Jesus Posts

The Six Styles of Evangelism

23 Apr , 2012 No Comments

Dwight L. Moody, the great American evangelist/pastor, was known for his powerful preaching and evangelistic fervor. He preached in America and England and saw thousands of people come to faith in Christ. He became the pastor of the Chicago Avenue Church in Chicago and preached throughout the United States in the mid to late 1800s. On one occasion a woman challenged him, saying she didn’t like his way of evangelism. As he talked to her, he asked how she shared with Christ others and over the course of the conversation she had to admit that she really didn’t. To that, Moody answered, “Well, I like my way better than yours.”
What is your way of telling others about Jesus? If you are a follower of Jesus, you are the light of the world. Jesus says that you are not to hide out, but you are to let your light shine before others. So how are you intentionally doing this?
I thought about entitling this post, “Being Yourself” or “You’ve Got Style”. There are actually as many “styles” of evangelism as there are people, because it takes all kinds of believers to reach all kinds of unbelievers. Do this exercise: Read through each one thoughtfully and decide which one best describes you (most of us will lean toward more than one but you’ll discover yourself in one style primarily). Determine which one you are and then hone that “style” and the skills/gifts that God brings with that particular style. The six styles below are adapted from “Becoming a Contagious Christian”, by Bill Hybels. A wonderful, practical guide to personal evangelism.

1. Direct Style
Biblical Example: Peter- Acts 2
Characteristics: confident, assertive
Theme Verse: “Preach the word; be prepared in season & out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Tim. 4:2
Examples: Billy Graham, Greg Laurie, Tim Tebow
Cautions: Be sure to use tact when confronting people w/truth – Don’t offend!

2. Intellectual Style
Biblical Example: Paul- Acts 17 (while in Athens- his challenge regarding the “unknown god”). Paul is regarded as one of the greatest intellectuals ever known.
Characteristics: inquisitive, analytical, logical
Theme Verse: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
Examples: Josh McDowell, N.T. Wright, Tim Keller
Cautions: Don’t substitute giving answers for sharing the Gospel Message. Don’t become argumentative and learn to be a good listener.

3. Testimonial Style
Biblical Example: Blind man- John 9 He’s healed by Jesus and they ask him, “Was this man a prophet?” He responds by telling his story. “I don’t know. All I know is I was blind and now I see!” No one can deny your personal story.
Theme verse: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3
Examples: Corrie Ten Boom, Lee Strobel, Joni Erikson Tada, “I am Second” website. Caution: Talk about Jesus and what He’s done- not simply about yourself. Bring glory to Him.

4. Interpersonal Style
Biblical Example: Matthew- Luke 5:29 He invited all his tax-colleting buddies over to his house for a party in order to meet Jesus.
Characteristics: Generally a warm personality, conversational, friendship-oriented
Theme Verse: “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22
Examples: Much has been written about “Lifestyle Evangelism” and how to open your life to those around you. I love a book called, “Questioning Evangelism” by Randy Newman (he proposes that asking questions is the primary means to share the Gospel- not unlike Jesus’ “rabbinic method”).
The caution: Do not value friendships over truth-telling.

5. Invitational Style
Biblical example: Woman at the Well- John 4
Characteristics: hospitable, relational, persuasive
Theme verse: “Then the master told His servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” Luke 14:23
We see another example of this in John 1. Here we see a sequence of events, one person inviting another person to meet Jesus. In John 1:40 it says the first thing that Andrew did was tell his brother Peter. Then the next day Philip invited Nathanial to come and see Jesus. Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said: “Come and see.” Sometimes we just need to say, “Come and see!” Just come. Imagine this: If you know anything about Peter’s role in the early church- What if Andrew had never invited Peter to meet Jesus? A single invitation can change a life, or many lives.

6. Serving Style
Biblical Example: Dorcas- Acts 9:36 (a.k.a. Tabitha) “She was always doing good and helping the poor.”
Characteristics: Others-centered, humble, patient, caring.
Theme verse: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Examples: We see this approach to evangelism in ministries like Buckner International, World Vision. So many examples within our church family.
The caution: Actions are no substitute for words (Rom. 10:14). Nowhere in the Bible does anyone come to faith without words- even the Ethiopian Eunuch (who was reading the Scriptures) needed Philip to explain it to him and share the Gospel.

So, what’s your style? Put it to practice.. today.

The Misplaced Doctrine of Lostness (part 2)

20 Apr , 2012 No Comments

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:10-17

Over and over again, throughout the Bible, we see that salvation is conditional. It is not our spiritual default mode. Indeed, if we are not lost apart from Christ, the cross makes no sense at all. His life, sufferings, death, and resurrection are inconsequential. Let’s break this verse down.

