Evangelism Coach

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In the course of my consulting and speaking at evangelism training workshops, I’ve encountered many churches that have very active outreach and community service programs:

• After school tutoring
• Shut in or Prisoner Visitation
• Habitat for Humanity work projects
• Medical outreaches for the community
• Participating in Crop Walks for Hunger Relief
• Food pantries, clinics, shelters for the homeless

These are just examples, and I am sure you can add hundreds more from your local community.

The questions I ask and we kick around in friendly discussion:

• Is that outreach?
• Is that evangelism?
• Is that home missions?
• Is that simply good deeds?
• Is that missional outreach?
• Is that marketing in disguise?
• Is that a demonstration of God’s love?

A cup of cold water

What is clear is that we have blurred the line between evangelism and outreach.  Discussions I’ve had bounce all over the map.

In some corners of the church, this is evangelism because it demonstrates the gospel.  No explanation needed.

Other corners argue this not evangelism because the gospel is not verbally shared.  It’s simply social action.

Depends on how you define your terms.

Acts of Christian service and charity, social outreach to your community are good and noble efforts.  Many are propelled theologically by the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), giving a cup of cold water to the least of these.

Yet what is it that separates your Christian service from that of the local Rotary club? 

What makes your acts of compassion different from my atheist friend who does community service through the Peace Corps?

How does the recipient know the difference? 

How do the recipients of your outreach interpret or give meaning to your outreach?

Meaning is not always clear

My friends in Panama tell me this story. 

Panama Olympian Irving Saladino won the first ever gold medal for this country during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing. 

The last medal won was 60 years ago and it was bronze.  Irving Saladino won the gold in the Long Jump competition.

During his jumps, nationally televised in Panama around 6.30 am,  the nation was at a virtual standstill.  People were watching it in groups at friend’s houses.  Taxi drivers had pulled over to side of the road to listen to the radio.  Everyone it seemed, went to work late.

On his two or three jumps, he wore one red shoe and one blue shoe, reflecting the national team colors.  However, on his next to last jump, he changed his shoes to a gold color.

The commentators and “man on the street” interviews all got excited:

• “He’s going for the gold”
• “He’s put on his lucky shoes”
• “He’s telling us this will be the gold medal jump.”  

They were applying meaning to the color change of shoes.

That jump turned out to be the gold medal winning jump.

The country erupted in celebration.  Facebook photos from my friends show lots of celebrations, cheering, and national happiness.  People on the street celebrated by blowing their car horns in celebration.  Crowds formed spontaneously on the street.  National productivity of the workforce shut down for the day as Panama won its first ever gold medal.

The meaning of the shoes? 

When asked by a reporter about what he was trying to communicate with his shoes, Saladino mentioned

that the laces in his red and blue pair got tangled up and he didn’t have the time to fix it. 

He put on his gold colored backup shoes so he wouldn’t be disqualified for being late to the starting line.

Very different meaning than what the nation watching on live television thought.

People gave it meaning based on their hopes, dreams, and worldview. 

Meaning is given if not provided

Bring that back to your church’s outreach. 

What might your recipients think about your outreach?

How can they tell that it is a “Cup of Cold Water given in My Name?”

In a post Wrestling with the Definition of Evangelism I mention:

Just this week, the dental assistant told me that it feels good to help people. 

I asked her “Why?”  No immediate answer, but enough to have her reflect. 

She’s unchurched. She didn’t know why people had black spots on their heads last Wednesday [for Ash Wednesday].

She could serve the poor, work for the Peace Corp, or any of the national volunteer mobilization organizations.  She simply feels good.  that altruistic motive propels many people.

But to the recipient, what separates her good service from that of the church?  How does the recipient know it is “In My Name?”

In my experience, meaning is naturally given if not supplied by the giver. 

Outreach in partnership with Evangelism

John Stott asks the question in Christian Mission in the Modern World.

Is social action (thanks to Timmy Brister for summary)

• A Means to evangelism
• A Manifestation of evangelism
• A Partner of Evangelism

Mark Dever has an interesting piece in Christianity Today, also points out what  “What Evangelism Isn’t.”  (adapted from his book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism).  Evangelism is not social action or public involvement (”They commend the gospel, but they share it with no one.”)

