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Book Review: A Plan to Revitalize a Church’s Passion for Evangelism

Bob Farr booksOne frustrating problem for small church pastors is leading a church that has no desire to share their faith.   How does that pastor begin to change that and overcome the natural resistance to personal evangelism?

If a pastor had no training in personal evangelism (which is likely if the church is a mainline denomination), then how does a pastor lead evangelism when the pastor may have very little personal experience? [Read more…] about Book Review: A Plan to Revitalize a Church’s Passion for Evangelism

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The urgency of the gospel in personal evangelism

TheEndisNearA driving force behind personal evangelism is a sense of urgency.

Without a sense of urgency, evangelism loses one of its core motivations.

Without a sense of urgency, the persecutions that believers suffer for the sake of the gospel becomes something to be avoided.

The urgency of the gospel has propelled missionaries to all corners of the earth, often at sacrificial cost to their own lives, employment, and family.

Are we busy with trivial things?

We are busy in our churches with many affairs.

We appoint committee members who are focused on administrative issues.

We discuss issues ranging from the color of hymnals, women in ecclesiastical office, brand of coffee makers, proper liturgy and what constitutes outreach.

Some committees simply treat evangelism as a hobby, rather than an actual team doing the work of evangelism (not all!).

Many of these concerns are legitimate.

But we may become so preoccupied with so many diverse interests that we lose sight of God’s main interest – His desire that none should perish.

Bible verses that support the urgency of evangelism

The urgent call to share the gospel. . Bible Verses for sharing the urgency of the gospel

The following Bible verses and themes are often used to justify the urgency of personal evangelism.

Jesus is coming back.  Jesus, the One who says these things are true, says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!.  – Revelation 22:20 (NCV).

World evangelism will signify the return of Jesus. The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14 (NCV)

Hell is real for those who don’t know Jesus. And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire – Revelation 20:15 (NCV)

But cowards, those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.  Revelation 21:8 (NCV).

The harvest is ready now.  You have a saying, ‘Four more months till harvest.’ But I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields ready for harvest now. – John 4:35 (NCV)

We are to warn. When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ you must warn them so they may live. If you don’t speak out to warn the wicked to stop their evil ways, they will die in their sin. But I will hold you responsible for their death.  If you warn the wicked and they do not turn from their wickedness or their evil ways, they will die because of their sin. But you will have saved your life –Ezekiel 3:18-19 (NCV)

So today I tell you that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.  – Acts 20.26 (NCV)

So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ – Colossians 1:28

The Lord says, “Shout out loud. Don’t hold back. Shout out loud like a trumpet. Tell my people what they have done against their God; tell the family of Jacob about their sins. – Isaiah 58:1

Personal Responsibility.  Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News – 1 Corinthians 9:16

Sin is universal.  There is no one who understands. There is no one who looks to God for help – Romans 3:11 (NCV).

Christ is the sure remedy for sin. Christ took away the curse the law put on us. He changed places with us and put himself under that curse – Galatians 3.13 (NCV).

Today is the day of salvation.  I tell you that the “right time” is now, and the “day of salvation” is now. – 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NVC)

Is it your fault if people don’t hear?

I believe there is one argument in often used in the urgency of evangelism that must be forever removed from our teaching.

If someone dies before you share the gospel with them, it’s your fault they are in hell.

I’ve heard this expressed in different ways to soften it’s destructive blow.

The phrase – It’s your fault -is often hidden or unspoken to soften it’s blow.  It’s implied.

No matter how it’s phrased, this blame placing motivator to urgency is guilt driven.  Examples:

  • If you think a person needs 29 conversations with you before getting to the gospel, woe to you if they die before the 28th conversation.
  • You might be the only Christian witness a person might ever see.

I think this guilt driven approach to urgency needs to be banned from our teaching.

It undermines the sovereignty of God, since you failed God’s ability to save.

It undermines the drawing work of God, since it implies that you are the only one ever in the life of that person to witness to the Good News.

It undermines the witness of the body of Christ, making you to be the only witness when other church members or believing friends could be in their life.

It undermines God as the author of salvation, since this makes salvation of someone else dependent upon your obedience.

I cannot stand this teaching.  I believe it is harmful and guilt inducing.

Let’s get rid of the “it’s your fault” teaching when we teach on gospel urgency.

How does urgency affect evangelism?

I have great sorrow and always feel much sadness. I wish I could help my Jewish brothers and sisters, my people. I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from Christ if that would help them. – Romans 9:2-3

Paul had a sense of urgency to his message.  In the letter to the Romans, he expresses it with the words:

  • great sorry
  • Feel much sadness

Do I feel that way about family, neighbors, classmates, friends, or even strangers who are headed for a lost eternity?  Do I grieve for them?

Are there people I desperately want to see come to Christ, or come back to him?

Am I willing to lay down my life, and even my resources, so that they might know that there’s hope?

