Myth, 120

 ~ Evangelism Requires Special Training ~

 

Myths  ~  This is really a combination of myths.  The underlying misconception which is usually present is that all Christians are to be evangelists.  The Scripture does not teach that.  In the New Testament only uses the word evangelist (or a derivative) a total of three times – each of which is referring to the specific spiritual gifts.  However, all Christians are to be witnesses for Christ.  A witness is only responsible to tell what he or she knows first-hand. 

 

Example  ~  “And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city and came to Him” (John 4:27-30).

 

The second key myth is the need for a specific type of training.  Throughout Christian history many of the most effective evangelists were taught primarily the Spirit of God with little or no formal training. 

 

Comment  ~  Does this imply that evangelists should avoid specific training?  Absolutely not!  But God has and still can use individuals effectively to evangelize without specialized training. 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Sowing

~ The Basics of Spiritual Sowing ~

The Why of Sowing (continuing Christ’s work on earth)  ~  The Christian is to imitate their Savior (1 Corinthians 11:1).  Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).  “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). 

The What of Sowing (precious seed)  ~  “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6, kjv). 

The How of Sowing (in tears)  ~  “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). 

The Where of Sowing (beside all waters)  ~  “Blessed are you who sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32:20a). 

The When of Sowing (morning, evening, always)  ~  “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).  “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

The Who of Sowing (all Christians)  ~  Jesus said, “When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you [His disciples] also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).  “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’  Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

The Results of Sowing (God’s responsibility)  ~  Jesus said, “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:18-23). 

The Bottom Line of Sowing (be faithful)  ~  Salvation only results from a combination of the Spirit of God and the Word of God working in the heart of an individual.  Christians are to realize the results of His servants sowing are entirely God’s responsibility—our only job is to be faithful!  “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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The Core Message of the Bible #2

~ My Response to a Comment ~   

Background  ~  On June 1, 2010, the topic of ALN was “The Core Message of the Bible.” That posting has consistently been of one of the most-read postings (currently #1). Recently (January 28, 2011) an additional comment was received which stated, “Actually, I think that the core of the Bible is love, about God loving us and animals, how we should love our brothers and sisters and your enemies, etc.”  

The Problem  ~  This view is an unfortunate and common view. Rather than the core message of Scripture, this is A MAJOR THEME of the Bible—and that difference is the difference between life and death for many—perhaps for you! First, let’s look at the important theme.

The Bible clearly states, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

To this point, most people will agree. But to think that one understands the core message of the Bible with just this theme is like someone who has only seen the head side of a coin thinking they can describe the total appearance of the coin. 

The Rest of the Story ~ God’s love must be seen in context of His holiness and our accountability to Him. John 3:16 quoted above is right to the point. God would not have allowed His Son to suffer for our sins if it was not necessary. Earlier in human history God gave man the Law in order that each of us could see our own sin and guilt.

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the murmurs and excuses of] every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God. For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]” (Romans 3:19-20 Amp). “But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing]” (Romans 7:8 Amp).

In other words, God gave man the law for our education about who we are and who God is. The Authorized Version terms the law “our schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25).

   

Jesus said, “Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working. Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

“You're familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.  … 

“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don't go to bed with another's spouse.’ But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt. Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is” (Matthew 5:17-22, 27-29 The Message). 

Conclusion  ~  The situation in which you find yourself is not unlike someone who has the winning ticket to a huge lottery. Having the ticket is okay—but actually worthless without action on your part! You must claim your winnings. To really experience the love of God and to receive eternal life you must see your sin as God sees it, repent of your sin (make an about face from it), and most importantly accept the free gift (your lottery ticket) which Jesus Christ has already provided for you. But if you don’t specifically claim it, it is like the unclaimed lottery ticket—you won big but forfeited your winnings. It is much more serious than losing out on the winnings of a huge lottery—it is about having life or death, eternal happiness in heaven or eternal suffering in hell.

Solution  ~  Genuinely admit your guilt to God. Ask God for forgiveness. Turn from your sin to Him. Accept His free gift of salvation. The Bible says, “He who has the Son has [eternal] life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life [they are spiritually dead—a life apart from God]” (1 John 5:12).

“Evangelist” vs. “Witness” - 2of2

~ All Christians Are Witnesses ~

Last week we looked at the three New Testament references related to “evangelism.” This time we summarize the numerous New Testament references regarding “witnessing.”

First, consider a clear statement: “You [all Christians] will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you [all Christians]; and you [all Christians] will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). All Christians are His witnesses whether they intend to be or not! In other words, you cannot change God’s character—but you can sure damage His reputation!

