Pentecost For The Rest Of Us

One particular annual celebration in the Church calendar holds special meaning for me. It is Pentecost. This is because I was converted on Pentecost Sunday in 1984. And so, as a pastor I would preach on it every year and promote its celebration to those who have forgotten it.

Three main feasts in the historical Christian Calendar relate directly to Jesus Christ. Christmas celebrates the Incarnation of the Son of God.  Easter celebrates the redemption He accomplished for us in His Cross and Resurrection. And Pentecost celebrates His exaltation and giving the Holy Spirit to His Church.

The Historical Event


Pentecost is the annual celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, and the initial 3000 conversions at the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Originally a harvest festival under the Old Covenant, the first New Covenant celebration was the harvest of conversions.

Luke records the historical event of Pentecost in Acts 2 to encourage us with one of the basics of the Christian Faith. The Spirit’s role in the Church is to empower the Church for witness to Christ Jesus. This is what we see throughout the Book of Acts (i.e. Ac 8, 10-11, 15, 19). This is what we see throughout Church History. The Holy Spirit began a new ministry in and through the people of God in the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit indwells all the People of God.


The Holy Spirit empowers the Gospel, and He empowers the Church to preach the Gospel. Luke is telling us that we all as Christians are Pentecostal Christians. Forget the Pentecostal connotations and embrace Biblical language, or post-Pentecostal Christians, if you prefer. We are a Church empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel of Salvation.

An Unrepeatable Historical Event

Pentecost is an unrepeatable historical event. It is a climactic point in the History of Redemption, fulfilling many Old Testament prophecies of the time of the Messiah and the New Covenant.

It is not a paradigm for personal experience, as some have mistakenly interpreted it. Some use the event to promote various forms of Second Blessing spirituality. Others use it to raise expectations for large scale conversions. And other use it to mark out the parameters of their vision for communal living. And the list goes on.

The question is often asked, “what prevents us from being just like the early Church at Pentecost?” The answer is simple: Pentecost is an historically significant event in History of Redemption. It is non-repeatable, as much as the Incarnation, Cross and Resurrection are unrepeatable, to which Pentecost is itself is tied.

It is the wrong question to be asking. The better question to ask is, “in what ways are we to be like the early Church at Pentecost?” To answer this questions requires more thorough Biblical understanding, deeper theological reasoning and practical reflection on Christian living.

Today, we proclaim the same empowered Apostolic Gospel as those empowered by the Holy Spirit. We urge people to forsake this evil generation and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We welcome them into the Church as the Holy Spirit convicts and converts them. Together, we enjoy the blessings of God as a forgiven people and as people possessing the Holy Spirit.

The Repeatable Part is The Mission Part

Pentecost is about the Mission, which leads to the ultimate goal: the worship of God among all the nations. Missions is about God, who through the Gospel is gathering His elect from all people groups to worship Him in glorious joy forever and ever.

This is why we celebrate Pentecost annually, to remind us of our identity as the Church and our purpose as the Church. Let us pray continually for the outpouring of Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit upon us. Let us do so for the empowerment of our Gospel witness for the expansion of the Church.

This is Pentecost for the rest of us, ever since that great day long ago, 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection, and until the Day of His Glorious Return and His Kingdom. This is why I would preach a special sermon every Pentecost. Some of the passages are: Acts 2:1-47; Jn 3:1-15; Joel 2:18-32; Matthew 12:22-37; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Romans 8:8-11; and Hebrews 8:1-13. There are many many passages to preach and teach the People of God about their great and full salvation!

Calvinists And Arminians On Mission Together

When determining who will make the best ministry partners on mission trips one consideration I take into account is whether they are Calvinistic or Arminian.

Most of the time I will pair them up with a partner holding the opposite viewpoint. My purpose is to build them into stronger disciples of Christ and more effective evangelists of the Gospel.

My History on Mixed Theological Teams

My own experience includes being saved within an Arminian perspective. Much of my early Christian growth was with organizations and from leaders who also held this viewpoint, although I didn’t understand much about these theological differences at the time. Nonetheless, I held strong Arminian opinions. A pastor and good friend at one church I attended challenged me to keep on digging deeper into the Scriptures, to take my time and learn.

It was a good number of years later while I was teaching through Romans and Hebrews, and during my formal theological training, that I became thoroughly convinced of the Reformed or Calvinistic perspective. The seminary where I studied had faculty from both perspectives, which made learning about this important matter all the more fascinating, valuable and a great blessing.

I strongly believe that the Calvinistic understanding most faithfully and accurately represents the biblical teaching on salvation. Yet, while serving in my first official ministry position in a local church, I was ministering alongside a fellow assistant pastor who attended the same seminary I did, but who was thoroughly committed to the Arminian view. We had great debates, challenged one another, and yet we still found ourselves able to love one another and one another’s families, and advance the Gospel together.

When the Lord led me into the role of a lead pastor it was with an association of churches that welcomes both viewpoints. Our particular local church was committed to the Reformed position on the doctrines of grace, but we were called to graciously work alongside other churches with different commitments on these matters.

Because of my personal experience I know mixed theological ministry teams can work, can work very well, and that everyone will grow in the process of doing ministry and mission together.

Conflicts on Mixed Theological Teams

A person’s theological position makes a really great difference in how that person ministers the Gospel. Some today try to minimize the value of theology and strongly held opinions, ignorantly thinking that theology makes little difference in doing ministry.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Once people are on a team having to strategize how to reach a group of people, deciding on how the Gospel will be presented, and then actually presenting the Gospel from a variety of biblical passages in multiple conversations with unbelievers, the truth can be easily seen and felt—doctrine matters a whole lot!

Here are some of the most important and defining questions separating the two theological systems: How depraved are people? How does this affect them and their ability to respond to the Gospel, or not? What does it mean that God is sovereign and that He choses some for salvation? How do we understand the role of the free will of humanity? What exactly did Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplish? For whom was it designed and how do we see its effects? Can people resist the call of God? What would this look like and how would we respond to real people in the midst of it? Can people fall away from the faith, and if so how do we explain this? What is the basis for a secure salvation?

