Evangilism

The Life Abundant

an introduction to the spiritual discipline of evangelism

Talk about God.

You generally think on those things you talk about.

Tell me, what are you thinking?

What is evangelism?

What do you think when I say that the discipline of evangelism will bring us closer to God?

Whitney defines evangelism along the lines of telling people about the salvation that is available through Jesus so that they may come to believe and be saved. That sounds good and holy. It also sounds stiff and like we are on some sort of crusade to save the lost. I like the idea of carrying a sword and slaying my enemies, but Jesus said things like turn the other cheek and those who live by the sword will die by it. This is not what we are taught, not really. We learn to stand up for ourselves, to fight the bully, to not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of.

I am going to take some liberty with this discipline, put my own spin on it. Maybe that's wrong, but I don't think so. Hear me out.

I want to say that we don't talk about Jesus enough. Read Luke 6:39-45. What is filling your heart? Not sure? What do you talk about?

Remember when we said that the Bible is a story? What did we say about that? That it is a story where God is the hero? Right. And the Bible is done, at least as far as I am concerned. It contains everything that we need to believe (2 Timothy 3:16,17; John wrote his gospel for this very reason: John 20:30-31) . But the story continues, with you and I. God is still the hero, even if we don't know it yet. It's His story, and you each have a place in it.

What is your place in the story?

I can tell you mine. I have lived some tough situations. I have seen a church lie and deceive to get themselves out of a hard situation. I know, they lied to me, didn't tell me the whole truth and left me high and dry. I have seen a church torn because a black congregation wanted to use the same building as a white one. I have seen a pastor believe that he could “relate” to a group of people that wanted nothing to do with him, believe enough to act on it and destroy a strong youth ministry. I have seen a pastor die and his church fall apart. I have seen leaders so thirsty for power that they led people to believe that they had all the answers for specific situation in their life and seen their answers disintegrate into pain and evil. I have read of much worse.

I have been betrayed by a close friend. I have seen my family torn apart by things that are, at the core, stubbornness and pride. I have seen people that love God, that knew Him and walked with Him turn away and live in the silence that is a glimpse of Hell. My uncle, a missionary to the Philippines, was murdered before I even got to know him. I have seen people parading the name of God like a permission slip to serve their own wants. I have done this myself. I daily see people make destructive choices because they don't know better or don't care. There is suffering in the world, that's what I mean. But this is not the end:

Romans 5:3-5 (NASB95)
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.1

I say all this, not to complain, but to let you know that this life is not going well. And I have it easy, really. I eat daily. I have not been raped or beaten. My immediate family is alive and close and lovely. I am married to the most wonderful woman I know of. I have it easy.

I tell you this so maybe you know you aren't alone. And, yes, I have tried to fix things, all of these things, or many of them, and I cannot. I don't have the Vorpal Blade, the Ring, the innate heroic abilities to pull it off. I know, I have tried and failed more times than I care to tell you. I can't do it. I can't even go a day without being bitter about many of them. The thing is, I need a hero. And the good stuff isn't so good until you've seen the bad.

The thing really is, I have a hero. Where I cannot, He can. I have seen it. I have seen the black church worship at the white church building, have seen them worship together. I have seen people turn back, wake up, remember God and long for Him again, take steps to walk with Him again. I have gotten letters that say things like, “We have a new youth minister now. He's fine. I finally realized that you were right, I can't base my faith on others. I have to trust Jesus, not people.” Amen. I have seen people doing good in the name of Christ, humbly and full of love for everyone, not just those who agree with them. I have seen people choose not to live destructively anymore, to fight it, to change their focus. I have seen people pull together, no matte who died or who was trying to “relate” to them. I have seen lives changed. I have seen my bitterness melt on many issues that I never thought I could escape. The simple fact that I do not constantly dwell on the rift that pride has brought to our family is a miracle. The fact that I am at the beginning of really loving Jesus is a miracle. The idea that He consumes my energies, my thoughts, my desires, my creativity is a miracle. Not that I am some saint or never do or think wrong, but just that I sometimes do or think right is grace working in my life. The fact that I don't have to yell at other drivers is a blessing. The truth that 2000 years ago God's son died on a cross in my place, and rose again is amazing. Like that song, amazing grace, how sweet. The fact that He still lives and that I can see Him alive, working in me, in my wife, in you all fills me with hope. Not that wishful thinking, “I hope I will win the lottery” stuff, but an expectation of things to come, that there is good, that it will prevail, that God is the hero even if I can't always see His work.

That, if you were to ask me, is evangelism. Now, that's a stretch for the actual word, but it's telling your story. You have one, we all do. Tell them. To each other, to people you work with, to your friends. It's better than the basketball tourney or the baseball season. It even surpasses the mighty NFL. It's more important than gas prices or the next president. It carries more value than ideals and morals. It is God alive, among us, living in you. You don't have to tell it all each time. I person could tell you about money trouble and you could say, “You know, I once got a pickup truck for a dollar.” That's a good story, and that is God among us.

Did you read Acts? Did anything stand out to you?

What was the theme? Were you amazed at their inability to keep quiet? I love the sermons. Peter seemed to start out, “Jesus, whom you crucified...but fear not, good has come of the evil and He will set you free if you repent and believe.” They went around and told the story, how it related to the people, how it related to the past, how God was here and His Spirit lingers. And the story of the former persecutor now champion of the cause is beautiful. I used to love the miracles, and they are cool, but the real thing is God at work in the lives of the people, changing them, waking them, continuing His message through fallible and wicked peoples. He still does.

Read 1 Peter 3:13-18. What does this mean? Always be ready to give an account of the hope that you have. You know the story, tell people your part of it, tell them of our hero and how He is theirs' as well. Be gentle, be a friend, love them. It's not a program, it's a story. You are beginning know God, to focus on Him. You have that hope. Talk about it.

Why do we balk at the word evangelism? Does the idea of just telling your place in God's story make it easier? Why or why not? Are you concerned that you will turn some people off forever? Then pray. Pray for the words to say, the chance to say them, the discernment to recognize them. God will come through. The funny things is, the more you tell the story, the easier it is to tell it again. If I tell you about my battles and my hero and I tell Jess and I tell Chewie and I write about it in my free time then it is just another story, like the time my truck fell through the ice into the creek. It's greater than that, but not any stranger to my lips. It's in my heart and it easily comes out of my mouth.

Read 1 Peter 2:9. What does this say about evangelism? Proclaim His excellencies. Tell people about your Hero.

If we have time, let's open this bag of worms: Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-18. These obviously say to go. I have read that it applies to us, as well, because the Apostles never came here, to American. So, under that logic, we are to go, to tell, to evangelize in the classic sense of the word. Got it. Does anyone want to say anything else? What about the signs in Mark? Are they still for us? Think about it, I would like to hear your answer. I would like to have my own answer.

Next week is the discipline of service. Read Luke 4:5-8. Think about what Jesus' response to Satan means for us. See you next time.

1 New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

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