EvangelismCoach

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The Missions Impulse — Gathering the Nations

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. – Psalm 57:9

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. –  Psalm 67:1-2

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. — Psalm 96:3

Here is a simple observation that fuels our work:
Latin America Map

1.  The Heart of God the Father.

Instead of asking, what motivates us to missionary work, the starting question should be:

“What motivates God?”

Why would God provide me reconciliation through Jesus?

Was it just because of his love?

Or because of a greater plan in the heart of God?

Is my reconciliation simply because God loves me, or because God wants to use me towards a greater purpose?

Why would God choose to work with me, as a redeemed individuals?

As I’ve meditated on Scriptures with this question, my answer seems to be that

God the father has a heart for the nations.

I am a part in cooperating with God to fulfill God’s plan to gather the nations.

I’ve written about this elsewhere

2.  The Plan of God: Gathering the Nations.

Revelation 7:9-11 gives us a perfect picture of the fruit of nation gathering.  Every tribe, every tongue.

The end of Revelation shows us the complete picture of the redeemed multicultural community and the complete fulfillment of “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The fruit of grace — my reconciliation — gives me the ability to cooperate with God in gathering the nations.

My labor in God’s kingdom is all part of this larger work — to gather the nations.

I’m not saved and reconciled simply because God loves me, but moreover, because God wants to use me in gathering the nations.

3.  We work in cooperation with God’s plan.

We are called to declare the praises of God and his among the nations. (Psalm 96).

As I mediate on that verse, I’m reminded once again that for people to hear our declarations of praise, we must participate in the gathering of the people.

  • For some, that is working in multicultural church like I helped plant in my home city.
  • For others, that is working among immigrants.
  • For still others, that is working among your own people group.
  • For us, that is working in other countries, particularly in Latin and South America.

Our particular calling

This larger vision carries us through the awesome times, as well as the lean times, in our ministry.

This is what gets me on airplanes to teach in your church, to inspire a new wave of passion for your calling, and to give myself away in Latin America in the missions side of our calling (An example: Our work in Nicaragua, January 2010).

Our calling to provide evangelism and missions training to churches through out the Americas is our particular expression of ministry to cooperate with God’s plan to gather the nations.

  • To encourage individuals to reach people for Christ and give them adequate training to do so
  • To encourage churches to grow in reaching their communities, and help them plan to do so.
  • To train missionaries who wish to work cross culturally among other people groups
  • To assist churches who want to send teams to Latin America to cooperate with local churches.
  • To plant a church for immigrants in my city.

You have your own particular expression.

  • Some of you are called to give to missions to enable this work.
  • Some of you are called to short term or long term missions.
  • Some of you are called to help or lead your church in the work of mission.
  • Some of you are called to launch businesses that fund missions work.

As you look at your current calling, how does it fit with God’s plan to gather the nations?

Let me ask you this?

If you are feeling a little stale in your ministry, take a reflective look at your ministry and ask yourself — how am I cooperating with God’s plan to gather the nations?

How does your particular ministry expression cooperate with God’s plan to gather the nations?


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So Precious that I have to tell

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. 1 Peter 2:7

What is precious?

I’ve been pondering this word in my devotions this week while looking at the current difficult circumstances of my life.

Are the challenges I face now worth the price of my calling to follow my Savior?

Is following Jesus worth it?

Some of these challenges are the direct result of launching this ministry to an international level in the Americas.

  • Hours of travel by plane and bus and cars.
  • Living by offerings, monthly support, and conference fees.
  • Speaking in dangerous places in Latin America where personal safety is not guaranteed.
  • Leaving my house at 4 am to teach all day and get home by 1:30am.
  • Learning to communicate, preach and teach in Spanish.
  • Other discomforts and challenges that affect my family that we didn’t have before 2007.

Are these challenges worth the price of our calling to follow my Savior?

Yes.

My relationship with Christ is the most precious thing in my life.  Obedience to His calling brings our family joy.

Seeing the fruit of this calling brings with it a deep reward that is indescribable.

When a person pulls me aside and tells me how they’ve been impacted by our teaching — it’s all worth it.

When people ask me “How can I start following Jesus too?”  It’s all worth it.

A piece of furniture

BookcaseIn 2006, I built a book case out of oak lumber.

Three base cabinets, with sunken panel doors on a platform base.  On top of the cabinets, I built three shelf units.  All trimmed out.

This was a gift for my wife.  Built it for Mother’s Day.  See it in our living room against the wall.

Took months to build it. About $800 in materials.

With a labor of love, I made sure the miter joints were flush, the doors opened correctly, and the cabinets were square.

I had built tables (including the one on the right), the checkerboard on the table, some little boxes, and a few other things, but never before had I tried to build and finish a project like this.

It’s just a piece of furniture right?

No.

This furniture is precious.

  • So precious that we cannot put a value on it.
  • So precious that it moved with us when we moved to our current city.
  • So precious that we tell all who see it that it was built by my hands as a gift for my wife.

So precious that we tell

Peter declares that to us who believe, that stone is precious.

Of what value to you is your relationship with Jesus?

The question stirring in my heart during my devotions this week is “just how precious is the Savior to me?”

The more I explore the depths of that value, the meaning of that word, I notice something bubbling from inside of me.

