Where we, as Christians, go wrong sometimes is when we neglect “the one thing needful – ” telling others the Gospel. We cannot place our own lifestyle, our thoughts, our friendships with others, our preferences, our activities, etc. ahead of the Greatest Story Ever Told. The unconverted know there’s a God, and they know they’re alienated from Him. They may have supressed this truth in their own unrighteousness, but it’s still there. They know they have a controversy with their Creator.

As Christians, it is incumbent upon us to show them this fact, and to point them to the Savior.

We can be friends, and we can still focus our lifestyle on clean living and obeying the commandments of our Lord, but we MUST show them the Law, and tell them the Gospel! We must SPEAK to them of their pending doom, and the precious Savior. We have to address their deadness, deafness, blindness, and wickedness in light of the medicinal, saving power of faith in Christ.

Evangelical churches, by and large, have seemingly adopted this “trend” in evangelism as well. Take a look at most “ministries” today. They’re chock FULL of “programs” and “self-helps” and “sports leagues” and secular, “needs-based” training offerings, all in the name of “outreach” to the local communities where they’re located. Yet, if one were to examine the teaching from the pulpits (if they even have a pulpit) in these organizations (I rarely call them churches), one would walk away discomforted because there is no medicine in the gospel pill they presecribe to the attenders in these places. Very sad. The Devil must be dancing.

In witnessing to the perishing pagans in our society, we as Christians (and the churches we attend as well) must be vigilent in proclaiming the good news. We can have a good lifestyle, great friendships, clean and sober and wise living, but we MUST tell people the Law and the Gospel. Law and Gospel, Law and Gospel, Law and Gospel. That’s what we are instructed to do.

We can’t (and don’t) save peoples’ souls. Salvation is of the Lord. We, however, must be faithful stewards of the message which saves.

Todd
Texas

It’s never too early to tell people what God has done for you. This guy was demon-possessed. Think his friends would have brought it up? As bad as he was, he was forgiven. That’s your story, too. You are >changed< and they can be, too.

Faith isn't strong enough? Someone else had that problem:
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Do you think that man, when he took his son home well and free of the demon, didn't tell his family and friends because his faith was a little bit weak? I'll tell you a secret. None of us have a strong enough faith. :)

You don't have to be able to answer questions. The only one with all the answers is God. Philip didn't have all the answers, and said to Nathaniel, "Come and see" (John 1:46). If the questions are honest (and not just debating), the person will be willing to let you find answers, or will go find them himself. You can always say, "I'm a new Christian, I don't have all the answers, but I know I'm forgiven. If you really want an answer to that, I can help you find it."

You don't have to convince people — that's God's job (John 16:7-11). A witness in a court case tells what he has seen, felt, heard, what has happened to him. You are a witness to Christ, telling what He has done for you. You don't have to be an expert witness in court to be a true witness, or for your testimony to be received. Nor do you have to be an expert witness for Christ. The Lord handles the expertise part of this.

"What the Lord has done for you." That's the Great Leveler. We're all on the same level here. He's forgiven me, He's forgiven you. We tell people.

Those who know you will see the difference before long, if they haven't seen it already. And if you've told them, they'll know the reason for the hope you have (I Peter 3:15).

By all means, immerse yourself in the Scriptures. They have the answer to every question you've stated here, and every other question that matters. This isn't an either/or. Start telling people, and start reading that wonderful Book.

I’ve been a Christian for many years, and I feel like I’m much too sinful to be involved in evangelism. But that is the point. All I deserve is hell, but I’m saved by the grace of God, and I get to tell other people deserving of hell that they can be forgiven. The saying is, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” If someone who knew you says you’re too sinful to be saved, you get to tell them that Jesus is mighty to save.

I think you should get involved in evangelism. The first time I spoke with a Jehovah’s Witness, I didn’t have answers. I wasn’t ready and it exposed me as not knowing the Bible like I should have. Getting manhandled by that guy was the best thing that could have happened to me. It motivated me to study the Bible. If you want to learn the Bible quickly, the best thing you can do is start witnessing. If you make a fool of yourself, it’s OK. That is why I prefer witnessing to strangers rather than friends and family. I often make a fool of myself, but I will never see the person again anyway.

What I would recommend is listening to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” which is in about the middle of the page at livingwaters.com. Then, what helped me get started witnessing was to find other people who were going out witnessing, and go with them.

Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.

