EVANGELISM Alvin L. Reid. Foundation: Evangelism Handbook.

transcript

EVANGELISM Alvin L. Reid

Foundation: Evangelism Handbook

Chapter 1

“The North American church is suffering from severe mission

amnesia. It has forgotten why it exists.”

--Reggie McNeal

The MISSIONAL SHIFT•“’Missional’ is the noun

“missionary” modified to be an adjective. . . . If [churches] study and learn language, become a part of the culture, proclaim the good news, be the presence of Christ, and contextualize biblical life and church for that culture—they are a missional church.”

•Stetzer and Dodson

Marks of a Missional Church (Stetzer and Dodson, Comeback Churches):

1. Incarnational2. Indigenous3. Intentional

Part 1

Biblical

“There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is an idea whose time has come.”

--Victor Hugo

Christianity is a movement to be advanced, not merely an institution to be maintained.

What Evangelism is Not

What Evangelism is Not1. The Mute Approach

2. The Numbers Game

3. Professionals Need Only Apply

What Evangelism is Not4. Cop-Out

What Evangelism ISBiblical Terms

The basic word for “evangelism” in the New Testament is the term transliterated into the English as “evangel” (noun) or “evangelize” (verb).

A second term is kerusso and its related forms. This verb form means “to proclaim in the manner of a herald.” It implies the declaration of an event.

Notice the words translated martureo(verb) and marturion (noun). Today we think of a martyr as someone who died for the faith. The Greek word martyr literally means “a witness.”

Matheteusate is the main verb in the Great Commission passage, Matthew 28:19-20: “Go…and make disciples.” The verb in this passage is an imperative, a command.

Definitions1. Anglican

2. Lewis Drummond

3. D.T. Niles

1-P, Presence. For example, agricultural, medical missions.

2-P, Proclamation. Presenting the gospel in an understandable manner.

3-P, Persuasion. Second Corinthians 5:11 encourages hearers to respond.

5. Campus Crusade For Christ

6. Reid: Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ by word and life in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that unbelievers become followers of Jesus Christ in His church and in the culture.

I Thess. 1:5-10 As a Model

•Not in WORD Only•POWER•SPIRIT•CONVICTION•MISSIONAL LIVES

•Why not today?

Chapter 3

Why Do We Do the Things That We Do?

Motives for Evangelism

•The Character of God• The Love of God

•Obedience•Spiritual Growth•Eternal Rewards•Evangelism And Unbelievers•Future Joy Or Future Judgment

Chapter 4

The Mission of God A Missional Reading of Scripture

• “A missional hermeneutic, then, is not content simply to call for obedience to the Great Commission (thought it will assuredly include that as a matter of nonnegotiable importance), nor even to reflect on the missional implications of the Great Commandment. For behind both it will find the Great Communication—the revelation of the identity of God, of God’s action in the world and God’s saving purpose for all creation. And for the fullness of this communication we need the whole Bible in all its parts and genres, for God has given us no less. A missional hermeneutic takes the indicative and the imperative of the biblical revelation with equal seriousness, and interprets each in the light of the other.” C. J. H. Wright, The Mission of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 61-62.

The GREAT DRAMA of REDEMPTION•CREATION

▫FALL

REDEMPTION

RESTORATION

A “Whole Bible” Approach To The Great Commission•Taken from Convergent Church by Liederbach/Reid

1. Everything begins in God and is to return to God.

2. Human existence must be understood as theocentric, not anthropocentric.

3. Individual life stories must conform to God’s story.

4. A higher affection must motivate a life lived for God’s glory.

5. A life of worship should compel us to invite the lost to join us.

6. The corporate worship of the church ought to change the culture.

Chapter 5

Jesus and Paul

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. --John 1:4-5

•A. Our Lord Demonstrated An Evangelistic Passion (Matthew 9:36-38)

•A. Our Lord Demonstrated An Evangelistic Passion

•B. Jesus Practiced Mass Evangelism

•C. Jesus Taught The Importance of Evangelism

•D. Jesus Practiced Personal Evangelism

• Intentional (4:4)

