Posted by John L. Rothra on February 28, 2006 under Evangelism | 
Scripture shows us four aspects of evangelism I call the ‘P’s of evangelism. These aspects are found in Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19-20. Before I explain these four aspects of evangelism, let me briefly define evangelism. Evangelism, put simply, is the proclaiming of Jesus Christ to God’s people. This involves telling those who do not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior about Him as well as teaching Christians to live as God instructs.Having briefly defined evangelism, allow me to describe the four ‘P’s of evangelism.
Power of Evangelism
Acts 1:8a (NASB) – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…”
Jesus tells us the power for evangelism–the ability to proclaim Christ, the strength by which we share our testimony, the enabler of witnessing–is the Holy Spirit. God Himself, through His spirit, is the power for evangelism.
This passage shows us the two steps by which the Holy Spirit’s power works in evangelism:
- Allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen you
- Tell others about Christ
Step 1: Receiving Strength from the Holy Spirit
Doing this requires we each, individually:
… Submit to the Holy Spirit
… Depend on the Holy Spirit
… Be usable by the Holy Spirit
In order to be able to evangelize, you must submit to God as Lord, depend on Him to strengthen and guide you, and be willing to do what He asks you do to (be usable). This requires, as seen in Acts 1:14, being dedicated to a healthy prayer life. You must prayer regularly, spending time with God.
Step 2: Telling others about Jesus
We are witnesses for Christ. A witness:
… tells what they know
… proclaims to others the truth
I have heard people say they do not need to tell others about Jesus. Rather, their life is their testimony. How they live is a witness to what they have seen, experienced, and believe. I am reminded of an illustration I heard from a retired seminary professor, Dr. Malcolm McDow. He illustarted the falacy of the ‘my life is my witness’ excuse this way:
Imagine a prosecuting attorney trying to convict a criminal. The prosecution has one key witness as their primary evidence, so they call the witness to the stand. The man takes the stand, raises his right hand, then swears to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
The attorney, knowing what the witness saw, asks the man, “What did see happen on the day in question?” The witness sits silently with a proud smile on his face and says nothing. After a few seconds, the attorney repeats, “Please tell the jury what you saw.” The man continues to sit silently, but continues to smile.
Becoming a little upset, the attorney asks the judge to instruct the witness to answer the question. The judge looks at the man on the witness stand and sternly says, “You will answer the question and tell the jury what you saw.” The kindly man smiles at the judge and replies, “But your Honor, the jury knows what I saw by the way I live, the way I sit here, the way I act. My life is my witness, and it is plain to see.”
What would happen to this man on the witness stand? He would be found in contempt of court and face possible fines and possible jail time. How much of a witness was this man? He wasn’t a witness at all. Christians who say their life is their witness for Christ are not witnesses at all. Your live is the evidence that you believe what you say. Your life shows you are what you preach. You must tell others about Jesus to be His witness.
Plan for Evangelism
Acts 1:8b (NASB) – “…and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Evangelism begins at home and spreads from there.
While we don’t live in the time of Jesus’ day and nations have changed over 2,000 years, there is a modern application of these regions.
Modern application of this order:
- Jerusalem = family, friends, neighborhood
- Judea and Samaria = city, regional area, and nation
- Remotest part of the earth = the rest of the world
We are to begin by telling our friends and family about Christ. We must then spread outward with the message of God’s love.
Purpose of Evangelism
Matthew 28:19-20a (NASB) – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”
God’s purpose is to make disciples. This means He wants to bring man back into a close relationship with Him. We have sinned and, hence, pulled away from God and severed that relationship. God, though, still sent his son, Jesus, to die and be resurrected in order to pay for your sins and my sins. Because of this, we can be forgiven and the relationshp restored. It is an act of God to restore what we broke. Will you allow God to restore your life and relationship?
Dr. McDow defines evangelism this way, “God’s redemptive work in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the reconciliation of man to Himself” (emphasis added).
