Try Not To Come Back Alone

My apologies for being behind on posting.  There is a lot of meat here!

Important- "Evangelical," "evangelist," and "evangelism" in this post mean "spreading the good news." 

Whitney asked what was the difference between discipleship and evangelism; she posted about that as well on this blog.  Biblicaly, we couldn't tell much of a difference since Christians find themselves filling many roles in others' conversions.  As a street evangelist for years, Kitty never "led anyone to Christ."  However, she was often the actor who introduced  someone to the person through whom Jesus worked for their actual conversion.  We should all be sowing, watering, reaping...whatever role Christ chooses for us to advance his kingdom in specific situations. 

We are living in a post-modern world (lots of conversation about post-modernist philosophers and their contributions to Western thought).  Most Westerners live by the post-modern philosophy expressed in the movie Moulon Rouge:  We all want to love and be loved.  (My cynical side notices that it's the other way around usually.)  Francis Schaffer and Charles Stromer address evangelizing in the post-modern world. Charles Stromer's phrase is, "We are not sinking ships." Conversions do not occur by yelling at someone or stomping them in a rhetorical argument.  A good evangelist approaches and witnesses to people from where they are, using words and concepts from their lexicon.  Malcom Smith said that fans and fanatics turn every conversation towards their passion...we should be like Jeramiah who said, "The word of God was a fire within me, yearning to come out," (Jeremiah 20:9) but Christians' buzzwords, like "leading someone to Christ," result in miscommunications with nonbelievers. 

Evangelism and discipling depend on interpersonal relationships.   You must make friends and tell them about Jesus.  You don't decide to be their friend so you can tell them about Jesus, but you tell them about Jesus because you love them. 

We agreed one of the weaknesses of evangelism is that new Christians are sometimes left to struggle along by themselves after their conversions.  Christians have an obligation to disciple each other, to participate in the increase of the knowledge and power of the Gospel within each others' lives.  Christ said, "Where ever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them," (Mathew 18:20).  Together, Christians' relationship with our Lord has a different power and immediacy, and new Christians need that as they experiance profound changes within their lives.  As Christianity competes in the marketplace of ideas, Christians must understand the Gospel.  Nonbelievers make all sorts of claims, like "Christians hate gays," that drive people away.  

Witnessing is "soft" evangelism. It's simply presenting what happened at your conversion and your relationship with the Gospel to someone who wants to talk to you.  There were some powerful witness stories at our last meeting: 

Kitty told about a man who made an improper suggestion to her at a bar.  When she turned him down, he asked why.  When she answered, "Because I am a Christian,"  he broke down, put his head in his hands, and said, "OK God, I surrender.  I can't get away from you."  He was there that night to escape from and rebel against God for the growing conviction that he was in an improper relationship.  Kitty's comment, and the subsequent conversation, resulted in his changing his life.  A few years later, he approached her at a conference and had the congregation pray for her in gratitude for her being in the right place at the right time. 

John, being a bouncer, talked about checking ID.  He says, "I'm John. I'll be your bouncer for tonight. If you need me, I am right here." While he is terrifying if necessary, he is often asked why he is so nice. That gives him a chance to witness.  John's testimony was amazing.  He was angry with God.  While God has never spoken to him audibly, he "felt" God say, "What have I promised you?"  John thought about it and answered, "A cross."  God's answer was, "Pick it up.  Follow that guy with the crown of thorns home, and try not to come back alone."