•Conversational (4:7)•Respectful (4:7)•Directional (4:10-15,19-24)•Convictional (4:16-18)•Confrontational (4:26)•Missional (4:28-30)•Attitudinal (All of John 4)

Matt 28:19-20 John 20:21Mark 16:15 Acts 1:8Luke 24-27-48

The Ministry Of The Apostle Paul

I. Paul Was A Prepared Witness

A. Prior to His Conversion

B. By His Conversion

C. By His Commission

•A. Paul Was A Passionate Witness

•B. Paul Was An Intentional Witness

•Personal evangelism•Mass evangelism•Household evangelism•Apologetic evangelism•Miracles and evangelism•Educational evangelism•Literary evangelism•Church planting•Urban evangelism•Follow-up

The Birth of a MovementEvangelism in the Acts

It was a small group of eleven men whom Jesus commissioned to carry on his work,and bring the gospel to the whole world. They were not distinguished; they were not well educated; they had no influential backers….If they had stopped to weight up the probabilities of succeeding in their mission, even granted their conviction that Jesus was alive, and that his Spirit went with them to equip them for their task, their hearts must surely have sunk, so heavily were the odds weighed against them. How could they possibly succeed? And yet they did. --Michael Green

•Total Penetration•Total Participation

1. Four times the Spirit speaks directly. Each time He says GO.

8:29-35; 10:19-20; 13:2; 28:25-262. Consistently when the Spirit filled

believers their immediate response was to share Christ: Acts 2:4, 11:4-8, 31; 6:3, 7; 9:17, 20; 11:24; 13:9

A. All Believers Witnessed Personally In the Culture

B. Only Some Of The Disciples Preached To Crowds

C. Believers Lived Their Faith And Pursued Their Mission Daily

D. They Reached People And Formed Churches

E. They Declared An Unchanging, Timeless Message

F. They Gave Testimony To The Gospel’s Impact On Their Lives

G. They Shared Christ In The Face Of Tremendous Obstacles

H. They were willing to adapt their approach when needed.

Chapter 7

History I: Second Through the Eighteenth Centuries

The Spread Of Christianity Following The First Century: How Did They Do It?

•Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna•Ignatius, bishop of Antioch•Irenaeus•Justin Martyr•Gregory Thaumaturgos

•Ulfilas (318-388)•Patrick of Ireland•Columba (521-597)•Augustine of Canterbury (545-605)•Boniface

A. Evangelism On The Eve Of The Reformation

Peter Waldo Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) Jerome Savonarola (1452-1498)

Martin Luther (1486-1546)Clarified gospel, preaching the Word, priesthood of believers, considered himself an evangelist

John Calvin (1509-64)Focused on God’s work in salvation, emphasized singing of Psalms, preaching, personal evangelist

AnabaptistsEffective evangelism, believers

baptism, persecuted by others

Great Awakenings And Evangelism

A. Philip Spener – PiaDesideria

B. A.H. Francke

C. Nicholaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)

II. The First Great Awakening

LOG COLLEGE

Gilbert Tennent “The Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry”

Edwards, one of the greatest theologians, practitioners, and writers in the history of spiritual awakening.

1. When the operation is such to raise their esteem of Jesus.

2. When the spirit that is at work operates against the interests of Satan’s kingdom.

3. Men show a greater regard to the Holy Scriptures.

4. If it leads persons to truth.5. If the spirit that is at work among a people

operates as a spirit of love to God and man.

D. George Whitefield, also involved in the Evangelical Awakening in England with John and Charles Wesley, came to the colonies several times. He preached from north to south, uniting the various movements.

E. In the southern colonies, revival spread mainly through Methodists and Baptist. The leaders among Baptist were Shubal Stearns and Daniel Marshall.

John Wesley (1703-91)

George Whitefield (1714-70)

Chapter 8

History II: Nineteenth Century to Our Time

I felt ablaze with a desire to go through the length and breadth of Wales to tell of my Savior; and had that been possible, I was willing to pay God for doing so.