I want to tell somebody.

Because my relationship with my Savior is so precious, I want other people to know.  Just like we take pride in revealing to others that I built that bookcase, I take pride in telling others about how precious is my relationship with the Lord.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. 1 Peter 2:7

Let me ask you this?

How can you express the preciousness of Jesus today?  Take a moment and reflect.

For some of you, you may discover the same thing I did: I want to tell somebody.

I want to speak of His activity in my life.  I want to tell others about why He means so much to me.

Learn how to share this passion through the 5CD set that you can get through the banner below.


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Hitchhikers Guide to Evangelism Webinar Follow Up

hitchhikers-cover

Listen to the Hitchhikers Guide to Evangelism replay here.

In this FREE online webinar, author and church growth consultant Bill Tenny-Brittian of 21st Century Strategies Inc will share practical steps to

  • Overcome your fear of messing up.
  • Find confidence to explain the value of your faith.
  • Talk about your faith journey, walk, or conversion experience

Bill Tenny-Brittian, the senior editor of Net Results magazine, the nation’s oldest and boldest Church Growth and Evangelism magazine, and will join me, Chris Walker, of www.EvangelismCoach.org in discussing this part of his new book: Hitchhiker’s Guide To Evangelism.

Here are the resources mentioned in the EvangelimsCoach webinar this evening.

An Unspoken Plea — “Don’t Call me Lost”

Unspoken Plea

Bill Tenny-Brittian:

Bill’s Blog: BillTennyBrittian.com

Books:

Twitter: Follow Bill On Twitter

Church Talk Radio: Listen to Church Talk Radio (Site updated from BlogTalkRado to Church-Talk.com)

Download the slides:

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Webinar Slides Hitchhikers Guide 72.16 KB

My audio CD set on Personal Evangelism

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10 Devotional Questions about Your Evangelism

  1. When was the last time you had a conversation about faith with someone who wasn’t a Christian?
  2. What was the last book on evangelism that you read?
  3. When was the last time you preached (or heard) a series on evangelism?
  4. When was the last time you took the initiative to greet a first time visitor, and took the time to converse with them, beyond the handshake?
  5. How would you answer the question from a non-Christian: “Why do you believe in Jesus?”
  6. When was the last time you prayed for your neighbor to know Christ like you know him?
  7. How many friends do you “do life with” that do not know Jesus?
  8. How many Bible studies or church events do you go to that keep you too busy to be with non-churched people?
  9. What gospel scripts have you learned and are ready to use at a moment’s notice?
  10. Who are the new believers in your church that you can help coach in evangelism?

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Compelled to share the gospel?

Paul writes:

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor 9.16)

Compelled to share the gospel: Do I have to?

BoundHands

I’ve seen people write about this verse as if being a witness is a necessity, as if it’s a obligation.

  • Since we are Christians, we are obligated to share.
  • God requires it of us.
  • We are forced to do it.

The connotation, however, is often negative.

  • A dictator compelling people to agree with him.  It doesn’t matter what you think, you must obey.
  • A parent compelling a child to clean his/her room.  The child doesn’t want to, but eventually the child grudgingly complies.

Are we involved in personal evangelism because God REQUIRES it of us?

On the one hand, Evangelism is a Christian duty and obligation.

But should we fulfill our obligation because we HAVE TO or because we WANT TO?

Compelled to share the gospel: I want to.

I think there is a different sense in the word “compel.”

I’ve noticed over my Christian life:

the more vibrant my relationship with Jesus, the more vibrant and vocal my evangelism is.

Out of the overflow of my heart my mouth speaks.

Sharing good news — simply spills out of me.

It’s not something I do.  It’s part of who I am.

I am a witness.  I’m excited about what God is doing in my life, and I’m excited to share.

I am compelled to share because I’m deeply grateful for what God has done for me.

I can’t help but to talk about God’s activity in my life.

It becomes easy to invite others to “Come and See.”  It becomes easy to point out the activity of God.  It becomes easy to talk about my faith in respectful conversations with my friends who do not follow Jesus.

Greek Speak: a divine necessity

The Greek word translated “compel” has a wide range of meaning found in the NT, including the sense of coercion.

But in this verse, it’s a divinely ordered necessity in the purposes of God.

It is an action of our free will that we can’t help but to do.

By the calling laid on Paul, he can’t help but to preach the gospel.  The desire of his heart is so strong that out of its overflow, he freely speaks.

Let me ask you this?

What do you feel when you read Paul’s line in 1 Cor 9.16?  How vibrant is your relationship with Christ?

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Why do you do Evangelism?

At a recent teaching session at YWAM Panama, the students gave the following list of answers:

  1. Obedience to the Great Commission
  2. If you have something so awesome, why not share it?
  3. God gave us a compassion on the lost.
  4. Hell.
  5. Pastor says so
  6. Fill the pews.
  7. Obedience
  8. Selfish not to share.

Some others that I’ve heard over the years:

  1. We are losing members and need new ones.
  2. I might be the only person in their life to explain the gospel to them.
  3. Your friend might die on their way home tonight so share!
  4. We need more money from new donors.

The list isn’t exhaustive, but I’d love your recommendations to add to the list.

Let me ask you this?

Why do you do evangelism?  Consider posting your answers in the comments portion.

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