The Power of the Gospel
1. The Gospel is salvation through faith in Christ. (9-10)
Salvation comes through faith in what Christ has done for us on the Cross.
• IF you… Notice that our salvation is conditional. Clearly then, not everyone is saved.
• confess with your mouth… What Paul is not saying is that simply saying
something out loud will save you. We must understand our context here, he has said that the people of Israel, under Moses and the Law- had the word in their mouths- they knew the Law, they could say the Law, but it also had to be in their hearts. He’s continuing this parallel of thought and expression. In fact, he explains:
• believe in your heart … Believe what? “That Jesus raised Him from the
dead”- this would involve His life, suffering, death, burial and resurrection- the Gospel is Christ’s death upon the cross and His subsequent burial and resurrection. Notice Paul says, it is with the heart that we believe and are justified.
• you will be saved. What is the Gospel? In the end the Gospel is Jesus- His life, His sufferings, His death and Resurrection, and His life now in you. When we are saved, we get Him. The GOSPEL is not being a good person- it’s Christ’s righteousness covering my sin. I am superior to no one- I’m a Christian because of what Christ has done- not what I have done.
The English word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word “εύαγγέλιον”(pronounced “euangeleon”). It literally means good news. The Euangeleon was a proclamation of victory- a military announcement- the Gospel is never about something that we do, it is something that’s been done. Victory is ours, and it is ours because of Christ, not because of anything I’ve done.
2. The Gospel is for everyone. (vs. 11-13)
You have never locked eyes with someone form whom Jesus did not die.
3. The Gospel comes through a chain of events.
• Faith Salvation requires faith.(vs. 14) And earlier in verse 9-10..
• Gospel Faith in what ? Faith in the Message- What’s the Message? It is the Euangeleon, the Gospel – Our sin for Christ’s righteousness!
• Messenger Who is the messenger? Anyone who has encountered Jesus.
• Sent Hearing requires a messenger (vs. 15) Notice that we are “sent”- at the core of who we are as disciples of Jesus- we are a SENT people. The church has always been a centrifugal movement, always outward seeking. God SENT Jesus and the ONLY way to join Him on mission to be sent ourselves. Notice it is the “feet” that are beautiful of those bring Good News (not the hands, the head, the arms, etc.). Feet imply going, moving- it is not the mouth alone, not the hands or the mind, it is the feet- moving, walking, taking us to those in our world who are lost without Christ.
• Our salvation is confirmed by the proclamation of it. (vs. 16-17) from the start we proclaim, “He is Lord”- through our confession, through our baptism. Why do we proclaim our faith? Because faith is a personal thing but it not a private thing. Nowhere in Scripture do we see that our faith in Christ is a private matter- (personal, in that it is an individual decision- not someone else’s decision)- but never private. Our inward conviction is confirmed through an outward expression. Baptism is an outward proclamation of an inward decision. When people come to join the fellowship by “profession of faith”- the profession of faith (biblically) is through baptism. Paul summarizes his points in vs. 17: Faith (our means toward for salvation) requires hearing the Message, the Message requires a messenger. The message is the “the word about Christ”- the Gospel. There is a chain of events that must take place for salvation to come.
We must rediscover the doctrine of lostness- in our preaching, our teaching, and our ministries across the board. The activities, programs, and calendared events- our mission work here in the city and around the world must be defined by the Gospel. Solid research (see previous post below) tells us that it’s possible that 50% of the people in our Protestant churches on Sunday are not Christians. Many have offered some kind of intellectual ascent, agreement with some doctrine, or simply “prayed a prayer” at some point- without truly giving our lives to Christ- abandoning any hope for salvation apart from Him. Let’s preach, teach, scrutinize, dialogue, study, and proclaim the gospel of free grace found in Christ alone.

The Misplaced Doctrine of Lostness

16 Apr , 2012 No Comments

Throughout the Bible it is very clear that sin has separated us from God and we are in desperate need of rescue. We are LOST apart from God’s intervention. It was Jesus Himself who explained His core purpose in coming in Luke 19 when He said,

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Save from what? What does it mean to be ‘lost”? The Bible describes the state of the lost as “dead in trespasses and sins,” “children of disobedience,” “perishing,” “condemned,” “under the wrath of God,” “blind,” “in the powers of darkness,” “living in darkness,” “under the control of Satan,” “disobedient to God”. THIS is the scandal of the cross- this is what’s so offensive about the Gospel. You are lost and hell-bound apart from Christ and there is nothing you can do about it. The most well-known verse..