--Evan Roberts

•Churches call for prayer•Colleges•Camp Meetings•Finney

•Jesus People•S.B.C.•Explo 1972•Worship & Witness

The Rise of The Evangelical Movement

Evangelistic InnovationsCitywide, Interdenominational Crusades

Denominational EvangelismParachurch Evangelism

International Conferences/Congresses on Evangelism

International Missions EmphasesMethodological EvangelismThe Church Growth MovementThe Seeker MovementThe Emerging Church Movement

Chapter 9

A Theology of Evangelism

The greatest single proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief.

--T.S. Eliot

1. Evangelism and theology must be kept together to avoid extremism

2. Theology and evangelism must remain linked because the Bible always weds theology with practical matters like evangelism.

3. People who have been used of God have generally kept theology and evangelism in unity.

•The Scriptures•The Doctrine of God•Christ And Salvation

The Great Drama of Redemption:•Creation•Fall•Redemption•Consummation

•Exclusivism•Pluralism•Universalism•Annihilationism•Inclusivism

Part II

Spiritual Resources

Chapter 10

The Work of the Spirit

Evangelism without the Holy Spirit is like a body without a soul. —Delos Miles

1. The Spirit Indwells And Seals The Believers At Conversion (Ephesians 1:13-14)

2. The Spirit Fills The Believers For Service

a) How Can You Know You Are Filledb) Hindrances To The Fillingc) How Does A Person Receive The

Filling?

3. The Spirit Gives Believers Gifts

1. He empowers us to witness (Acts 1:8)

2. He gives us wisdom (Luke 12:12)3. He gives us boldness (Acts 4:31)4. He helps us in our praying (Rom.

8:16)5. He gives us the burning desire to

see people saved (Acts 4:29-31)

1. The Spirit Precedes The Witness (Acts 10:1-15)

2. The Spirit Convicts The Unbeliever

1. The Spirit Does The Work Of Regeneration (John 3:5-6)

Chapter 11

The Power of Prayer

That Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees, why not make him Tremble?

--Ralph Herring

Prayer: Intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes.

•He modeled prayer (John 17).•He spent time in personal prayer (Mark 1:35).•He prayed at important events (Matt 26:36-44; Luke 6:12).•He taught the importance of prayer (Matt 6).

1. Let your gaze be on God, your glance on your requests.

2. Let prayer be your first choice, not your last.

3. Pray retail, not wholesale.4. Pray more from conviction than

from crisis.

•Praises•Thanksgiving•Confession•Intercession•Petition•Listening

1. Establish in your heart and mind the importance of the devotional time.

2. Designate a time and place for your time with God

3. Do whatever is necessary to be spiritually prepared

4. Adjust your time occasionally to avoid monotony.

5. As you pray; make the Scripture a part of your time.

•Pray For Boldness To Witness•Pray In The Spirit’s Power•Pray for Harvesters

Chapter 12

Testimony

For we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard --Peter and John in Acts 4:20

Sharing Your Conversion Testimony

Biblical Examples•John 9• Acts 22 & 26

1. It is Relevant2. It is Unique3. It Holds Up A mirror To The Person

With Whom You Share

1. Write out your testimony, seeking the Spirit’s guidance.

2. Give adequate but precise details showing how Christ became your Lord and Savior and how Christ meets your daily needs. Make sure you exalt the Christ of your experience more than your experiences.

3. Use language the nonbeliever can understand.

4. Relive your testimony as you tell it. This will enable you to present it with loving enthusiasm.

5. Relate your testimony to the Scripture, using pertinent verses as they are needed.

6. Speak distinctly and in a natural tone, avoiding any mannerisms that might detract from the presentation.

7. Be brief (two or three minutes). People are interested in your testimony but not your life story!

8. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you present Christ so the unbeliever will want to know him and will come to know him personally.

9. Share your Christian testimony regularly with other Christian members of your family, then with Christian friends, until it becomes a natural part of your daily conversation. Then share it with your lost friends and others.

10.After sharing your testimony, ask, “Has anything like this ever happened to you?” This question is a simple way to move into the gospel presentation.

1. A Recovery Testimony

2. The Spiritual Autobiography

Chapter 13

The Potency of Consistency: Character

The transformed character of Christian men and women is the key to world evangelization at the end of the twentieth century and beyond.

