Evangelism Coach

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Our primary model in our seminars for doing personal evangelism is Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

The basic premise:

When God "underlined" the eunuch for Phillip, (with "Go stand next to THAT chariot"), Phillip obeyed and found a spiritually thirsty person.  Phillip then began a conversation that lead to the eunuch coming to faith.

Our model is to encourage the same.  Notice who God underlines, position yourself in the right place, and then engage in a conversation.

In God’s sovereignty, a misdialed number:

Recently, I taught a seminar in a church, where the group had this as their practical assignment.  The testimonies that were shared in small groups were amazing — people found it easy to share their faith when they put themselves "next to" someone that God underlined, and began a conversation.

For example, the phone rang at a participant’s house.  The caller said, "Congratulations, and Happy Birthday."

"Well, I am very happy, but today is not my birthday.  I supposed you’ve got the wrong number" — she replied.

"Oh I’m sorry to have misdialed"

But before he hung up, she felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to say  "Even though today is not my birthday, I’m happy all the time because I know that today is another day that God has given me."

"You are a Christian lady?"

"Yes"

"I quit going to church many years ago, but recently been thinking about the mess my life has become .. . .  ." — the stranger confesses.

At that point, the conversation continues in a natural flow, with the stranger ultimately praying with the evangelism seminar participant to rededicate his life to the Lord and return to church.

You can do this!

This participant simply felt prompted to make such a statement that opened the conversation. 

Wondering if perhaps in God’s sovereignty the caller had misdialed, she threw out an opening line to see where the conversation might go. 

Simply, she took a risk with a stranger who crossed paths with her.

This is how simple evangelism can be — noticing who crosses your path in God’s sovereignty and engaging in a conversation.

Let me ask you this: 

Can you see who will cross your path today that God might be bringing you to connect with?

I completed the first of two part evangelism series for a church. 

It was my second workshop in Spanish, and I want to give thanks to God for a growing capacity to teach in Spanish.  While the grammar was not 100% perfect, I was told that I was understandable, and the church gave me great grace.  My family was with me, and we were treated to excellent and warm hospitality.

Part I — focused on our motives for evangelism, (for example: Evangelism Motives) and a brief introduction to the model of Phillip and the Ethiopian. 

As part of the presentation, I explain some of the richness of the Gospel and God’s loving pursuit of us.  The key elements of the gospel are part of the presentation.

I want to follow Jesus

What surprised me however, was a visitor walked up to Pastor afterwards and said he was ready to start following Jesus. 

He had been invited by a friend to come and hear the presentation and somehow with my limited Spanish, the Holy Spirit had convicted him of his need to follow Jesus.

My presentation was but one part of this man’s journey to faith, but last night he was as ready as the eunuch was in the Acts passage to start following Jesus.  There were many other parts and many other people.  It was last night that our paths intersected and he was ready to receive the Lord.

All I can say is wow.

In my previous conversation at the corner McDonald’s where I spent two hours discussing faith, the gospel, and the need for Jesus, my conversation partner brought up

Mathew 7: 13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

She talked about trying to walk the straight and narrow, but that it was difficult and full of problems. 

God has prepared the way

In God’s sovereignty, we talked at a moment where the circumstances of life were overpowering and she’s looking for God’s comfort.  It’s hard to communicate in words the emotional context of her struggle. 

A tired, single mother, working 2 if not 3 jobs, having the cost of living go up substantially, and struggling to keep her little family afloat and raise her infant child in these circumstances.

All of us have moments when we think the world is crashing.  Sometimes those are passing moments, and we get back up on our feet and plow ahead.  Sometimes, we take these anxieties before the Lord and ask him for His peace and move forward.

Other times, those moments are not passing and we remain in a state of anxiety, a restless mind that keeps us awake at night and peace is hard to find.  Though we might even have faith in Christ, the body remains restless.

We talked in a divinely appointed moment where the circumstances of life were crowding in.

Asking Questions

Many of the questions I asked felt inspired in the moment. 

They weren’t scripted, they weren’t part of my morning devotions.  Rather, they were prompted as a result of the kairos moment we were having on the 2nd floor in the corner McDonalds. 

This is God’s working, and being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

“Why is the narrow road better?” I asked.

“It just is what I’ve been taught, I don’t know why.  Because it leads to eternal life?”

“Eternal life is for mañana.  What difference do you think that makes right now?”

“I don’t know.”

God’s presence

She’s right, it does lead to eternal life.

But something I believe God showed me at the moment was that walking along the narrow way with Jesus is just that — he is with us. 

The narrow way is better NOW because God is with us.  

We can face the challenges of today with God’s presence.  No matter what the world throws at us, nor our circumstances, the narrow way is better because we can know and experience God’s presence.

One of the most amazing promises of the bible is this: “Lo, I will be with you until the end of the age.”

My testimony = My experience with God.

We discussed this promise at length.  She invited me to tell stories of how I know this to be true. 

My testimony wasn’t about how I came to know the Lord, but rather I came to know this verse to be true.  How I came to know that the narrow way is better because I can experience God’s presence.

