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Evangelism Remix

The 5 functions of the church are Evangelism, Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship and Mission. Evangelism seems to have fallen into an unfortunate place where it as seen as a church program, a calling or the work of one department inside of the church. In fact, evangelism is a lifestyle which should be exhibited in the life of every follower of Christ.

So then, what is Evangelism?
If you have the time, read Acts 8:25-40

I think this is a great example of what evangelism is all about. In the simplest forms it is knowing the story of God, knowing how God changed your life, and telling other’s. We see Philip here in Acts Chapter 8. He is prompted by the Holy Spirit to speak to the Ethiopian, He is obedient and does so. He tells the story of God and then it says he vanished (seriously check that out, it’s a crazy exit).

I have witnessed to people. I have walked up to complete strangers and told them about Christ. Those have been profound expereinces for me but somehow seem to lack defintion for what my life’s work of evangelism should be. Some of us are bold and are called to preach to strangers. However, all of us are comissioned to tell our story of how Christ changed our life.

One other thing I would add about Phillip—he was listening for the opportunity to share about Christ. Living a life of evangelism is about waiting expectantly and listening for God to open up opportunities where we may tell others the good news.

It’s easier to say one guy has the gift of evangelism, so I don’t have to embarass myself and risk coming across as a “Jesus Freak.” I get that. But when only one guy tells the story it hardly sounds like a movement. When all of us tell our story, those who do not know Christ will be amazed at what’s going on around them.

In His Grip,
Scott

I have had a few very interesting conversations with some men whom I respect, both men are significantly older than I am.  I should also say I have a high regard for their opinions as well.  During the course of two different conversations on separate dates I brought up the idea of legacy.  I was astonished at how quickly each man reacted, as if I had called them a name.  ”What is so bad about legacy, I asked?”

Man one, “it’s arrogant and self serving.”
Man two, “I’m not looking for recognition for the things i do.”

On both occasions I was certain they had completely missed  the point.  Their angst saddened me and awakened in me a need to redefine legacy, perhaps that will be mine.  I can’t blame either man, the idea of legacy has been tainted.  Most often these days it’s a word used when discussing money.  People request buildings to be named after them, as legacy.  People have their names stamped on pews of churches as legacy.  Non-profits refer to legacy donations, which is a donation committed in a will… like one you give after you die.  This sounds very much like an arrogant display or people looking for recognition.  It usually results in things like the sunday school classroom with the nice furniture I was never allowed to take teenagers into.

We must redefine legacy, mainly because my generation needs the benefit of it so desperately.  In the simplest terms, I would say to the men and women who are moving into retirement age, “keep your money and tell us your stories.”  Legacy is not about tangible things.  Legacy is pouring our lives into the next generation so that they might live with the integrity of the past generation.  Legacy is not about money.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. -Isaiah 7:14

God is with us.  I wonder if a devotional writer ever just simply wrote that one sentence and then stopped?  What could we possibly add to that simple and powerful statement, “God is with us?”  The theology term to describe what Isaiah is prophesying is incarnation.  The word literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh.  For those of us who are followers of Jesus it describes the most significant event in human history.  As the Gospel author John says, “The word became flesh.”

“God is with us.” What does that little sentence do to you? What does it do in you?

For John the Baptist it drove him to the woods to preach about the coming of the Messiah.  John was wearing strange clothes, and had an even stranger diet.  We often make him our to be the freak of the New Testament.  Granted he was eccentric, like so many of the great prophets, but it is clear he was deeply affected by the word becoming flesh.

I wonder if John the Baptist had a chance to look at our lives what he might say.  “Okay, I know it’s strange to live in the woods, I know it’s strange to eat locust… I know I am strange, but how are you so normal?”

We see in the John the Baptist a man so deeply affected by the incarnation of Christ he would never live a normal life again.
How does the simple phrase, “God is with us,” change your day-to-day routine?

Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. —Matthew 28:19-20 (The Message)

Historically Christians have done a lot of stressing out about the above passage, especially Christians who have to figure out how to follow God and keep their day job. If you aren’t in a place to sell your possesions and move to Africa, the idea of evangelism can seem frustrating, not inspiring. I was recently reminded by a simple conversation that evangelism is a lifestlye of simply knowing the people God places in your path every day. My wife had an idea one evening to walk over to our neighbors house to say, “Hi.” They have a son just a little older than ours. We have occasionally hung out, but for the most part live separate lives. After returning from the neighbors house, Shannon informed me that just a couple of months back his wife left him and his four-year-old son. He was struggling to make ends meet and trying to figure out how to parent a four-year-old through a nasty divorce. I was instantly convicted, my neigbor’s life was falling apart and the pastor next door was completly oblivious.

The opening two words of this verse say it all: “Go out.” The recent encounter Shannon had with our neighbor reminded me before we fly to the ends of the earth to share the good news of Christ, there are people in our direct circle of influence who desparately need people of faith to just ask them how their lives are doing.

There are three people we all need to meet: Our neighbor, our barista, and our coworker/classmates. Everyday we drive past our neighbors homes, we take coffee from our barista (that’s the people in the coffee shop. If you don’t drink coffee consider the people you buy stuff from on a regular basis.), and we sit next to coworkers and classmates. Instead of flying half way around the world to make an impact, try taking two minutes to introduce yourself to these people. God has ordered our steps. The people you see everyday are a great place to start in living out the commands in Matthew 28.

By the way, my Barista’s name is Carlos.

5 Great On-Line Resources

I am a bit of a history nerd. In fact, I think everyone should love history. Most of the time when someone tells me they hate history it is usually because they had a bad history teacher, or several. I was fortunate to have experienced the opposite. My passion for history has always fueled my study of the scripture. When we seek to know the contemporary situation the Bible characters were in, the Scripture comes alive. Have I already lost you?

Our prayer at The Park is to equip saints for the works of ministry. I hope the weekly messages and these resources will serve you to that end. We have one week left in our detour series then we launch into a study on the book of Mark. Come early and I will buy you a cup of coffee. See you Sunday.

5 On-Line Resources
www.followtherabbi.com
Ray Vanderlaan is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Bible teachers alive. If you ever have the chance to tour the Holy Land with this man then jump on it. If you don’t have the cash, then check out the site. The faith lessons and datafiles are rich with information.

www.desiringgod.org
This site contains the bulk of John Piper’s teaching and writing. If you don’t know Piper, you need to. I can safely say he has changed everything about how I read the Bible. If you like to read, buy a copy of Desiring God. It will blow your mind.

www.ccel.org
The Christian Classics Etheral Library is a free resource hosted by Calvin College. Type in a verse or passage you are studying where it says “search library.” The wealth of information stored here could keep you occupied for the better part of a decade.

www.dentonbible.org
Tommy Nelson is the Senior Pastor of Denton Bible. He is an exceptional expositor of scripture. Many people know him from his Song of Solomon series. If you liked that then check out his weekly sermons.

www.monergism.com
How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? If you want to dig really deep then this is the site for you. You will find articles from Tim Keller, Alvin Plantinga, Blaise Pascal, Norman Geisler, and many others. Warning, break out your dictionary for this one.