Total Evangelism

TOTAL CHURCH EVANGELISM Instructor Dr A.B. Vines, Sr

What is Evangelism? “ Evangelism is the verbal proclamation of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.”

There can be no evangelism without the message. “ The gospel…is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16

There can be no evangelism without verbal proclamation. “ How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14

Evangelism is what God has always looked for in his people. “ The people I formed for myself…may proclaim my praise.” Isaiah 43:21 “ You are…a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Evangelism is the privilege and responsibility of the church. “ The Keys have been given to the church, and not merely to certain persons: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them’” (Matthew 18:20). SA, Trig. Pg 523

Evangelism is the privilege and responsibility of each Christian. “ In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15

Evangelism should be near and dear to Believer. “ The effect of the Reformation was not to destroy the priesthood and leave a church of laymen, but to destroy the laity and leave a church of priests.” George E. Sweazey Effective Evangelism

Why so little congregational evangelism? Lack of message? No Lack of motivation? No Lack of equipping? Perhaps

When Jesus call you into ministry, he makes you an equipper. “ [The ascended Christ] gave some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

As head evangelism equipper, the pastor serves as a sort of player-coach: Eager to participate Able to see all the possibilities Ready to encourage the whole team in realizing the possibilities

Evangelism styles have to do with seeing all the possibilities: Different ways Christians communicate the gospel Different ways unchurched people come in contact with the gospel

The pastor understands that It takes all kinds of Christians… to reach all kinds of non-Christians

While God has given us only one “sword of the Spirit” to rescue people from Satan’s grip… He has given us many gifts to employ that sword in different ways.

Every evangelism style has two things in common: A way to build a bridge (pre-evangelism) A message to cross the bridge (evangelism)

Goals for our time together: Marvel at your own personal story Grow in your desire and ability to share it personally Look forward to leading and working with a congregation in evangelism

The Confrontational Style of Evangelism The most direct approach to a law/gospel presentation

“ confrontational” sounds negative! How can this be “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15)? Is confrontational what it means to “let your conversation be full of grace” (Colossians 4:6)?

Yes! Because God’s grace in Jesus Christ is so surprising that it often creates confrontation. Both the need for a Savior… And the Savior are startling truths for the unchurched!

As society becomes more post-modern and less Christian, you can expect your messages of sin and grace to be more and more confrontational.

See the confrontational style of evangelism in Peter: “ Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Acts 2:36, 38

Be encouraged in the confrontational style of evangelism by Paul: “ Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2 “ Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:19

Disciples should be familiar with the confrontational style, even if they feel it doesn’t fit their own personal evangelism efforts. Think preaching a sermon. Think teaching a Bible lesson. Think any clear, personal presentation of law and gospel.

The confrontational style looks for an opening, but doesn’t bide its time. Assumes some previous relationship. Works at pre-evangelism quickly. Transitions to law/gospel with good F.O.R.M. (Family. Occupation. Religious background. My testimony.)

Like preaching and teaching, the confrontational style of evangelism is a practiced and considered art. Learn a method of speaking law and gospel quickly, clearly, personally. Through practice and consideration, make that method your own.

Let’s consider four thorough law/gospel presentations that may be used by the confrontational evangelist: God’s Great Exchange The Bridge Paradise Lost…Paradise Regained Do vs. Done

A “streamlined” God’s Great Exchange : What God Demands – Lev 19:2 – Story of the lawyer (Lk 10) What God Sees – Rom 3:23, 6:23a – Story of jumping canyon Manmade Remedies – Prov 16:25 – Ladder, Scale, Comparison illustrations God’s Remedy – Is 53:6; 2 Cor 5:21 – Christmas, Good Friday, Easter God’s Promise – Ac16:31 – Jailer at Philippi

The Bridge : Us and God: This is what life is all about. Us and God: Our sins have separated us from God. Us and God: We try to get to God. Us and God: But we fall short and the penalty is death. (Rom 3:23, 6:23a) Us and God: God came to us as our Substitute. Us and God: Jesus died to take away our sins (1 Pe 3:18) It’s true! Believe it! (Jn 3:16)

Paradise Lost…Paradise Regained: In the beginning… Rev 4:11 But now… Ro 3:10-12 God’s justice… Ro 6:23a; He 9:27 God’s love… 1 Pe 3:18 God’s gift… 1 Pe 1:3-4

Do vs. Done Religion is spelled “D-O” We can never do enough (Ro 3:23) Christianity is spelled “D-O-N-E” (1 Pe 3:18)

Whatever the law/gospel presentation, let it end with a definition of faith and a commitment to stay in contact with the means of grace.