--Leighton Ford

1.Integrity

2.Humility

1.Passion

1.Purity

Live by principle, not by feelings.Listen to God, not to popular opinion.Prioritize sacrifice rather than comfort.Consider the long-term consequence of your

decision.

I have time to do that which is important.

If I don’t control my time, someone else will.

I must decide what are the Big Rocks

1. I am responsible for my attitude.2. My attitude is either my friend or my

enemy.3. I must constantly correct my attitude.4. My attitude is contagious.5. My attitude reflects my walk with

Chapter 14

Disciplines

What Are The Key Disciplines?

1. STUDY• Repetition

• Concentration• Comprehension• Reflection

Fasting

2. Fasting

3. Meditation, Silence, Solitude

4. Service

5. The Discipline of Evangelism

Part III

Intentional

Love All, Serve All.--Slogan of the Hard Rock Café

Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great…Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just to easy to settle for a good life.

--Jim Collins

1. Lead With Confidence In God’s Call

2. Lead By Equipping Other Leaders

3. Lead With Humility

4.Lead Others To Greatness For God

5.Lead By Faith

6.Lead By Defining Reality

7.Lead By The Strength Of Your Character

Chapter 16

Personal Evangelism:The What

Failure

FailureRejection1. The Principle of Transference

1. The Role of Rejection

The initial contact with a lost person, through words and actions, which establishes enough relationship to allow a witness for Christ.

1. Approach People With A Heart Of Love-We care about them. People really do not care how much you know about God unless they can tell you also care about them!-We believe what we are talking about.-We have the hand of God on our lives.

2. Approach In A Spirit of Prayer3. Approach With An Attitude Of Expectancy4. Be Sensitive To The Spirit

Models Of A Good Approach1. Explore, Stimulate, Share2. Personal Testimony

“Has anything like this ever happened to you?”

3. Acrostic FIRE• Family• Interests• Religious background• Exploratory Questions

Tools For Sharing Your Faith•Marked New Testament

•Gospel Tracts•Never use a tract you haven’t read.(Some are weak theologically.)•Brevity is desirable.

•Use tracts that are attractive.•Be enthusiastic about the contents.•Be sure the tract sets forth the facts of the gospel.•The tract should explain the process by which a person becomes a Christian, particularly emphasizing repentance and faith.

Memorized Presentations

Role Playing

Calling For A Decision •Transitions Questions: Does what we have been discussing make sense to you?”

•Willingness Question: “Is there any reason why you •would not be willing to receive God’s gift of eternal life?”

•Commitment Question: “Are you willing to turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus right now?”

Practical Ideas For Personal Witness

Follow-Up And Assimilation

Practical Steps

1. Be as urgent about follow-up as you were about sharing Christ.

2. Help the new believer with assurance.

3. Give specific guidance in the Christian life.

Biblical Model

1. Personal Contact2. Personal Prayer3. Personal Representatives4. Personal Correspondence

Waylon B. Moore

Chapter 17

Personal Evangelism: The How

Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.

C.T. Studd

Ways to Engage Believers In Witnessing

1. Assignment visitation/planned evangelism

2. Lifestyle/spontaneous evangelism

3. Missional/relational witness.

Understanding Servant Evangelism

David Wheeler

What is Servant Evangelism…

•Servant evangelism is a combination of simple acts of kindness and intentional personal evangelism…it involves intentionally sharing Christ by consistently modeling biblical servanthood.

Assignment Visitation/Planned Evangelism

1. Annual church survey.2. Door-to-door prospecting3. Register guests at all services4. Telephone survey5. Sunday school or church roll.6. Newcomer or utility lists.

Door-to-Door1. Smile, smile, smile, always smile.2. Be polite, regardless of the response. You

cannot tell how the Holy Spirit will honor your efforts.

3. Use an effective survey tool. 4. Offer a gift, as in servant evangelism.5. Have clearly designated areas, good maps, and

instructions to avoid overlap and confusion.6. Train the surveyors to take good, clear

information.7. Cover an area well.

