The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

The Master Plan of Evangelism

Robert E Coleman

The book claims to…!- present an examination of the Gospel accounts!- reveal the nature and strategy of Christ’s ministry!- show the underlying principles for Jesus to act in any given situation!“Every Christian who seeks to follow and witness for Jesus Christ should read this significant and relevant book”

The Master and His Plan Preface

Jn 14:6 “I am the way…”

The Master and His PlanIs it worth doing? And does it get the job done?!Questions that should be posed continually in relation to the evangelistic activity of the church. Are our efforts to keep things going fulfilling the Gt. Comm? Do we see an ever-expanding company of dedicated men reaching the world with the Gospel as a result of our ministry?

The Master and His PlanIs it worth doing? And does it get the job done?!Questions that should be posed continually in relation to the evangelistic activity of the church. Are our efforts to keep things going fulfilling the Gt. Comm? Do we see an ever-expanding company of dedicated men reaching the world with the Gospel as a result of our ministry?

Often church is busy - but are we accomplishing our

objective?

Coleman says that in his understanding (and therefore his book) Form follows Function!We need a well-thought-through strategy of movement day by day in terms of the long range goal. We must know how a course of action fits into the over-all plan of God has for our lives of it is to thrill our souls with a sense of destiny. Just as a building is constructed according to the plan for its use, so everything we do must have a purpose. Otherwise our activity can be lost in aimlessness and confusion.

Coleman declares that the book does not seek to interpret specific methods of Jesus in personal or mass evangelism!- in fact it is a study in principles underlying His ministry - principles which determined His methods!- a study in His strategy of evangelism around which His life was orientated while He walked on the earth.

Only in the NT / Gospels do we really see the plan of Jesus. They are the only eye witness accounts that we have of Jesus at work (Luke 1:2, 3; John 20:30; 21:24; 1 John 1:1)!- the revelation of that life in Christ includes the way He lived and taught others so to live!- the witnesses who wrote the books not only saw the truth; they were changed by it!- thus the Scriptural accounts of Jesus constitute our best textbook on evangelism

Only in the NT / Gospels do we really see the plan of Jesus. They are the only eye witness accounts that we have of Jesus at work (Luke 1:2, 3; John 20:30; 21:24; 1 John 1:1)!- the revelation of that life in Christ includes the way He lived and taught others so to live!- the witnesses who wrote the books not only saw the truth; they were changed by it!- thus the Scriptural accounts of Jesus constitute our best textbook on evangelism

So, Coleman plans to trace the steps of Christ as portrayed in the Gospels!- by looking at Jesus’ teaching many times and from many angles Coleman tries to discern a motivating reason for the way He went about His mission!- Jesus’ tactics have been analyzed from the standpoint of His ministry as a whole, hoping thereby to see the larger meaning of His methods

Christ our perfect exampleChrist was clear in what he came to earth to achieve - he was looking to save out of the world a church full of the Holy Spirit, a kingdom of power and glory.!His love was universal - he came for all men - Jn 4:42 offers testimony,!…we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”!All men should be saved, Jesus provided a way for all - he died once, and died for all.

Christ our perfect exampleChrist was clear in what he came to earth to achieve - he was looking to save out of the world a church full of the Holy Spirit, a kingdom of power and glory.!His love was universal - he came for all men - Jn 4:42 offers testimony,!…we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”!All men should be saved, Jesus provided a way for all - he died once, and died for all.

Jesus did not see any difference between home mission and

foreign mission!He came for all people,

for all of humanity

Jesus’ life was ordered by His objective. Everything He did and said was a part of the whole pattern. This was the motivating vision governing His behavior. His steps were ordered by it. Not for one moment did Jesus lose sight of His goal.!Coleman says that Jesus disclosed God's strategy of world conquest and that he had confidence in the future precisely because He lived according to that plan in the present.

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There was nothing haphazard about His life-no wasted energy, not an idle word. He was on business for God (Luke 2:49).!Like a general plotting His course of battle, the Son of God calculated to win.

At first glance it might appear that Jesus had no plan.!Coleman suggests the strategy of Christ is so unassuming and silent that it is unnoticed by hurried churchmen. !But when the plan is seen a disciple will be amazed at its simplicity and wonder how he could have ever failed to see it before!“When His plan is reflected upon, the basic philosophy is so different from that of the modern church that its implications are nothing less than revolutionary”

In the following sections Coleman will attempt to clarify eight guiding principles of Jesus’ plan!- These steps are not to be understood as invariably coming in this sequence!- The outline is intended only to give structure to His method and to bring out the progressive logic of the plan!- One will observe that as the ministry of Jesus Christ develops, the steps become more pronounced and the sequence more discernible