I am NOT an evangelist, but I strongly support those with this gift, and believe me, I am prepared, and looking for an opportunity to share the Gospel at any time. To those with the GIFT of evangelism, this won't make much sense.
Tomorrow (3 June- these are written well ahead of posting), we will begin a 9-week series in Grace Sunday School on the gospel. As it happens, I get to teach the first 3 lessons. Tomorrow we will cover reasons why we DON'T share the good news, then the following week we will talk about WHAT comprises the Gospel, and my last week I will insert one lesson on Randy Newman's approach, my favorite, called questioning evangelism.
First, I want to chat briefly about why we don't share. I'd list the reasons as:
We are unsure HOW,
We are uncomfortable doing it,
We lack role models (those with the GIFT of evangelism are poor role models because it is effortless for them),
We don't SEEK opportunities,
We don't PRAY for opportunities,
We are obedient to our culture (rather than to G^d), which discourages sharing our faith, and
We are BIG CHICKENS (translates to WE are AFRAID)!
This is a SAD state of affairs for Christians. We OUGHT to realize that heaven and hell hang in the balance. Take a look at the parable of Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, but don't get distracted, everyone has two POSSIBLE destinations: heaven or hell. G^d, in His grace, allows us to participate often in helping folks CHANGE destinations!
That, I believe, is part of "Laying up treasures in heaven", (Matt 6:20).
Until next time...
Tomorrow (3 June- these are written well ahead of posting), we will begin a 9-week series in Grace Sunday School on the gospel. As it happens, I get to teach the first 3 lessons. Tomorrow we will cover reasons why we DON'T share the good news, then the following week we will talk about WHAT comprises the Gospel, and my last week I will insert one lesson on Randy Newman's approach, my favorite, called questioning evangelism.
First, I want to chat briefly about why we don't share. I'd list the reasons as:
We are unsure HOW,
We are uncomfortable doing it,
We lack role models (those with the GIFT of evangelism are poor role models because it is effortless for them),
We don't SEEK opportunities,
We don't PRAY for opportunities,
We are obedient to our culture (rather than to G^d), which discourages sharing our faith, and
We are BIG CHICKENS (translates to WE are AFRAID)!
This is a SAD state of affairs for Christians. We OUGHT to realize that heaven and hell hang in the balance. Take a look at the parable of Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, but don't get distracted, everyone has two POSSIBLE destinations: heaven or hell. G^d, in His grace, allows us to participate often in helping folks CHANGE destinations!
That, I believe, is part of "Laying up treasures in heaven", (Matt 6:20).
Until next time...
Thanks for the encouragement; and truth...A good brother was sharing from the pulpit yesterday about Abraham and Abimelech...I could see his frustration a little has he talked about...The price Abimelech paid, (and almost really paid, barring God's merciful intervention) for Abraham's deception...(Some times the covenant don't compute in the minds of humans)...If we allow God's revelation to reveal Paul's teachings in Romans 8:1..(The new covenant, The Christ) We see we have the same provision's as Abraham...Without this Covenant protection...Abraham may not make it...And I surely wouldn't...Grace on top of Grace!...When I think about the Father's love, and how he alone, has made all the provisions for me to be rightly related to him...It gives me a boost to over come your list of human realities!...Father let it be so!
ReplyDeleteThanks Craig. Blessings,
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