Benefits of Mixed Theological Teams

Conflict will be inevitable between viewpoints and between us as people. We both want to serve the Lord whole-heartedly and faithfully. And here is one of the greatest benefits of being together, seeing the vitality and reality of one another’s faith in Christ though from a very different evangelical theological system. He or she is also a godly Christian believer!

John 13:34–35 ESV “[Jesus said,] A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Serving this closely with others who hold the opposite view also helps us deepen our own convictions. We are driven to the Word of God to rediscover what the Holy Spirit wrote about Jesus Christ and the work of God in our salvation. This is a really good thing. We are also made better theologians, more humble theologians who can respectfully disagree and learn from one another. Who knows, we may convert the other to the truth of our own view!

Moreover, the debates and discussions we have are no longer only biblical and theological, but practical as well. We are serving on mission together at the same time, praying with one another, and declaring the Gospel to real people for the purpose of God’s glory being revealed!

My teams of mixed theological persuasions have proven my approach over and over. It has been a great blessing for them to work in such an environment and many have told me it was one of the best training and equipping experiences of their lives. They enjoyed being challenged to think more biblically, dialogue more honestly with others, and rejoice above all in the advance of the Gospel! In the end, they had even more confidence that regardless of their differences the basic truths of the Gospel were being proclaimed.

It is also good to be on teams that hold the same view as one’s own, just not exclusively. It is perhaps best to be in a church, or with a mission, that has a clear theological commitment so everyone can move in the same direction. Just make sure to get out once in a while and partner in some ways with those of the other viewpoint.

Confessing Christ In A Hostile World

It is not likely that any of us will end up in a courtroom having to defend our practice of Christianity. 

It is even less likely that we would be wrongly convicted of something and have our property confiscated, or be confined in prison, or put to death, at least in America. Yet, we do know it is a reality for many in history, many around the world today, and perhaps we have even known a few Christians personally who have suffered greatly.

Nonetheless, we do experience many types and levels of challenges to our Christian way of life. Our society can be quite subtle and sinister in its challenges at times. Sometimes it is veiled and sometimes it is not so veiled in its hostilities toward us who profess Christ.

This can become quite personal at times, too; and when it does, we can see the benefits of giving in to daily pressures in order to keep or enhance our finances, or keep or enhance our reputations.

Never Easy, Always Necessary

Confessing Christ in a hostile world has never been easy, but it is always necessary. Luke gives us confidence for this by supplying us with words that Jesus spoke to His disciples on this matter on one occasion.

Luke 12:11–12 ESV “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.””

Since persecution is inevitable and very personal situations of testing will keep coming, we constantly need to be preparing ourselves. Yet, we need to prepare our heart and our mindset more than the words we might say.

Since the power of the Holy Spirit is so substantial and so palpable, we should be greatly encouraged to speak up for Christ. As disciples we take the promise of the Holy Spirit above as a source of great courage. Christians need not worry about the Day of Great Persecution, or even little days of persecution, for the all powerful Holy Spirit will witness through them!

Jesus told His disciples that when they would be charged in synagogue tribunals by the elders, and even by Gentile authorities, they had no need to be anxious about their words of defense or jurisprudence. This is because the Holy Spirit would give them the perfect words at that time. Besides, it is not really possible to prepare adequately for these types of trumped-up situations anyway.

We will be aided in our testimony by the Holy Spirit as our “defense attorney;” and He is very good. God Himself will supply with the words and the courage necessary when we need it.

Trials as Opportunities

Later on, Jesus will teach about such trials as opportunities.

Luke 21:13–15 ESV “This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.”

Luke would have us remember that Jesus would be our perfect example in this. Jesus was tried by the Jewish religious authorities (i.e., Annas and Caiaphas) and by the Roman political authorities (i.e., Herod and Pilate). And He gave answers displaying great wisdom and power. Luke goes on to show us the same pattern repeated by Peter, John and the Church in Acts 3-4, and then by Stephen in Acts 7, and then again by Paul in Acts 21-28.

These examples should fill us with courage to speak out regarding Christ Jesus. The Church in history past, and the Church today, reveals the power of the Holy Spirit in action. Some of the most eloquent, bold, and inspiring words of faith have come from ordinary Christians who have suffered, even been martyred.

Besides, has not God amazed you in your times under scrutiny for the Gospel with powerful and wise words that you know could not have come from yourself, but must have come from the Holy Spirit?!

Faithfulness when under interrogation or examination is extremely important; and when the time comes we will trust God and fear God, confessing Jesus Christ, assisted by the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus Christ comforts us in John 16:33 ESV “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

You Can See It In The Eyes

It is easier to assess whether salvation has come into a soul than you might think.

We found this out when doing evangelism among the unreached who had never heard, or heard very little about Jesus Christ. We were surprised how simple this was.

First the Eyes Brighten

When true understanding comes, the eyes change because of a Spirit enlivened spirit that accepts the Gospel. This is the Gospel he never heard before, or she never heard it in this way before; it takes on a sudden and deep personal significance. 

They see Jesus exactly for who He is and the savior they need. The emotions are there with the understanding, but may not be visible to you. It is important to go to the next step and explore the Gospel together further, and gain greater assurance by greater faith.

Then the Mouth Speaks

That next step would involve them articulating what they know and believe about the Gospel. They are eager to share what they have found. Encourage their understanding and add to it. God has prepared, pursued and persuaded them. Just enjoy and marvel!

Show them some Bible passages about their new life in Christ. Being born again they will naturally hunger for more of the Word. What else do they need to know and do? You don’t have to think too hard because they will tell you what they want to know. 

Eagerness is Easy to Perceive

It just isn’t that hard to know whether a person has received the Gospel.  We make it too complicated to discern because we make the Gospel too complicated.

In the Gospel of Matthew there are two parables that illustrate this.

Matthew 13:44 ESV “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” 

Matthew 13:45–46 ESV “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

We make it complicated by poor explanations of the Gospel, exaggerated attempts at cultural integration or additions of parochial viewpoints. On top of this we often add behavioral expectations and lack personal transparency that would make our own transformation more observable.  

Stay focused: do your eyes glisten with the Gospel?