“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

It says, “perish”, but perish in what way? Jesus said,

“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and His angels.” Matthew 25:41

In fact, it was JESUS spoke more about hell than anyone else- because He did NOT want anyone to go there. Have we become so sophisticated, so educated, so enlightened, that we no longer believe in hell? Well, unfortunately studies (Pew Research and Barna) reveal that we do NOT. Only 59% of Americans believe in hell. Interestingly, about 80% believe in heaven and of those who do and most- close to 70% believe they’ll go to heaven when they die. But most troubling is the differences in how they anticipate getting there. The Barna Research group says that only 43% of those who think they’re going to heaven said that they would get there because they have “confessed their sins and have accepted Christ as their Savior”. The other 57% believe they’ll get to heaven because they’ve “tried to obey the 10 commandments” or they’ve “basically been a good person” or because “God loves everyone and will not let anyone perish”. And only one-half of 1% of Americans believe they’re going to hell. Here’s where all these numbers come down for us today: Probably the MOST disturbing number from studies like this is that 50% of people in Protestant churches today are NOT Christians- that is, they have never received Christ as their Lord and Savior. Have most of us become “closet universalists”- believing that, in the end, everyone is going to heaven?

The Power of the Gospel (Romans 10:9-17)
1. The Gospel is salvation through faith in Christ. (9-10)
• IF you…
Notice that our salvation is conditional- immediately we see that not everyone is saved.
• confess with your mouth
What Paul is NOT saying is that simply SAYING something out loud will save you. We must understand our context here, he has said that the people of Israel, under Moses and the Law- had the word in their mouths- they knew the Law, they could say the Law, but it also had to be in their hearts. He’s continuing this parallel of thought and expression. In fact he explains:
• believe in your heart
Believe what? “That Jesus raised Him from the dead”- this would involve His life, suffering, death, burial and resurrection- the Gospel is Christ’s death upon the cross and His subsequent burial and resurrection. Notice Paul says, it is with the heart that we believe and are justified.
• you will be saved. What is the Gospel? In the end the Gospel is Jesus.
When we get saved, we get Him. The GOSPEL is not being a good person- it’s Christ’s righteousness covering my sin. I am superior to no one- I’m a Christian because of what Christ has done- NOT what I have done.
Let’s rediscover the doctrine of lostness in our preaching, our teaching, and in all aspects of our mission.

It is finished.

13 Apr , 2012 No Comments

The cry, “It is finished” is actually ONE word in the Greek: tetelestai. Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th Century preacher said that this one word, “would need all the other words that were ever spoken, or ever can be spoken, to explain it… it is altogether immeasurable. It is high; I cannot attain it. It is deep; I cannot fathom it.” Fathom it, we cannot. But try, we must.

“Tetelestai” means, “to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish”. It signifies the end of a particular course of action. Let’s break it down:
• “it”- the whole scope of our redemption That little word, “it” embodies
the whole scope of our redemption. “IT” is the restoration of all things in Christ.
• “is”- now and forever The word is in the perfect tense- describes an
action that was fully completed and yet, the effects are felt in the present. “IS” means NOW, it IS, it continues to be, and it will be.
• “finished”- accomplished, once and for all
When God spoke the Word, “Jesus”, nothing more needed to be said. And here on the cross: tetelestai- ONE word announces the completed work of God: It is finished. Luke tells us, “in a loud voice”, Mark says, “with a loud cry”. This is not a declaration of defeat. These are not words of surrender. This is the triumphant cry of a Warrior who has won the battle, a runner who had finished the race. But Jesus does not simply mean that His earthly life was over. He doesn’t say HE is finished.. IT is finished.

What did Jesus finish? What is “IT”?
1. He finished the perfect life.
Christ’s life is just as central to our rescue as His death. He lived the life we couldn’t live & He died the death we should’ve died. He finished both. He did not abolish the Law of God but fulfilled it, so we would be set free from it.
In a memorable little poem, John Bunyan writes:
“Run John, run”, the Law demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands. Better news the Gospel brings. It bids me fly and gives me wings.” The Law could not save us. Only Jesus could save us.

2. He finished the payment for our sin.
We’ve been justified. Christianity is the ONLY faith system in which God makes the demands and then meets them.

3. He finished the punishment for our sin. We’ve been set free from condemnation. And IF there is now “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” then self-condemnation needs to end and a judgmental spirit towards others ends as well- or there’s a complete disconnect. And now, the only person who can hurt me, is me. Christ’s sacrifice has taken away my punishment.