In What is Evangelism? – Part 3, which focuses on the “sharing” part of our Evangelism Definition, I mention:

During a health outreach our church did for its neighborhood, one unchurched person commented, “I don’t like to listen to sermons, today I saw one.”

Our service to the community was interpreted as we wanted – a tangible demonstration of the love of Christ that we have for our neighborhood.

It’s a witness to the world thru actions.

Yet that interpretation came about because we gathered all the volunteers at the beginning and I explained to them why we as a church are doing this outreach.

We are serving because God first loved us and we want to demonstrate that to the community.

Good works demonstrate our faith. 

Yet without any overt or clear explanation that our actions are propelled by God’s grace, what makes our good deed any different than what the local Lions club does or what good corporate citizens provide through their charitable foundations?

It’s not an either/or proposition for me.  Both social action and explanation via words are necessary forms of sharing. 

Deeds are love demonstrated, but a further explanation of the gospel is necessary to give meaning to our actions.  Otherwise, our actions are ripe for misinterpretation.

Practically what does this mean?

Many churches are actively engaged in good works in their community. 

Yet can their members explain their personal faith along the way?

Can churches train their members to grow comfortable talking about their faith with the people they are serving?

What if, as part of the planning for outreach events, the church provided a training opportunity about talking about your faith?

What if, as part of praying for the outreaches, the church also prayed that conversations about Jesus would happen?

What if, as part of serving the community, the people were able to provide meaning of their service by talking about their personal relationship with Christ?

These questions are on my mind as I prepare for the upcoming Transformation Pastor’s Conference. 

I will be presenting on what does Evangelism look like in a church that is undergoing revitalization or redevelopment.  One of my co presenters will be speaking of the missional direction of the church and the need for evangelism.

Let me ask you this?

Think about your church’s outreach.

In what ways can your church provide meaning to the recipients through the verbal sharing of your faith?

I invite your comments and reflections below.

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Recently, in late July, I was in Volcán Panama, teaching evangelism training workshops at the mission base of Operation Mobilization Panama.  Missionaries from 6 different countries had come to Volcán Panama for two months of working with the local church.

To double up the use of the time, I also had the opportunity to do personal evangelism training at an international bi-lingual new church development called Iglesia Casa De Luz (Lighthouse Church).

The OM Panama Base in Volcán

The OM Panama base is located at the end of a road in a residential neighborhood at the foot of a dormant volcano, Baru (pictured below, center rear).   I am told that from the peak of Baru, one can see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The town of Volcán is about 1500 meters in elevation (about 4900 feet).  The weather was a combination of clouds (we were in them some times), rain, and strong winds.  

At times the wind was biting cold.  Perhaps one doesn’t think of coats, hats, and sweaters for life in the tropics, but that is often a necessity here because of the wind.  It often blows with such strength that tree saplings are bent over and grow at an angle.  I saw several trees that had a graceful curve to them.  The air is pretty cool year round that most houses don’t have either a heating or air conditioning system installed.

The terrain was mostly rocky, with giant boulders that had been left from lava flows eons ago.  Roads were sometimes paved, sometimes littered with potholes, and sometimes not paved at all.  A 4×4 would be a good car to have in Volcán.

Casa de Luz — 3 keys for Explosive Church Growth

See a photo album at our Facebook Fan Page.

The church has experienced an explosion of adult conversion growth in recent months.  I met many people who had become a Christian within the last 6 months.  Some as recent as two weeks prior to these workshops.

I want to share 3 vital keys I observed in their growth.

Key #1: A passionate love for Jesus

It was clear to me when I met with this church that they have a vibrant relationship with Christ.  This is expressed in so many ways — in worship, in prayer, in giving, and in community involvement. 

The positive buzz about this church in the community is attracting those seeking all that Christ has to offer.  Word about this church’s love of the Lord and for its neighbor travels the social vines pretty quickly.

Key #2: A praying leadership

I attribute this growth to the dedicated prayer of the leaders.  Four mornings a week, the leadership team meets for prayer at 4.30am to pray for the church.  They meet in various houses and the host provides a little snack / coffee.

Those who make that prayer time reported to me what a blessing it was to be awake at that hour doing the work of the church and seeing its fruit.  Seeing the fruit of new believers in their midst reinforces their desire to make the sacrifice of prayer.

