Against Evangelism?

As Carey Nieuwhof has stated evangelism in the Evangelical church in North America is on life support. Why is that? Jesus told us to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Why are not God’s people going? Are they against evangelism? The go approach is far different than you just come to us. The odd thing is that God’s people in some cases are not only not for evangelism they are against it.

Satan resists evangelism, similar to how he resists prayer and Bible study. He especially calls war, first on evangelism, second on prayer and third on Bible study. Satan obviously doesn’t want us to influence anyone to saving faith and for those who do come have to press in. The devil has helped to establish many ways that people take no regard for evangelism. God’s people are at ease in Zion.

First way the devil is distorting evangelism is there is a movement today totally against instant evangelism as compared to people coming to church for a while and then gradually becoming Christians. Is gradual evangelism the biblical model? Yes and no. Do you think the early disciples waiting for people to come to them? It does include gradual evangelism, but so does it include instant evangelism. By instant Evangelism I mean sharing the clear gospel and asking for a response and if they are ready leading the person in the sinner’s prayer. However, it is not magical if the person doesn’t want to sincere repent of sin and commit to be a public follower of Christ than God sees the heart and God will respond accordingly.

Praying the sinner’s prayer is not in vogue, and not only not in vogue Christian’s are against it, because some people who pray the sinner’s prayer are not truly repentant of sin and have faith in Jesus Christ for the penalty of their sin on the cross therefore, don’t truly become Christians. They have no obvious devotion and loyalty to Christ as well as service in their life afterward. Again, are we throwing the baby out without the bathwater. I think so. The Bible has many examples of instant evangelism. One example is Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. (Acts 8:26-40) When someone receives Christ their life will change from the inside out and they will know they have met the living God. Commitment to be a public follower and to publicly identify with Jesus by baptism and a local church

This is what Jesus said about worrying about instant conversion and people praying the sinner’s prayer. Jesus said this in the parable of the weeds: “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:24-30). In other words it is better to explain the gospel and invite people to respond and leave the results to God. Better to error in this approach then not share the gospel at all. He will sort it out in the end. Better to error in the invitation than it not inviting at all.

A second way that strikes a death blow to evangelism is by misunderstanding Calvinism. In this Theological system (the hyper-Calvinism, including 5-point Calvinism) God choses who is to become a Christian, therefore we don’t’ have to worry about sharing the gospel with others. If they are elect somehow, they are going to come to saving faith even without us. We can just sit back and know that God is taking care of it. However, some 5-point Calvinist are also evangelistic.

I believe the Bible teaches that man does have free will, although, limited and God sees in His foreknowledge who are going to be elect in Christ. However, some factors in history and people are also decreed by God. God limits His Sovereignty in grace to allow man to have a free will, and yet is still Sovereign. Satan and man brought evil into the world in their rebellion against God. One day God will remove all evil at the end of the world and restore a new heaven and new earth without even the presence of evil However, man is not saved by his own will but by the sovereign will of God, according to true repentance and true commitment to be public disciple of Jesus. It is a work of God in the heart to transform them from the inside out and gives them new life in Jesus. God draws by grace and enables by grace to receive Him. It is all of grace, but man makes a choice. God will honor your choice. I myself am a moderate Calvinist and evangelistic. We could go a lot more into this discussion. Check out some of the resources listed at the end.

The third massive hinderance to evangelism is that we are to follow the world’s rules and will not talk about religion. We are told just to live the gospel and if people see Jesus in us and ask to hear about the gospel, then and only than would we explain it to them. We are just to do good works and people will see the love of God in us and want to know the God we know. As R.C. Sproul says in his book, “Saved from What” this very rarely happens. However, we are to follow God’s rules and explain the gospel to others and as Paul prayed, we should be bold. When we are bold, we share the gospel. Notice what the Bible says of Peter and John: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Yes, we need to live the gospel, but we are to declare the gospel and be bold and at the same time gracious. Gradual and instant conversion are both taught in the Bible. It is not an either or, it is both. When the gospel is preached or explained conversion can be instant because God has already been working in that person’s life.

