Spiritual Life & Disciplines Part 12 – Spiritual Discipline #4 – Evangelism

Perspective What is the one thing that God commands us to do on earth that we will not do in heaven? What is the task of all believers according to Matthew 28:19-20? If we look around, we are surrounded by unbelievers. Why does God put them in our lives? What does Jesus mean by “treasures in heaven” in Matthew 6:20?

Evangelism is a Spiritual Discipline Bible intake, prayer, and worship are to be the regular disciplines of the believer. Evangelism is just as essential. Evangelism takes three basic forms: Personal evangelism Corporate evangelism International evangelism (missions)

Personal Evangelism The Message The challenge of definition: Christianity is essentially part of the southern culture. “Of course I’m a Christian… I’m not an atheist!” We need to change our approach We need to be able to explain what a Christian is and is not We need to model authentic faith ourselves

Personal Evangelism The Focus The challenge of a man-centered gospel The most common form of the man-centered gospel is the therapeutic, or “psychological” gospel

Personal Evangelism God/JesusAll-loving, all-accepting cosmic being PeopleGod’s children who live in ignorance of their true worth & and in want of all of the blessings God wants to give them SinThe condition of living in ignorance of your own worth. Problem – People are unhappy, unfulfilled, unloved, mostly because of how life and others have hurt them and treated them unfairly SalvationTo show people their infinite worth, God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save people from themselves. Salvation is God making much of people. God accepts them as they are – He would never reject them or want them to change Gaining SalvationPeople accept God’s assessment of themselves instead of their own. They are worthy, loved, and accepted in God’s sight. In light of God’s “salvation,” people learn to love themselves, forgive themselves, accept themselves for who they are. Benefits of SalvationSalvation shows people how God accepts, loves, esteems people. He “fills their cup,” meets their needs – provides the love and acceptance that they long to have. Thus fulfilled, people are able to live positive, emotionally healthy lives of productivity and personal satisfaction.

Personal Evangelism The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, "Come and assert yourself for Christ." To the egotist it says, "Come and do your boasting in the Lord." To the thrillseeker it says, "Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship." The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public. The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross. The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.

Personal Evangelism We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die. - A.W. Tozer – The Old Cross and the New

Personal Evangelism “Everything [about the gospel] is designed by God not ultimately to make much of us, but to free us and fit us to enjoy seeing and making much of Christ forever.” - John Piper, God is the Gospel, 160.

Personal Evangelism Personal Hindrances Fear of Man Wrong Priorities Lack of Love Lack of Trust

Opportunities for Evangelism Build relationships with your neighbors Make an effort with unsaved family Have a “ministry disguised as a business” VBS is coming! Go on a mission trip Support missionaries Pray for opportunities