WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

This is an answer to the 4 part series which asked, “Why is it that people are more comfortable inviting people to church or just doing a good work than in sharing their faith in Christ with others?

and

an accompanying thought on the to the original posting that initiated the question, “When Did We Start Confusing Community Service With Evangelism?”

“¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore,… ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

(Ephesians 6:13, 14a-15)

I have spent five postings now discussing the issues of evangelism.  The original article called, “When Did We Start Confusing Community Service With Evangelism?” is still getting quite a few hits.[1]  In fact it is the most hit and discussed of any of the writings.  It also spurned the follow up question which I originally meant to be one posting, but turned into four separate articles asking, “Why is it that people are more comfortable inviting people to church or just doing a good work than in sharing their faith in Christ with others?”  The conclusion on the first question was that community service projects do not automatically translate into evangelism, but then again neither does a trip to the grocery store.  At the same time our summation of the issue of doing good works over really sharing our faith had four thoughts to them:  There is public pressure not to share;[2] There is the fear of others reactions when we do;[3] There are those who are lazy and disobedient;[4] and There are those who are lost within our church walls and have nothing to share.[5]  Evangelism is a struggle, it is a war, and it takes everything we have to make sure that we are in that constant mind frame that we are all called to be evangelists while we are not all gifted to be evangelists.

So from here where do we go?  What should we do now?  Evangelism can be as easy as ABC and yet it can be a complicated thing as well.  Evangelism is a multifaceted issue.  There is no one in their right mind who can truly say, “This is evangelism.  This is sharing the faith.  This is witnessing.”  Whatever you wish to call it, nobody can say this is what it looks like.  However, there are some identification markers that you and I can see that lets us know what it is not.

Identification Marker (IDM) 1: It is personal

We cannot get away from this marker and it is possibly the most important one.  We can also call it being a witness.  In Acts 1:8 Jesus speaking with the apostles before His ascension noted, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Before we go much further with this allow me to clarify something.  When Jesus tells the apostles the they would receive power from the Holy Spirit He is not talking about what many of our Pentecostal brethren think.  He is speaking in a very historical context.  The Holy Spirit was going to come and give them the power to share the gospel and live holy lives before God.  If you read the accounts in Acts this is what you see.[6]

Second, the ideas of the locations (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the remotest part of the earth) have nothing to do with the applications which are commonly given to it.  Many times we are told that Jerusalem is our home city, Judea is our state, Samaria is our nation, and the remotest part of the world is the mission field.[7]  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Two things need to be observed:  1) This is Dr. Luke’s outline for the letter; and 2) Jesus is speaking in a historic mind set.[8]  If we look at this verse in proper perspective we understand that we are a part of the remotest part of the world right now.  The last thing to note is connected with our first thought on this verse, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…”  This is the key.  We are be His witnesses not preform His witnesses.  It is a state of existence, not an act to be shown.  Being a witness is who we are; therefore it permeates all that we do.

Identification Marker (IDM) 2: It is intentional

This IDM shows that the desire for personal evangelism is something that the person places at the forefront of their minds.  In other words this is a conscientious act as a result of realizing who they are.  Paul asks something in Romans that has been quoted a couple of times throughout this series, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”[9]  The context of this passage has Paul talking about Israel being the chosen people but many were not “true Israel” because they did not believe.[10]  Then he begins discussing how that Gentiles (non-Jews) who have believed where “grafted” into the Kingdom by grace.[11]  In the middle of this discussion Paul drops these series of questions.  His concern is that the people of Israel will die eternally, meaning they will go to Hell, if someone does not share their faith in Christ with them.  There has to be an intentional mindset.  The Christian community through the local churches as a result of individual conviction needed to reach lost Israel with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What was true for Paul should be true for us.  We should be intentional about our lives.  What we say, how we live, where we go, what we see, how we respond, ect.  It is all based on who we are and to Whom we belong.  We cannot escape the fact that evangelism starts with the individual with an intentional mindset.

Identification Marker (IDM) 3: It is a community effort

We cannot escape this either.  More strong churches grow as a result of a deep commitment from individuals who share the gospel with friends, family, and neighbors, but churches still need a corporate plan for reaching the community as a whole.  Billboards and events where people are practically walking billboards do not cut the cake.  Neither do websites, publication materials, newspaper advertisements, mission bake sales/fund raisers, or anything else that may be used to promote the local church.  Why?  Because what we do is never about the organization or local church we are affiliated with.  Evangelism is about the Kingdom of God.  The local church is what God uses to build His kingdom and disciple others to continue the work.  I have had only one person in thirty years of ministry asks me about a t-shirt that advertised the church I attended.  The world is overwhelmed with “t-shirt” advertising.  People just simply do not pay attention to it anymore.  I am not saying that any of the above mentioned items cannot play a part, but this is not evangelism.

