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8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/6
The Spirit of the
Lord
is the
Spirit of truth, holiness, and
unity.
He
is also the Spirit of
evangelism The prophet
Isaiah
spoke prophetically of the Spirit
of the
Lord
who
would
come
upon the
Lord Jesus to equip
Him as prophet to
proclaim
the
good news
concerning the
Kingdom of
qod
Luke 4:18-
19. Jesus
commanded
His
Apostles
to remain
in Jerusalem
until the
Spirit
of Promise came
and when He
comes
"You
shall
receive
power and
you shall be
witnesses unto Me
in Jerusalem,
JUdea,
Samaria, and unto
the utter most parts
of the earth," Acts
1 8
And
that same
Spirit
is the Spirit
who is promised and
given
to
all who repent, Acts
2:38. Where the
Spirit
of the
Lord is
there is the Spirit of
evangelism
The three
marks
of
a true
church
are:
1. The
faithful
preaching of the Word of
qod
2. The faithful administration of
the sacraments, and 3. The
faithful administration
of
Biblical
church
discipline. Of
late, however, a number of
theologians and
preachers
have
felt the
necessity
to add number
4., The faithful practice of
Biblical
evangelism.
Cireg
Bahnsen adds a fourth and
fifth:
4. Inwardly, fellowship in
worship toward Ciod and
mutual concern for His people,
Acts 2:42, 44-47, Hebrews
13:15-16, I
Cor.
12:7-2.7; and
5. Outwardly,
service
toward
the world in evangelistic
outreach, Acts 2:40, 41, 47,
Mat. 28:18-2.0, and
seeking
transforming holiness
in
every
area of life,
Rom.
12:1-2, I
Peter
1 14-16, Col. 1 9-23, Mt.
5:14-
16.
The practice of evangelism is
a mark of the church. Joe
Morecraft has written, A
church
which is not
being
faithful to the Cireat
Commission of Mat.
28
is a
shame.
It has
the form of
godliness, but denies the Vitality
and vision thereof. A church
that
preaches
the Bible,
administers
the sacraments,
and
practices church
discipline, but
which is unfaithful to the Cireat
Commission is a disobedient
church
in rebellion against her
Lord."
s
one has
said, the
church exists
by
mission as a
fire exists by buming, John
17:17-21. A church not
buming with
the
fire of
commitment to making the
world's
nations
Christ's
disciples
is
ingrown,
unbalanced,
arrogant, self
centered, ugly, and dead. As
R.J. Rushdoony has
written, "If
the
church indeed
is the Body of
Christ,
t
must function as
if it
is
alive. A dead
church is
a
non-
6
t THE COUNSELof Chalcedon t September, 1995
functioning church; it is salt
which has lost its
savor
and
it
is
fit
only
to be cast out and
trodden
under
foot by
men,
Mat. 5:13. This is a grim
possibility in our time. We
cannot say that in
all
places the
church
today
is
dead,
but in too
many
areas
it is
badly
arthritic
and feeble. Christ the
Lord
of
life, commands
us saying,
'I
say
unto thee, arise '''
nne
Chalcedon Report,
May 1988).
What
is
evangeliSll1
U
l
Whose task is
itl
What
is the
motive,
the message,
the
methodsl
What will
be the resultsl
It
has
been said that
one
of
the more common
ways of avoiding
evangelism
is
to
study
and write about it
That is certainly not our purpose
or intent.
Rather,
we would
state that in view of the sad
state
of
the church and the
world in
the
view
of extensive
evangelism that the church
should stop and
ask
if
t
has
got
the message and
the
methods
right. More
stUdy should
be
done before people
go
off to do
personal
evangelism. Jesus
prepared
His
Apostle-Disciples
for three years before
He
sent
them
out.
We cannot use the
argument that
people
are
dying
and
going
to
hell while we
are
studying
unless
we are willing
to
criticize
Ciod
for not sending
His
Son into
the world
sooner,
Jesus for not dying sooner, and
the Holy
Spirit
for not coming
sooner.
