryland, and as an editor of Reforming Men.