The Problem With Evangelism

[FredVB]

It seems some among believers are called to preach, or to have a mission for sharing the gospel to others. This is not the way all believers have though. With testimony of our lives and speaking in ways that show we include God in our lives, there will be people who want to know about it who we can talk about our Christianity to. It should not be for pushing on anyone who does not want to hear about it, and I am pretty sure it is not for sharing to those who would argue about it. But sharing it with another with whom we have a relationship with is surely good.

 

[Davy]

What do you think?

The Confessions of a Recovering Evangelist

I think such an submissive approach with the unbelieving is a trait of today's politically correct false idealism. There's no reason for the unbeliever to not listen to The Gospel offer from those who preach it in love. Yet the reaction I often see from the unbeliever is violent behavior for preaching The Gospel, as if we violated his/her rights. That's not how they react to other religions, which is a tell-tell sign something else is going on.

The preaching of The Gospel Good News is not going be believed by everyone. And especially in these last days, we were warned by Lord Jesus and His Apostles that the times would come when even many believers would not listen to 'sound doctrine', but have itching ears, pulling false prophets to them.

And Lord Jesus said that the end would be that the whole world will hate us for His namesake.

 

[FredVB]

I think such an submissive approach with the unbelieving is a trait of today's politically correct false idealism. There's no reason for the unbeliever to not listen to The Gospel offer from those who preach it in love. Yet the reaction I often see from the unbeliever is violent behavior for preaching The Gospel, as if we violated his/her rights. That's not how they react to other religions, which is a tell-tell sign something else is going on.

The preaching of The Gospel Good News is not going be believed by everyone. And especially in these last days, we were warned by Lord Jesus and His Apostles that the times would come when even many believers would not listen to 'sound doctrine', but have itching ears, pulling false prophets to them.

And Lord Jesus said that the end would be that the whole world will hate us for His namesake.

There really is compromise with contemporary culture, and it is in the way of obedience to God's will in things we are told, many believers are blinded to that, unfortunately, but God's Spirit still works with us.

 

[Saint Steven]

A "submissive approach with the unbelieving" - @Davy
A "compromise with contemporary culture" - @FredVB

What about the approach used by the Apostle Paul in Athens?
A compromising and submissive approach, or a TKO?

Acts 17:23 NRSV
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

 

[FredVB]

A "submissive approach with the unbelieving" - @Davy
A "compromise with contemporary culture" - @FredVB

What about the approach used by the Apostle Paul in Athens?
A compromising and submissive approach, or a TKO?

Acts 17:23 NRSV
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

Yes, Paul had a good MO as an approach, appealing to what was understood by those in a culture to share what is true about God and speak of what is essential of the gospel to those there. It was not compromising to Christian faith or living for Paul to do so. I do not mean with speaking of compromising anything about how testimony to Christianity is shared. I mean that there is worldly living among nonbelievers, generally with being materialistic, selfish, and caring for certain some, and disregarding abuse or harm to others, or to the world around them, with lack in godly love or other qualities of godliness, and there are believers around enough compromising in being like them, rather than growing still further in godliness, which God would lead us to. And that would be important in testimony to Christianity.

 

[Saint Steven]

Yes, Paul had a good MO as an approach, appealing to what was understood by those in a culture to share what is true about God and speak of what is essential of the gospel to those there. It was not compromising to Christian faith or living for Paul to do so. I do not mean with speaking of compromising anything about how testimony to Christianity is shared. I mean that there is worldly living among nonbelievers, generally with being materialistic, selfish, and certain some disregarding abuse or harm to others, or to the world around them, with lack in godly love or other qualities of godliness, and there are believers around enough compromising in being like them, rather than growing still further in godliness, which God would lead us to. And that would be important in testimony to Christianity.

On the other hand, all too often Christian community is insulated from the world to the point of being irrelevant. Many churchgoers have no unsaved friends. Since they don't want to be influenced by them. My best friend is agnostic. It is my job to disciple him until he realizes he is a Christian. (sneaky) - lol

 

[Fervent]

I think the most important thing in evangelism is a genuine concern for the individual, rather than a generic call to spread the gospel, must come first. Are you sharing Jesus because you are genuinely interested in the person's well-being, because you think you're supposed to, or to score points? Most often the most effective witness comes to those we're intimate with, who have seen how Jesus has improved our lives. People are not mission fields to be manipulated into a confession of faith.

 

[GallagherM]

Would rather consider teaching the best approach to Christianity over preaching or being that of like in a pastor position.

As one mentioned here you would share willingly through gentleness. There are some out there from what I understand that seek to destroy unbelievers arguments and what good does that do for a conversation just to not at least be thoughtful of understanding the person and the context of their life.

All here have had lives we have all lived; some whom had been married; some whom have had children; lost children, lost a wife; been single and had terrible relationships; and over all they all each had their own person interest of whatever has fascinated them in their life and that can pertain to anything when it comes to subjectivity.

You know you do not have to confess you are a Christian to ever person you meet. You know that in your heart if you are a Christian. You can love others even who are not believers unless you have a predisposition towards them for whatever reason it is you just simply do not like them, or can not stand them.

Love is to some people archaic. Old and not plausible.

But God is love.

So what can one really truly say when it boils down to it; to love God and to love others? What would your choice be? Showing love and mercy ? Or Judgement and condemnation?

(The truth is also that some people will just simply not care to go and worship God or seek anything about Him.) There is people who fight against freewill but all of us do have a free choice to make. Freely, by our own decision. We can share but we can not force anyone to do anything... period.

I have struggled much in my life until the truth set me free but still do I struggle but God is keeping me above water by and through the Lord Jesus Christ and not drowned out.