This is in contrast to other 12 churches in the town that are not experiencing such growth.

It’s not the intensity of the prayer, or the hour of their prayer.  This is an hour that works for them.

Rather, it is the discipline and commitment to prayer that has fueled the growth of this church.

Key #3:  A confidence in the Holy Spirit’s work

Conversion growth is a supernatural event. 

The Holy Spirit uses the church (and it’s people) to proclaim the gospel, and the Holy Spirit creates spiritual thirst or longing in the person seeking faith. 

Evangelism in this church is not a high pressure “we can’t go home until someone raises a hand” altar call.  Rather, people invite others to start following Jesus, trusting the Holy Spirit has set up the moment like Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.  Invitations are given not only on Sunday, but throughout the week in small groups or in personal conversations.

This church simply trusts God’s working through the Holy Spirit and as such is finding the “low hanging fruit” that is ripe for harvest.

First Evening: Small Group in David.

David is a major town about 45 minutes away (down the mountain) from the church.  The church has small groups in that area because of the distance that hinders regular large group meetings.  Pastor drives out to meet with them on a regular basis.

We met with some of the small group on the back patio of a house.  Most of those pictured to the right are new believers in the Lord who have come to faith in recent months.  Many had little to no bible knowledge when they came to faith, and are at the stage of faith where they are drinking in all they can get of the teachings about Jesus.

They have a passion for sharing their faith because of the tremendous impact that the Grace of God has had upon their life.  The particular training this evening was on the role of the Holy Spirit in evangelism.

After about 90 minutes of teaching time, we moved into a time of prayer ministry. 

We felt that God was leading us to pray for those who do not know Him, and to rejoice in the fact that God has saved us.

A surprise

I was surprised once again by the fact that a pre-Christian would come to a workshop on Evangelism.

However, here again, one lady came to the workshop on the invitation of a friend.  During the workshop, I had explained the gospel message, had explained how the Holy Spirit prepares our heart.

During the ministry time, she came forward on her own wanting to start following Jesus to come into her life. 

God had been already working in her heart, creating a spiritual thirst for Him, to bring her to a place where she knew her need and only Jesus could satisfy it.

We continued to minister in prayer to people for various prayer needs, such as a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, a passion for those who don’t yet know Christ, and some for physical healing.

2nd evening: Small group in Volcán

The second night, we repeated the same workshop on the Role of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism.  This time, was for the small group in Volcán.  A different set of people came from the local area, including an American lady who had retired and moved to Panama from the US with her husband only 4 months ago.

Again, after about 90 minutes of teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism, we moved into another powerful ministry time.  I was sick and fighting a cold, so the pastor lead the ministry time. 

We were led to pray for those who do not yet know Christ, for infilling of the Spirit again to be his witnesses, and particularly felt that God was giving prayer burdens for specific people groups.

3rd evening: Whole group in Volcán

The third evening, both groups from the first and second night gathered in Volcán for part two of the workshop series.  I had recovered from being ill the day before and was much more sensitive to God’s working.

This evening, the teaching focused on paying attention to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to guide you in your evangelism efforts.  It is a variation on the “Fear Free Evangelism” workshop that I offer to churches in the United States. 

It uses Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch as a model of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to position yourself in the right place at the right time.

Afterwards we moved into another moving and important time of prayer ministry. 

Four or five more people came forward to ask Christ into their life, including the two children of the woman who invited Christ into her life in David, two nights before.  We felt led again to be praying for all sorts of things under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

One lady, who had only been a Christian for two weeks, came forward for prayer.

I felt led to pray for physical healing, and physically felt God was working.  I’ve have learned to recognize when God is using me to do a healing work and those signs were present.  I initially was praying for healing, not knowing what for.  After a while, I asked her specifically what for and she reported having some tumors.  As I continued to pray, she reported the physical sensation of her tumors being pulverized, and felt God’s healing upon her.  Of course, we’ll wait for medical verification, but we are confident in God’s healing work.

Saturday: Youth Group meeting

Saturday night, we participated in a Youth Group meeting, together with OM Mission Extreme Team that I had been training during these days.

We had a program that focused on a call to missions, to get beyond the mediocrity of casual Christianity and into giving yourself fully to God’s service no matter where that may take you. 