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/6
We are living
at
the
end of
the most evangelistic century
in
the history of the church
in
terms of
the extent and the
intensity of evangelistic and
missionary activity. That,
however, is not to say that
aU
that goes under the name of
evangelism is Biblical. Indeed,
we must question whether
much of
what
has
occurred in
the name of evangelism
has
resulted in the darkening of the
(jospel,
the
decline
of the
church,
and
the destruction of
culture and society. There is
zeal without knowledge
(Rom. 10:2) even on the part
of
those who have been
regenerated
by
the
Spirit of
evangelism. Yet, on the one
hand, we do not want
to
be
rebuffed like the woman who
complained to D.L. Moody that
she
did
not like his method of
evangelism. He responded, ..
Well, Madam, I like my
method of
doing
evangelism
better than
your
method
of
NOT
DOIN(j
EVAN(jEUSM "
Nevertheless, we do not have
to accept or
adopt every
successful method of
evangelism as appropriate for
the church. I heard of a man
who was saved through falling
down a well. We don't,
however, go around
pushing
people down weUs as an
evangelistic method.
At the time of the 1960
Olympics a magazine carried an
amusing cartoon showing the
celebrated runner
from
Marathon arriving in Athens
and falling exhausted on the
ground
while
he mumbles,
with
a blank look on his face,
1 have
forgotten
the message. This
is
much the same
case
with
evangelism in the 20th
Century. The (jreat
Commission, Mat.
2B:16-20,
is
not simply a
commission
to go
and
make
decisions
for
Jesus; it
is
a commission to go, or
going,
(evangelism
at home
and
abroad), make
disciples
(evangelism
that results in
discipleship)
of
aU
the nations
(not just individuals but people
as nations ), baptizing them and
teaching them to observe
everything that He
has
commanded
us
(establishing
churches
for
worship,
edification, and
evangelism).
Isaiah 61 propheticaUy
sets
forth the fruit and results of the
outpouring of the
Spirit
of
evangelism. Michael (jreen
says
concerning
this passage,
'The passage
in
Isaiah was
highly
significant.
It
relates to
the
period after
the
Babylonian
exile;
and the messenger,
anointed with (jod's own
Spirit,
announces (jod's
signal
victory,
His
kingly rule.
It
betokens
nothing less than the
dawn
of
a new
age,
and one
from which
the
heathen
are
not
excluded. The days of salvation
have
arrived. The people of
(jod
are ready
and waiting for
Him
like
a bride
for
her
husband, their unworthiness
covered by a robe of
righteousness, their relationship
with their (jod established by
an everlasting covenant. There
are days of liberation,
days of
healing,
days
of great good
news,
which
is
meant
to
spread
like
wildfire. (jod
is
reaching
out
from a rebuilt Jerusalem to
make
His ways known to the
(jentiles. All that, and more, is
contained
in
the chapter of
Isaia h from which Jesus read
this manifesto at the
inauguration of His good news
for the world," Op. Cit.,
pg.
B.
Isaiah 61
introduces the
MESSEN(jER
OFTHE
(jOSPEL, the one who
introduces
the
blessings
announced
in Isaiah
60.
I. 61:1-3, THE PVRPOSE
OF HIS MISSION. Not only
are
we introduced
to
the
messenger who is identified in
Luke
4:1B-19 as
the LordJesus
Christ, but also his method
(preaching),
his message ( good
news of restoration and the bad
news of (jod's judgment), the
objects of evangelism (the meek,
the mourners;
see Mat.
5:1 ff,),
and the
results
(joy, strength,
and
righteousness),
vs.3.
II.
61:4-11, THE
BLESSIN(jS OF HIS
MISSION are announced.
A. The ancient ruins will be
rebuilt by those who mourn in
Zion, vs.4, Mat. 5:4.
B. The (jentiles will be
included among the people of
(jod and serve (jod's church,
vs 5
C. The inhabitants
of
Zion,
Jew and (jentile, will be priests
unto
the Lord, vs. 6-7, I Peter
2:9ff. They
shaU
inherit the
earth, Mat 5:5.