DO NOT FEED (Dogs & Pigs)

How do we know when to stop evangelizing someone?  Is there such a point?

Most of us have great love for an unsaved friend or relative, who does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We eagerly desire their salvation, and so we share the Gospel with them. We do this over and over, using a variety of approaches.

Yet, the person only seems to get more and more annoyed and even grows in hostility. We wonder: is this my fault or is it simply the result of the Gospel itself? We ask ourselves, “should I stop evangelizing?” Is this even a Christian question?

Jesus Gave a Stopping Point 

Matthew 7:6 ESV ““Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

The teaching of the metaphor feeding swine and wild dogs is quite straightforward: holy things are not to be given to the unholy. Why not?  Because the holy things, which are the details of the Gospel of the Kingdom, will be trampled and the giver of them will be torn to pieces.

“Dogs” and “pigs” are derogatory terms, since they are unclean animals according to the Law. Here they stand for people who have a proven track record of hostility toward the Gospel of the Kingdom.

These people are relatively easy to identify because of their characteristic way of treating the Gospel. Pigs trample down pearls, (they criticize and ridicule the precious treasure of the Gospel), because it is not the food they want. Dogs eventually spurn the sacred truths they have been chewing on and turn on the one who gave it to them.  

The teaching of Jesus here is that members of the Kingdom are not to let these people have continued opportunity to disgrace the Gospel. The dignity of the Gospel must be preserved at some point in the process of evangelism.

These people have shown themselves to be unworthy of the Gospel by their response of contempt and hardness toward the Gospel. When this level of resistance is reached in the hearers of the Gospel, we are to no longer offer them the Gospel, so that we may go on to reach those who will receive the Gospel with great eagerness and joy.  

Jesus would later instruct His disciples according to this principle:

Matthew 10:11–14 ESV “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”

And the Apostle Paul ministered according to this principle in his missionary journeys. Take a look at Acts 13:44-51 when he proclaimed people unworthy; 18:5-6 when he shook out his garments; and 28:17-28 when he indicted people with the words of Isaiah.

A (Spiritual) Wisdom Call

How do we know when the point of stopping is reached? It is a wisdom call. Not human wisdom however, but a spiritual wisdom that comes through the Word and prayer.

We have to proclaim the Gospel first to know into which category people fall. We need feedback from the message. We cannot and should not pre-judge peoples’ response to the Gospel. Once we have their responses we are not to continue to preach the Gospel to those that have proven themselves hard toward the Gospel and contemptuous of it. 

These are not those who are indifferent or mildly unreceptive; we should keep annoying them with the Gospel! These are those who ridicule it without really even listening. They are hostile, even violent, toward the Gospel. 

We do not want the glorious Gospel to be besmirched and ridiculed before the world. We don’t want to bring disrespect to the Gospel by letting people ridicule it. We will not save people by our own efforts no matter how hard we try. We will not honor God’s name among men if we give opportunity to blasphemers.

We also want to be strategic with the Gospel and our efforts in evangelism. We don’t want to fail to proclaim salvation in every situation that we should. We will not be those bringing Good News of salvation, if we stop too soon; and we will not see the power of the Gospel. We want the saving power of the Gospel to be what the world observes!

Prayer is the Answer

Matthew 7:7 ESV ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

What is the answer? It is prayer. Do not take this too lightly.  Many of us do, and that is why we are often so bewildered. Instead of asking too many questions we should pray!  At least, let us pray first!

It is better to pray too many prayers (if there is such a thing) than to ask too many questions and try to answer them in our own wisdom. Prayer will bring the answer of wisdom in evangelism.

In evangelizing difficult people with the Gospel, we should pray first to know how to approach such a person. Then we should proclaim the Gospel boldly and compassionately, praying all the while in our spirit. Finally, we should consider the response we receive. Consider it in prayer that is, not in human wisdom. 

Repeat these three steps prayerfully, asking each time, “Lord, how much longer? . . .  Will you be pleased to save? . . . Should I continue or move on? . . .  Am I honoring the dignity of the Gospel? . . . etc.” 

When it is time to stop proclaiming the Gospel to certain people for a while, keep praying. Keep praying for his or her salvation, yet remain content in God’s ways of working and His timing. Go find new people with whom to share the Gospel of the Kingdom!

The Fig Leaf And The Towel

Everyone looks pretty much the same in the locker room.

You can’t tell who drives what kind of car, what each person does for a living or anyone’s position in society. You also don’t now who is happy, who is going through a hard time, who the intelligent ones are or who are the idiots. 

Everyone looks pretty much the same in the locker room, until they open they mouths and put on their clothes.

Community with a Towel

I remember my fitness and recreation times at the YMCA as a young pastor in Chicago. Those were good workouts. I met fascinating people. We had conversations you couldn’t make up. All types of people used the YMCA, very interesting people from the rich down to the poor. 

These regulars didn’t know much about one another. I played racquetball with many of them, lifted weights with a few others and ran the track occasionally with yet a different group. Observing their interactions with one another was enjoyable, but what made it rally interesting was facilitating their deeper interactions. 

When we sat in the sauna together, everyone looked pretty much the same as the next guy. Sweating together for thirty minutes builds an unusual community. If you have a purpose in fostering relationships this can become a place of reality, life on life. Ask people to tell their stories about the day, the crazy things they did as a boy, or what they are looking forward to. Just have fun, relax and laugh even share helpful advice. Sometimes deep pain and fears come out, so be prepared to comfort and encourage. Grab a towel and join us!

A Proverb for the Locker Room

Proverbs 22:2 ESV “The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all.”

This Scripture verses reminds us of a major theme in Proverbs, and all of the Bible, of the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh the Creator, and the associated truth of our absolute accountability, whoever we are. The rich and poor alike have equal status and accountability before God. Here lies basic human equality.

You can see so for yourself; everyone looks pretty much the same as a baby, or playing sports, or getting a physical, lying in a hospital bed, and eventually lying in a casket. There are many equalization moments throughout our lives. The YMCA locker room was one of mine.

This verse might also be simply stating that God makes both rich and poor, which is true enough, but the verses that follow will focus on discussing the sinfulness of humanity.