For some, it involves a short term trip in a foreign country.  For others, like us, perhaps moving to a foreign country.  For still others, it might be in your local neighborhood.   If you have a passion to reach the world that is not geared towards one specific people group, then perhaps you are called to be a missions mobilizer — helping others reach their dream of reaching the nations for Christ.

Sunday morning: Worship service

The final day of ministry wrapped up with preaching at Casa de Luz, using a message on Psalm 51. 

It’s a bi-lingual church so much of the service is translated.  It meets on a covered carport because it doesn’t have a building to meet in.

Many of these people are new believers in Christ and God is doing a wonderful work there.

It was a beautiful morning.  The punishing breezes of Volcan had calmed and the clouds had lifted so that we were warmed in the bright sunlight of that morning.

The message focused on the punishing burden of sin, and the freedom that is found in Christ’s forgiveness.

It is a message that naturally led into a time of repentance and rededication.  The time of prayer ministry after the preaching lasted about 30 minutes and had several highlights.

People came forward for prayer about personal repentance, to give or rededicate their life to the Lord.

Others came forward for prayer as well, and several families spent time seeking forgiveness from each other for the broken ways they had been behaving.

A son sought forgiveness from his father and mom, praying for them as well.

A mom sought forgiveness from her daughter for how she had been behaving.

Brothers and sisters asked to be reconciled to each other.

One family, after being away from the Lord for two years, visited church for the first time and rededicated their life to the Lord.

Others, including one lady from the local indigenous tribe, came forward to give her life to the Lord.  She also sought prayer for her sick child.

Final Reflections

God is doing amazing work with this church.  I am humbled to have been a part of it.  I don’t claim any special power, but am simply a vessel in God’s purposes.  I may have the gift of evangelism, but am humbled every time God chooses to use me in leading someone to faith in Christ.

I don’t claim to have any special ability.  But rather I’m an available tool that God has chosen to use, and one that has been positioned at the right place at the right time.

I wasn’t in Volcán on my own doing, but in the sovereignty of God, the door opened and I was there to participate in a work that God was already doing.

What a privilege to see more souls come into the kingdom, to see people experience the power of God, and to ignite the church in the power of the Holy Spirit for missions.

Full online Photos:

You can see the full photo album at our Facebook Fan Page. 

We are also available to do workshops for your local church or for your local area.  Contact us for more information.

If you want to be involved in supporting the international work of EvangelismCoach.org, tax deductible donations can be made to support our work.  See our support us page. 

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Coming up in a few weeks, I’ll be teaching at a missions base in the Far west of Panama. 

I’ll be training missionaries in their concentrated lecture phase before they begin a 6 week outreach working in partnership with local churches among some of the unreached groups in Panama.

This has led me to reflect on different forms of evangelism. 

Conversational

Conversational evangelism is one form of evangelism. 

You talk one-to-one with a person for a while about deep spiritual things and perhaps get to explain the gospel.  Your conversation is one of several that God has brought about in the life of the person being witnessed to. 

This form of evangelism happens over a period of time, and requires fluency in the same language, and assumes that you can communicate as equals about spiritual things.

Children

You wouldn’t do the same for child evangelism.  Your conversation would be at a different level, or perhaps more at a teaching level.  The style is different.  You means of communication is different.  You might use object lessons or story telling to communicate the essence of the gospel.

Cross Cultural

I’ve been thinking recently about how would I explain the Gospel to an unreached people group?  If I had 6 weeks or 6 years?  What if they didn’t have a written language? 

If I am privileged to train missionaries going to work 6 weeks among unreached peoples in the jungles of Panama, how I can prepare them for effective short term work in partnership with the local church?

Are there ways of communicating the gospel in a short term setting like this?  Different worldviews for starters.

I am sure the question has been asked and answered in many different ways by mission groups all around the world during the last 100 years.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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Evangelism Training Podcast:

Overflow Podcast Show
A 5 minute podcast on how you can overflow into your non-Christian friends lives. Overflow is the best ideas from the best books on evangelism.  Subscribe through iTunes.  From  Godsquad.com

Improve Search Ranking for your Church’s Website

I was introduced to a company that helps churches optimize their website and helps them place higher in search engines.  As a result of better search rankings (and a newly redesigned website last fall) some churches report seeing more new visitors to our church than ever before.  See Optimize Your Church’s Search Rankings Case Study page at Church Marketing Online.