Throughout the Bible all saints are repeatedly exhorted to be witnesses, and by implication all are exhorted to speak forth. But as we have seen, there is a difference between witnessing and evangelizing. There are many places in Scripture where witnessing is a clear command to all Christians.

In the Old Testament we find that “witness” is always a singular term because it referred to a single entity, the nation of Israel. Just as CHRISTians bear CHRIST's name today, in the Old Testament Israel carried God's name. For example, we listen to Solomon's great prayer of dedication, “... so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears Your Name” (1 Kings 8:43b). In those days the unbelievers sought out the Israelites, who were God's witnesses.

In the New Testament we find that the Church is to go to the unbelievers, such as in the passage previously quoted (Acts 1:8). We cannot expect the unbeliever to come to us today, any more than a business with a better mousetrap can expect customers to beat down their doors. In the New Testament we find that “witnesses” are often plural. This is because individual Christians are all to be witnesses.

What is a witness? A witness tells about something which they have personally experienced! To witness about Christ one does not have to be a theologian. “One thing I know, once I was blind but now I can see” (John 9:25). You can do that! You already have everything you need to witness. Monday coffee breaks often find people witnessing about what they did over the weekend, whether attending a sports event, a concert, a party, or an outdoor activity. It is natural to witness about that which one is excited about. The key question then becomes: “Are you excited about Christ and what He has done for you?” If not, the problem is an issue of the heart rather than the intellect!

When your faith has vitality, witnessing becomes as natural as breathing. What the Church needs is Christians who are growing and maturing in such a way that their lives are marked by “life abundant” and true joy.

The disciples never claimed to be evangelists for Christ; however, we frequently read that they considered themselves to be God's witnesses on earth. For example, Peter says “we are witnesses” in Acts 10:39. God has always had His representatives on earth.

The great paradox is that the excitement of the early Christians for witnessing resulted in their communities being evangelized! Evangelism and witnessing go hand-in-hand but they are distinguished from each other. Be bold in your witness about Christ and what He has done for you, and God will bless you.

CONTEMPLATE: All Christians are witnesses, and sometimes they use words! You cannot change God’s character—but you can damage His reputation.

“Evangelist” vs. “Witness” - 1of2

~ Only 3 References to Evangelism in the NT ~

Throughout my decades as a Christian I have often observed Christians with a guilt complex about their lack of evangelistic effort. I believe a key reason for this is a major misunderstanding of the Biblical concept of evangelism. In particular Christians need to differentiate between evangelism and witnessing.

The New Testament contains a total of three references to evangelism. Good hermeneutic (Biblical interpretation) principles need to be used rather than accepting what has often been taught. Look at the three references and what they clearly tell us.

The first reference to an evangelist in the Word of God is in Acts 21:8, where we read: “Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.” Notice the clear use of the word as a title, similar to the way in which one today might say “Billy Graham the evangelist.” Incidentally, Philip—the evangelist is to be distinguished from Philip—the apostle.

The second reference is in Ephesians 4:11, dealing with spiritual gifts in the church: “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” The context clearly speaks for itself.

The third time the word evangelist is used in the Word of God is in 2 Timothy 4:5, where we read Paul's charge to Timothy: “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” Here we see the term used as a specific instruction to a specific individual. “Do the work of an evangelist” again connotes a specific type of calling. How Christians exercise the gift of evangelism may vary. Some may conduct mass crusades while others are skilled in one-to-one evangelistic efforts.

The word “evangelist” appears in Scripture in only three locations. It seems clear from these references that not all Christians are called to be evangelists and therefore are not necessarily commanded to do the work of an evangelist (or to feel guilty about not doing so).

In summary, the word is a title similar to teacher, prophet, and so forth. The title evangelist refers to one who has the particular spiritual gift of effectively pointing unbelievers to Christ. As in the case of the gift of “teaching,” an “evangelist” is called and equipped for a particular type of ministry. No one should make another Christian feel guilty about not being an evangelist.

An important word of caution. I am not suggesting that Christians should avoid doing the work of an evangelist when opportunity presents itself. For example, Christians should not avoid teaching because they do not have the spiritual gift of teaching. Parents for example are to instruct their children and there are many other examples of ordinary Christians teaching others. Likewise, every Christian should be sensitive to the Spirit of God and use whatever evangelistic gift God has given them—little becomes much when God leads you! We are to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit at all times.

Stay tuned! Next week we will look at “the rest of the story” and the topic of being a witness for Christ—something closely related to, but different from, being an evangelist.