"...there will always be those who aren’t really regenerated. Likewise, there will always those who WILL be." - Randy Alcorn
"Evangelism is central to the church’s mission. But some methods are decidedly more effective than others.” - Kainos
In a previous blog post, we evaluated a few common approaches Christians use when communicating the gospel. There were two main concerns that I expressed about some of these approaches. First, the gospel can unintentionally be presented as a means to a self-centered end. Secondly, these approaches assume that the listener has a Biblical framework to process gospel truth. We can’t presume, however, that people understand what we mean when we talk about God, sin, Jesus, repentance, or faith.
In today’s post, I want to discuss an evangelistic approach that is both God-exalting and culturally engaging. Before diving in, however, there’s two considerations worth noting:
We won’t effectively reach people until we first embrace a missionary mindset. Let’s face it. We are not the “moral majority” in society right now. We’re outsiders. Minorities. Marginalized. Like missionaries in a foreign land, we must learn a new culture so that we can engage people with the truths of Christ. We must learn to patiently listen, dialogue, and build meaningful relationships with unbelievers. Without compromising our convictions, we must become “all things to all people, that by all means [we] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
"All of these efforts are laudable, and I’ve been involved in plenty of them. However, here’s an idea: Let’s just focus on reaching one person. That’s right. Just one." - Phil Cooke
"The Scriptures, however, make it clear that when we come to the Savior, we are saved from the wrath to come (see 1 Thessalonians 1:10). That message is offensive because it paints God as being angry at sinners." - Ray Comfort
"As the Lord deepens my burden for evangelizing non-believers, fasting has become a critical component of those efforts." - Chuck Lawless
"Lost people know when we’re treating them as “projects” over against just loving them as people created in God’s image." - Chuck Lawless
By Micah Colbert. Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
In our previous article, we sought to clarify the nature and goal of biblical evangelism. We noted that evangelism is proclaiming the good news of Jesus with the goal of persuading people to repent and believe in Christ. In today’s article, we want to clarify the message of evangelism so that we can faithfully proclaim the gospel.
Definition: The gospel is the good news that sinners can be saved from sin and reconciled to God through repentant faith in Jesus Christ.
In order to understand this news, essential truths about God, man, sin, Christ, repentance, and faith need be clearly explained.
Summary: God, the holy creator, made us in His image so that we would know Him and live by faith under His righteous rule.
Scripture:
Explanation: The gospel is fundamentally about God. Christ came, suffered, and died in order to “bring us to God” (I Peter 3:18). God is both the giver and the gift of the gospel. For people to understand the gospel, they must first have a basic understanding of who God is.