The rich and poor “meeting” likely refers to the common bond of humanity and shared dignity, maybe also, that they will meet on the Final Day of God, or that they meet in this life in society, or locker rooms. 

The problem is that they tend to despise one another, take advantage of one another, and even distance themselves from one another. The wise follower of Yahweh cares for community and harmony among all.

The Gospel for the Naked

The guys each went their own ways after the sauna sessions two or three days a week. We all learned about one another. We appreciated one another in new ways as rich and poor alike. We all learned why we all need the Gospel, because I brought it up as relevant to our lives.

People listen when they are sitting there vulnerable.  Tell them the truth, about our common bond of humanity but also how we all are naked before God. It is in Hebrews 4:13 ESV “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” 

You might begin at the beginning with Genesis and the parallel between the fig leaf and the towel.

Genesis 3:7,10-11 ESV “Then the eyes of both [Adam and Eve] were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. . . . And he [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He [God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?””

Or, you might begin with The End with the words of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:17–18 ESV “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

Wherever you start the conversation, make sure to talk about the person and substitionary atonement of Jesus Christ the Son of God on behalf of shameful sinners. Encourage them to look “to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

The YMCA experience was so long ago that I don’t remember how well I took advantage of the situation to talk about Christ. But, I do know that I would do a lot better today with more knowledge and life experience, and being more comfortable in my own skin. 

The Lord used these meetings over the course of a couple years to create in me a compassion for everyone, to teach me how to interact with and help all sorts of people, and to train me to be always thinking seriously about how to effectively share the Gospel that is intended for all of us. 

Spiritual Eloquence

Spiritual eloquence is not the same thing as being good at public speaking, being original with cultural insights, or being able to affect hearts with healing words.

It might include such things, but these are not necessary for spiritual eloquence and should not be confused as such, as often as they are.

Apollos: Better Than Most

God has given especially gifted individuals to His Church and for this we are especially thankful and blessed. But, there are only a few like Apollos. However, all of us are needed not just the giants.

Acts 18:24–28 ESV “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”

Some of us might hesitate to speak because we are not as gifted, or mimic the greats hoping to be somebody someday.  Apollos is a good example for those extra-gifted and those who look up to them. His humility stands out in being willing to be corrected by those less gifted, ordinarily gifted, and see himself as just one of the group, not really any better a Christian. Many mighty would-be Apollos types have fallen in recent years because of arrogance.

Apollos shows us the way to spiritual eloquence by his example of becoming competent and well-taught in the Scriptures and then speaking boldly out of a faith-filled fervent spirit.

Jesus: The Spirit for All of Us

But, many protest they don’t know what to say or how to say it, that they don’t know enough, and that they fear arguments they cannot answer. These reasonings reveal a decided identification with human preparations and standards of eloquence. It is not spiritual thinking.

Luke 21:13–15 ESV “This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” 

Acts 4:13 ESV “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Acts 6:10 ESV “But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”

Jesus Himself provides His followers with the wisdom needed at the time it is needed through His Spirit that indwells them. Spending time with Jesus Christ is what fills up our minds with wisdom and grants a fuller measure of His Spirit. 

Spiritual eloquence comes from Jesus Christ. Be with Jesus a lot, even more than that. And then get out and try it. Rely on the Spirit of Jesus and prove His promise true.

Paul: Not Often Out of His League

We might still find ourselves in situations that way beyond our abilities, humanly speaking. The level of sophistication from the opposition is intimidating, and so even going in the Spirit we tremble. 

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

This is all the more reason to stay close to the clear message of Christ, and rely on His strength, His Spirit and His purposes with that audience. This is spiritual eloquence.

Besides, who and what are we really going after? Isn’t it the salvation and maturity of those He has prepared, not trying to conquer the fierce opposition with our intellect or creativity?

Being afraid to speak for Christ and the Gospel is a matter of spiritual warfare, the evil one assaulting the spiritual gifts Christ has given to the Church. The devil and our flesh induce us to measure with human standards and encourage our rising doubts and fears. 

Spiritual eloquence is not about speaking exceptionally well, impressing others or moving people emotionally. It is simply speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, which comes from time spent with Christ and in His Word.

Maybe you just need to speak and see what happens.

Good Guys Always Win

In American folklore the good guys always win.  Although this makes for great books and movies, we know that it doesn’t always work out this way in real life.

Maybe Not Today

However, often times it does!  As the book of Proverbs teaches, God very frequently demonstrates His moral order in our lives and our lifetime.  And yet, we also learn from the Bible that the story is not over.  There are many scenes still to be played out in history.

God has fixed a day for His final justice to be perfectly established and His full blessings to be distributed with honor and glory.  Ultimately, the bad guys will get what they deserve, and the good guys will win.

Romans 2:6–8 ESV “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

Ready for Tomorrow

We must also understand that “seeking for glory and honor and immortality” in the above passage from the book of Romans is not built upon a trust in one’s own “well-doing” and power behind it.  Much of Romans is dedicated to debunking this false sense of security and self-righteousness, especially when people trust in their religion to save them.

The seeking for glory, honor and immortality is later revealed in the book of Romans to begin with seeking it by faith in Christ, His Cross and Resurrection.  Then, our continuing seeking for them is by this same faith in Christ, persevering by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation and the life transformation that accompanies it come from God Himself through the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

John 3:20–21 ESV “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.””

The Tremendous Win

Eventually, the degrees of recompense are justly measured out for good and bad deeds.  But also, those who are rewarded have nothing of which to boast except the power of Christ working righteousness through them.

Revelation 2:26–27 ESV “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”

In the end, and for all eternity, the good guys do win and win big.

Proverbs 4:18 ESV “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

What Religion Are You?

In many parts of the world you can tell a person’s religion by the clothes they wear.

A Common Question

Where I have been traveling and ministering lately, it is very common for people to ask, “what religion are you?”  It is a question of genuine interest.  It is a question meant to lead to a religious conversation.

At first, I was surprised by this openness to discuss matters of such significance as God and our proper relationship to Him.  I have enjoyed a number of these conversations, from a wide range of belief systems.

