#onmission 004

Review:

001 #onmission - We exist for the purpose of being to the praise of God’s glory.

002 #onmission - We accomplish purpose as we obey the mission of making disciples.

003 #onmission - Making disciples demands that we evangelize.

004 #onmission - Evangelizing has conquerable obstacles.

Now that we have covered our purpose of glorifying God, the mission of making disciples, and the means of making disciples through evangelism, we must pause and consider carefully what may be some of the hurdles we will encounter when evangelizing. The kinds of hurdles of which I speak are not hurdles from the outside, such as different worldviews, religions, or denominations though these are formidable obstacles. The hurdles which we should consider first are those internal hurdles — ones that we may overlook and may cause us to stumble. If we are not aware of internal hurdles, we may never approach some of the external hurdles.

Illustration: Some people miss the step in front of them because they have their eyes set two steps ahead. In this analogy, we never actually reach two steps ahead because we stumble over the step directly in front of us.

In like manner, some Christians never make disciples because of unidentified hurdles that can become hindrances to evangelizing.

What will be some localized impediments (hurdles) to evangelism?

As I considered our church and ministry, there are three hurdles that should be addressed:

(1) Unintentional Fundamental Drifting

(2) Undetected Programming for Ministry

(3) Unintentional Spending for Costly Ministries

Thesis: Biblical evangelism requires that we be clear on fundamental teaching, organic ministry, and missional investment.

Three Obstacles to Evangelism:

(1) Unintentional Fundamental Drifting

Historic fundamentalism is both a strength and a weakness, but how do fundamental teachings and evangelism correlate with each other? The fundamental teachings are the foundation for the practice of evangelism. These teachings include the following: (1) the virgin birth of Jesus Christ; (2) the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ; (3) the physical and bodily return of Jesus Christ; (4) the divinity of Jesus Christ; and (5) the inerrancy of the Word of God. Evangelism is the necessary outworking of these fundamental realities.

The hurdle arises when fundamental truths are added to or amended, and there are three theological drifts that have consequences in evangelism.

An Unintentional Drift in Salvation Teaching

In #onmission 003, we covered a small portion of the doctrine of salvation. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the One who does the saving work. One of the symptoms of a man-centered soteriology are manipulative tactics in evangelism.

What is the fundamental shift that happens when our evangelism turns man-centered?

We must see that a salvation doctrine that is man-centered is often the result of a man-centered approach to the scriptures. Our biblical study (i.e. how we read, study, and understand) must be thoroughly Christ-centered if we will have an evangelism that is Christ-centered. (John 5:39)

John 5:39 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

An Unintentional Drift towards the Approval of Man

This may not seem like a theological shift, but when our motive for evangelism is fear of being brow-beaten or attempting to meet a quota, it becomes clear that the motive is ultimately wrong for the work. A wrong motive is a theological problem.

The reason GBC lay leaders must be guided in a Christocentric foundation for evangelism is because Christ is the only compelling motive that can consistently sustain God’s people in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:14-21).

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 KJV 1900

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

An Unintentional Drift towards a Anemic Gospel

In our lesson #onmission003, we looked at the Anemic gospel. This is a gospel that is purely seen as a destination fix as opposed to the gospel that is also for sanctification in the Christian’s life. We live in a short-sited context, and the gospel is often taught as purely the good news to keep someone out of Hell; but the gospel is so much more. The “destination fix” or the “get out of Hell card” approach to the gospel is a long term view in a short-sighted society. Worse, this kind of gospel presentation undermines the power of the gospel for the Christian.

When you couple a drift in salvation teaching with an anemic gospel teaching, the result are confused evangelistic practice. The confused practices include some of the following: (1) scare tactics/terminology, (2) stepped process salvation, (3) shallow gospel explanation, and (4) false assurance tactics. Training the lay leaders for Christiconocentric evangelism will encourage deep theological growth and clarity about sound practical strategies.

An alternative to the Sinner’s Prayer

(2) Undetected Programming for Ministry

Programs can be detrimental to organic, super-natural, Spirit-empowered evangelism.

Forming Dependency upon Programs

Past: A second major strength and weakness is that GBC is a programmatically driven church. The programs were initiated for the purpose of evangelism and church growth. These programs included Saturday morning door-knocking, Sunday morning bus ministries, and summer Vacation Bible schools. These programs were strengths in that they offered structured ways to organize the church and serve the community. The programs became weaknesses in that they trained people to depend upon organized programs to live out their Christian lives.

Dependency replaced the Organic

Since people became dependent upon programs, organic evangelism became nonexistent in the lives of the people. For example, many of the programs (i.e., bus ministry, door-knocking, VBS, etc.) revolved around evangelistic efforts. Consequently, evangelism in the daily lives of the believers suffered. People simply were not speaking naturally, freely, or organically to those with whom they were in regular contact. Instead of speaking about Christ organically, church members would wait for an outreach event to be coordinated. The program had become a crutch for not living out the Christian privilege of Christocentric evangelism.

“A strict diet of evangelistic programs produces malnourished evangelism.” [Stiles, Evangelism, 46]

I Thessalonians is instructive for us here. The work of the gospel made such impact upon these believers that the word sounded out from this place to other locations. I Thessalonians 1:8.

1 Thessalonians 1:8 KJV 1900

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

While programs can be helpful, they can be tremendously costly because the programs can form unhealthy dependencies which cause us to drift from organic Christian growth.

Illustration: Concerns with the welfare state

(3) Unintentional Spending for Costly Ministries

As a ministry there are expenses handed to us because we live where we live and with what we live (location, operations, facilities). There are also ministries that require investment so that they might be sustained. If we are not careful we can drift from intentional investment in mission-oriented ministries.

The Strength of Missional (mission-oriented) Investment

Lastly, among the strengths and weaknesses of GBC is the Middletown Christian Schools (MCS) and Middletown Christian Schools Early Learning Center (MCSELC) ministries. The MCS and MCSELC ministries are Christian education ministries that extend the reach of the gospel into the local Cincinnati, Ohio area. The Lord has used these ministries in amazing ways. Hundreds of children have been saved, baptized, and discipled to maturity. In addition, these ministries have produced faithful church members over the course of their existence. In this respect, the MCS ministries are a tremendous strength.

Detraction from the Mission

On the other hand, MCS and MCSELC ministries require a tremendous amount of resources. These resources include facilities, personnel, and finances. With the abundant resources also come pressures upon pastoral leadership, which tend to detract from the main purposes of GBC. Dealing with personnel issues, financial pressures, and facility maintenance can cause evangelism to be overlooked. Consequently, the result of the investment is not in line with the biblical mission of GBC.

Potential in Costly Ministries

The loss of evangelistic direction relative to MCS and MCSELC is primarily due to the ease with which laborers can become distracted. The many facets, pressures, and opportunities have led the leadership to focus on good things, but not on the mission. The cost of this distraction is exorbitant. Alternatively, MCS and MCSELC can be a tremendous means to fueling evangelistic fervor as well as a source of evangelistic fruit.

Thesis: Biblical evangelism requires that we be clear on fundamental teaching, organic ministry, and missional investment.

How do we maintain clarity in these areas?

You might think that the obvious remedy for this is that we keep our eyes on mission, but it is my conviction that our perspective must be rooted in a right interpretation and application of the Bible. Maintaining a Christ-centered interpretation and application of the Bible will help us to be fundamental in our teaching, organic in our Christian living, and missional in our spending. Luke 24:44-49 [will be covered in #mission005]

Luke 24:44–49 KJV 1900

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.