I was the credible witness, a living example of someone who can experience God’s comfort in the midst of struggle.

The more I shared about knowing God’s presence, the deeper the conversation went.  The more evident the spiritual thirst became.  I could see God drawing this person to Himself.

The final question for this conversation

After spending the two hours talking about all sorts of things, this question rose to the surface.  In the relational context we had established, this question was normal, and non-threatening.

“What keeps you from following Jesus today?” I asked.

“Fear.”

“Fear of what? Can you tell me?”

I won’t go into some of the answers as that’s part of the private conversation.  Clearly, my conversation partner wants some more time to think, consider, wrestle, examine, pick your own verb.  She’s counting the cost.

Let me ask you this?

Would you join me in prayer for this person?

We know that God’s Spirit is at work in us as believers, training us, teaching us, and transforming us.

But, I also want to point out how the Holy Spirit prepares the way for evangelism to occur naturally.

Phillip and the Ethiopian

Consider Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.  Clearly the Spirit of God was at work in the life of the Eunuch. 

• He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.
• He was reading Scripture.
• He wanted someone to explain Scripture to him.

The eunuch had a spiritual thirst, created by the Holy Spirit, and he was busy searching to slake that thirst.  He was like the merchant looking for the fine pearl.

Easy Conversation

This was an easy conversation to for Phillip to participate in. 

He didn’t have to

• argue with a loud voice
• apologetically stand up for his faith
• use the 10 commandments as a hammer.
• verbally convince the eunuch of his sinfulness.
• spend 10,000 words arguing God’s existence.
• rationally defend against opposite worldviews.

The Holy Spirit had prepared the way.  The Holy Spirit had gone ahead of Phillip.

Both Sides of the Equation

There are two individuals involved in this story.  One seeking faith, and the other obediently positioning himself to share his faith.  Two sides of an equation.

The conversation would not have happened that day if both parties were not in the same GPS location at the same time, an encounter brought about in the sovereignty of God.

The Holy Spirit was working in Phillip and the Eunuch.  To borrow a phrase from my old algebra teacher, God was working “Both sides of the equation.”

As you do personal evangelism, notice how God is already at work in preparing the harvest field for you.  He has gone ahead of you!

Let me ask you this?

In your personal evangelism efforts, are you aware of God going ahead of you?  Are you noticing that when you are attentive to the Holy Spirit that you find those people where He is already at work?

Update:

• See our newest addition at: http://www.evangelismcoach.org/2008/10/the-holy-spirit-prepares-the-way
• Want to learn more about how to recognize these moments?  Consider getting a coach.  See Do You Need Evangelism Coaching?

Today, we begin a series entitled “God’s Heart for the Nations.”

Salvation is not just for individuals, but for the nations.

What burns in my heart as my passion in life, is to help the Church get passionate about evangelism and leading people into discovering their faith in Christ. I have spent hours, days, months, and even years reflecting on the question: Why bother with Evangelism? What drives me? What motivates me?

Well, one answer to that question is that I have “tasted” God’s heart for the nations. With a brief glimpse of God’s heart, my entire life direction has been transformed.

I have viewed heart warming slide shows of people of different cultures played to beautiful music, but that’s simply images. Anybody can move you with images and well placed music.

I have heard inspired sermons on God’s heart for the nations. 

I have traveled to over 10 different countries, all in Latin America with the exception of two weeks in Austria.

But even with that global experience, tear jerker missionary slide shows, calls to evangelism or mission services, there is still the question of “why should I throw my life into mission?”

Why upset the fruit basket of the comfort of our life and move to the mission field?

I got a glimpse God’s heart for the nations.

Nations

Darrow Miller reminds us in a study guide that Scripture has over 2000 references to “nations.” Every nation in the world will be impacted by God’s redemptive plan.

In the Old Testament, the primary usage for “nation” is the Hebrew word mishpachah, which means a family group, tribe, or clan.

The New Testament uses the Greek word ethnos, indicating a race, people, or ethnic group.

While reading the Bible, it’s important not to confuse the modern meaning for nation, which is a nation-state, with these biblical definitions.

“Ethiopia is a nation-state, but it’s home to nearly one hundred people groups or nations.”

God created the diversity of nations:

When I look at the creation accounts, I see diversity in God’s intent and design.

It says 9 times in Genesis 1, that he made the plants, fishes, and animals “of every kind.” When God created Adam and Eve, he created them male and female.

This creation, this diversity, was “very good.” It replaced the “formless and void” of Genesis 1:2.

We see in Genesis 10 the development of the different nations from the descendants of Noah, they move from clans, to nations, with different languages (10.4, 20, and 31). 10.32 says that “From these, the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.”

Chapter 10 of Genesis makes a historical sweep covering generations of history. Genesis 11, the tower of Babel, is like a snapshot in time that occurred – it elaborates the creation of the nations.

Before Babel, humanity was mono-cultural – one language, one culture group. But at Babel, God confused the languages of the people, and then scattered them “all over the earth” (v.9). Multiple nations were thus born.