Thanks,
Bill

I have a question. I am a new Christian. Literally saved a few weeks ago. I’ve been hearing a lot about witnessing, but I don’t feel that I am knowledgeable at all since I have just start reading the Bible and learning what it means to be a follower of Christ. So I don’t think that I would be good at answering questions and articulating myself. I also occasionally have feelings of unbelief, which I pray about as soon as it hits. In addition, I’ve had trouble in my past with drinking, depression and non Christian-like behavior like cursing. I think that if I speak to any of my friends, family or coworkers, they would mention my past issues and point out how I am not a good follower of Christ (even though it was in the “past” and I feel different, it was as recent as February).

How do you think that I can overcome these hurdles. I know that I will never be knowledgeable about everything and I can always use references, but is it possible to be too new to witness? Is it OK to focus on myself right now, squashing any lingering disbelief and immersing myself in the Word, rather than sharing my faith, which is in infant stages. I used to be in AA and you were supposed to get through 90 days before you started doing anything really major or making changes. I know that this is nothing like AA, but I am just referring to the beginning phase and not trying to rock the boat… Your opinion would be greatly appreciated and hopefully I made sense!

Thanks

The reason I’m convinced of Calvinism is because of the Bible. The verse that had the most to do with convincing me was John 6:44:

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

I see no other interpretation other than all of those who are drawn are raised up at the last day. Those who are not drawn are not raised up. We know there are people who end up in heaven and some who end up in hell. Therefore, some are drawn and some are not.

In order to refute my understanding, I think someone would have to show me that those who are raised up (saved) are different from those who are drawn. Who is raised up at the last day?

Also, I’m glad you like the George Street video.

Thanks,
Bill

We know we are saved, its a gift of God, Gods grace makes it possible & we are Elect…but know one has of yet managed to show me from Scriptures (nor I believe they can) that we had no choice vs we have choice. It says in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son”…not the Elect . I heard this all before occasionally discussed at the Baltimore School of the Bible during those recent three years, & my honest conclusion is that ‘it’ falls into the category of an unprovable opinion. However, some seem to defend it like it was the Gospel itself. All of what God has made known to me is good enough. What is debateable should be treated as such. Finally, if I have not made this clear prior, Im stating my opinion as I see it.

p.s. Wow…that brought tears to my eyes “The Man From George Street”. Well, today is the 1st day back to school. This blog gas really blessed me this Spring Break. I thank God for that testimony, it inspired me that we must persevere in running this race & getting the Gospel message out.

Thank you. I am sure the underlying message was the same in all cases, choose Christ and live. I am looking at the language and methods used to communicate that. I am looking for patterns and processes here. God never does the same thing twice. Sometimes I see Christians forgetting they use a language all their own. Words and phrases have meaning to Christians that are totally meaningless to those without a similar background. That is why Paul began his discourse on Mars Hill with the monument to the unknown god rather than a history of the Jews as he did in the Synagogues.

I believe my life should show evidence of Christ in my life. The Holy Spirit can use that to His glory. To me, that is all lifestyle evangelism is all about: providing opportunities to talk about the hope that lies within me in a way non-Christians can comprehend. Obviously, the Holy Spirit works on both of us in this process.

We both agree that salvation only comes from God, through Jesus Christ. I just pray that I can be used to do just that in the most successful way possible. I am also looking at the entire process and not focusing on just the Harvest.

Thank you for the conversation. It has been most enlightening.

Richard

If you look at what Peter said in Acts 2, he is presenting the law and the gospel. If you look at what Paul said, he presented the law and the gospel. For example, Acts 24:25 says, “As Paul discoursed [with Felix] on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid…”

I have no doubt that Paul’s message was the same in the synagogues as it was everywhere else. It involved presenting the message of the gospel by speaking and preaching. I don’t see how any of that bolsters your case.

Of course we should all be doing good deeds and pursuing holy living. No one here has ever denied that. All I’m saying is that our good deeds without presenting the gospel are not evangelism. Furthermore, it’s OK not to present the gospel to “all we meet.” That wouldn’t even be possible.

I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to study the book of Acts. We all need to study it more closely and attempt to live up to the example we find there.

As far as Arminianism and Calvinism, it would be well worth your time to study that topic. It is very interesting. I would recommend The Potter’s Freedom.

What Jeff was referring to is that the Bible (and Calvinism) teaches that men are slaves to sin and dead in their sin and unable to even believe in Jesus or choose Him. God enables us to believe when we hear the gospel. All the good deeds, persuasive arguments, verses of “Just as I Am” and begging and pleading in the world will not cause someone to get saved. Genuine salvation comes from God when men hear the pure gospel.

Thanks,
Bill

I would recommend you watch this. This man was faithful to do what he was led to do, regardless of whether he ever saw any results.