Making disciples is a two-step process:
- Saving the lost
- Teaching the saved
Saving the lost means telling those who do not know Christ about Him. Teaching the lost, often called “discipleship,” means teaching those who are saved how to live as a Christian. Both of these are part of a full evangelistic process. Evangelism is about reconciliation and relationships. It begins with forgiveness and salvation, then continues with discipleship.
Promise of Evangelism
Matthew 28:20b (NASB) – “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus promised he would be with you when you evangelize. Whenever you tell someone about Christ, Jesus is with you. The Holy Spirit is right there at work strenthening you and calling the other person to Him.
Jesus did not say, “Good luck to you as you witness to others, ’cause I’m out of here!” Instead, Jesus said “I am with you.” What a wonderful promise!
Posted by John L. Rothra on February 14, 2006 under Evangelism |
Here is a snippet of the interview transcript from August 2005 as posted on Christianity Today’s website.
Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that’s normal. It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven’t heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn’t make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, so you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.
Assayas: I’d be interested to hear that.
Bono: That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s—. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.
Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled… . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
Assayas: That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?
Bono: No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched …
For more of the interview, see Bono: Grace over Karma
Posted by John L. Rothra on February 8, 2006 under Devotional/Teaching |
Asbury College: Wilmore KY » Chapel continues today
Revival breaks out! A definite must-read!
Posted by John L. Rothra on February 2, 2006 under Devotional/Teaching |
Many people wear glasses and children are constantly chided and mocked by other kids as ‘four eyes’ or wearing ‘coke bottles.’ Despite the attempts to make glasses seem ‘cool’ or fashionable, a negative stigma remains for those who simply want to clearly see. Those who wear glasses, myself included, need these glasses to see, for without them, things are fuzzy, unclear, and out of focus.
Our lives often get that way: fuzzy and out of focus. When this happens, we do whatever we can to find ways to clear the picture and have things make sense. The most sure way to gain focus in life is to not put on the shades offered by false teachings of the world, but to put on God’s spiritual glasses… to see through the eyes of God. This means we must see others as God sees them and see ourselves through His eyes.
When looking at others, do you see those who need a loving savior? Do you see those who are downtrodden and needing help? Luke 3:10-14 teaches us we must help others by treating them faily and with respect. Help those in need; be fair in your business dealings; and don’t lie, steal, or cheat to get the upper hand or climb the social or corporate ladder. When you begin to see others through God’s spiritual glasses, you will see this is how people must deal with each other.
But the vision does not end there. Luke 3:15-17 tells us Christ will come to separate those who are saved and those who are not. Those who are saved will spend eternity in heaven. Those who are not saved will be cast into the fires of hell. God desires all be saved. But doing this requires we look at ourselves as God sees us.
Each person is a sinful person; we all have done wrong at some point. Because of this sin, we are not worthy to be in God’s presence. Jesus came and died to pay for our sin and offer the chance to be forgiven. This is a free gift. Jesus rose from the dead to provide all those who call on Him as Lord and Savior to have eternal life. This, too, is a free gift.
When you look at yourself, do you see a person who has not been forgiven? Have you asked Jesus into your life? Can you remember a time when you asked Jesus into your heart to forgive your sin and save you? If not, now is the time do so. Jesus’ blood will cleanse you and God will welcome you into his family… all you have to do is believe! When it comes to salvation, you cannot earn it, you don’t deserve it, but you can have it! Those who are saved can see themselves through God’s eyes as redeemed and forgiven.
If you are saved, the vision does not end there. Does your life reflect the life of a Christian? Are you serving God today? Are you striving to walk away from sin or justifying your sin? Does your daily life glorify God according to the Bible? If not, now is the time to repent and turn toward Christ. Rededicate yourself to Bible study, church participation, and an life of taking up your cross on a daily basis. God will be glorified and He will bless you for your walk with Him.
It all begins by seeing through the eyes of God!