4. He finished the need for religion.
Religion is man’s attempt to get to God- but in Christianity it is God coming to man in the Person of Jesus. It is finished! We’ve said, religion is spelled D-O, it’s what we must DO for God. Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s what Christ HAS done- it is finished. Religion will never offer forgiveness. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jesus said), No one comes to the Father but through me.” God’s grace is a descending, ONE WAY love. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. Behavior modification cannot change the human heart. The church is not good people trying to tell other good people how to be better people. It’s actually bad people telling other bad people how the Gospel of free grace is our only hope for real and eternal life. Because He finished it all, there is nothing you can add to it. The New Math of Grace is this: Jesus plus nothing equals everything!

5. He finished the pathway to eternal life.
The Gospel rescues us from our past, but also for our future. “It is finished” is the life and work of Christ complete and perfect. “It is finished”, means God wins. His restorative agenda- to bring hope and healing to all the world- has come to pass. What will be is already set in motion. You could say, “What is to come has already come in Him.” It’s why Paul says,

“Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 5:5
At the “cross point” – your sin was paid for by the Perfect Lamb of God. And as the Jesuit priest and poet, Girard Manly Hopkins wrote, “In a flash, at a trumpet crash, I am at once what Christ is, since He was what I am.” In Him, the end has appeared ahead of time and we now see the glory of our great King and His finished work for us. But consider this..

What remains unfinished?
“It is finished”, yet time goes on. It is finished, but it’s not over. One thing is not finished.. His glorious work in you. The Great Exchange has taken place upon the cross (our sin for His righteousness) but now, it must take place in you. And because it is finished, you can hold on with hope. The pain and often agonizing despair of this life.. it is finished. The hope of seeing loved ones who have died in Christ- “It is finished”. Guaranteed. The passionate and desperate prayers for healing that have not yet come in this life- it is finished. The restoration of families broken by sin’s destructive power- it is finished. The longsuffering and agonizing rescue from the shackles of disease- it is finished.
The cry of loneliness and the longing for communion, for companionship to come- it is finished. The human project had failed to do what the One man, Jesus , was able to accomplish. “It is finished!” is a triumphant cry. This is the end of the beginning. Jesus will die a REAL death. And buy the way: NO ONE anticipated the Resurrection- it was a quantum & unforeseen leap in resurrection theology within the Jewish thread.
He will be buried and He will rise from the tomb on Sunday morning- conquering death and hell. He IS the Risen, victorious King. “It is finished” means that it is settled, decided, certain, and incontestable. Nothing can happen now to undo it. It is finished means that nothing and no one else has the last word. Easter means that LOVE has the last word. Jesus has the final word in your life. He says, “take heart, for I have overcome the world.” He WILL overcome the world because He HAS overcome the world. It’s finished. All that is left is:
Full devotion to our Risen King.
What do you need to devote to Jesus? Give Him your life. What do you need to surrender to Him? Your anxiety? Your need for approval? Your tired idols? Your fear? Your passive, self-focused life? Your relationships? Your past? Your private sin?
Through all the tears and all the pain, the rage and despair of all that has gone wrong and is unfinished, we bow before the One who will redeem all things and will restore all that is divided, lost, and all that has been separated. Everything will be made right and everyone will know that He is Lord- but NOT all will receive Him. “It is finished” but it is not over until “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!” The tomb is empty; our Savior is Risen. And our declaration together with him, is this:
IT. IS. FINISHED.

He is Risen! – Easter Sunday

08 Apr , 2012 No Comments

“Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:5-6

Was it a morning like this? Quiet and early, all of nature stretches to a new day as the sun comes up again. Or shall I say, “the Son comes up again!” He is risen! Everything has changed! All of history hinges on this day. Paul said, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Take it a step further. If Christ has not been raised, all of life is useless. Without the conquering of death we all are destined for hell and a life apart from God. Praise be to our glorious Savior. Rejoice today and celebrate your new life in Jesus Christ! Worship Him today with all your heart.

At the risk of putting a damper on your dancing and your celebration, pause for a moment and ponder this – what’s next? Consider the response of the disciples. They celebrated, no doubt, but their response was more than giddiness or mere celebration. They told others what had happened. They realized that all of Christ’s hopes for the Church would rise or fall based on how persuasive these eyewitnesses would be for all – including us today – who have not yet seen. Let us rejoice today, but let us never forget the responsibility we have now that we have experienced the risen Christ! For He is risen indeed!

“… blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” John 20:29

Pray: Jesus, my Lord, I praise You for the resurrected life You have now given me. I want to crucify sin in my life, live in Your resurrection power, and be a pure vessel of Your love. I thank You for how I have grown in my walk with You to the cross. I don’t want to stop here. I want to continue to live a life of sacrifice and self-denial. I will continue to devote myself to You in my quiet place.