Archive for: gospel
Just as we can learn from Israel’s failure to enter the promised land, we can learn from their successful entry as recorded in the first part of the book of Joshua. Again, the lessons learned from the accounts are relevant to overcoming fear in evangelism.
Notice the words of the Israelites in response to Joshua’s command to prepare to enter the land.
“Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and where you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.” (Joshua 1:16-17)
Two words come to mind when I think of their response, trust and obey. The fact that they conditioned their obedience to God’s leadership indicates that their eyes were on Him alone. He was the source of their strength. He was the source of their courage. With Him, they could accomplish anything. Without Him, they were doomed to failure.
Their response was striking given their circumstances. They faced considerable challenges. The Jordan River separated them from the Promised Land. It was at flood stage during this time and would be a challenge to cross. The cities, including Jericho, were well fortified. However, none of that was mentioned. The only thing the Israelites were concerned with was whether or not the Lord was leading the way.
We face a similar situation in evangelism. As we go about our day with the intention of sharing the gospel, we never know what we may encounter: a hardened skeptic, a formidable question, a sharp reply, a hardened heart, and the list goes on. It is easy to focus on the challenges and our own inadequacies in facing them.
Just like the Israelites, the only thing the Lord requires for us to do is to trust and obey Him. He has called us to tell others about Him and has promised to be with us wherever we go (Matthew 28:19-20). We are inadequate, but His work through us is sufficient. We can do nothing. He can do anything, including using us to reach the lost.
The next time you face fear in evangelism, take time to check your focus. Is it on Him alone?
When people usually think about the tools Satan uses to combat believers, they often list things that sound like the 7 deadly sins: pride, lust, greed, etc.
However, we tend to overlook one tool of Satan that can be just as effective. In fact, it may be the number one obstacle in evangelism. I’m talking about the dreaded four letter word of “fear.” Now, we don’t usually lump fear into the same category as pride and greed, but it can be just as effective in the enemy’s hands. In fact, it caused one of the biggest tragedies recorded in the Old Testament.
In Numbers 13 and 14, Moses records Israel’s experience at Kadesh Barnea as they were on the verge of entering the Promised Land. As Israel camped, Moses sent 12 men to spy out the land. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, gave a good report encouraging the Israelites to proceed as planned. However, the other 10 gave a bad report, saying in Numbers 13:32-33, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. . . We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
When the people heard this report, they panicked. The text says that they wailed and cried all night long. They imagined that all of their families would be “taken as plunder” and they blamed the Lord for leading them into a land where they thought death was certain. They even formed a plan to go back to Egypt, risking humiliation and the wrath of Pharaoh. Their response to their fear resulted in God preventing everyone over the age of 20 (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) from entering the land.
What was it that caused such fear and panic among the Israelites? The answer is implicit in the report of the 10 spies. Simply put, their focus was on themselves and their circumstances rather than their God. They compared the enormity of their obstacles to their own strength, their own resources and their own ability. They concluded that they were like “grasshoppers” in comparison. They totally forgot about the Lord and the power and faithfulness he demonstrated in freeing them from Egypt, delivering them from Pharaoh, and providing for them in the desert. Their fear kept them from moving forward in faith.
Before we are too critical of the Israelites, we need to realize that we often are prone to do the same thing in evangelism. It is so easy for us to be overwhelmed with our circumstances and the non-Christians we seek to reach (potential for rejection, hardness of heart, etc.) that we forget that God can overcome the hardest heart and empower us to deal with even the most adamant objection. We can also be overwhelmed by focusing so much on our own deficiencies in evangelism that we forget that with God, all things are possible. He is in the business of using ordinary people to do extraordinary things, including reach the most obstinate person.
Much damage can be done in a relationship where one party is being manipulated by the other. Here are some things we need to keep in mind so we don’t come across as manipulative as we build relationships.
- The concept of relationship is fragile these days when someone can de-friend you with a “delete” key. There’s a spectrum of relationship that can be very short, e.g. we work together on a committee at work or school. Or long: someone with whom you actually have a face-to-face, mutually interesting, ongoing exchange of meaningful experiences, events, personal values and feelings, information, and support for each other’s lives. And there are many types of relationships in between. Real, honest relationships are wonderful and rare.
- Boundaries should be set in any relationship. If you have a spiritual life and feel comfortable sharing it, then you share it if the other person is interested in the conversation. Here is a similar boundary: “I don’t talk politics. Ever.” Once this is said, if a person cares about you more than his or her enthusiastic political discussions, the boundary is accepted by both people. Conversational boundaries can be set and permission can be asked before bringing up topics that could be uncomfortable for either party.
- If you value your relationships and you have spiritual values you want to discuss, the chances are good you will want to tell the other person and hear about theirs as well. Ask your friend something like this, “Do you have a particular worldview or belief system that is sort of the basis for how you live?” If they say they do, ask them what it is. And, maybe your friend will tell you. You may then feel free to share your beliefs. If your friend wants to follow up with comments or questions, then you will have a very precious thing going, that hardly ever happens in this day of the delete key – a real dialogue between friends!