But I also learned very quickly that this seeming openness turns out so often to be nothing more than a front for an opportunity to promote one’s own obscure religious sect with it’s smiling heavy-set guru.

An Uncommon Question

In the USA one of the quickest and surest ways to offend someone is to ask him or her, “what religion are you?”  And in our present cultural climate there is a high likelihood that you will be talking with a “none,” so the answer is going to be boring or undefined spiritual nonsense.

We might be afraid to ask because we expect closed responses.  We expect offense, anger or disgust that we would dare touch on such a personal and potentially politically-charged subject.

But I have found that such closed responses are very thin.  People are often closed but open.  They are waiting for you and me to ask one or two more questions, and then they will be glad to enter a discussion.

Push Through to the Openness

So, might we find ways to ask the question, “what religion are you?” and find the openness that is behind the closed-ness?

People want to relax and discuss.  We need not fear or take offense at people’s initial responses.  We are not promoters of some man-made religion that will make people feel better about themselves.

We enjoy honest dialogue and the opportunity to show how Jesus Christ brings meaning, order and happiness to all aspects of our personal lives and our life together in community.

Discipleship Without Evangelism

There is a lot of discussion these days about recovering “discipleship” in our churches.

Discipleship Definitions

It can be confusing listening and reading about the call to return to discipleship.  It seems there are almost as many definitions as there are leaders and authors.

Some advocate the practice of one-to-one mentoring, small groups or meeting in triads.  Some promote educational programs to teach the basics of the faith.  Some crusade for intentionality by living missional lives in a missional community.  Some use the term to refer to holy living, calling for radical obedience and accountability.  Some encourage greater involvement in serving the church, community and world.

Whichever approach to discipleship is preferred, everyone is pursuing the same goal of making us all better Christ-followers.  However, one thing is often missing.

One Thing Missing

That one thing is evangelism.  Without actually doing evangelism, discipleship is not really discipleship.  And the hoped for results from whatever discipleship approach is taken will not be realized.

We should examine how Jesus discipled His chosen twelve disciples.  He had them minister alongside Him, and eventually He sent them out on evangelistic missions and expected reproduction (e.g., Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-24).

Evangelism is not hinting to people about Christ, nor is it living out a better morality, nor is it inviting them to a church program.  Talking a lot about evangelism and offering many seminars isn’t going to lead to actual evangelism either.  We have to actually evangelize, that is tell people the Gospel message.  And we disciple others by having them learn this by doing it. 

It Is Necessary

The truth is we rarely do it because we are afraid.  And this is one reason why some make doing evangelism unnecessary for a disciple.  After all it is not a significant part of many churches’ discipleship emphases or programs.  More people will sign up this way.

Discipleship approaches without evangelism will eventually frustrate both the leaders and the participants with limited results.  Discipleship approaches that include evangelism will lead to much more visible and lasting success.

Let’s be clear when we talk about discipleship what it is we actually mean by the term.  And even more importantly, let’s not forget to include practical evangelism as part of the method of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

A Gospel Deprived Of The Gospels

When sharing the Gospel with people, we tend to spend too much time in the epistles and too little time in the Gospels.

Presentation Evangelism

Typically, we have a presentation prepared to give to someone or to a group of people.  It is logically structured and has Scripture verses to match our points. 

Most of the Bible quotations will come from the letters of the New Testament, and then a few from the Old Testament Law or prophets. When the Gospels are quoted it is limited to a sentence that makes a quick theological point.

This is a fine way to share the Gospel.  It is direct, succinct, simple and systematic.  And it makes the decision clear.  Though this approach works well in many settings, it is not always the best method to use.  

Missing Information

All around the world people are missing the story of Jesus Christ.  Most have never ever heard it, not even once.  And those who have, usually don’t remember much or very well, and need to hear it again.

From my experience, some of the most common questions are: Who was Jesus?  When and where did He live?  What kinds of things did He teach and do?  What is the meaning of the cross?  They want to hear stories.

Storytelling Evangelism

The four Gospels were written by the four Evangelists with evangelistic purposes in mind.  They were doing evangelism as they wrote their accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  And they even show examples of Jesus Himself doing evangelism.

Jesus rarely gave people straight answers, but answers that would challenge theological assumptions and lifestyle behaviors.  Even His speeches were structured to make people search more honestly for truth and righteousness, rather than supply answers.  

His style quickly separated people into two groups, those who wanted to follow Him, and those who would rather have nothing to do with Him.  But even those in this last group would remember what He taught them.

Choosing a Method

The presentation approach works extremely well with those people who are ready, or those who need a quick overview of Christianity.  The storytelling approach works better with those less ready, have little knowledge, or those who have little interest at all.  

Don’t always lay it all out early.  Valuable conversation might get lost.  Instead, select a story from the Gospel accounts to tell about Jesus.  Then ask questions.  Listen to the answers.  Give people time to think, process and ask further questions.  You already know the Gospel presentation, so relax and enjoy how the Spirit leads!

Many time you might find it best to combine the approaches.  If so, start with the stories.  Don’t assume people already know them.  Be careful not to let your Gospel be deprived of the Gospels.  It is the best part!

Going After The Other Nine

Many people cry out to God in their distress and ask for relief, even those who do not know Him.  God is a merciful God, and so He often answers their requests, and even in the very manner they asked from Him!

Thanks, But No Thanks

But what thanks does He most frequently get?  Is the thanks only a simple prayer, “thank you very much, God?”  Maybe He gets a good deed or two out of it, or a check for a few dollars sometimes.  Perhaps, a little more, as long as the feeling or memory lingers.  But, is that all God deserves?

Would not the proper response include a seeking hard after God, to know Him and serve Him?  God is constantly merciful to so many people.  But, so often, once people get what they want from Him, they discard whatever faith they had.

Why then is He still so merciful?  It is because God really is a very merciful, patient, kind, and forbearing God!

God’s acts of general mercy should point people to see the glory of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him, receiving from Him the best mercy of all—eternal salvation!

A Story from Luke

Luke shows us that God still acts mercifully today, and tells this story of the Ten Lepers hoping to lead many who have received God’s mercy to a true faith in Christ Jesus.