How does the pastor cultivate the confrontational style in the congregation? Recruitment of the few who thrive in this style Classroom and on-the-job training Active follow-up calling ministry Natural companion to canvassing The Friendship Sunday sermon! Create invitation events and confront people with God’s grace

THE CONVERSATIONAL STYLE OF EVANGELISM Friendship Witnessing

Friendship with an unchurched person is not evangelism But it does open many doors for evangelism. A true friend walks through that door with the Friend of sinners.

Door #1: Friends naturally share good news. Remember Philip? John 1:45-46 Remember Matthew? Matthew 9:9-13

Door #2: Friends trust and respect one another. Atmosphere of trust does not make the gospel more powerful. But it may incline someone to give the gospel a fair hearing.

Door #3: Friendship provides extended opportunity for sharing the gospel. Don’t have to “say it all at once.” Able to build on previous witnessing in a natural way.

Door #4: Friends know what’s going on in a friend’s life. Christian friends are there in times of need. To point to our greatest need – being right with God. And to point to the Savior that meets that need.

Door #5: Friendship allows the unchurched to view faith in action The unchurched wonders “What makes him tick?” The Disciple responds, “It’s all because of Jesus!”

Does the conversational evangelist make friends only as a means of sharing the gospel? No, it’s authentic friendship and it exists on many levels. Yes, the best thing I can do for my friend is to share Jesus.

Disciples must be encouraged not to cocoon, that is, to avoid non-Christians completely. We are in the world but not of the world . We balance “you are the salt of the earth” with “lead us not into temptation.” We are “above board” in every friendship, never pretending to be what we are not.

Pastors can help members open up to friendship evangelism possibilities by encouraging the church to be a friend to the community. We do not preach a social gospel. But the gospel we preach is often communicated socially.

What’s something a congregation could sponsor in order to “rub shoulders” with the unchurched and thus provide opportunities for gospel-sharing friendships to develop? That’s your assignment now. Come up with one idea and tell us what you think it will look like.

The Collegiate Style of Evangelism Christian Apologetics

No person can be intellectually reasoned into the kingdom of God. “ The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

Yet, the people in whom the Holy Spirit works faith are intellectually rational creatures. Adults may have a “blind faith” bias against Christianity. What they are listening for are the facts upon which Christianity (unlike any world religion) is built.

The Collegiate style of evangelism seeks to explain the rational basis for the Christian faith as a point of contact by which clear law and gospel are shared. “ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Perfect example: Paul at Berea (Acts 17). To a group that loved to debate the latest ideas… Paul introduced a new religious idea… And not without a clear testimony to the risen Christ.

Every believer should develop this style within himself to a certain degree. Helpful in handling objections. Important in relating to the post-modern marketplace of ideas. Useful when your mission field is highly educated and white collar.

The power in the Collegiate style of evangelism… Is not in the logic of the human arguments, But in the presence of the divine gospel.

A good example of this style in our midst: whataboutJesus.com Designed to answer questions about God that the unchurched might have. Each answer provides a clear Christian witness .

How about a dedicated portion of your prospect newsletter that is devoted to answering the kinds of questions a non-Christian might have?

How about advertising your church in the (cheapest) local media as a church where questions are welcome and tough questions are encouraged?

How about developing a chartroom forum for questions as a part of your church’s website?

To be able to answer these questions in a way that satisfies curiosity and points clearly to Christ take preparation. Some resources:

Know Why You Believe by Paul Little Give Me an Answer by Cliff Knechtle Reason to Believe by R.C. Sproul Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig When Skeptics Ask by Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

The Conformational Style of Evangelism Telling Your Story The process of supporting a statement by evidence

Personal testimonies to what Jesus has done in my life tend to be viewed suspiciously by many Christian churches (including ours). Too much “I” Not enough “Jesus”

But we must consider the biblical examples of evangelism that begin with the story of “what Jesus means to me.”

The psalmist: “ Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

Jesus’ advice to the healed Gerasene demoniac: “ Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19

The healed blind man: “ One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!…If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” John 9:25, 33

Paul often told his story when he pondered his apostleship: “ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy…The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:13-14

John’s approach to his own inspired writings: “ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.” 1 John 1:3

The evangelist’s personal testimony can be a powerful preparation for sharing the faith with an unchurched person. As I reflect on what God does in my life every day, I shine the light clearly on my Savior God, And I spotlight his dramatic rescue plan for all people.

