The Lord has been pushing me in this area over the past few months, really convicted me a couple of weeks ago, and now through various resources has begun teaching me some important things. I say this so you can know that I am talking from the bottom up, not from a lofty perch.
Evangelism. Feel a knot in your stomach already don’t you? I know I would have a couple of months ago – now I am excited about any opportunity I may get to share Christ’s love with someone – anyone. What has changed? A couple of things: mainly me. Well, almost all. God certainly hasn’t changed, nor His position on what we should be doing about evangelism. What has changed is how I view myself and others, and also how I view the task of evangelism.
Change #1: My view of myself in relation to God
I have written about it before but I’ll say it again – realizing just how bad I was, really owning up to it and finally realizing in my heart (not just my head) then receiving God’s grace, love, and acceptance, well – there’s nothing better than to be chased down and loved is there?
Finally feeling it – that God does love me, not in some abstract Systematic Theology 101 way, but personally, intimately made all the difference in how I relate back to Him and others. I have more grace and forgiveness for others because I know what God has redeemed me from and I know that He wants to do the same for everyone. Which leads me to:
Change #2: What to do about Evangelism
I should just post this link, tell you to buy the book and that’s it because I really can’t explain it any better than he does, but I’ll try to give a short summary. The basic idea is to just be friendly to people. Not just your friends! To step out of your comfort zone and go talk to the outcast, the loner, the arrogant guy, the rude lady, whoever. I have always thought that evangelism would be a failure unless at least one of three things happened:
1. An invitation to church or Sunday School was at least extended – bonus if accepted.
2. The Wages of Sin and The Plan of Salvation told
3. On the spot conversion
Is that your image of evangelism? That’s a lot of pressure and requires a lot of knowledge doesn’t it? What if they have had a bad ‘religion’ experience? How do I answer the tough questions they may have? If I don’t have the answer, they will think that Jesus isn’t the Way and it’s all a load of garbage, so I have to polish my story, learn every refutation to every hard question, learn how to force them to see their need – like I have said before when we do things in our own power – more often than not they fail and are really difficult. What if all it took was being friendly and showing not preaching about God’s love. Preaching is WONDERFUL and I love nothing more than hearing a good sermon, but sometimes we meet people who aren’t open to that yet. Their soil is thorny and parched with birds just hanging out in the trees waiting to swoop in and snatch any bit truth that may land on their hearts.
Sometimes it is just our job to show them God’s love. Jesus never expected the sick to be healthy, why do we? Why do we get angry with sinners instead of heartbroken? Especially now as we begin to think and plan new and exciting ways to reach out to the men and families of our church and Dallas as a whole, we must be prepared to get down and do the hard work of loving people. Because that what it all comes down to – we love because He loves us. Pretty simple isn’t it?
You really should get this book: Bill Hybels: Just Walk Across The Room
No comments:
Post a Comment