The third factor that brings a death blow to evangelism is that Christians don’t know their identity and live it. We are so afraid of what people will say about us and that they might not consider us as “cool.” To cool for school or lukewarm as the book of Revelation in the Bible mentions. (Revelation 3:16). If we don’t have out identity full in Christ, the fear of man will dominate our lives. We will be afraid to stand for Christ even if the message and ourselves are rejected or only humored. If you do not find your identity in Christ it is unlikely you will do evangelism in this anti-Christian culture. When we are confident of the truth, we stand in the truth it doesn’t bother us much, if people foolishly refuse the truth and perhaps mock it. Of course we must share the gospel in God’s love. Some will receive Christ after all God is working in people’s lives.

As R.C. Sproul stated how often does someone come up to you and say I notice there is something different about you can you tell me the gospel. Very unlikely. The lies, distortions and half truths are so prevalent today that people walk in great darkness. Besides they may just think we are good people who follow rules to be kept in check. They need to hear the gospel presented boldly in love. As the prophet Habakkuk stated, “And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2). Applied today we need to know the gospel so well we can present it many different ways and in various opportunities, that can come our way and that we wisely create. Hopefully we can find ways to enter it into a conversation about God and the gospel. These people we share the gospel with may not come to your church, but it is after all, about the kingdom of God and the salvation of people.

When we were vacationing in Arizona I saw a couple guys on the street corner with signs. I don’t remember what is said but one of the words was repent. I thought to myself, “that doesn’t seem like it would be too effective.” However, the Holy Spirit directed my mind and guided me with this thought, “At least they are doing something.” People who would see that they guys with their sign would think that this was very important for them for them to take a stand like this. Where there is a will there is a way to do evangelism. You have to be creative, but God does give us wisdom. Jesus said, Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16)

We have a guilty silence. How can we not care that people find true life in Jesus Christ and be rescued from wrath of God to come for those without the washing in Jesus’ blood? Isn’t it great that someone cared for you and shared the gospel with you? Yes, the Holy Spirit is the main evangelist but we are called in God’s Word to work alongside Him. Let it not be said that we are a part of the against evangelism group.

Get trained in how to share the gospel and the essentials of what the gospel is and then pray and go. Perhaps someone will also mentor you. Do something with God. Something that will last for eternity.

Jesus also makes a huge point in Matthew 25:31-46 when he speaks about the final judgement. He mentions about giving to those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and in prison. If we did not minister to these we would be judged by God. Yes, we need to minister to these people physically, but what about spiritually. People are spiritually hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and in prison. Ministering to them physically will assist them short term, but assisting them spiritually with the gospel will make a difference in their life now and to eternity. We need to do both, not just give them bread.

Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30). Are you gathering with Jesus? Are you against evangelism? Do not follow the distortions and lies of the evil one. I know it makes life easy, not to do evangelism, but Jesus said the road will be difficult. (Matthew 7:14) Go for the Jesus Road. Sins of omission are great and easy to come by. If you are for evangelism, pray, study, then do it and get trained. We are disciples or apprentices with Jesus and we are called to be co-workers with Him. As the scriptures state, “For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). You are God’s field His building and together with Him He is growing and extending His kingdom. Pick up the mantle and walk with Jesus. Be for Jesus and evangelism. How shall the hear if no one explains the gospel to them? To often the preaching from the pulpit is not evangelistic. How from the pulpit is evangelism being promoted? Follow Jesus and do evangelism.

Resources:

The New Chosen People: --William W. Klein

The Potter’s Promise: A Biblical Defense of Traditional Soteriology, Leighton Flowers.

Chosen But Free: -- Norman Geisler

God’s Strategy in Human History: - Roger T. Forster and V. Paul Marston