Every Christian’s conversion is a dramatic turn-around… But not every Christian testimonial has to involve dramatic life turn-arounds .

Remember: the question many unchurched have about Christianity is not so much “Is it true?” It’s more like “Does it work?” Christians may tell their stories of how gospel peace and security have made all the difference in the way they endure the setbacks of this life.

The Conformational style of evangelism expresses the gospel less as a subject, and more as a life. Never underestimate the small things . Never forget the gospel.

How about including a testimonial from a member of your congregation in your prospect newsletter?

How about dedicating a portion of your church homepage to testimonials?

Help testimonial evangelists understand that they must listen to the prospect first so they can relate their story to the prospect’s life.

Encourage testimonial evangelists to practice telling their story: Making sure Christ is the centerpiece and A change for the better is evident.

The Come and See Style of Evangelism Invite the lost

To invite an unchurched person to “meet Jesus” at your church is in accord with some of our favorite biblical evangelism accounts. Philip to Nathanael: “Come and see!” (Jn 1:43-51) The Samaritan woman: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (Jn 4:27-42)

The Come and See style seems to fit a majority of disciples. They may lack confidence in their own ability to communicate law and gospel clearly. But they are confident of their church’s message and recognize it as a place where things center on Christ.

The Come and See style of evangelism depends on a team concept of evangelism at your church. The inviter considers his place on the team important. The inviter considers the gifts of the team to be greater collectively than his own individually.

Barna study: one in four adults in America would attend church if a friend would invite them. Even an invitation denied provides an opportunity for spiritual conversation.

To what are we inviting the unchurched? Worship that emphasizes the awesome dignity of God’s presence, the promises of his holy Word, and the relevance of his gospel-powered call to action.

To what are we inviting the unchurched? Preaching that cuts and heals the heart with clear, personal law and gospel every time. Preaching that paints a vivid picture of the daily triumphs that occur when you live in Christ. Preaching by preachers who aren’t certain they’ll ever have a chance to preach again.

To what are we inviting the unchurched? Teaching that demonstrates a reverent expertise in the Bible. Teaching that demonstrates a compassionate understanding of the human condition.

To what are we inviting the unchurched? Christian counseling that consistently deals with problems by pointing to God’s Solution in his Son.

So, let us invite the unchurched to worship, Bible study, and pastoral counseling. And let us invite them to many other things. But let us remember the goal of all our invitations: contact with the Means of Grace.

Some ideas to support the invitational style of evangelism within your congregation: Plan four “big events” per year where the congregation mobilizes to invite many people.

Invite unchurched’s to off site “summits” conducted by your church. Include a time for interaction with parents as you plan your VBS, Christmas for Kids, Easter for Kids, etc. Utilize Lifeway Evangelism for attractive mass mail invitations to special services.

Print off your business cards by the thousands and give them to members to pass out to unchurched when the opportunity arises . Invite people to your church through a booth at the fair or your presence at a parade. Couple the live nativity scene with an invitation to Christmas worship.

Invite visitors to your home page to check out your church and its relevance to their life. Invite the community to some kind of life-skill seminar that you are hosting (e.g., marriage, parenting, budgeting, healthy living, etc.). Always let your flock know how happy you are when they invite a unchurch to your church!

The Community Service Style of Evangelism Love in Action

Jesus connected the Christian’s acts of love with bringing the world to the Father: “ Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Consider Luke’s description of Tabitha (Dorcas): “ Tabitha was always doing good and helping the poor…All the widows stood around [Peter], crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.” 2 Peter 9:36, 39

Both the grace a believer knows and the love a believer shows are… … no strings attached!

When a Christian demonstrates the love he has experienced to help the unchurch and to provide an opportunity to share the gospel… … this is Community Service Evangelism!

It has been said that people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. It may be that the community service style of evangelism is the way to attain a hearing for the Good News with those who seem the hardest to reach.

The Community servicing does not have to be “headline news.” Sometimes just listening is the best service. Sometimes the best way to serve is to lead someone to a better place.

Words are no substitute for actions: “ Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 Actions are no substitute for words: “ How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14

The Community service style of evangelism starts with loving actions that lead to saving words. Let’s be sure to express why we’re doing what we’re doing, and what Jesus has already done!

How may the Community service style of evangelism be implemented in a urban congregation?

Thank you for coming have a safe trip Home. God Speed and His Love Dr A.B.Vines, Sr 7:21

Total Evangelism

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