Thank you for your discussion. Bill wants me to address the bulk of his arguments. I really only find him making only one argument: our only responsibility as Christians is to proclaim the Gospel to all we meet. Concerns over how the proclamation is received is left for the receiver. Jeff indicates any deviation from this approach is Arminianism and is somehow an attempt to insert myself into a process that belongs to the Holy Spirit. Let me address these and ask for your guidance to see your viewpoints.

Proclamation Only

I spent the last few days reviewing the New Testament for instructions and examples of evangelism. I paid particular attention to the Book of Acts to see how the Apostles evangelized and the instructions in the Epistles. I found some interesting items I would like to share.

First, Peter and Paul proclaimed the Gospel. On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other Apostles/Disciples proclaimed the Gospel in response to the crowd gathering outside their meeting after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Thousands were converted that day. The context reveals this occurring during the Feast of Pentecost, a major Jewish festival. Jews and God-fearing Greeks from all over the world attended this event every year. Many of those attending knew Jesus, had heard Him teach, and knew the events that occurred during the Passover. They understood what happened and were converted.

Paul went to different cities to proclaim the Gospel as well. He always followed the same pattern everywhere he went. He first went to the Jewish Synagogue and proclaimed his message there until he was asked to leave. By the time they separated from the synagogue, he had a core group of Jews and God-fearing Greeks established and would train them to pick up where he left off. The one recorded time he did not follow this pattern was in Athens. He met with the scholars and they brought him to Mars Hill to discuss his ideas. A few were converted and Paul returned to his successful pattern. (It should be noted, Jeff, that even Paul used a different approach to the pagan Greeks than he did with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks) How would you explain the different results? Is Peter a better preacher than Paul?

I see the difference in Jesus explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Peter’s audience received seed in soil already prepared to receive it. Paul’s seed, generally, went to other soils Jesus described.

Further, even a casual reading of the Epistles reveals numerous exhortations on how one should live “in Christ” and use that Spirit-filled life to reach out to those around them. In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To me, this text gives a different spin on the “Go and proclaim…” command from Jesus. I see it adding a dimension.

In common English usage, a witness shares what he/she has experienced. (I do not know Greek, so I do not comment on that.) When I apply being a witness for Christ, I see it means my life must be part of my message. (James 2) Both must be consistent. It also places some burden on me to present the message in a manner that the intended receiver would understand. It is part of my duty as a witness. How can I witness something I have not experienced? Is this what you meant by trying to insert myself into the equation?

Ariminianism

I did not know what this word meant. I am an accountant, not a theologian. After researching this on the internet, I think it refers to the Calvinist belief of Predestination. The discussion centered around whether we are predestined for salvation or do we have free will. I am not clear on how trying to present the Gospel in a language someone without any knowledge of Christ would be able to understand it or affirming the Gospel to help prepare the soil and plant a seed that my grow and one day be harvested has anything to do with Ariminianism. As I said, I am a simple accountant and need someone to teach me these things.

I beleive that we have a choice to come to Christ. I also believe the Holy Spirit (God) arranges circumstances in my life and those around me to bring me to a decision or to test the decision I already made. As a Christian, I must live a life “in Christ.” I must choose this everyday. 1 John calls this “walking in the light.” If I am in Christ, listening to the Holy Spirit, and saying the words He gives me, am I not proclaiming Christ and Him crucified?

I am trying to see your side of this discussion. Please help me understand. I just see more in the New Testament about evangelism than simply handing out pamphlets on the street or preaching on street corners. (Both of which I have done)

Sincerely,

Richard

Would you advocate using the same techniques to reach a Buddhist as you would an atheist?

Yes, I would present:

The Law to the proud…

Grace to the humble.

Same technique for muslims, mormons, and moonies. Share the Gospel message and stop trying to insert yourself into the process.

- Jeff H

I am sorry if I crossed some line. I just think we are talking about two sides of the same hand. I see Jesus talking to the demoniac after He cast out the demons into the herd of pigs. If you recall, the demoniac wanted to go with Jesus. Jesus refused his request but asked the demoniac to remain where he was and tell others what had happened to Him. I am simply doing what is asked. The methods I use are not the same as yours. I seem to have a broader perspective on evangelism than you.

From my vantage point, you seem to believe that every contact must include a call to come to Jesus. I say that results in a diminishing number of available contacts and may build barriers to future conversion.

Paul exhorts us over and over not to let our behavior interfere with another’s salvation. He pleads again and again for his readers to follow his example. If 1 Cor 9:19-23 is only about the message, how do you interpret 1 Cor 10:23-33? In reading the entire book, I see Paul saying the message and messenger are the same. Paul even says, “Follow my example.” One supports the other. (I do understand the historical context of the eating and drinking) Paul did not spend all his time preaching. He earned a living as well.