Missional/Relational Witness• Missional witness means we witness in

the context of our lifestyle with people we know and have a relationship.

• Missional witness means we will build relationships with others who do not know Christ to love them to Him. It means we will appreciate (through sometimes not embrace) their interests and cultural distinctives).

Lifestyle/Spontaneous Evangelism

R.A. Torrey’s two important rules to remember when witnessing in public:

1.Obey the Holy Spirit.

2.Never embarrass the person to whom you are witnessing.

Chapter 18

Church Evangelism

The church is the only institution on earth raised up to exist for its own nonmembers.

William Temple

Features of the Church for Today

1. The base for reaching the world, according to the New Testament, is the

local church.

Three Areas Of Balance

1. Church + Culture – Gospel = Liberalism2. Church + Gospel – Gospel =

Fundamentalism3. Gospel + Culture – Church =

Parachurch

Features of the Church for Today•2. Some see the church as irrelevant. •3. Some are victims of the Edifice

Complex (institutionalism).•4. Some make a sharp, unbiblical clergy-

laity separation.•5. Some have an unhealthy and unbiblical

emphasis on fellowship.

The Church Growth Movement

Models

• Purpose -Driven Church• Emerging Church• 1. relevants• 2. reconstructionists• 3. revisionists

Revitalizing A Stagnant Church

1. Know Your Church Field2. Change The Culture3. Utilize Short Term Mission Trips

Striking the Match of Strategic Short-term Evangelistic Missions

George Robinson1.Starting a Wildfire

STM teams equipped for and motivated toward appropriate cross-cultural evangelistic encounters.

2. The KindlingSTM organizers need to prioritize the equipping of indigenous

national leadership by going to the target area in advance of the volunteer team, in order to establish a mutually agreed upon long-term strategy.

3. IgnitionThe purpose of the strategic STM should be partnering to

share the simple trans- cultural message of the gospel in such a way that disciples are made and brought

into new home groups that are located in the target area.4. Fanning the Flame

Add fuel to the fire by establishing interdependent partnerships with the indigenous leadership through helping them to develop and achieve ever-expanding church reproduction strategies.

4. Small Groups

5. Sunday School

The Key To Evangelistic Effectiveness:ContextualizationPrinciples of Contextualization1.We affirm that the Bible is the only infallible

text that exists.2.We affirm that there is a biblical precedent for

using “bridges” to reach out to others with the Gospel (Acts 17:22-23).

3.We affirm an incarnational approach to missions that is bound by biblical parameters.

4.We affirm both the sufficiency and unique nature of biblical revelation (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

5.We affirm the need to be ethically sound in our evangelistic methodology (2 Corinthians 4:2)

Chapter 19

Worship Evangelism: Linking the Glory of God to the Gospel

Nothing is more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than achieving a new order of things

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

Worship In ScriptureLatreuo = veneration of God.Proskuneo (“to worship) focuses on one’s

allegiance to the Lord.

Ralph Martin reminds us that, although we can gain a general knowledge about worship in the early church, “there is, of course, no place in the New Testament which clearly states that the church had any set order of service, and very little information is supplied to us about the outward forms which were in use.”

Christian Worship In History

• Luther introduced hymns with more familiar tunes that were theologically rich and written in the language of the common man.

• The Pietists of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries began writing subjective hymns, reflecting their emphasis on religion of the heart.

• British pastor Isaac Watts was called “the father of English hymnody.”

• Frank Segler – “a religious awakening has always been accompanied by a revision of the liturgy.” One can trace the roots of music used for evangelistic purposes to the Evangelical Awakening and the ministry of John and Charles Wesley.• The camp meetings of the Second Great

Awakening were characterized by simple, emotional hymns, many with evangelistic appeals.• The first true music evangelist to be widely

recognized was Ira D. Sankey (1837-99), who teamed with evangelist D.L. Moody.

The Jesus Movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s laid the groundwork for a significant shift in the corporate worship of the American church. The charismatic movement added to the growing awareness of a need for freedom in worship.