D. The covenant promises
will
be fulfilled
and
righteousness
will prevail, vs.
B
Jer. 31 :27-44.
September, 1995 t THE COUNSEL
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Cha1cedon t 7
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
3/6
E
Their seed will
be
husbands, that
the
word of jod
follow Christ and
to
be sent
recognized among the nations
may
not be
blasphemed.
into all the world following His
as blessed of jod.
Likewise
exhort the young men
death,
resurrection,
111.61:10-11, THE
to be
sober-minded, in
aU things
ascension,and
the
outpouring
of
RESVLTS OF
HIS MISSION.
showing yourself
to
be
a pattem
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As
of
good works;
in
doctrine
they
go (evangelism and foreign
A
The church of jod, the
showing integrity, reverence,
missions) they are
to
make
elect,
the true Israel
worships
incorruptibility,
sound
speech
disciples
of
all the nations,and
rejoices
in the
jod
of her that cannot be
condemned,
that
baptizing them (establish
salvation,
vs.
10.
one
who is an opponent may
be
churches) and
to
teach
them
to
B. The growth
of
the
ashamed,
having nothing evil
obseJve all that he
commanded
kingdom,
vs.
11, Mat.13.
to
say
of
you."
(ordaining
Elders
for
their
While evangelism is an
The point is not that
we
are
worship, instruction, edification,
essential and fundamental
not
to be
verbal witnesses of the
discipline, and mutual
care
of
(jospel, we are. But evangelism
function of the mission
one another). They did
of the church,
it
is not
not
command
every
the only
task.
Nor does
converted disciple to
it command every
leave
their
nets
and to
Christian
to
leave their
go
in tum. They
nets
to
become
full-time
commanded them
to
evangelists or
no,t forsake
the
missionaries. Jim
assembling
of
Peterson points
out
the
themselves together,
to
"puzzling fact" that the
love
one
another,
to
epistles have no
does not call
all
of
us
to leave
or
build up one
another,
exhortations to
"witness."
"One
neglect our own nets
or
families
to care
for
one another,
to love
would expect Paul's
letters
to their wives, to submit to their
abound with exhortations to
to
go
and
do evangelism.
husbands, to
bring up their
Evangelism, like charity, begins
Witness,
to
get out and
at home, in your neighborhood, children
in
the nurture and
continue what he had begun,
admonition
of
the
Lord, to
proclaiming the gospel to every
at work. And evangelism has as
honor and
obey
their parents, to
its goal restoring people to godly
person. But no such
and
holy
living as the people
of
work hard at their jobs,
to
care
exhortations are
there
Why
jod in the world. This is
the
and
provide for
their
families
not " Peterson in
contrast also
platform
for being light to the
and
the
needy, and
to submit
to
reminds us of what Paul did
emphasize in his epistles, as in
world,
a
true
witness to
the
and pray for
those in
authority
power, the truth, and the
over them in the
church
and in
Titus .2:.2-8, "The older men are
blessings
of the (jospel. The
civil govemment.
to be temperate .., the older
women likewise, that they
be
impression, the message, the
R.J. Rushdoony
has written
reverent in behavior, not
church has given
the world is
that
the work of the church, "Is
slanderers, not given to
much
that salvation is
only
good after
a dominion ministry, and
this
wine, teachers of good things;
you
die and has very little
dominion
is to
be manifested
in
that they admonish the young
relevance or
hope
for
life
now.
the
life and
the
work of
the
women
to
love their husbands,
The (jreat
Commission
was
members .... lt
is
living and
to love their children,
to
be
addressed to the Apostles of the
working in terms
of
obedience
discreet, chaste, homemakers,
LordJesus Christ who had been
to Jesus
Christ.