Paul goes on to say in Acts: 17.26, “from one man, he made every nation on earth, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

In other words, God created the diversity nations.

Abraham’s calling: Genesis 12:1-3.

Then Abraham appears, Gen 12. He was one man, out of the man different nations that had been created. To Him, God states clearly his purposes for the nations through his redemptive plan.

God makes three promises to Abraham.

1. I will make you into a great nation.
2. I will make your name great.
3. I will bless you.

The men of Babel wanted to make their name great, and God confused their languages. Now, God is promising 1 man, from one nation, to make his name great.

In these promises, God has given Abraham a responsibility

“You will be a blessing, and all the nations on the earth will be blessed through you.” (12.3)

In one sentence, God has revealed his plan for the redemption of the world. At the end of time, every nation of the earth will be impacted. God’s heart is for the nations.

This promise was stated again and again in Genesis when the covenant was restated.

• Genesis 18:18: “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nations, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him”
• Genesis 22:18: “and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
• Genesis 26:4 “and through your offspring, all the nations on earth will be blessed” (said to Isaac)
• Genesis 28:14: “All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring” (said to Jacob – 3^rd generation)

The Goal of History: Revelation 7:9

While there are other verses we can look at along the way, let’s jump to the end of history as revealed to us in Revelation:

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.

This is the vision of the end of time. This is the destination of God’s story.

God’s plan of redemption that was unfolded through the nation of Israel, fulfilled in Christ’s work, and in the future will be a diverse gathering of people. God’s plan of redemption is not just individuals, but nations.

No matter what their skin color. No matter what their heritage. No matter what their income level. No matter what their language. Ultimately the nations of the earth will enjoy God’s presence in spite of any racial or cultural differences.

Let me ask you this?

(Questions come from Miller’s study guide)

You’ve been called by God to live where you are at the moment (Acts 17.26ff). Perhaps you are in your own country. Perhaps you live in a different nation because of a missionary calling.

• What are some positive attributes of your nation? From this list, what do you like best? Why? How does this affect you personally?
• What are some areas of brokenness of your nation? Which concerns you the most? How does this affect you personally?
• What are you doing to bring redemption to this area of brokenness? If no, why not? Are you ready to start doing something about it?
• Why do you think God has “determined this time set for you and the exact place where you should live” (Acts 17.26)?

Our definition of evangelism (from the PCUSA) has both:

• A message to share (”joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God)
• A destination (”calling people to . . . . . “)

The good news is the gospel.  This is what gospel means in its most basic form: “good news.”

However, we have developed a rich theological heritage around that word that gives it a more fuller meaning.  As such, we should ask “What is the gospel?”

What is the Gospel?

The PC USA definition of evangelism elaborates one aspect: “the good news of the sovereign love of God.”  It doesn’t contain a mention of sin (though indirectly in the call to action part in “to repentance”).

This week, I’m reading Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us, Scott McKnight.  It is subtitled “A Gospel for all of us.”  Scott is a prolific writer at www.JesusCreed.org and has a large following on his blog.  I had him as a exegesis professor during my studies at Seminary in the 1990s.  I’ve commented on him before (see category Scott McKnight).

In his introduction he writes that to get a conversation started among his students, he’ll ask the question “What is the gospel?”

He typically receives answers that fall into three categories:

• Jesus came to earth to die for my sins so I can be forgiven and go to heaven to be with God for eternity.
• Jesus came to liberate us from oppression, systemic evil, slavery, so there would be justice and peace.
• Being part of the church.

How does Scott’s answer the question?  It takes him the book to develop this:

“The work of God to restore humans to union with God and communion with others, in the context of a community, for the good of others and the world” (Introduction to Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us, xiii).

Scott’s answer goes beyond focus on the love of God and into restoration of covenant community. 

In fact, God’s destiny in history is a redeemed community (I’ll have more to say in a few weeks about this).

Let me ask you this?

How would you define gospel? (I can’t believe I’ve not asked this question here before).  I invite your comments.

See our prior posts

• Definition of Evangelism: What Evangelism Isn’t
• Part 1: What is Evangelism
• Part 2: Joyfully Sharing the Good News
• Part 3: The sovereign Love of God
• Part 4: Calling People to
• Part 5:
• More definitions of Evangelism 1
• More definitions of Evangelism 2
  

I read an awesome article this evening that lays out the relationship between Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Read it here: Offerings: Q & A: Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty.

As a pastor in the Presbyteiran tradition and a teacher of evangelism, the tension between human free will and God’s sovereignty is one that comes up so regularly .

If God elects, why bother with evangelism?

My simple answer to that is: We are commanded to go and make disciples.

But beyond being commanded, I share because I can’t believe what an outrageous grace has been offered to me. It’s a deal that seems too good to be true. When I realize what God has done for me, a passion to talk about it rises from within my heart. Put simply: I’m excited about Jesus! I want others to know.

I also read a list of things to keep in mind. Here I am, Send Me: A Reformed Approach to Evangelism.