In American culture, many would look online for information before they’d pick up a phone book, before they’d drive to the church on the corner.  If somebody was looking for a Presbyterian Church in Richmond — would your church’s website appear in the search Engine?  What might a visitor think of your church’s website?

Ministry Marketing Coach series

Chris Forbes of MinistryMarketingCoach.com (who has contributed a guest article here on ministry followup) wrote a great post about the our cooperative role in Evangelism.  We participate in the work the God is doing. 

Some have made evangelism such a passive sport, thinking it will happen all its own.  Chris’ contention is that there is a role that the evangelist plays, like a farmer who has to nurture the soil, SO THAT the plant can grow.  Check out: We need people to witness

Baptists fret over Calvinism’s impact on missions and evangelism

Interesting Statistics about Reformed theology causing a problem in Baptist life.  Check out Tiptoe thru the TULIP. 

Can Calvinist and non-Calvinist Baptists work and worship together?

It depends, some advocates of Reformed theology say, on whether Christians on both sides are willing to tiptoe through the TULIP — the acronym for five doctrinal specifics that mark Calvinism — without stomping on anyone’s flower bed.

PC USA Poised to Grow World Missions

I’m glad to see this article about PC USA Missions.

A proposed 2009-2010 General Assembly Mission Budget – which would increase the number of full-time, financially supported mission workers from the current 196 to 215 in 2009 and 220 in 2010 – was recently approved by the General Assembly Council (GAC).

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Every now and then, I put up a series of links that simply reflect some of the reading that I do.  

• Nathan Eshleman at Presbyterian Thoughts raises a provocative question about how the Church and Illegal Immigrants.  Having personally been involved in the immigrant community, and where my church is unable to send a mission team overseas, this question is personal.  The Church needs to get involved in the just treatment and compassionate care for immigrants.

• Tony Jones reposts a Response to Critics about Emergent Village, by Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Spencer Burke, Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Andrew Jones, Chris Seay.  Downloadable as a PDF.

• Jason McNutt writes “Hot Dog’s for Jesus.“  This is a great practical idea to serve the neighborhood and build relationship with it.  Servant projects like this can provide a lot of moments for causal conversations about faith that can be part of a person’s journey to faith.

• Eric Jones compiles a list of questions about raising mission minded children.

• Here’s an article about “downsizing” the Sunday service for the sake of mission.  Reduce the time and effort that needs to be put into the Sunday service in order to allow more time for leaders to “rub shoulders” with non-Christians during the week.  (Thanks to Benjamin Sternke).

• Confessing Evangelical writes a great post about evangelism methods and techniques, with a great quote from a speaker he writes about:

“Is your life the sort of life that makes people ask questions about God, and is your conversation the sort of conversation that answers them?”

Have a great weekend!

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In part I of God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw God’s heart for the nations, and how reaching the nations is part of God’s ultimate plan.

In part II of God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw how the Father initiates in the choice of Israel to begin the process of redemption.

In part III of God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw how the Son accomplished the work of reconciliation.

In this final part, we’ll layout briefly how the Holy Spirit applies that reconciliation to us, and empowers us to fulfill God’s plan.

The end of history

The Bible points us to the goal of human history:  Revelation 7:9

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

Regardless of skin color, flag, economic condition, gender, nationality, the people from every nation, tribe, people and language will be in worship.

We will enjoy the presence of those from Columbia, from Russia, from Australia to Uganda.  From Canada to Argentina.  Israelis who worship Jesus, Saudi’s who worship Jesus.

How do we get there from here?  Looking at world events, how does one get beyond ethnic slaughter, genocide, and other atrocities before reaching God’s goal of History?

The Holy Spirit  Empowers the Church

The disciples were unable to transform the world. 

Jesus had given them a command to go to all nations in Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

But they couldn’t do it.  How would a little rag tag band of 11 disciples reach the nations, going, making, baptizing, and teaching?

Instead, Jesus promised to give them the Holy Spirit, not so they could have psychedelic trips of charismatic spirituality.  Rather (Acts 1.8)

. . . so that you may be my witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to participate in God’s plan of drawing the nations to that day when the all the saints will worship.