Let
me
cite an
good,
obedient
to
their called to leave their "nets"
to
example. A bank loan officer
8 THE COUNSEL
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Chalcedon September, 1995
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
4/6
shook
up
more than a
few
Having said that we must
also or
require that
to be
a good
people, including bank officers,
recognize that one of the most
Christian or witness one must
by
calling attention to the
fertile and necessaIY evangelistic
enter the Cjospel ministJY. "If
financial
penalties
of long term fields is the pews of churches on
evangelism happens at all in
our
debt and the advantages of
Sunday
moming. Many of
Westem society, it is likely to
obedience to the Biblical law.
those
who have joined the
be in one of two main lypes of
He had brought the
church into
church,
have
been
presentation: the large crusade
the
bank,
and
veIY practical
"evangelized," but
are
not
even
or the personal
consequences followed, saved.
One
of
the most
conversation.... The more
dominion in the lives of those dangerous and deceptive places
aggressive
evangelism of some
who listened to him." for people
to be
is
in
a pew at
of the parachurch movements
Rushdoony continues,
11 :00
am on Sunday moming
tends to be rather strong on heat
"Evangelism
is
the
basic task of because people
have
false peace
and weak on ligh ''' Michael
the church.
This
is veIY much about their salvation.
Cjreen, Evangelism Through the
stressed in
our
time,
and
rightly Moreover,
as
ProfessorJohn
Local Church,
pg.
xiii.
We
must
so but it needs to
be followed
Murraysaid,
"while
we
not limit evangelism to
by
application.
As members
of generally
understand the word
particular
forms.
Evangelism
by
one of another, Christians need 'evangelism' to apply to
the
definition is
the verbal
to care
for
one
another,
for
the
propagation
of
the
gospel
proclamation of the good news
sick, the
elderly,
the needy, and among the
unsaved,
we
must
conceming Christ. How and
the
troubled.
Visitation is not in
recognize
that we cannot limit it
where and when that
is
done
is
Scripture the
duly of
pastors but
to them,
...when it
is
as varied as eveIY person and
of
Christians, Mat.
25:31-46,
"
remembered that many
situation. That
is
not to say that
R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic believers in Christ have so
the Church or Christians may
Theology, Vol. II pg. 746. inadequate a knowledge of the
not develop a strategy or an
The work of the
church
is
gospel, and so impoverished a
outline to proclaim
the Cjospel
not
one, evangelism,
but three-
conception of
the Christian
in
a
particular
context.
But to
fold: MINISTRY DIRECTLY
faith, that a considerable part of
identify, to
limit evangelism
to
a
TO
CjOD IN WORSHIP,
the work of the church, properly
certain
method, revivals, altar
MINISTRY TO ONE regarded
as
evangelism, must
calls,
evangelistic crusades,
etc.,
ANOTHER IN CHRISTIAN
needs have as its aim the
so that if one does not
use
that
NVRTURE AND CARE,
instruction and
edification
of
method one cannot
be
AND MINISTRY TO THE
believers.
The evangelism that
considered
evangelistic
is
WORLD IN WITNESS AND
the true church
of
Christ
undertakes
must therefore
wrong.
COMPASSION. Cjod
has
contemplate
the bringing of the
TEN PRESVPPOSITIONS
called us
into fellowship
with
Him and each other to worship
gospel
in
its full import and
FOR BIBLICAL
Him,
to grow in
grace,
in
demands to those
Who, though
EVANCjELlSM
knowledge, righteousness, and
believers, are nevertheless the
1. CjODSAVES MEN BY
holiness
of
the truth through
our
victim of ignorance,
HIS
SOVEREICjN
CjRACE,
individual
gifts
and graces
in
unfaithfulness and
Acts 13:48, 18:10, Eph. 1 3ff.
compromising
associations,
the
context
of the fellowship
of
Biblical evangelism and most
believers
in the
church,
and
Collected Writings
of
John
contemporaIY
evangelism are
finally
to
support and pursue the
Murray, Vol.
1, pg.
124.
diametrically opposed. They are
task of proclaiming the Cjospe Also, we must never define
opposed because most
to
those who have not heard
or
limit evangelism
to
a contemporaIY evangelism
both at
home
and
abroad. particular
method
or to
demand
believes in free
will. Therefore,
September, 1995 l' THE COUNSEL
of Chalcedon ;. 9
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
5/6
evangelism
is
the effort to
get
one to change
his
-mind rather
than
so presenting
the
qospeI
that
qod
changes the heart.