It’s a very different emotional motivator than guilt.

Now, getting the gospel to as many people as possible is our urgent task.

  • Is it urgent because hell is real?
  • Is it urgent because we know Jesus is coming?
  • Is it urgent because we must warn people about hell?
  • Is it urgent because someone might die and live eternally separated from God because you didn’t share?

I’ve been thinking about motives recently.

I wonder,how does gospel urgency impact our personal evangelism?

Do we go to the streets with tracts and open air preaching?  Do we preach a message of warning to passer-by who don’t hear the solution?  Do we preach about God’s love to passer-by who don’t hear the problem?

Do we strive to speak in front of as many crowds as possible, a la Billy Graham or Cash Luna?  (Not everyone is a gifted public speaker).

Do we make time in our schedule to talk about faith with strangers in the park, 1-1, with a scripted conversation, a la Way of the Master or Evangelism Explosion?

Do we find ways to share our faith at work, without being obnoxious, or other relational ways to open up faith sharing conversations?

Do we study books on apologetics to provide a rational foundation for our faith sharing discussions, a la Ravi Zacharias?

Let me ask you this?

How does one balance the urgency of the gospel with the time it takes to share the gospel in a friendship?

How does one balance the urgency of the gospel with the dreaded feeling of guilt that you’ve not done enough?

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Video: How to Maintain a Passion for Evangelism

Once you light a flame, it only burns so bright.

Then, without fresh fuel, it will fade.

This week in my devotional time, I came across this question from Mark Mittelberg:

What pours gasoline on the evangelistic fire in your heart? What do you need to do to pour on a gallon or two today?

[Read more…] about Video: How to Maintain a Passion for Evangelism

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Audio Sermon: The Forgiven Prostitute

The story of the prostitute who crashed the Pharisee’s party has often captured my attention.

I’ve often wondered what triggered such an emotional response in her that she’d break all protocol and wipe the feet of Jesus with her tears. (Read more about the prostitute of Luke 7 in my sermon notes: Who do you see?)

In my evangelism teaching, I often ask

How can I find that same passion that leads to the spontaneous worship of Jesus?

What triggered that passion in this prostitute?

In an earlier post on a wrestling with a definition of evangelism, I noted:

I see Jesus asking questions of the heart as in the story of the Good Samaritan, or talking with the woman at the well.

I see Jesus forgiving people.

A prostitute who hears “come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” finds forgiveness and anoints the feet of Jesus with perfume and her tears.  She was forgiven much, she loves much.  So much that she breaks all sorts of social protocol and wrecks someone’s dinner.

To a woman caught in adultery – “Who condemns you, neither do I.”  To a teenager broken over sex outside of marriage – there is hope in that story that she or he can be restored to God.

I see Jesus seeking after people, Zacchaeus in a tree.  With a little sanctified imagination, I can imagine that Matthew was at that dinner as well, a life transformed as a witness to Zacchaeus.

The four points we typically scripted outline are not recorded in any whole outline in the teachings of Jesus.  He invites well known sinners to come and see, come and follow.  . . .

I wonder how we as Christians can recapture that sense of invitation: “come and see this man” (Samaritan), “Come and see” (Nathaniel), “Come unto Me” (Jesus).  How as a church can we create that place where people can investigate, explore, and discover?

Sermon on the Prostitute of Luke 7

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Who do you see? Do you have the eyes of Jesus?

Yesterday, I returned from doing ministry training in Nicaragua.

We worked with nearly 200 ministry leaders from 6 different Central America countries plus the United States.  Our team had some plenary sessions during the training camp.

Here is a summary of the message I gave the last night.

These are more notes, rather than a manuscript.

Calling of saint matthew
Caravaggio: The Calling of Matthew, Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

Who did Jesus see?

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9

We know little about Matthew, other than that he was a tax collector.  From historical studies as well as biblical evidence, we can assume certain things about him.

  • He was not well-liked.
  • Often written off.
  • Assumed to be a thief by many people.
  • Pharisees grouped him with sinners.

When Jesus saw Matthew – what did He see?

A future disciple.

As an evangelist, I long to see people who are as ready to follow Jesus as Matthew was that day.

When I do encounter people who are ready to start following Jesus, it’s a great joy to be part of that process helping them start.

Who did the Pharisees see?

Matthew had Jesus over for dinner, and more tax collectors and other “sinners” showed up.

People who would likely never walk into a synagogue of that day, nor a church in our day.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Matthew 9:11

When the Pharisees saw Matthew – what did they see?

A sinner.

A Prostitute or a Worshiper

A prostitute crashes dinner and pours out her gratitude on the feet of Jesus.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner. Luke 7:39

Who did the Pharisee see? – A sinner.

Who did Jesus see? A redeemed sinner, expressing gratitude.

The fact is, Jesus knew who she was.

Jesus saw a future disciple, the Pharisees saw a sinner.

Jesus saw a redeemed worshiper, the Pharisees saw a prostitute.