On that day of Pentecost, it was a multi-national gathering.  The Nations had already gathered for a different reason.  The Holy Spirit was poured out, and the people heard the praises of God in their own language.  God was glorified.  It was a foretaste perhaps of Revelation 7:9.

On the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, the nations heard the praises of God.

We are to be a blessing to the Nations. . . . .

We have received the Holy Spirit within us at conversion. 

Some of us have received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit upon us to be equipped for ministry.

We are not filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can feel stoned in the presence of Jesus.

We are filled to be a witness to the ends of the earth.

Back to the Father’s Heart for the Nations.

We are back at the beginning. 

The Father has worked his plan to pursue the nations.  Christ accomplished what the Father has desired.  The Holy Spirit applies that work of Christ, and empowers us to participate in God’s plan for the redemption of nations.

A whole Christ for my salvation, a whole Bible for my staff, a whole Church for my fellowship, a whole world for my parish.
                                                         —St. Augustine

A Closing Prayer

Give us your heart for the nations,
let us be light to the world;
use us to declare your salvation to the people of the earth.

May we be moved by compassion,
let us know your love for the lost;
Lord, use us to lead them to the cross.

Father, here we are,
standing in your presence;
send us forth to lead them to the cross.

“Heart for the Nations” by Martin Nystrom and Gary Sadler. 1994 Integrity’s Hossanna! Music/ ASCAP.

Let me Suggest this?

Spend a few moments in prayer, asking God for His heart for the nations.  Salvation is not about you.  He wasn’t thinking of “you, above all.”  Rather, God wants to use you in His plan to reach the nations.

 

God’s Heart for the Nations Series

Part I of God’s Heart for the Nations
Part II of God’s Heart for the Nations
Part III of God’s Heart for the Nations

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In part I of God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw God’s heart for the nations, and how reaching the nations is part of God’s ultimate plan.

In part II of God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw how the Father initiates in the choice of Israel to begin the process of redemption.

Today, we’ll focus in on how the Son accomplishes the redemption that will be for the nations.

In the film, “Finding Nemo,” Nemo’s father goes looking for Nemo at all costs.   It’s an act of pursuing love.  It can be a wonderful parable about the Father’s love and pursuit of us. 

Lost people matter to God.

Jesus uses the word “Lost” so I’m not ashamed to use it when appropriate.  We see the parable of the Lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son in Luke 15 as parables of the Father’s heart for his children.  We see that Jesus came to seek and save the Lost.  We read that Jesus had to go through Samaria to reach the Samaritan woman.  Lost people are not a nebulous them. 

They are people with faces, names, and people that we know.

The Father’s Heart

He longs that no one should perish (1 Tim 2.4).  In fact, God so loved the world that he gave His only son (John 3.16), not to condemn the world, but to save it.  The lake of fire was not prepared for humanity, but for the devil and his angels.

God’s Solution

God was pleased — so it says in Colossians 1:19-20.

The verb “please” has in it’s root the idea of taking a decision because of the intended pleasure from carrying out the decision.

You can be pleased by surprise or by intent.

If I tasted a food that I have never tasted before, I might find something tasty and be pleased by surprise.

Or I might be surprised by a rotten flavor that I may never want to have in my mouth again.

One can be pleased by intent.

After walking in the hot sun in the afternoon, I know that my body will be refreshed and cooled by jumping into a swimming pool. Knowing that the outcome of my decision will produce pleasure, I will make that decision. Or put it this way.  I know the caffeine buzz I will get by drinking a morning cup of coffee.   Knowing that pleasure is coming, I drink my coffee.  I’m pleased by intent.

Consider this:

Was God pleased by accident?

Or was God pleased by intent?

Did the incarnation bring God a surprise? Or was it his plan that he foreknew would bring him joy to send his son into the world?

Two aspects to the Father’s pleasure

God’s pleasure came as a result of

First – the incarnation. “To have all of his fullness dwell in Christ.” God became man.  That’s an act of pursuing Grace.

Second – the purpose.  “To reconcile to himself all things.” To restore to himself the fallen creation.  That’s an act of pursuing Grace. 

All things — nations, peoples, individuals.

To every nation

This blessing of God can be offered to every nation on earth – offering reconciliation, hope for healing, and hope for restoration. Abraham’s offspring will continue to bless the nation.

It is the work of the Son that makes this possible.

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