One campus worker
said
to a
preacher,
I use
the soft
sell,
you
use
the hard sell." While this
statement
is
revealing,
it reveals
a much deeper issue. Modem
evangelism
is salesmanship
it is
also blasphemy ...True
evangelism does not
sell, t indicts, RJR,
still under qod's wrath and
cO'ndemnation for sin and
unbelief.
3. EVERY CHRISTIAN
MUST BE A
WITNESS
TO
qO AND
HIS
CHRIST.
People
are particularly
called of
Clod
to
be
evangelists,
pastors
and teachers, Eph. 4:11-12.
While not all Christians are
called to be preachers, evety
surrender
to the
Lordship of ,
Christ, and presents
the Biblical
basis of assurance as rooted in a
life of obedience, faithfulness,
holiness,
and perseverance, 2
Pet. 1:8-10
, Heb.12:14., Mat.
7:2.1-23,
2.4:13.
4. THE MESSAqE OF
EVANqEL/SM is "The triune
Clod proclaims the kingdom of
qod
as open
to
men through
Salvation and qodly
Rule,pg. 448. Modem
evangelism
does
not
believe nl tal
depravity or
regeneration preceding
faith . Thus, evangelism
degenerates
into
While not all Christians
are called to be preachers,
every Christian is and
ust be a witness.
the
salvation made
possible
by
Jesus
Christ and his atoning
death,
resurrection,
and ascension Acts
15:7, 20:24,
25,
I
Peter 4:17, I Cor.
15:1-3.
t
is
the
gospel
of qod and His
Kingdom
Mark 1:14,
decisional
regeneration.The foundation
of evangelism is that qod saves
sinners. Salvation, the
conversion of sinners, is not a
"(l1atter of salesmanship.
2
qO
SAVES MEN
THROUqHTHE
MINISTRY OF HIS WORD,
Rom. 10:14ff, I
Cor.
1:20. The
primaty means of evangelism is
still the preaching of the word
of qod by the man of qod, the
setting forth of the Word of
qod in truth. While inviting
people
to church is
not
evangelism
in
the
proper
sense
of the word, we need
to
get
people to where the Word of
qod
is proclaimed. Sermons
ought
to
have an evangelistic
note and
clearly
distinguish for
the hearers that
there
is a
difference between
those
who
are believers and those who
are
Christian is and must
be
a
witness, Acts 8:4, I Peter 2:9ff.
Methods must
be
flexible and
variable. The essential
message
must always
be
the same .
While Christ calls us to be His
witnesses, it
is
His witnesses
that we are
to
be, ie, faithful
to
the
message.
We
are
not
to be
like the
Pharisees
who
make
people
doubly lost
, Mat.
23:15,
by
a truncated qospel that tells
people to "Just ask
Jesus
into
your heart," and give them
assurance and false peace.
Many of these will on
judgment day hear the
words
, I
never knew
you"
or
fall
away
and
become
gospel hardened.
While we
are
not responsible
for all who do not persevere, we
are responsible to proclaim the
truth of the
qospel that calls
men
to discipleship
, that calls
for
faith,
repentance, obedience,
2
THE COUNSEL
of
Chalcedon September, 1995
Rom.
1:1, 15:16, 2
Cor. 11
:17,
Mt. 4:23, 9:35,
24:14," RJR, The Journal of
Christian
Reconstruction,
Symposium on Evangelism, ,
Vol. VII , Winter 1981 , No.2,
pg.10.
5.
THE TASK OF
EVANqELlSM is
given
by
Christ
to
His church under the
oversight of His called,
qualified. and
gifted
8ders,
Mat. 28:18-20, Acts 15,
20:17ff.
We are called
to
proclaim the
"Apostolic"
message
of
the
qospel. That
message has been committed
to
the
church
under the oversight
of Elders, men
called,
qualified,
and
sound
in the faith. No one
was ever commissioned to
evangelize with a false
or
erroneous
message
of the
gospel.