In no way do I preclude asking people to come to Christ. I do it often. I just see the need for a consistency in the messages we give and the messenger giving it. I get opportunities to explain the hope that lies within me that I would not if I made every contact about coming to Christ.

I think you’ve repeated your points often enough. Especially since you haven’t responded to the bulk of our arguments.

The gist is that you need to do evangelism biblically. Stop doing your own thing and get with the biblical program. No one will ever get saved without hearing the gospel.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And 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 righteous are as bold as a lion.

Thanks,
Bill

P.S. 1 Cor. 9:19-23 disproves your point. It explains that presenting the gospel is not about the presenter, but about the message. You should have as little to do with the message as possible.

How to you explain Paul’s comment?

“For though I am no man’s slave, yet I have made myself everyone’s slave, that I might win more men to Christ. To the Jew, I was a Jew that I might win Jews. To those under the Law I put myself in the position of being under the Law (although in fact I stand free of it), that I might win those who are under the Law. To those who had no Law I myself became like am man without the Law (even though in fact I cannot be a lawless man for I am bound by the law of Christ), so that I might win men who have no Law. To the weak I became a weak man, that I might win the weak. I have, in short, been all things to all sorts of men that by every possible means I might win some to God. I do this for the sake of the gospel; I want to play my part in it properly.
1 Cor. 9:19-23 Phillips

We are to proclaim the Gospel, but have we no responsibility to those receiving it? No one is robbing God of His due when others make a connection to Him they would not have made without you playing your part in the process. The Spirit leads a person through a unique set of circumstances to bring him/her to see their need for Christ in their lives. No one ever suddenly sees their need for salvation just from one chance meeting. I keep coming back to Jesus’ explanation of His parable of the Soils.

I lived in Australia and Korea for several years. Outreach in those countries and cultures is very different from each other. They are both very different from the US. Would you advocate using the same techniques to reach a Buddhist as you would an atheist?

What you see as a dissipation of Christ’s Gospel using worldly methods, I see as extending methods used by Paul, John, Peter, James, and even Jesus, Himself. I am merely applying Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians to modern times and culture.

Proclaiming the Gospel to an atheist or a Buddhist is the same as speaking English to someone who only speaks Urdu. I am simply advocating our proclamation involves both our words and our works. If the world recognizes this, why can’t we?

the very moment they need to make that decision to be saved.

And there’s the problem!

Arminian theology rears its ugly head.

I think I understand the root cause of your desire to dissipate Christ’s Gospel using worldly methods.

No one EVER decides to desire Christ or His salvation. Before we are saved (by God) we HATE God… We are His enemies… We do NOT seek, nor desire Him. We are also spiritually DEAD. The dead can do nothing. The Lord calls us to Himself and gives us the ability to respond.

No ‘sinner’s prayer’… no ‘walking the straw aisle’… no ‘decision cards’.

NO! All of that is blasphemy because it robs God of His glory, by elevating man and giving man a part in his own salvation.

Stop reading signs at Disneyland and start reading your Bible. Most of what you cited (the woman at the well, Jesus feeding the multitude, Paul’s ministry, the Ethiopian eunuch) you ripped out of context, without applying proper hermeneutics and co-opted the scripture for your own use.

Lower man, and raise God and you will be heading in the right direction.

He claimed he would not have been saved if I had not been a friend to him.

You gave a man a Bible in his native language – excellent; that’s what we should be doing: spreading God’s Word.

However, the man’s ascribing any part of his salvation to anyone but God is blasphemous at best.

Is he really saved? We’ll see. If he is, though, God did it (not your friendship) and God gets all of the credit.

In Christ,
- Jeff H

In John 4:36-38, Jesus says, “The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits bot the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you did not plant; others had already done the work, and now you get to gather the harvest.” This sounds like two ends of the same process, does it not?

Paul in his missionary efforts, did not use the same methods to reach Jews as he did Greeks. He did not use the same methods in Corinth as he did in Ephesus. While the disciples were complaining about finding food to feed the crowd, Andrew found a boy with a lunch.

All I am saying is our lives, our lifestyles, and our words must match. You harvest because someone else planted the seed. None of us knows the true chain of events that brought us to Christ. A smile at the right time, a word of encouragement at the exact moment it is needed, helping someone change a flat tire, can all help plant and water a seed that you reap with your presentation of the Gospel.