 

[Davy]

There really is compromise with contemporary culture, and it is in the way of obedience to God's will in things we are told, many believers are blinded to that, unfortunately, but God's Spirit still works with us.

Obedience to God's Will in this world will always bring trials and tribulations, simply because this present world time is not His Kingdom, but is given for Satan to manipulate (Luke 4). So it's not a matter of combining culture with His Will, it's simply deciding whether to follow His Will or follow the world. One cannot do both, but must choose one or the other.

 

[Davy]

A "submissive approach with the unbelieving" - @Davy
A "compromise with contemporary culture" - @FredVB

What about the approach used by the Apostle Paul in Athens?
A compromising and submissive approach, or a TKO?

Acts 17:23 NRSV
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

As for your "submissive approach" label, was Apostle Paul submissive when preaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ? Absolutely not, Paul was very 'bold'... in preaching The Gospel. He preached with 'authority', and Christ gave him that authority. And Lord Jesus will likewise do the same for any other that He chooses to go preach The Gospel.

So the puppy-dog submissiveness idea from man's political correctness theories applied to the preaching of The Gospel is a bunch of hogwash. When Lord Jesus returns, those who reject Him are going to find themselves in the pit of hell, and that... is part of The Gospel! So go teach that per Scripture, because it is there as warned by Lord Jesus Himself, and say you're being submissive with The Gospel. The unbeliever will definitely think you are joking. You have to instead make him/her know you are serious about the danger of hellfire for the unbelieving.

So no, the 'here's a lollypop' which is The Gospel, lick it and you'll be saved', is for the phony preachers out there, what Jesus called the "hireling" in John 10. They preach for money, and don't want to preach anything that might endanger their money plate.

 

[Saint Steven]

As for your "submissive approach" label...

My label? I was quoting you.

Saint Steven said: ↑
A "submissive approach with the unbelieving" - @Davy

 

[FredVB]

On the other hand, all too often Christian community is insulated from the world to the point of being irrelevant. Many churchgoers have no unsaved friends. Since they don't want to be influenced by them. My best friend is agnostic. It is my job to disciple him until he realizes he is a Christian. (sneaky) - lol

If believers are not compromising godly ways they come to with going to the lost it is desirable that they do not cut those ones off from them, especially if they were already involved. Do churchgoers have no friends among the unbelieving? Perhaps it is true for some who grew up in the church community and have all their friends there. But in that scenario it is not always assuredly the case that one among such having friends only in the church community is saved, still. Christian believers can, in many circumstances, be around those they know of the unbelievers, and live yet in witness with their lives of being disciples of Christ with godliness which can show, which necessarily includes love. That can happen still being involved in the same culture, without engaging in things contrary to God, with still involvement in common interests possible too, as doing such is not in itself contrary to God.

Obedience to God's Will in this world will always bring trials and tribulations, simply because this present world time is not His Kingdom, but is given for Satan to manipulate (Luke 4). So it's not a matter of combining culture with His Will, it's simply deciding whether to follow His Will or follow the world. One cannot do both, but must choose one or the other.

We are creatures of our culture, we grew up learning certain ways with the culture we were in. We can turn from some things of those that are not of God's will, when we learn any of those, but this does not mean all the culture must be removed. The gospel was opened up to gentiles very early in Christianity, and that makes it clear that changing culture is not required. Salvation does not depend on living in the perfect will of God anyway. God is gracious and salvation is made very available, while it is desirable for believers who came to Christ being restored to God to still grow in godliness and continue further. While we still have our culture as we learned, and those from among gentiles do not need to become Jewish (those who are Jewish certainly do not have to stop being Jewish either when they are restored in Christ), there are still things of God's will, that can be learned, as that would be good, while it is not part of salvation, or contrary to culture in itself. After all, there was no killing of sentient creatures in Eden, and there will not be such killing found in Heaven, for anything that would be from that, it is not of God's perfect will for us, and while it would be good to come to God's perfect will for us such as in things like that, most among believers still don't and God still works with them, graciously.

 

[Saint Steven]

If believers are not compromising godly ways they come to with going to the lost it is desirable that they do not cut those ones off from them, especially if they were already involved. Do churchgoers have no friends among the unbelieving? Perhaps it is true for some who grew up in the church community and have all their friends there. But in that scenario it is not always assuredly the case that one among such having friends only in the church community is saved, still. Christian believers can, in many circumstances, be around those they know of the unbelievers, and live yet in witness with their lives of being disciples of Christ with godliness which can show, which necessarily includes love. That can happen still being involved in the same culture, without engaging in things contrary to God, with still involvement in common interests possible too, as doing such is not in itself contrary to God.

The common attitude is "Bad company corrupts good morals."; "We are to separate from the world."; "Those outside the church will drag you down to their level."

 

[FredVB]

The common attitude is "Bad company corrupts good morals."; "We are to separate from the world."; "Those outside the church will drag you down to their level."

There are many expressions people in church treat like passages from the Bible, and some apparently think some of those are in the Bible.

 

[Davy]

My label? I was quoting you.

Saint Steven said: ↑
A "submissive approach with the unbelieving" - @Davy

The idea actual sprung from the OP link, that's what I was referring to.

 

[FredVB]

We who are believers are to be ready to share the gospel we know with those who will listen to us. If we do so without love that shows, we are failing in that.

 

[FredVB]

Our actions matter more, including how we speak to others. It is important for everything that is said and done to be with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance for doing what is effective and with godliness, while being obedient to God.

 

[sparow]

What do you think?

The Confessions of a Recovering Evangelist

I do not think evangelism is problematic, false prophets are a problem.