May we be so full of joy, so excited by what service we can render to mankind that gives glory to God, and so committed to wholesome life that we are the best friend anyone ever had. And may we share the gospel with them if they are willing.
We’re a Christian ministry focused on helping people learn to share the gospel. We occasionally hear the accusation of “bait and switch” tactics used to share the gospel.
Here’s what I think Bait & Switch means: Bait and Switch is a practice in which one party promises one thing (new car for 80 bucks) but, when the gullible party arrives, there is only a clunker that missed the government program. Sometimes such tactics are used by people in relationships, too, when someone wants to manipulate another party by acting as if they want to be a friend, but, secretly they plan to take advantage of the party in some way.
An example might be: She acts as if she wants to be your friend and goes to the dance (Bait), but what she really wants is to arrive in that hot car you’ve got! Switch: When you show up to pick her up and your mom is driving the family Honda, she has a sudden headache and offers the movies next week instead! No hot car, no date. There was a time in high school that some of us might have been tempted to do that…but we’ve didn’t do it then because we would have (a) felt bad, or (b) didn’t want to miss the dance!?
The Gospel example we’ve heard: A Christian acts as if he wants to be your friend, but he just wants to share the gospel with you even if you don’t want to hear it, and if you refuse to listen, the person doesn’t want to be your friend any more. Bait = Relationship. Switch = The Gospel. Personally, I’ve never actually seen this behavior in action, but I’m accepting that it sometimes happens. It is very sad, and such inconsiderate behavior demonstrates a lack of understanding of both relationships and how to share the gospel.
When making relationships with unbelievers, what things should we keep in mind so that we don’t bait and switch?
Those are the first four words of a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel, written before many of our readers were born. Many have seen Carousel, though, either in a stage production or the movie. Maybe you performed in the stage play in high school. The song goes on to say,
“If I loved you, time and again I would try to say all I want you to know. If I loved you, words wouldn’t come in an easy way…’round in circles I’d go. Longing to tell you, but afraid and shy, I’d let my golden chances pass me by.”
Many people who love their family, co-worker, or friend feel this way when trying to talk about their faith in Christ and the promises of the gospel on which they build their worldview, their hope, and their life. They know that nowadays, any mention of Jesus may be considered a conversational imposition.
But faith in Christ as Savior makes possible a relationship with God, given as a free gift of God. This relationship has very positive effects that people want to share so that their friends and family can enjoy those same positive things. Many great men and women throughout history have considered it a privilege to live and die for the truth and love of Christ, knowing that reliance on the promises of God is not only rational but revolutionary.
Consider the dilemma of the lover of God. Just as you want to tell your friend about the woman or man you have met that is likely to be…might be…surely is the love of your life, they want to tell you about the One who has actually, forever radically changed their life for the better. They love you and want you to have the same joy they have. If they are clumsy it does not mean they are insincere or wrong.
Think about it. Building any sincere relationship involves two people or more who are trying to reveal themselves to each other without getting hurt too badly. Is it “bait and switch” to talk first with someone with “small talk” and move to the more important? No, it’s typical. There is risk in every relationship. It is the norm to start revealing the less risky things and move to the most important. Listen to the song. Life and friends and family are like that…afraid and shy. Let the relationship reveal the most important. It’s worth it.
As much as we all love the movie Finding Nemo, the reality is that fish rarely care for their young like that. Turtles are even less likely to do so. I loved that scene with the Sea Turtles caring for the kids and reflecting the fun part of parenthood—fact is most of the species don’t stick around to give their offspring such guidance.
In the second chapter of 1st Thessalonians, Paul refers to the fact that he and the other apostles cared for new believers. They didn’t just share the gospel—spawn new converts to Christ and then take off. In fact, throughout his mission work Paul was caring—indirectly or through those he sent— for those new believers to whom he felt responsible.
This follow-up work demonstrates a commitment to maintain relationships with those who we have had the privilege of sharing the gospel. The very nature of “bait and switch” implies a desire to accomplish a certain goal, and then once attained, move on to the next. If there is a willingness in the believer to continue in a mentoring relationship with a new Christian—is it really bait and switch? Has there been deception? If you are seeking to disciple those with whom you have shared Christ, there is no switch. The friendship is, in fact, even more authentic and can then grow deeper in meaning.
So;
- if the opportunity to develop a new friendship is natural and the relationship doesn’t have to be forced,
- your motivation is not to seek glory for yourself, but rather for God and for your friends eternal condition, and
- finally, if you are committed to seeing the relationship through, willing to disciple and mentor a new believer for better or worse,
you are probably not practicing bait and switch evangelism.
We should always be aware of those opportunities that God may bring into our lives, maintain pure motives, and be ready to disciple if God should bless us with the privilege of seeing someone trust in Christ as a result of His work through us.
Ultimately, the most effective way to avoid any deceptive practices in our evangelism is reliance upon the Holy Spirit and humility.
