Convey Again Evangelism – The Washington Commonplace
When D. James Kennedy took over at Coral Ridge and Chuck Smith started Calvary Chapel, significant overt (intentional) evangelistic effort was the cornerstone of their growth. This has been true throughout history. Albeit, biblically literate clergy preaching in large group venues have been a norm, it does not account for the majority of conversions overall. The account of the Ethiopian eunuch and Phillip is an early example of personal (one-in-one) soul winning.
Tragically, the prevailing worldview has degraded significantly. Apologetics has thus taken a more prominent role in dialogue with unbelievers, who are admittedly more vociferously and self-consciously hostile to the propositions of the Christian faith, not to mention intensification of cult expansion. But it does seem that evangelism outside of the four church walls has declined sharply, especially with the rise of political correctness and charges of intolerance. Today, reformed, as well as broadly evangelical, denominations do careful demographic studies and traffic surveys and cash flow projections to determine church growth strategy. I call it the ‘Field of Dreams’ strategy of church growth; namely, ‘Build it, and they will come.’ Thus, church growth is predicated on attraction (property, promotion and programs), but evangelism not so much. Leaders additionally anticipate luring disaffected members of nearby sick (if not dead or dying) congregations. I euphemistically call this ecclesiastical ‘grave robbing.’
A sad reality, today, is that most Christian adults have never personally ‘led someone to Christ.’ What’s more, personal testimonies by members of the congregation are not a regular part of most liturgies. Subsequently, many have only a theoretical knowledge of the regenerative power of the gospel, and next to no experience in communicating the life-producing message of the gospel one-on-one. Even when they are acquainted with and even practice personal evangelism, it is too often a truncated, man-centered, heaven-oriented recitation of ‘the plan of salvation’ minus the theological content, that makes up the plan.
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In short, Christians need to be trained how to do and love concise, comprehensive, Scripture-saturated, God-centered evangelism one-on-one, and how to seek and seize providential opportunities to communicate the gospel to people everywhere we go. This involves (among others things) being kingdom-minded, compassion for the plight of others, (instead of remaining in apathetic safely within our comfort zones) building rapport, earning trust, conveying authenticity and demonstrable charity, and asking good exploratory and diagnostic questions.
Whether our part is to plant the seed, fertilize already planted seed, water it, personally witness the miracle of conversion, or apply spiritual pediatrics after the new birth, the success of gospel proclamation is assured. Our goal should be to present a concise yet comprehensive series of understandable, interconnected biblical presuppositions [eg. Seven Facts of Life] that Holy Spirit uses to awaken the recipient and give spiritual new birth, resulting in a change of mind and saving faith.
7 Facts of Life
1. God, (infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, nature, character, and attributes eg. glory, holiness, knowledge, power, justice, love, wisdom, goodness, truth, etc.) revealing Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, created the cosmos (including time, space, matter and energy, out of nothing, by His Word, and all very good) including all life, and man in His image (conscious, spiritual, rational, moral, purposeful) and laws (physical and spiritual.) (topics: simultaneous creation ex nihilo, ad fiat, time/space/matter/energy and preconditions of intelligibility reason, logic, morality, dominion.) Earth is our home, but God’s property.
2. All human kind follow in the footsteps of our first parents, who disobeyed God, believed a lie, desiring to be like God, and thus his nature became fallen and corrupted and all his progeny and nature with him. We are all by nature rebels against God and His Law (given by divine revelation and perceived by our conscience) and thus under just condemnation. This resulted in the built-in, natural inclination to do what God forbids, and avoid and despise what God commands, as well as spiritual separation from God and physical death, evil and decay. (topics: Adam’s federal headship and fall, total depravity & the noetic effect of sin.)
3. Man cannot make Himself right with, or based on his mere intellect alone,1 have true knowledge of His Creator (in spite of moral and altruistic efforts including theistic & non theistic religious observance, ethical living, charitable activity, education, self-improvement, asceticism, etc.) God’s standard is perfection, and He does not grade on a curve.
4. Salvation is the work of the Triune God alone. whereby He reconciles those freely and sovereignly chosen by the Father through the redemption prophesied in the OT, accomplished by God the Son who became flesh, true God & true man, Jesus Christ, applied by the Holy Spirit, for God’s glory alone. (topics: grace, mercy, predestination, election, providence, incarnation, substitution, propitiation, imputation, atonement, justification, reconciliation, adoption, effectual calling, regeneration.)
5. Christ (which means ‘anointed one’ underscoring His divine roles of prophet, priest, king) kept His own Law and voluntarily gave His life, executed as substitute, taking on the guilt of His people, and fully and finally satisfied divine justice for those given Him by the Father. After which, He demonstrated that He is the victorious conqueror of sin and death, through His physical resurrection from the dead. He later returned to the right hand of power with the Father, to perfect His people, subdue His enemies, and oversee and rule His dominion.
6. We appropriate God’s gracious provision of life by faith (grace and faith both being the gift of God) even as we prayerfully and penitently receive and embrace Jesus Christ as He is presented in the Gospel, and with Him- forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, adoption as sons, imputation of His righteousness, by God’s unmerited gift of faith in His finished work. God commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel, and trust in Christ alone. (topics: 5 Solas, T.U.L.I.P)
7. All benefactors of Christ’s saving work, are by the regenerating work of Holy Spirit, united to and made alive in Him, are given a new nature which strives after pleasing God, and taught how and empowered to live for Christ, by the indwelling Spirit through the inspired Word of God. (topics: Lordship, Law of God, Spirit, inspiration & authority of the Bible, sanctification, discipleship, kingdom.)
Article posted with permission from Bill Evans