“What you do thunders so loudly above your head that I cannot hear what you are saying.” (sign above dressing room door at Disneyland) You would change more lives if the rest of us lived what you proclaimed.

I see two sides to evangelism: proclamation and affirmation. Look at Jesus’ approach to the woman at the well. He did not begin by asking her about her 5 husbands and her live-in boyfriend, He simply asked her for a drink. The conversation went from there to converting the whole town.

I was an interim pastor at a small church for about 18 months in the city where I live about 12 years ago. There was a rough-looking man attending irregularly. I began talking to him asking about himself, how things were going, and the like. I took an interest in him, personally. One day, he asked for a Spanish Bible as he did not have one. He wanted to read a Bible but did not understand written English very well. I found one that had been donated to the church. He stopped coming to church. About 10 years later, I visited the church again just to see what was happening. This same man came running up to me. He looked like a different person. He showed me the same Bible I gave him all those years ago. He claimed he would not have been saved if I had not been a friend to him. My interest in him stopped him from committing suicide. My interest in him made him realize he was a valuable human being. Someone else brought him to Christ.

I did not study the Bible with him. I did not pray with him (though I did pray for him). I did not proclaim the Gospel to him. Someone else led him to Christ. He saw the chain of events to his salvation beginning with me. I believe it began before I met him. Remember: I met him in church. Someone else got him that far.

Proclaiming the Gospel is important, but affirming the Gospel is also important. One cannot work without the other. One cannot exist without the other. Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch shows this. The Eunuch already had the scriptures–he got them somehow. The Spirit put Phillip along side the chariot at the exact moment he was reading the exact text about Jesus. Phillip asked if he understood what he was reading. He waited for an invitation before entering the chariot. He disappeared immediately after baptizing the Eunuch. Can’t the Holy Spirit work the same way now? Jesus met people where they were and brought them to where He wanted them to be.

You say you leave the results in God’s hands; we do as well. I pray they will find someone like you in the very moment they need to make that decision to be saved. We all have different jobs in the same vineyard. Thank you for doing yours.

I do believe that having something to offer beyond the Gospel is very important to interesting people in the Gospel.

No. We need to listen to and obey what Jesus commands us to do:

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)

There is a lot to learn from the “competition”

We need to leave worldly methods to the world, and be faithful to Christ.

Community Centers and gyms have nothing to do with the Church, who is the bride of Christ.

we might learn a lot by studying “Propaganda” (book on Public Relations)

No. We will learn all we need to know by reading and following what the Bible says. Again, you will not find any of your worldly methods described in Scripture.

what the “communists” are doing to discredit and divide Christians

No. We need to pray for the revival that often comes through the persecuted Church where genuine persecution is happening in the world.

It would be great to see Christians banding together at some level instead of divided over so many issues.

Banding together for what? Spreading the Gospel is done by one faithful servant witnessing to the lost. Do you share your faith with the lost through one-on-one witnessing or through open air preaching?

That is what Christ tells us to do.

Most of what you have written about is exactly what is ailing the Church today: worldly methods of reaching the lost, accompanied by the claim that the Gospel is insufficient…

I think you need to get with Christ’s program, not man’s.

In Jesus,
- Jeff H

The media presents so many examples of christians who are not Christians cheating, conning, and committing adultery, that many people do not see religion as separate from Christianity. There are few Christians celebrity role models, and most sports personalities have gained a poor reputation for integrity.

There is a lot to learn from the “competition”, and like guerrilla fighters, we need to learn from and exploit the weakness of the mega church apostates, the cults, and secret societies. The Christian music industry is the face of Christianity in future, and unfortunately, promotes Rick Warren as a model Christian, but it works because it fulfills a need. Christians and others are starving for something “positive, encouraging” in a world that thinks we are simple minded, sheep.

I do believe that having something to offer beyond the Gospel is very important to interesting people in the Gospel. I have been to churches where the entire emphasis of every sermon was to lead up to and sell the alter call, and nothing really for the helping Christians in their lives once they “signed on”.

I have also been to a small city where the church built its own community center/gym as an active semi-professional gym and the church members could bring their friends throughout the week. I wanted to join that church, but was only there on business about every 2 weeks. Christians need to take a lesson from the Jewish Community Center playbook.

At the church group level with a budget, we might learn a lot by studying “Propaganda” (book on Public Relations), and what the “communists” are doing to discredit and divide Christians, as well as, providing the best method and most impact for the message that we want to spread.

My last thought is that Christians would have more success if we could network together as “Certified” Christians, with some sort of constitutional agreement of minimum requirements that separates the “wheat from the chaff” and binds us together internationally without the ecumenical corruption. It would be great to see Christians banding together at some level instead of divided over so many issues.

