Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Evangelism & Relationships

Evangelism is about relationships. Relationships are often what often make or break the witness of Christ.

The Gospel is a call for mankind to have a new joyous relationship with God. And to enter into God's work in the world through God's church.

The Gospel is about a persons relationship to God, relationships to family, relationship to other Christians, and relationship to the whole world. Since Christianity is a call to right relationships evangelism should be mindful that the Gospel is not simply a message, but a invitation to relationship.

God calls us to enter into right relation to everyone in the whole world if it was within our power. Often it is outside of our power, but we are called to live at peace and right relation with all people so much as it is within our control.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Evangelism

Evangelism gets a bad name at times even among members of churches. It is as if we feel we might impose on someone who doesn't know the gospel.

I suppose it is an imposition and sometimes not a welcome one but often it is not as much as we might think. Some people are not as unwilling to listen as we might assume.

Of course others will also wish to speak. So if we share we should be willing to listen. I always find listening to other vantage points interesting.

Sometimes we can learn from those we disagree with. It is not the same as learning ultimate saving knowledge but the perspective of others is always helpful. Sometimes we can see errors in our own thinking when we share with others.

It is sometimes the case that we can only see our thought in conversation. When we share our heart with others we sometimes notice this or that is a bit odd about ourselves. We had everything mostly right but we seem to be missing something.

And then we can go back to the bible and figure out how we were a bit off. Sometimes we don't know an answer at all and now when we go back to the bible we know have a question which the bible has an answer for.

The reality is that evangelism is love. If we believe the message of the bible about the joy of knowing and being known by God sharing that Joy with others is a natural response.

Of course sin and fear often gets in the way. God is always a God of grace. We are saved by grace, live by grace, and never get past grace until we are with God in heaven.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Jonah Evangelist

Jonah is an interesting figure. Of the Old Testament Prophets he is often the one most like us. The one who does not want to go out and proclaim the good news.

I guess I feel a certain connection to Jonah as he is far easier to relate to myself then many of the other prophets. The good news of a Prophet like Jonah is that God can do great things even with broken vessels.

Jonah’s success in Nineveh is not a success of Jonah is a success of God. In reality it is the Lord who brings success to gospel preaching. With great preachers with outstanding character and proven track record this can be hidden.

But Jonah is an example of how God can use flawed sinners to further his kingdom.

A great fear of evangelism is simply often “can I even articulate the Good News.” The reality is that God can use any faithful articulation of faith if it is a true articulation even if it falls far short of eloquent or profound.

It is God who brings sinners to himself and the good news of this is the freedom to realize we can express our faith freely and if God wills he can use it.