Churches have to be mindful of their community around them.  What can a church do to reach out to those living around them?  This is a struggle that churches have been involved in since the beginning.[12]  I would warn churches and church leaders not to confuse what is going on in Acts 2:37-Acts 6 as community service.  It is not!  What is happening is an internal matter.  They are taking care of their own.  Jesus stated in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  In other words taking care of those who are in need within our churches can have an evangelical effect.  It will be felt; however community service is not an expected outcome of what is being demonstrated by the Jerusalem church.

Dr. K.P. Yahannan the founder and international director of Gospel for Asia stated, “The battle against hunger and poverty is really a spiritual battle, not a physical or social one as secularists would have us believe.  The only weapon that will ever effectively win the war against disease, hunger, injustice and poverty in Asia is the Gospel of Jesus Christ...Fighting this powerful enemy with physical weapons is like fighting an armored tank with stones.”[13]   Dr. Yahannan looks at poverty and the issue of poverty as a work of Satan not circumstances.  It can be the results of giving into sin and spiritual darkness, therefore the idea is that the light of the Gospel is needed.

Allow me to use The Refuge, Friendship Baptist Church Mesquite’s mission in Terrell, Texas as an positive example.   The two young missionaries, Darren Lemons and Todd Cox, who are heading this up, have done a very well rounded job at the work they do.  Remember that in the second article I noted that I was at a community event working with The Refuge.  I noted that I felt more like a walking billboard than anything.  However, behind the scene a lot of work had been put into the efforts by Darren and Todd.  On that day of the community event Darren and Todd received several leads and are working on following up on those leads.  Also, they have two apartment ministries going on right now where they are leading Bible studies once a week.  And that does not include the home based Bible studies they are leading.  Couple all of that with the contacts they have made with the Chamber of Commerce and other various organizations in order to help people with any needs that may come their way.  These young men and their families are also in the process of training those involved in their work to establish The Refuge as a church so that they learn to have the same kind of mindset.  The purpose is to build the Kingdom.  They are doing a great job and it is a work well worth the support.  If you are looking for something to help, this ministry is worth every penny and effort.  Go to their website http://gototherefuge.com/ for more insight.

On my side let me share with you a failure that I have made on this scale.  At Halloween Friendship Baptist Church Mesquite always puts on an “In Stead Of Party.”  Of course I do not celebrate Halloween, rather I celebrate Reformation Day, the day in 1517 when Martin Luther hung the 95 Thesis on the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg, Germany.  So since our church does not recognize Halloween an alternative is put into place for the children of the neighborhood.  In the fall of 2011 I was in charge and decided that we would do a Trunk or Treat theme.  Because of the way things were set up it didn’t work as well as I had hoped, but it worked to some degree.  The failure was that while I had tracks and hand outs at the sign up table, I didn’t have them at any of the individual events.  And of course of the 250 people that came on our campus, only about 100 made it to the sign up booth.  So basically we did community service with very limited outreach.  Next year, if I’m still at Friendship, things will be different. 

The point I want to make is that no one is perfect, but the intent has to be there.  You can’t just go to an event or put an event on and hope that people will see why you are doing it.  Evangelism, the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ verbally and in literature, must be the one thing you and I are attempting to do.  Sharing the Gospel must be at the very center of what is going on, not the event itself.

One thing to remember about reaching the community is that it cannot be just one thing or another.  It needs to be a consistent effort.  Also, you cannot just do “community service projects” there needs to be soccer/basketball camps, youth outreach events, vacation Bible schools, backyard Bible clubs, ect.

Identification Marker (IDM) 4:  It needs to be at the center of every message from the pulpit

No church of Jesus Christ can allow itself to be distracted from this.  The Gospel must be at the very center of every message that comes from the pulpit.  Not just happily placed at the end in order to give an invitation, but it must be the very heartbeat of what is said, sang, and done.  If a pastor, or guest speaker, hits the subject of tithing, the Gospel can easily be presented here.  What about family life?  Or dating? Or living for Jesus?  Or being a good Stewart?  Or learning to forgive?  Or learning to deal with people honestly?  It doesn’t matter if you are teaching from Genesis 1:1 or Revelation 22:21, the Gospel must unequivocally be what the message revolves around.  If the Gospel is missing from the message, then the messenger has failed to deliver what was shared to them in the past.  And if the church continues to allow it to happen they have fallen into darkness and are no longer a church of the Living God, no matter what name they claim to have.