You said, “Buttonholing people in the sidewalk does not work as well as it used to and may actually make them more resistant to change.”

First of all, how do you know that? Have you been presenting the gospel on the streets? I’ve talked to hundreds of people on the sidewalk and have found the opposite to be true. People are open to talking about eternity and the Bible; they don’t understand the true gospel. They need someone to explain it to them. Who will explain it to them, Richard?

Secondly, it doesn’t matter whether it works. We each need to be obedient and leave the results to God.

None of the Scriptures you’ve cited would preclude presenting the gospel. I would say that our words are part of our lifestyle, and I don’t even understand how you can keep quiet about the gospel. Wouldn’t you say the moment you believed the gospel is the most important moment of your life? How can you stop from talking about it? It must take a lot of will power.

All I can say is that unless you open your mouth and explain the gospel, it’s not evangelism. I encourage you to do good deeds, and live a life of obedience as I also try to do.

Study what the Bible says about evangelism. Do what Jesus and the disciples did. That will do more for your evangelism than anything anyone could tell you.

Thanks for the conversation,
Bill

What I see, Bill, is a different culture, different attitudes, and different lifetstyles. Buttonholing people in the sidewalk does not work as well as it used to and may actually make them more resistant to change. Christianity has become more a minor sub-culture than a major influence. We need to follow Paul’s example if we are to make an impact:

“For though I am no man’s slave, yet I have made myself everyone’s slave, that I might win more men to Christ. To the Jew, I was a Jew that I might win Jews. To those under the Law I put myself in the position of being under the Law (although in fact I stand free of it), that I might win those who are under the Law. To those who had no Law I myself became like am man without the Law (even though in fact I cannot be a lawless man for I am bound by the law of Christ), so that I might win men who have no Law. To the weak I became a weak man, that I might win the weak. I have, in short, been all things to all sorts of men that by every possible means I might win some to God. I do this for the sake of the gospel; I want to play my part in it properly.
1 Cor. 9:19-23 Phillips

I see the need for a relationship or friendship to develop in order to prepare the soil or plant a seed.

Where is that in the Bible?

This is an extrapalation from Jesus’ parable of the soils. We are tools in the hands of the Holy Spirit to help prepare the soil. Paul speaks about one person planting the seed of truth, another nuturing it, and still another harvesting.

The additional burden comes from laws, regulations, and company policies that severely restrict discussions of Christian beliefs or displays of Christian materials. How to we reach out, salt-like, in these conditions?

You have to obey God rather than men, but there are many places where we have the freedom to boldly evangelize. Might I suggest going to a local sidewalk where there might be people walking.

I agree that we must obey God rather than men, but if we limit our outreach to only those on the sidewalk, how will we reach those riding in cars? Jesus ministered to the needs of the individuals before He started preaching. Can we do less?

People bring people to Jesus.

No. The Holy Spirit brings people to Jesus through the message of the gospel.

I agree, but people aret the tools the Holy Spirit uses to reach them. Our actions must match our words. I think Disney has it right, “Your actions thunder so loud above your head that I cannot hear what you are saying.” Lifestyle matters but it is not the end all. Like Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

All I am saying is, we need to live outside the box if we are to reach those outside the box. We can use the current culture of secularism as Paul used Greek culture to bring Jesus to them; make Him more than just a swear word. Of course, all of this is done within the workings of the Holy Spirit. I am just trying be part of the solution rather than a stumbling block.

I hope Churches will improve on their outreach to their own members who are ill, injured or had some other problem and may or may not be able to show up on Sunday. The poorest example to me has been when being hospitalized or ill, and made it back to church was told they assumed I was attending another church with no one even attempting to contact me, and I have seen it many times.

Even worse was when I called my church to pray for me, and the secretary said they were sending dinner to my family the day I got back home from the hospital after two surgeries, lost 40 pounds in the week, off morphine in extreme pain, on crutches, on IV antibiotics, and the meals never showed up. After basically being tortured in the hospital for a week, I called the church the next day, and they said they would send food again the next evening, and again not even a phone call. I foolishly assumed they would check to see if it was delivered, or the restaurant would make more of an effort to deliver, but no one ever called. So we waited again for nothing, with my mother having to prepare the meals late for two nights in a row.

I was too frustrated to call and tell them again, and it was a poor example for my family who attended a larger Baptist church. I was first surprised they would do something that nice for me, and then too angry to discuss it again, that something that simple required a backup plan that I wasn’t in shape to plan for. It turned something potentially very positive into an insult that we were too insignificant to really care about.