Two streams merged to create the genre known today as contemporary Christian music. Folk music, especially as it was expressed in the youth musical, eventually merged with the rock sound of the Jesus Movement coffeehouses to a form what is easily recognized today as contemporary Christian music.

Implications For Evangelism From Scripture And History For Corporate Worship Today

1. Theological Base2. Distinguish Between Evangelistic

Services And Worship Services3. Resist False Dichotomies4. Understand The Difference Between

Personal Preference And Biblical Truth

Thom Rainer’s study of effective evangelistic churches found the following about style.

1.Various worship styles are effective. In this survey, the quality of worship was seen as more important than the particular style.

2.The atmosphere of the service is critical for reaching people.

3.The attitude of those leading the service played a bigger factor than the style: “Leaders describe their worship service with such words as warm, exciting, loving, vibrant, hopeful, and worshipful.”

Evangelism And Corporate Worship

Characteristics Of Worship EvangelismMorgenthaler suggested these:1.Nearness. Worship evangelism features

a sense of God’s presence.2.Knowledge. The worship is centered on

Christ.3.Vulnerability. This is an opening up to

God.4.Interaction. Worship evangelism means

participating in a relationship with God and others.

Morgenthaler’s five rudders to guide worship evangelism.1. Worship first, evangelize second.2. Never sacrifice authenticity for

relevance.3. Add before you subtract.4. Be committed to relevance based on

your community’s culture in the present and its meaningful religious past.

5. Customize your own worship methodology.

Three Ways To Live Out Worship Evangelism:

1. Corporate

2. Family

3. Personal

Chapter 20

Mass Evangelism

You are not the oil, you are not the air-merely the point of combustion, the flashpoint where the light is born. You are merely the lens in the beam. You can only receive, give, and posses the light as a lens does.

Dag Hammarskjold

Why Mass Evangelism?

1. Mass evangelism and evangelists are biblical concepts.

2. Mass evangelism reminds believers that people are lost and must be reached.

3. Mass evangelism still works.

The Gospel Invitation

1. Biblical Evidence – The Effective, Invitation, Alan Streett

2. Historical Evidence

Principles for the Invitation

1. Give it with a spiritually prepared mind.

2. Give it expectantly.3. Give it dependently.4. Give it personally.5. Give it clearly.6. Give it courteously.7. Give it confidently.8. Give it urgently

Conducting An Evangelistic MeetingHosting A Guest Evangelist

1. Secure an evangelist whom you know to have integrity.

2. Set the date.3. Secure a thorough preparation manual.4. Begin preparations three to six months in

advance.5. Organize a revival planning team to help

with preparations.

Conducting An Evangelistic MeetingHosting A Guest Evangelist (con’t)6. Pastor, be enthusiastic!7. Select a theme for the meeting.8. Use budgeted money for incidentals.9. Be clear with the evangelistic team about

finances.10.If you use a love offering, extend a

thoughtful, prepared request for the love offering in every service, especially Sunday morning.

Conducting An Evangelistic Meeting Hosting A Guest Evangelist (con’t)11.Introduce the team each night.12.Take the minister to share Christ in

homes.13.Schedule some fun-golf, for example.14.Have trained counselors available,

especially for youth night.15.Pastor, extend the invitation.16.Be a gracious host.

Preparing For An Evangelistic Meeting

1. Organizational Preparations2. Spiritual Preparation

Sports Evangelism

1. Major event-centered sports evangelism,2. Personality-centered evangelism,3. Competition-centered sports

evangelism.

Part IVMissional

Ed Stetzer and David Putman argue winsomely for the need of the church today to engage the culture in a missional manner. In their book Breaking the Missional Code they note how our culture has become “glocal” – a convergence of the global world with our local communities.

Chapter 21

Paradigms

A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling.

Hans Kung

Paradigms – How We See The World1. The Maintaining An Institution To

Advancing A Movement

Institution MovementI GO to church I AM the churchScorecard based on Based on sending

seating capacity capacityHotel for saints Hospital for

sinnersMinimalistic HolisticProgrammatic Organic

2. From Attractional Evangelism To Missional

3. From Programmatic To Incarnational

4. From Compartmentalized To Holistic Ministry

5. From Consumerism To Service

6. From Conformity In All Things To Conformity In Truth, Creativity, In Its Application

Creativity In Evangelism

1. Hunters-wild game dinners2. Sports-Upward Basketball3. Music and the arts4. CraftsWhat “non-religious” talent/hobby/skill

do you have that you can use for the gospel?