In 1^st Timothy 4:13 Paul writes to Timothy, “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”  Later in 2^nd Timothy 1:8-9 Paul continues to encourage Timothy by stating, “⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” (Bold highlights mine)  The point on both passages is that the Scriptures are to be publicly taught and proclaimed, which means the Gospel is to be proclaimed at the same time.

Identification Marker (IDM) 5:  There is a concern for the lost worldwide (Missions)

This last marker shows the extent of concern for the lost.  Working both in the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas (BMAT) as well as the Baptist Missionary Association of American (BMAA) I hear a lot about we need so many church plants and missions started a year in order for the denomination(s) to survive.  Or I hear we are losing our Christian influence in America, and they go through the process of giving a litany of things which need to be done.  First let me say that both thoughts are true.  If we don’t do more church plants and expand then our denominations will die.  I also agree that if we are not involved in our culture on every level we will lose our influence and watch society plunge into immediate darkness.  However I do not believe that this is the idea behind what Jesus wants or what He was commanding.  I am tired of hearing about what will happen if we don’t do this or that in regards to missions and church growth.  We act as if the future belongs to us.  We talk as if we don’t do something the churches will cease to exist.  May I say with full authority and complete confidence that this sounds more like church growth seminars speaking and not Christ.  The churches have been around since the days of Jesus.  Paul writes and says that Christ is the head of the church.[14]  Therefore the future belongs to Him, what we should be worried with is not the size, scope, future, or influence of our denominations, but our concerns should be for the lost.  Unfortunately we have become full of ourselves rather than full of the Spirit of God.[15]

We as churches should be involved in mission evangelism because we want people to come to Christ and then to teach them the way of the cross as a way of life.  It should not be for those who have been hurt by established churches, or for a particular class of people (poor or rich), or for an age group.  These people will be swept up in the net of evangelism as we move forward in reaching the lost.  The priority of missions is to reach the lost in an area where the Gospel is not available or where a people group is established, but a church that speaks their language is not.

Final Thought

These may not be the only identification markers but I think they are the bigger ones.  My question to you is how concerned for the lost are you?  Are you personally willing make an effort to share the good news with them?  Pastors do you and the church that you under-shepherd have several things in motion to reach the lost on a personal and mass bases?  Is the Gospel being proclaimed in every message?  Are you as a church member or pastor burdened for the lost worldwide?

Allow me to share one last story that sums it all up.  Back in 2008, I was the Minister of Education at Ferguson Road Baptist Church in east Dallas where Dr. Wayne Wible is the pastor.  We had been meeting with the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas (SBTC) for several months regarding kick starting church growth through evangelism.  We were the first to take part in what is called the Ezekiel Project which was meant to help churches in decline.  When we came to the end of the sessions the leader of the Ezekiel Project asked Dr. Wible a series of questions.  The questions were designed to lead to a point.  The leader reached into his brief case and pulled out a demographics report.  We had already received one from Dallas Baptist Association (DBA) and before that I had created one just on simple research.  All three reports matched in detail and numbers.  Ferguson Road was a church in decline and the income base, while consistent, was not strong.  The leader pointed to several numbers that indicated if the church wanted to survive it would need to target some of the younger, high income homes and families in the area.  I will never forget what happened after that; he asked Dr. Wible what we wanted to do, who was it we wanted to reach.  Dr. Wible simply looked at him and said, “The lost.”

Let me know your thoughts,

His Servant Together With Him,

Steven Swaim
President and Founder, Be Devoted Ministries

(All Bible quotations are from the NASB)

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[1] http://bedevotedministries.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-did-we-start-confusing-community.html

[2] http://bedevotedministries.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-is-it-that-people-are-more.html

[3] http://bedevotedministries.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-is-it-that-people-are-more_05.html

[4] http://bedevotedministries.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-is-it-that-people-are-more_18.html

[5] http://bedevotedministries.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-is-it-that-people-are-more_30.html

[6] Acts 2:1-4, 14-36; 4:5-12, 31; 13:52

[7] http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/abounding-grace/read/articles/reaching-our-world-13474.html This teacher is an example of this mislead thought.

[8] I. Howard Marshall. The Tyndal New Testament Comentaries-Acts. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI. 1980. Pgs. 60-61

[9] Romans 10:14

[10] Romans 9:6

[11] Romans 11:17-24

[12] John Fuder, General Editor. A Heart For The City.  Moody Press, Chicago, IL. 1999. Pgs. 55-56 (On a personal note, if you are looking at a ministry in an urban community I would advise this book as needed reading.)

[13] K. P. Yahannan. Revolution In World Missions: One Man’s Journey to Change a Generation. Gospel for Asia, Carrollton TX, 2004.  Pg. 29.

[14] Ephesians 1:22-23

[15] Ephesians 5:18