Luke 17:11–19 ESV “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.””

The Tragedy of Getting Too Little

Luke challenges unbelievers to return to God like the Samaritan and receive more than just a few met needs, like the other nine lepers.  He challenges them to receive salvation in Jesus Christ the Lord.

When people get want they want from God, they mistakenly think it to be enough.  This might be a miraculous escape from danger, or special help for their sick child, or relief from intense financial pressures, or a myriad of other needs.  This is tragic, because there is so much more available to them from Jesus Christ.

We see such behavior all around us today.  People get healed or rescued, but never go to church to praise God and learn about Him.  Some of them even had made a vow to do this very thing if God answered their prayers!

Challenge the Unbelieving

Feel free to challenge people on how lightly thy may have treated God’s gifts of mercy, especially if you know their situation was recent.  This is yet another way to begin what might turn out to be a spiritually profitable conversation.  This obligates people to look back and see their ingratitude and hopefully their need for true faith in Christ.

Don’t let people abscond with God’s mercies without an engaging Gospel conversation!  Follow Luke’s example and go after those who act like the nine lepers.

God responds mercifully to so many who cry out to Him.  It is good to cry out to God in Jesus’ name for healing and for whatever one needs.  Jesus still responds to calls for mercy and then He still expects faith as the proper response.  

Pray with the Unbelieving

Almost everyone has cried out to God and received mercy from Him at some point in their life.  And we should encourage them to do so.  

Sometimes we shy away from this because we have a strange notion that unbelievers shouldn’t be praying to a God they don’t know or don’t really believe in, or that God doesn’t hear them or act on their behalf.  

Times of distress and crisis and weakness are wonderful opportunities to minister to people. We should display the same general compassion of our Lord Jesus.  Of course, we will also desire more than this for them – a faith leading to salvation.  And so, we will follow up with them with the specifics of the Gospel message.

Pray with unconverted and for them, for acts of mercy from God.  God is really a generous God, and people need to know this and see this.  Many people respond to this kind of ministry, and many actually come to a true God-glorifying faith in Jesus Christ!

Raiding Temples

Instead of raiding temples for their artifacts or valuables, our teams would raid them of their worshippers.

Temples in certain parts of Asia are a great place to find those people who are interested in spiritual discussion.  At the same time, this is where we have met some of the most materialistic people we have ever met.  We were surprised to learn that great prosperity seemed to be a standard motivation behind idolatry.

Greetings on the Pathway

Our teams have found that the most fascinating temples are the ones hidden far from the main city in Asia.  With a team of a few foreigners and a few national partners, finding them can be as easy as asking a few questions of friendly locals.

In the morning there are many people arriving to make offerings of food or money, to pray, some to take in the beautiful surroundings.  One young couple we met thought it was a good place to go on their first date.

Our team would all be praying as we walked the path and talked with people.  Religion would be the obvious topic at a religious site.  And this can go in so many directions when learning from people about their lives and their aspirations, and how it connects to being at a temple.

After making a few visits to different temples and talking with the pilgrims we soon discovered that many of them did not believe in the religion they were practicing.  Some would tell us they performed the worship because it was what their family did, but then quickly jump to the more common explanation that it might work in brining them more luck for a better future.

This desire for job promotion, being famous, deathbed healing, or coming into a financial windfall was extremely strong.  When asked if they really believed that worshipping the images helped bring greater prosperity into their lives, or health for their loved ones, they would usually pause and state honestly that they just didn’t know about such things.

A number of people would tell us about their hope to learn more about a true god they sensed must be out there.

Eating Lunch Together

Not everyone on the path was so friendly and open.  Some would dismiss us or just glare, others would curse and threaten with a half-hearted chase.  And then there were a few who were under the palpable influence of evil spirits.

In spite of these, from our experience about half of those we encountered were eager to talk, and continue the spiritual nature of the conversation.  So we would often go to lunch together with a small group of temple worshippers and our team, about 10-12 of us all together, after they finished their religious activities.

During a relaxing meal together we could get to know one another a little better.  And since we had already started the spiritual conversation, we could get right into more meaningful conversation.

We would continue to talk about personal relationships, success and happiness, about life and death, sickness and healing, spirits and the power to bless and curse, and such things.  Whatever seemed to be the most pressing concern is the topic we would use to introduce the Word of God and its wisdom from the only true God.

We would continue to share stories from our own lives, and each of us about our personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Gospel was new to all of them, having never heard about the Bible or its message of salvation, and a full and eternal life in Christ.

Some would shut down at Gospel answers, but still listen.  There would almost always be two or three people with great interest and many questions.  These individuals would want to introduce us to more people with similar spiritual interests and move further in our conversation.  And so, dinner plans for that evening were now underway.

Sharing before Believing

It was these next set of meals, questions and conversations that were the most lively, enjoyable and resulted in the most progress.  Everyone at these dinners was eager to learn and grow in spiritual ways.

We would have our new friends retell the story of Jesus Christ to their friends and relatives the best they could.  With our promise to help fill in the gaps they had confidence to share the Good News.  It was always fun to hear which part of the Gospel they chose to emphasize—most often it was the Resurrection of Jesus.

The free flowing conversational style allowed us to revisit all the topics from the earlier lunch, and even those discussed way back on the path to the temple.  Certainly, no one at that dinner, or anyone we met earlier that day, would ever see worship at the temple the same.

They would now have to consider the message they heard from the Bible about sin, salvation and hope in Jesus Christ the Lord.  Their enthusiasm for material blessings was challenged, and redirected to something much more valuable than previously thought about.

Our real hope and the plan behind all of this was to start a church with this final group of people, if the Lord chose to save among them.  Typically one of two would profess faith in Christ, a handful of others who were still considering Christ would commit to meet regularly to study the Bible.  All agreed to ask others to join the group that one of our national partners would lead.

That was all in a day’s work.  This scenario was being played out by two of three of our teams every day for a week at different temple locations.

That is why raiding temples is one of our favorite pastimes.

For The Thrill Of The Hunt

Each year a delight of many young children is an Easter egg hunt.  Finding each egg brings great excitement!