It reinforced my observation that the average Christians are unreliable in many ways, and I would rather they do nothing than disappoint my family twice. I just hope this doesn’t happen everywhere, and good Churches become more efficient in keeping track of their members, as well as potential members, because I am sure that the mega churches operate with a higher level of communication, if nothing else.

Slam dunk!

I see the need for a relationship or friendship to develop in order to prepare the soil or plant a seed.

Where is that in the Bible?

I am trying to find a way to lead them to want Christ rather than demanding it.

You shouldn’t demand anything. However, you should be faithful to relay Christ’s command to repent and believe the gospel.

The additional burden comes from laws, regulations, and company policies that severely restrict discussions of Christian beliefs or displays of Christian materials. How to we reach out, salt-like, in these conditions?

You have to obey God rather than men, but there are many places where we have the freedom to boldly evangelize. Might I suggest going to a local sidewalk where there might be people walking.

We have a command to, “Go” but it does not include an instruction book on how.

Maybe that’s your problem. The entire New Testament is chock full of examples of evangelism and truths to aid in evangelism.

People bring people to Jesus.

No. The Holy Spirit brings people to Jesus through the message of the gospel.

Thanks,
Bill

Perhaps I should explain where I am coming from in this discussion. I see church members living their lives in little boxes. They have their workday box. They put on their work clothes in the morning, plaster on their work day face, and head off to work where they meet people they see only at work. Come Sunday morning, the work clothes, the work face, the work attitude, come off. the “Sunday Box” comes off the shelf. They put on their Sunday “Best”, plaster on their Sunday smile, and head to church to meet with their Sunday friends. They listen to the Sunday sermon, sing their Sunday songs, pray their Sunday prayers, and return home to take off their Sunday face and clothes and return them to their Sunday box, and put it back on the shelf until next Sunday. Their days are so compartmentalized that nothing they hear on Sunday ever sees the light of day the rest of the week. I see friendship evangelism as a method to rid us of the boxes.

In the workplace, I see those whose only acquaintance with Jesus is as a swear word. Jesus used two different analogies to describe how His followers are to interact with those around them: Light and Salt. Light, by its nature, makes darkness disappear. The two are mutually exclusive. Darkness cannot remain in the presence of light. Christians should stand out. God called the Children of Israel to be a peculiar or different people.

But He also calls us to be the “salt of the earth.” Salt does nothing sitting in a salt shaker. It must mix with food in order to be effective. Ideally, you do not see it or taste it directly, but you know it is there because it makes a difference in everything it touches. You would miss it if it was not present. As Christians, we should improve everything we touch. Those around us should be better for having met us.

There was a church in a major metropolitan area that held an evangelistic event. They posted posters, sent flyers, made phone calls, and aired radio spots to advertise the event. The day of the event, 8 people showed up. They asked the marketing department of a Christian university to research the circumstances to determine why they failed. They discovered there were only 12 people in the entire metropolitan area who would come to such an event; and they got 8 of them! They were successful. The soil was not prepared; the seeds were not planted.

My interest in lifestyle evangelism comes from trying to bring the Gospel to those without any basic framework to understand it. Christians tend to separate themselves from non-Christians. We use separatist language. Our voices change when we pray aloud; our language more formal and archaic. Statistics tell us that new members will bring just about everyone they will ever bring into the church during the first 5 years of their membership. It seems after 5 years, they have no more non-Christian friends.

Maybe what I am trying to describe is more “Friendship Evangelism” or “Relationship Evangelism” than lifestyle evangelism. I see the need for a relationship or friendship to develop in order to prepare the soil or plant a seed. I am trying to find a way to lead them to want Christ rather than demanding it. After all, Jesus does instruct us to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. I am looking to use the culture around us to our advantage rather than allowing it to define us. If you want a demonstration of what I am talking about, think about visiting a mosque or Buddhist temple. How would you feel about signing a guest book or participating in their rituals? What questions would you have for your host?

The additional burden comes from laws, regulations, and company policies that severely restrict discussions of Christian beliefs or displays of Christian materials. How to we reach out, salt-like, in these conditions? How to we get others to do the same thing? The only way we may have to reach them is by the life we lead. Like Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” We have a command to, “Go” but it does not include an instruction book on how. People bring people to Jesus. Lifestyle can help soften the barriers.

To paraphrase Gavin MacLeod’s line in the movie Time Changer:

“Satan is not against good morals, he is opposed to Jesus Christ… A man can have good morals his entire life, yet you and I know he would go to Hell when he dies.”

If all we do is live a moral life in front of the world, but never open our mouths, we’ve done as good as pushed them into Hell.