Jesus knew who you were and called you.

Jesus saw you and saw a disciple

All of you here are Christ followers.  At one point, you weren’t.

But Christ called you to follow him.

When He called you – he saw a future disciple, a worshiper.

Sure, you were a sinner, separated from God, but He saw beyond that.  He saw beyond your sin and called you to follow him.

Perhaps that call came through a Young Life worker, or through a Pastor.

Perhaps that call came at a camp, or in a church.

Jesus saw you and didn’t write you off.

Jesus saw you and called you to follow him.

Jesus saw the crowds and called for prayer.

While doing ministry on a regular basis:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-37)

Jesus saw the crowds – what did he see?

People who needed him.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt compassion – his heart broke.

Out of that – he called for prayer.

As a ministry leader in your town, what do you feel when you look over your city?

Do you see the harvest?

Do you have the eyes of Jesus to see with compassion?

Prayer

Get into groups by city and begin to intercede.

Ask God to give you His eyes to see the city as he sees it.

Ask God to help you feel His heart for the city.

Ask God to send you into the harvest field as a worker.

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3 Keys to Ignite the Evangelism Passion of a Congregation

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Year of Evangelism

3 ways I found to ignite a passion for evangelism in my churchOne of the goals on preaching a sermon series on evangelism is to raise the temperature or passion for evangelism in the local church.

In preaching your series on evangelism, or studying evangelism, the goal shouldn’t be just increasing a skill set, but also increasing passion within a congregation.

How do you coach passion?

About 2 years ago, a church planting coach asked me this question.

How do you coach passion?

It’s a question that I’ve been thinking on for a few years as this ministry of evangelism training grows

Passion is like fuel — it burns and needs to be replaced.

When we attend a conference, we are inspired with new ideas, we feel a fresh wave of passion, but then life gets in the way and the fire fades.  Reality blocks the dreams we had and we settle back into what was comfortable.

Passion is the fuel that helps you persevere through the blockages and inertia that stands in your way.

How did I coach passion for Evangelism?

In my church, I would occasionally preach on Sunday morning, and then nearly every Sunday night for our 2nd service.

Here is how I coached a passion for personal evangelism when I was the regular preacher.

1.  Model personal evangelism

This was somewhat unintentional, but happened in my sermons.  At least 2-3 times a month I’d share a conversation I had had with someone.

Personal evangelism is something I do, it happens in my life, and some of those conversational encounters would be connected to the sermon theme.

These conversations were often part of the overflow of my study of Scripture and sermon preparation.

They were part of the overflow from my networking and reading books out in public spaces like Starbucks.

I’d often connect the conversational encounter to the text, and then share my thinking process as I debriefed the conversation with the congregation.

For example:

  • What was that person’s spiritual thirst?
  • What was the Holy Spirit sharing with me?
  • What is the connection to Jesus and to the text?

I’d share the

  • Conversations that were fruitful
  • Conversations that were failures and laugh at myself.
  • Conversations that were adventures in missing the point.
  • Conversations that I wish I had, if I could do it over again.

All illustrations were to highlight the text I was preaching, not a “look at what I did this week” type.  In other words, I wasn’t bragging about what I was doing, but connecting my stories to the text from which I was preaching.

I found that most of the heart issues that the Bible texts raised could be  illustrated by a conversation I had had with someone.

Instead of asking the congregation “who did you talk to this week,”  I simply shared the conversations I was having.  It modeled personal evangelism instead of telling them they needed to do it.

2.  Repeated Exposure

These types of illustrations would creep into sermons 2-3 times a month.  By regular modeling of personal evangelism in my sermons, a funny thing happened.

People in the congregation eventually started telling me of their evangelism conversations with people.

The debriefing questions that I used in my sermon would start being reflected back to me, as the people were thinking themselves about these themes.

I’d ask follow up coaching questions to help my people grow in their processing skills.

My congregation began to reflect the modeling I did in my sermons and small group leadership.

3.  Connecting the text to my prayers for people who don’t know Christ.

Nearly every theme for biblical preaching can be connected in a sentence or two to an evangelistic prayer.

For example, perhaps you are preaching on forgiveness.

You’ve shared how you found forgiveness, you’ve shared how Christ forgives our sin.

You could simply add, “I long for my friends and family to know this same forgiveness that I’ve found.  I pray that they find this forgiveness and that the Lord would use me.”

Or I would often add: “This is my prayer for my neighbor: that they too would discover . .  . ”

What I found is that with this kind of thematic connection, people in the congregation would begin to think of their neighbors and non-Christian relationships more often.  They would begin to share with me how they were praying of their neighbors, and often their conversations with people.

During your sermon preparation time, ask yourself, how does this principle point fuel my prayers for my unsaved neighbors and relatives?

Simply make that a passing sentence on a regular basis and if your congregation was like mine, you’ll find that the congregation will begin to think the same way.

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