Similarly, God has hidden His elect, those chosen for salvation, all around the world for the Church to find by going out and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Election and Effort

It is popular today to think of the doctrine of election as contrary to evangelistic effort.  If God has already determined whom He will save, then why should we share the Gospel, what difference will it make?  Yet, at the beginning of the modern mission movement, it was those who cherished these doctrines of God’s sovereignty in salvation who so often led the way in pioneering mission.

The Apostle Paul spoke and wrote very strongly about God’s sovereignty in salvation in many places in Scripture.  At the same time he was the most zealous and successful of all missionaries.  Such ideas are often combined closely as a good fit.

For example, he summarized his life and ministry, and his motivation with these words in 2 Timothy 2:10, “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

Guaranteed Success

We have a guaranteed success.  We know that God will save His chosen ones and that He will do it by means of the Gospel.  So, when we speak about Christ, people will get saved!

There is a great sense of freedom when we understand that our faithfulness extends to proclamation only.  God does the converting.  We should ask ourselves therefore, if we are preaching enough?

It is easy to become preoccupied with building comfortable Christian lives and churches.  And then, one day it dawns on us that when we talk about evangelistic efforts, our best stories are further in the past than we realized.

We need to regain the vision, the courage and the sacrifice.  We need to get out there and re-experience the thrill of the hunt.  This can be done any day we choose to do it—whether it is in our own communities, or in less reached communities nearby.  Better yet, just get on a plane and go to the places where no one has yet heard!

The thrill of the hunt can be experienced as pleasant and fun as children on an Easter egg hunt.  The thrill can also be experienced as wild as a safari hunting expedition filled with real dangers.  Which adventure would you like to try?

What Was So Funny? Human Souls

They started laughing at us before we even got to the most difficult part of the Gospel.  

What triggered it was an explanation of God’s creation, specially how He made human beings in His own image, different from all other living beings.

Made in God’s Image

As we did often in this part of southeast Asia, we entered a village found a group of friendly people, and directed the conversation to spiritual matters.  According to plan, we started with the first verse in the Bible and explained who God is as the Creator.

You know how the story goes, but they didn’t.  There is one all-powerful God who made the heavens and the earth.  He made inanimate things, living beings, but He uniquely made humanity in His own image with a soul and in relationship with Himself.

There were some animals nearby.  So, we used them as a contrasting example.  People have souls that will live eternally.  As soon as we mentioned this, the uproar of laughter began.  I was waiting for the ridicule to come a little later in the conversation, honestly.

They went on and on about how our God, the Creation story and our view of people was ludicrous.  We learned that this village had been strongly influenced by atheism replacing their heritage of animism, and seeing all religious views as nothing more than superstitious.

Obviously to them we all die alike and that was that.  They paused in silence to see what we would say next, staring at each of us on the team, waiting expectantly for more laughable material.

We talked about the advantages we have over cattle and chickens, of course.  We went on to talk about our moral and relational capacities, and especially the matter of our spiritual relationship to God and our responsibilities as stewards of His Creation.

They listened politely, probably surprised that we weren’t shaken by their attempt to humiliate us.  After explaining much more about the character of God and His actions in the world, we landed upon the most important historical matters of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, reign and return of Jesus Christ.

Yes, we talked about all of that, and with new courage they helped inspire by their opposition.  However, that was the end of the twenty minute exchange with these twenty people.  They took the Gospel materials, even though they were not that interested.  

Kids Swinging from a Tree

We were headed down the street debriefing our experience when we happened upon a large tree with young children swinging from ropes tied to its branches.  We stopped to talk with them, and within minutes many of the children from the previous encounter showed up wanting to know more about God.

We had some video CDs with us that dramatized the Creation and Redemption stories.  So we gave out a few of them to the older children who appeared to be the leaders.  But in front of everyone we made them agree to the condition that they had to show them to all the families of the village.  

They thought about it and talked about it among themselves for a minute and agreed.  Then, immediately one of them led us to a house right away.  Children often make for great evangelists.  We thought we were done in this village, but apparently not yet.  

Once inside and having met everyone we watched one of the videos together.  At least we weren’t laughed at this time.  After the movie, we ended up sharing a small meal together, talking a little about the movie (they weren’t that interested) and simply enjoying one another as people created in God’s image.

My experience in that village that day increased my love for humanity, all people made in God’s image—yet, fallen and in need of healing and redemption in Jesus Christ.  I still find myself praying for those people by face, that the Lord would use those Gospel materials (and maybe other messengers of His) to cause them to see and understand the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.

Don’t Think About How Far They Must Come

Sometimes we give up on sharing the Gospel before we even start. 

We can discourage ourselves when we mull over how much people need to know in order to come to Christ.  We overwhelm ourselves when we contemplate all their beliefs that have to change and how they need to completely reorient their lives.

Why would they even listen?!  Why would they ever want to believe?!

Give People the Opportunity to Hear

This type of reasoning is one of our problems in sharing the Gospel.  We think through it too much.  We come up with a whole bunch of scenarios that includes their religious backgrounds, lifestyle and objections.  In fact, we might find ourselves coming up with more reasons not to believe than others have probably ever thought of themselves!

I remember some of my early experiences with evangelism walking onto a beach full of fun or entering a crowded cafeteria and thinking to myself “I don’t think anyone is going to be interested.”  But every time the Lord led me to people who were interested, often very interested.  They didn’t all come to Christ, but many wanted to talk, argue or share their opinions, and were thankful for the opportunity.

Even last year I was sitting in an airport in south Asia next to a Muslim man.  We both had about six hours before our next flight and we were both exhausted.  I didn’t want to talk about the Gospel, thinking I am too tired for this and he doesn’t look like the type who would be interested anyway.  Then, only two minutes into our polite greetings he asked me directly about Jesus Christ.  So we joined our tables and discussed Bible passages he was troubled about for the next four hours.

I still need to remind myself to just share the message.  Stop overthinking it and be prayerful.  Follow where the Holy Spirit takes the conversation.  This is basic faithfulness in evangelism.  