Chapter 22

Church Planting

Following Jesus into the mission field is either impossible or extremely difficult for the vast majority of congregations in the Western world because of one thing: They have a systems story that will not allow them to take the first step out of the institution into the mission field, even through the mission field is just outside the door of the congregation.

Bill Easum

Why Plant Churches?Objections:Objection one: “We already have plenty of

churches.Objection two: “Every church in this

community used to be more full than it is now.

Objection Three: “Help the churches that are struggling first.

Keller on Church PlantingThe vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for:

•The numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city.

•The continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else will have the consistent impact of dynamic extensive church planting.

Church Planting In Acts

1. Jerusalem (Acts 1-7)2. Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-12). Much of

this work was begun by regular believers, “laity,” rather than the apostles (8:1-4).

3. Churches were planted “to the ends of the earth” in Acts 12-28.

ModelsModel 1: The Apostolic Harvest Church

PlanterParadigm Starts churches, raises up leaders

from the harvest, moves to new church

Biblical Model Paul

Historic/Modern Example

Methodist circuit rider, house church movement

Principles Planter starts church and moves onPlanter come out of the church and returnsPastor may/may not be classically educatedNew churches provide core for additional churches

Model 2: The Founding Pastor

Paradigm Starts a church, acts as “church planter” for a short time, and remains long tem to pastor the new church

Biblical Model Peter and the Jerusalem church

Charles Spurgeon, Rick Warren

Principles Planter starts and pastors the church long termPastor often moves from another locationPastor often classically educatedIdeally, new church sponsors new congregation

Model 3: Team Planting

Paradigm A group of church planters relocates into an area to start a church. Often the team has a senior pastor.

Biblical Model Paul (at times)

Missionaries at Iona, team church plants

Principles A team relocates to plant a new church (sometimes relocation is not necessary)Church planting vision often comes from one key member of the teamGood teams have a gift mix

Marks of Church Planters

Ed Stetzer listed five marks of a church planter for today:1.Missional2.Incarnational3.Theological4.Ecclesiological5.Spiritual

Best Practices

1. Church planting Systems2. Church Planting Teams3. High Member Standards4. Perseverance

Chapter 23

Reaching the UnchurchedIf the culture rejects Christianity, it should be because it has refused to hear the gospel message of Christ rather than that it turned its back on the church’s outdated, culturally irrelevant methods.

Albrey Malphurs

The Radically Unchurched

People who live in the West who have no clear personal understanding of the message of the gospel, and who have had little or no contact with a Bible-teaching, Christ-honoring church.

Dealing With Those Who Make Excuses1. Recognize the objection while keeping

the conversation focused on the gospel.2. Remember, the Holy Spirit will give you

guidance. Trust him.3. The gospel itself will answer many

honest questions.4. Many objections will not be raised if you

maintain a proper attitude.

Guidelines1. Negotiate; do not argue (think win/win).2. Avoid emotional

confrontations.3. Accept the other person as an

equal.4. Exercise gentleness.5. Check your motivation.

Approach

1. Use a transition statement.2. Convert the objection to a question.3. Answer the person’s question.4. Continue with the gospel

presentation.

Acts 16Reaching the Unchurched

1. Lydia came to Christ mainly through an explanation.

2. The slave girl came to Christ mainly through a demonstration of kindness.

3. The jailor was reached because of a demonstration of character.

Reaching Those In Cults And Other ReligionsThe principles for witnessing to people in cults and other religions:1.Commit to a relationship with this person whenever possible.2.Know your faith and theirs. None of us can be an expert in all the different cults.3.Do not begin your witness by attacking the other person’s beliefs.4.Share your own testimony.5.Explain the gospel clearly, noting especially the reality of sin and the need of a Savior.