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 8 - The Spirit of Evangelism: Recovering and Practicing Biblical Evangelism - Counsel of Chalcedon
6/6
6. CONVERSION
S
NOT
AN
END N AND
OF
ITSELF.
Conversion
makes men
a part of the
kingdom
of qod
The Christian
has berome
a
part of a new rommunity, a
new
rulture
. He is literally now
a
foreigner
to
the
world.
He
has
new
rustoms,
language, goals,
values.
"Evangelism speaks
to
lost men in a lost world, and
it
summons all such to a new life
in
Jesus
Christ, and
to
a
new
creation in and through
Him.
Evangelism
calls for
repentance,
a total
re-direction
of
life and
thought. t
places
men under
the
dominion of the Lord and then
orders
them
to exercise
dominion in
and
under Him.
Having
been made
a new
creation, they
are
in faith
and
obedience to their
Savior-King
to
make of their sphere and the
whole world a new creation,
R/R.
7 WITHOVTA
BIBLICAL CONCEPT
OF
TIME
THERE
CAN BE NO
EVANqELlSM. t wi not
do
to construct
evangelism
programs in terms of man
shortened chronologies (qary
North), or eschatologies. We
recognize that Christians have
different
views
of
future events
and
the timing
of
those
events.
You must recognize the
evangelistic implication
of
those
various eschatological positions.
Much of
contemporaJy
evangelism
is predicated
upon
the view that
the rapture
is
imminent, therefore, we need to
get decisions as quickly
as
possible, and who cares about
the
church, the
family, or
the
future of society. While there is
a Biblical
urgency,
that urgency
should
not lead us to dilute the
message
nor doubt the
sovereignty of qod You can be
certain
that
the
Lord
will not
return until every
last
one of
His elect
is
converted.
8. EVANqELlSM MVST
BE
TRVLY
PERSONAL.
Any successful evangelism
program
must
recognize
the
personalities of
the
listeners
and
the historical context of the
appeal. Men come with vaJying
capabilities, vaJying
backgrounds, and varying
insight into theological matters.
No program of
evangelism
that
isn't based
on
the idea of
maturing in knowledge is
realistic. No one-shot
package,
no single
tract,
no one appeal is
going to bring men
into
a full
understanding of the
gospel.
One-shot soul-winning
systems
are
generally promoted by
churches holding a limited view
of qod and His kingdom,'
qaJy North, The
Journal
of
Christian
Reconstruction,
Symposium on
Evangelism,
Vol. VII, Winter 1981, No.2,
pp.
4-5
That is not to
say
that
one
cannot be born again
immediately
. Rarely, however,
is
it the
case
that
one
so
converted
did not have some
prior knowledge of the Bible
and the qospel. We must be
careful of pre-mature deliveJy
that end in the still-birth of the
baby.
9. WEMVST
RECAPTURE
BIBLICAL
BOLDNESS, Acts 4:13,8:4,
13:46, 14:3. Boldness comes
from confidence in qod, the
Spirit
of qod, the Word of
qod, and in the knowledge of
the Word
of
qod What we
need
is
a
dynamic,
a
psychologically motivating
impulse to give godly men
confidence
that their
efforts
are
not
in vain, and that their work
for the kingdom of
qo
will
have
meaning in the future, not
just in
heaven, but in time and
on
earth,
qaJy North,
Vnconditional
Surrender.
10.
WEMVST
PARTICIPATE N BIBLICAL
PRAYER,
Mat. 6, Acts 1 13-
14, 2:1-4, 42, 4:22-31. "Prayer
starts
the promises of
qo
on
their
way
to fulfillment,"
John
"Jack" Miller, Evangelism and
the Local Church.
In
Psalm 2,
the Father
says
to the
Son, Ask
of
me
and I will give you the
heathen
for
your inheritance.
"We need a thoughtful,
sustained, relevant presentation
of the Christian faith in word
and in action, embodied in a
warm, prayerful, lively local
church that has a
real
concern
for its community at
aU
levels,"
Michael qreen, Op. Cit., pg.
xiii.
September, 1995
t
THE COUNSEL
of Chalcedon t
21