Give People the Opportunity to Believe

Whether it seems people are ready or not, ask them to put their trust in Christ.  And then wait for their response.  If we don’t think they are ready we don’t ask.  But, just ask.  The worst they can say is “no” and this only means, “not now.”  So, that means that the day might be coming when they will say “yes.”

Asking outright impresses upon people the urgency of Gospel consideration.  Let’s them know it is not a nebulous concept to trust in Christ.  Explain it.  Always issue a general call, for you never know when God will issue His irresistible internal special call for salvation.

Sharing the Gospel does not have to be time consuming either, which is often another concern of ours.  It is okay to only cover what you have time for.  You can talk more later, or connect them with others, with resources or nearby churches.

Romans 10:13–14 ESV “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

There is More than One Goal

It helps to remember that the ultimate goal is not the only goal.  Perhaps it would be better to think about what might be the next reasonable step for the people with whom you are sharing.

Evangelism becomes relaxing when you can simply enjoy people for who they are as people created in God’s image and share in their lives.  Maybe they want help overcoming a certain objection that has been bothering them.  Maybe they need to meet and enjoy conversation with a genuine Christian.  Maybe they have to unburden themselves with hurt or pain.  Maybe it is time for them to open up about sin struggles in their lives.

There are likely many smaller goals along the way to salvation that must be met.  And what we often consider the goal—“being saved”—is really not the ultimate goal anyway.  Instead, it is entrance into an eternal life with the ultimate goal of knowing and enjoying God.   As Jesus said in John 17:3 ESV “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Encouragement in evangelism comes when we enjoy the process and our assigned roles in it.

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 ESV “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

Adding Hell To God’s Plan For People’s Lives

He said, “I already have a wonderful life, thank you.”

This was a response we received often when presenting the Gospel to our dorm mates in college using the evangelism tool when had been trained to use.

Something was Missing

Obviously our friends didn’t know the fullness of the wonderful life they were missing by not having Christ.  And some of them surely didn’t have a very good life and were covering this up.  How could we get through to them?

As we (our discipleship group of four) examined our Gospel presentation more carefully, we realized that a very important point was absent—the reality of hell.  Sin was discussed but only as preventing good things in life.  Honestly, most of our friends at this school were greatly privileged and didn’t really see it that way.

So, we figured out a place to insert this discussion with a couple Bible verses.  Hopefully, this would open up some discussion.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV “. . . it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” 

2 Thessalonians 1:9 ESV “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

A New Approach

Every week we would go out evangelizing in the dorms, so the following week we tried our new approach.  As a result, the conversations got more serious, personal and lively.   We were pleased.

Many of our friends hadn’t thought about the consequences of sin due to offending an infinitely holy and just God.  Then, when we talked about the love and mercy of God in Christ there was more interest, overall.  The Cross and Resurrection of Christ became a topic of curiosity.

I think we improved the evangelism tool.  It over-emphasized the love of God and the benefits of being rightly related to Him.  It under-played the justice and righteousness of God.  But, no tool is perfect or complete in itself; it is just a tool to be used with creativity.

The best part was that many of our conversations with people no longer fell flat and just ended.  Many wanted to continue talking about the Bible, their lives, religion, world issues and such.  And a good number were interested enough to join in discussion groups or small group Bible studies on the person and work of Christ.

What Might You Improve?

What tools are you using?  Are they as effective as you think they should be?  You don’t have to throw them out and criticize them.  Perhaps, you could make some improvements.

Crafting A First Liturgy

This group of five friends and co-workers were filled with joy after receiving Jesus Christ.  They looked at one another and our team members, and asked with eager expectation, “now what do we do?!”  

They didn’t know any other believers in their small city in southeast Asia.  How were they to worship God together and grow in Christ together?  This is what they wanted to know.  What would you tell them?  How might you help them?

Worship 101

Here is what those creative team members of ours did.  They helped those new believers see themselves as the beginning of a church and helped them craft their first worship service.

The team had to think through all of this from the ground up, looking at Scripture again for themselves.  They were meeting with the new believers the next day in the afternoon  to answer their question, and they had to keep it simple.

They decided to teach on the most basic elements:  prayer, Scripture reading, singing praise to God, teaching the Word, caring and praying for one another.  More involved topics such as the Lord’s Supper, and matters of church life, would need to be covered by national partners later.

Nonetheless, this still would not be as simple a meeting as it might sound.  These new friends didn’t know anything about prayer.  What is prayer?  How do Christians pray?  And when it comes to reading Scripture, let alone studying it together, where should they start?  How will they understand properly?  Singing will be wonderful, but what kind of songs should they sing?  Where will they find the songs and music?

At least the part about sharing their lives, caring for one another, and praying for one another would be easy.

Worship Practicum

The biggest obstacle in all their meetings early that week was the constant distraction of mobile phones.  So, when they wrote out the liturgy for the group it began with the ritual of silencing mobile phones in order to focus on worshipping God and learning from His Word.

The mission team crafted a simple order of worship to follow for now.  They provided the group of new believers with many Scriptures to use and study, and of course Bibles for those who didn’t have one.  

They talked through all the worship ideas together, looking up Scripture passages and learning together by asking and answering questions.  It was a blessed time for all!

Then it was time to do it—how exciting this would be!  This was their very first experience of worshipping God and as a community of believers in Jesus!  So the group of eight, Asians and Americans, worshipped God together for a long time.  

When the afternoon came to a close, the new Christians asked how often their group should get together and worship the Lord and study His Word?  What they really wanted to know was how soon they could do it again!

More to Come

For all that was accomplished that day and that week with this small group of believers, there was so much more for them to learn about worship and living life together in Christ.  They had many more questions.  And our sub-team of three had hearts full of so much more to share.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

There is so much more to this story that could be told.  Likewise, there are many similar stories to tell coming out from this region of the world, both of success and failure.  One final valuable lesson to highlight is that working alongside local Christians and under the vision of local churches is a great honor and comfort.  

It would be up to our trusted partners to nurture this group of believers, and help them grow into a thriving young church.  Ultimately, we must entrust new believers and young churches to the Lord’s care in whom they have believed.  And He will care for them!