Way of The Master?

[Steven84]

So I was just watching tv earlier and I saw a program called Way of The Master...it had to do with evangelism.

Basically the preacher "Ray Comfort" and famous actor "Kirk Cameron" were teaching techniques on how to evangelize to folks on the streets in one-on-one conversations...

-Just curious if anyone is familiar with the style of evangelism they used?

-What do you think about its effectiveness?

-Are there any other methods that are popular like it that work aswell if not better?

 

[vortigen84]

So I was just watching tv earlier and I saw a program called Way of The Master...it had to do with evangelism.

Basically the preacher "Ray Comfort" and famous actor "Kirk Cameron" were teaching techniques on how to evangelize to folks on the streets in one-on-one conversations...

-Just curious if anyone is familiar with the style of evangelism they used?

-What do you think about its effectiveness?

-Are there any other methods that are popular like it that work aswell if not better?

I have used it, although not exactly to the letter they spelled out. Seems to 'work' OK, although it revealed a lot of gaps in my theological knowledge, which was good for me. I had some serious alarm bells go off in my head, because WOTM has this thing where they stress that one can't do anything to be saved, then they share the gospel, then they apparently present you with something you must do in order to be saved! (namely repent and trust Christ).

I posted this in another thread, but I thought I would repost this here anyway.

What exactly is WOTMs view on regeneration (born-again)? Does it come before repentance and faith, or after? I seem to recall Ray saying that if you repent and trust Christ, that God will give you a new heart. If he did (correct me if I have misunderstood and am wrong), that is wrong and caused me a lot of grief, and I will try to explain why.

Ray Comfort asserts that salvation is possible for every single person, numerous times in his Evidence Bible. (He is curiously silent on Romans 9.)

If regeneration is an act of God which comes before repentance and faith, but not everyone who knows the gospel is saved, what gives? A regenerate person repents and trusts Christ; an unregenerate person does not. Regeneration is not up to a decision you make. I think Ray is in effect still trying to get 'decisions for Christ', which is what he is supposedly against.

If God has his elect, how can salvation be possible for every person unless God chooses to regenerate every person who hears the gospel? Regeneration is essential, but you dont become born-again by repenting and trusting Christ, but for those things. You cant truly repent out of a dead heart anyway, the idea is absurd. All you're doing would be 'repenting' out of fear of hell, which is not repentance out of a change of heart. It's not about sorrow, but fear.

I must say I think WOTM is tainted with semi-pelagianism and so long as salvation is dependant on your repentance and faith, then that is salvation by works, unless you are willing to drop the idea that salvation is possible for every person and that regeneration follows repentance and faith. Repentance and faith are essential, but they come out of a change of heart.

Ray says very little about predestination and election. I wish he would. It seems that he says regeneration is a work of God on the one hand, but implies that we enter into salvation by a free will choice on the other. I suspect this could lead you to use God's Law as a way of guilt-tripping people in order to get them to make 'decisions for Christ', trying to manipulate them.


All that aside, I financially support Living Waters and pray that God will bless Ray Comfort and his ministry, even though I think his gospel presentation is a bit off. The idea of using the Law is brilliant, so long as it is used to teach a person about their sin nature. Also bear in mind, when you ask whether a person is a good person or not, that a person is both body and soul:

Romans 7:21-25

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.


​

PS You might also find this of interest, it is called the 'Ordo Salutis', or 'Order of Salvation':

• Predestination
• Election
• Calling
• Regeneration
• Faith
• Repentance
• Justification
• Sanctification
• Perseverance
• Glorification

God bless!

 

[Joe Luna]

It's fun to go to the Bible first and dig for all the examples there.

Some starters:
Peter at Pentecost (Direct)
Jesus using Parables (Indirect)
Acts 17 and the Stoics(Logic)
Psalms, Proverbs and other books (Emotion)

I've found that most "tools" we buy actually turn into internal resources for us because they don't fit neatly into the situational boxes we find ourselves in!

If you feel that way, just about anything will add to your knowledge on the subject. It's usually the stuff that's not on every local bookstore shelf that really helps move people though.

Look to the "tools of the trade" to zero in ... that's where you multiply your effectiveness for God. But there are so many rich examples in the Bible to uncover first.

 

[kll985]

I have used Way of the Master style witnessing for several years.
I don't like the canned message, and I never tell an unsaved person to repent in order to be saved. However, to use the Law in evangelism is absolutely the right way of doing it.

It is awesome to watch God work on someones heart right in front of you. I find He often works in mine at the same time.

Ken

 

[heron]

I am a Christian, but think KC's approach is usually annoying. He means well, but I would have walked away if he approached me on the street.

When you want to get inside someone's head, you start thinking about the person instead of yourself. Care about them, not just about your own agendas.

Talk to God before you enter a situation, and ask Him to use you. Offer yourself as willing to connect with whoever needs the connection. Then see who He brings.

Start with the person's need, and let them voice their concerns first. See what they've been through in the past 24 hours or week. What do they need... what is on their mind. Listen first, then respond.

 

[2+2=5]

Ray’s emphasis on the Law is obviously scriptural, and the Lord has obviously used Ray mightily in his witnessing ministry. However, it took the Lord a long time to work on him and teach him those things--it’s not dead information but a living revelation. There are no shortcuts to that! So I speak from personal experience: I followed his method and style word for word, many times, and got “good” reactions just like in the videos! However, as has already been said, the Spirit must do the convicting; we must not fall into the trap of doing the Lord’s work for him. The flesh can get people to cry and to feel sorry for their sins and maybe even join a religious organisation and begin faithfully attending a religious building every Sunday: but the flesh can never do anything of eternal use and to God’s glory. So definitely take the time to digest his material and learn from what the Lord has taught him!

Steven, don’t worry about Predestination and addressing peoples thousands of problems! Just be obediently led by the Spirit and preach the Lord Jesus Christ. He will build his Church

 

[Romans Road]

I have started to use the WOTM methods and so far I have found that people will generally talk to you. So far, I like it.

 

[oddchild]

I think they have some good points, though in other countries sometimes it is worth it to change things a bit. You do not need to be a parrot, though sometimes it is a good idea to have some ideas of what you can say.

If you start out repeating what they say word for word, as time goes you will feel more comfortable and adapt to changes and to different situations. The important part is that you preach the Gospel.