Biblical Model

1. He was provoked when he saw the city was given over to idols.

2. He acknowledged their religious search.3. Paul knew their belief. He even quoted

two of their poets (see Acts 17:28).4. Paul moved from their error to the truth.5. Paul clearly presented the gospel. (see

Acts 17:23-31

Chapter 24

Reaching Children and families

Many men and women of the age 60 and 70 years have been disciples of Christ from childhood.

Justin Martyr

The Age of Accountability

•Deut. 1:39•2 Samuel 12:23•Romans 7:9-10

Fish on Matthew 18

•1. Conversion occurs on the level of a child.

•2. Humility belongs to a child.

•3. A little child can believe in Jesus.

•4. To cause a child to stumble is serious.

•5. We should seek children as a shepherd seeks a stray sheep.

•6. The Father’s will is that no child should perish.

Principles for Dealing with Children

•1. Deal with each child individually.

•2. Avoid asking yes or no questions.

•3. Consider the child’s religious background.

•4. Do not use fear as a primary motivation.

•5. Explain the gospel on a child’s level.

•6. Affirm the child regardless of the level of understanding.

•7. Distinguish between the internal experience of conversion and the external expressions associated with it.

Opportunities to Evangelize Children•VBS•Children’s Night at Evangelistic Meetings•SS teachers•UPWARD Sports•PARENTS!!!

Inheritance: Passing on a Legacy of Faith•http://www.planetstudents.org/

PS_inheritance.php

Deuteronomy 6:4-9`

•Demonstrate Godliness•Educate in Godliness

▫Words are to be in your (Parent’s) heart▫Repeat to Children▫Talk about them in your house▫When you walk along the road▫When you lie down and get up▫Place them where all can see▫MISSONAL FAMILIES!

Chapter 25

Reaching the Next Generation

The work has been chiefly amongst the young; and comparatively but few others have been made partakers of it. And indeed it has commonly been so, when God has begun any great work for the revival of his church; he has taken the young people, and has cast off the old and stiff-necked generation.

Jonathan Edwards, commenting on the First Great Wakening

The Potential Of Youth

Biblical Perspective On Youth

Historical Examples

1. Pietism2. First Great Awakening3. Evangelical Awakening4. Haystack Revival5. College Movement

Reaching Students Today1. We need a reformation in student

ministry at the youth and college levels.

2. Fundamental elements for effective youth ministry from Raising the Bar.

a) Recover the Biblical Place of parents (Deut. 6:4-9)

3. Building a foundation for student ministry, not a youth group.

a) Biblical Truthb) Passionate Evangelismc) Authentic Worshipd) Bold Prayer

Principles for Reaching Students Today1. The first step in reaching youth is simply this:

try to reach them.2. We must see technology as our friend in

evangelism.3. We must use the media and the arts in biblical

ways to declare Christ to this generation.4. Hold to the cross and the truthfulness of

Scripture.5. Demonstrate intimacy with God and people.6. Churches must place a higher priority on

youth.7. Those of us who are older can listen to young

people.

Chapter 26

Reach the Cities, Reach the Nations

“Christianity was an urban movement, and the New Testament was set down by urbanites.” Rodney Stark

“The single most effective way for Christians to ‘reach’ the US would be for 25% of them to move to two or three of the largest cities and stay there for three generations.”

Tim Keller“So there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8).

“I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10).

“But they now aspire to a better land-a heavenly one….for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16)

Why The Cities?1. Biblically, the gospel spread via the cities of the

Roman world.2. Strategically, commerce and culture flow through

the cities.3. Cities are changing.

The center city, unlike the ‘inner’ city (where the poor live) or where the working-class live, is where there is a confluence of

a) residences for professionals b) major work and job centers c) major cultural institutions-all in

close proximity.Keller

In 2000 80% of people in the US lived in metro areas, but only 50% of Southern Baptist churches are there.

Three things

•Having taken this class and studied this subject, what are THREE things you can do differently to make you a more effective disciple of Jesus, especially in terms of your own witness?

EVANGELISM Alvin L. Reid. Foundation: Evangelism Handbook.

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