Here’s a clip from Time Changer

In Christ Jesus,
- Jeff H

…without telling folks about Jesus, you are just another NICE person being NICE and as far as people around you may know – you could be nice because you are a Buddhist.

We must also make sure we are carrying out the great commission.
Matthew 28:18-20.
“… Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The plan, as Jesus commanded, was for the disciples to go and teach “All that He had commanded them” and to baptize. While it is not directly stated in the bible that this would be a continuing process, it is logical to assume that the disciples that were made would then go and make more disciples, who would then go make more disciples, who would go and make more disciples until the end.

Two-thousand years later – discipleship teaching is still going on, although not a great deal of it is happening in the typical “Church” setting. Most discipleship training today is happening in homes, coffee shops, and other small group settings. It is being conducted by folks that have no degree in theology, no official title in the church, and for no other reason than they are obeying the great commission of “go and make disciples”.

It is important to understand that weekly church attendance and a monthly bible study are not a proper substitute for being trained as a disciple. While church leaders most bear some blame for the lack of teaching, the individual follower of Christ must shoulder some of the blame for not demanding to be taught and held accountable. How many Christians have been attending church for 10, 20, or 30 years or even longer – and have not been discipled and have never disciple another person. Once you come to Christ, you should be seeking out an elder, mentor, or a teacher that will challenge you to learn, obey, and grow. You need to find somebody to be accountable to that will provide oversight, correction, and guidance.

The purpose behind discipleship is to educate people (who have accepted Jesus) about what is expected of them as followers of the Messiah. When people first accept and believe in Jesus they have no concept of the yoke that they are volunteering to wear and have no idea of the war they are about to enter into. A good teacher, like a good drill instructor, will make sure the student knows the basic commands prior to moving onto more advance teachings. Nobody would expect a new black smith’s apprentice to be able to make a perfect horse shoe, a new student at a flight school to be able to land, or a new Christians to pray for those that spitefully abuse them.

You said, “They accept what I say because they trust me because I took the time to be a friend first.”

If you’re talking about being friends with someone and at some point earning their trust and then explaining the gospel, I would call that relationship evangelism rather than lifestyle evangelism, though I suppose there are no official definitions.

I would simply say that Jesus has earned the right for us to share the gospel with anyone. We don’t have to earn someone’s trust, because it really has nothing to do with us. The gospel is the message God uses to save people–not our coolness. It is for His glory that we explain the gospel.

There are many more instances of people sharing the gospel with strangers in the Bible, and I can think of none where anyone befriended someone for the purpose of giving them the gospel down the road.

Thanks,
Bill

I am enjoying this conversation. I believe letting your light shine does involve opening our mouths and sharing the gospel. I also believe letting our light shine actually opens opportunities to do just that. Stopping to listen to the hurting co-worker, leaving the room as off-color stories begin to be told, or not participating in activities unfit for Christian enjoyment, all lead to questions about your standards. These become opportunities to explain the Gospel.

You are correct: someone has to do the “ask.” As Jesus said, “You have not, because you ask not.” However, I view this as a farming metaphor. The farmer cannot expect a harvest without preparing the soil, planting something, caring for it, only then can he harvest anything. There are those around me whose only framework for God and Jesus are the swear words they use when they are excited or hurt themselves. By befriending them, I am able to offer advice and counsel using Biblical teachings. They accept what I say because they trust me because I took the time to be a friend first. Had I started preaching the Gospel immediately, I would have lost both the friend and a Child of the Kingdom. My friendship prepares the soil, maybe plants the seed that you harvest later.

All I am saying is not everyone is ready or able to receive the Gospel at any given moment. God accepts us where we are and brings us to where He wants us to be after we accept Him. Wouldn’t the process leading to accept Him follow a similar pattern?

I see we are both headed to the same end: the Harvest for Christ. We may be working as specialists in different parts of the process or in different vineyards. However, we share the same desire to seek and save the lost.

How do you know that letting your light shine doesn’t involve opening our mouths and sharing the gospel?

I’ve met several people who have been very nice to me and have impressed me very much, but I know they aren’t Christians. Why shouldn’t I convert to their faith?

Thanks,
Bill

I guess I view it differently. I find that be living my life differently from those around, holding myself to a different standard opens opportunities to share the basis of my belief; the Gospel. If I looked like everyone else, these opportunities would not arise. Is not this what Jesus meant when I asked us to let our light shine in such a way before men that they see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven? These friendships would not have been possible if they had not met another Christian previously and learned to trust him/her. I think we are talking about different parts of the same process.