Archive for: Jesus
The summer months provide excellent opportunities to cultivate relationships with unbelievers and tell them about our Savior. However, finding time to do so can be a challenge. After all, our summers are often filled with vacations, outdoor events, children’s activities, etc.
How do we take advantage of the summer months to impact the lost for Christ even in the midst of a busy schedule? Here are some principles to remember and put into practice:
- Be balanced – How balanced is your life between non-Christians and Christians? There is nothing Biblical about spending all your time with believers. Jesus Christ spent time with sinners. He was even known as their friend (Matt. 11:19). We cannot have personal evangelism without personal contact.
- Be proactive— View relationships with the intent to see the unbelievers come to have the greatest relationship there is – an eternal relationship with Christ. Go to them. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Consider the broad base of non-Christian contacts you already have including:
- Immediate friends and family
- Neighbors, co-workers, employees, landlords
- Newspaper carrier, mailman, barber or hairstylist, grocery store checker, waiter or waitress
- Car dealer, insurance agent, accountant, attorney, banker
- Doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist
- Plumber, electrician, mechanic
- Teacher, professor, coach, classmate
- Be intentional—Take the initiative. Look at everything you are doing this summer. Then ask, “Could this be done with a non-Christian included?”
- Be sensitive—People that take time to listen are rare in our fast paced culture. Take the time to give someone your undivided attention. Letting them know you care may provide an opportunity to tell them about Christ.
- Be prayerful – We are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit in evangelism. Pray that the Lord will provide opportunities, give you the sensitivity to recognize them, and give you boldness to share the gospel.
- Be prepared—Move into the gospel presentation as God gives you the opportunity. If you don’t know what to say, EvanTell offers free on-line evangelism training at www.act111.org. Get trained so that when God gives you the opportunity, you’ll be ready.
- Be creative – For practical tips on how to develop relationships with non-Christians during the summer check out this blog series (Summer Evangelism Ideas, More Summer Evangelism Ideas, And More Summer Evangelism Ideas).
Do you have any strategies to add to this list?
Prepare to let out a gasp—–I don’t always care about the lost. Phew, OK—got that out.
So, what does that mean and why does it matter?
If you know anything about Larry Moyer and EvanTell, you have probably heard about Larry’s (and as a result, the ministry’s) “heart for the lost”. And if you’re new to EvanTell and Evangelism.net, you will quickly understand what I’m talking about. The concept of concern, or heart, or caring for ‘lost’ people is pervasive throughout our curriculum, Larry’s books, our articles, etc. It is expressed as a primary (if not THE primary) motivator for evangelism.
But sometimes I not only don’t care about the lost, I have disdain and contempt because of their general attitude toward believers. I don’t mind being honest and admitting that. Christians are consistently the only people group who anyone can safely ridicule without fear of retaliation. Try commenting negatively about any non-Christian special interest group, religion, “campus” club, ideology, nationality, etc. –then see what happens. Try the same with Christians and it’s not only OK—it’s most often encouraged. So naturally, it’s easy to project ill-will toward those who propagate the negative stereotypes of Christians and, more seriously, mock God. The warrior in me loses patience knowing that they speak in ignorance about that which they do not know.
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Pluralism is doing quite well while Christianity seems to be feeling a little ill.
A couple of weeks ago I touched on the spread of mainstream populist tolerance for Islamic law and the potential effects on Christianity in the public forum. Evidence of the complete breakdown of orthodox Christian doctrine in American life is, of course, everywhere. However, it is interesting to note that even within the ranks of those who would state that they believe Jesus’ claim to be The Way, The Truth, and The Life, many also believe that Christ does not have a monopoly on the concept.
In a recent survey of 35,000 adults, a full 57% of “evangelical church attenders” believe that the teaching of other religions can also lead to eternal life. It’s important to avoid a clever play on words—implying that yes, although everyone has eternal life we won’t all be enjoying it—because I don’t think that’s what they had in mind.
The following percentages may not be as surprising, but are nevertheless of concern:
“Nearly across the board, the majority of religious Americans believe many religions can lead to eternal life: mainline Protestants (83 percent), members of historic black Protestant churches (59 percent), Roman Catholics (79 percent), Jews (82 percent) and Muslims (56 percent).”
It is interesting to note that the smallest percentage belongs to the Muslim group—once again; the commitment to their religion should make us look inward.
Furthermore, and perhaps even more interesting,“Another finding almost defies explanation: 21 percent of self-identified atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with 8 percent “absolutely certain” of it.”
WOW—isn’t that telling? So do not give up on those atheist friends of yours—most of their talk is defensiveness and insecurity anyway.
“The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep,” said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion. “There’s a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences,” he said.
The consequence, or perhaps the cause, is that Americans jump from one belief to another. There is a lack of commitment to their faith and an avoidance of the deep waters of theology where one can truly grow roots and therefore grow strong in their convictions. Without convictions, no one stands on principals—when it comes to anything. Therefore, they are easily swayed—the first clever orator to come along captures their attention, and soon their lives.
Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput offered a quote which I believe applies to all in the Christian faith:
“Being Catholic means believing what the Catholic church teaches. It is a communion of faith, not simply of ancestry and family tradition. It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members.”
We should all work harder at evangelizing our own members—an often overlooked field ready for the harvest and sometimes desperate to be fed the truth—as painful and exclusionary as it may be. That Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life and NO ONE can go to the Father except through the Son.
-AJ Rinaldi
On my about page I mention that my favorite item on the menu at Starbucks is WiFi, technology that gives you wireless access to the internet while you sip your coffee. In the last eight years or more churches have been adding coffee shops to their church atrium. The new thing now is to add wireless internet access and comfortable chairs and sofas. But even more valuable than WiFi is churches that are using satellite broadcasting to expand their church to multiple locations.
It is being called the “Multi-Site Revolution“. Many of the most successful churches have become too large to have any real connection among the congregation. Many of these churches are successful because they have found a niche, a ministry to a particular demographic that facilitates church growth. What many churches are doing is building new churches in different areas of their metropolitan areas to reach different communities. What is interesting is the fact that many of these churches are doing a satellite broadcast that is being shown live at the multiple locations. The pastor will preach at the main campus and there are community pastors and a worship band that handle announcements and lead worship live at the multi-sites of the church.
One church that has implemented this successfully is Ed Young and Fellowship Church. The main campus is in Grapevine, Texas and they now have additional sites in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and even Miami. They have over 40,000 people in attendance every week at the multiple locations. The congregation is content to watch Ed Young on a big screen live from Grapevine or sometimes one of the other locations. Other churches that are doing this are Saddleback, Northpoint, and Willow Creek.
Saddleback saw over 100 people trust Christ on the first weekend at their new sites. Each campus creates buzz and the unchurched and often unbelievers check the church out and hear the gospel presented and trust Christ. Saddleback’s vision is to have 10 sites by 2010. The thing I like about the multi-site church movement is that it focuses on people and not new buildings. Because most of these sites start small, it is not about a building campaign, it is about inviting people to something that members and regular attenders are truly excited about. It forces the congregation to be outward-focused and community-minded.
Make it all about the people and the gospel – no strings attached. How? Look for opportunities to share the clear and simple gospel message motivated by grace and love, not guilt. When we go about the great commission in context of living the great commandment then we have effectively removed any strings that are attached. Take the next exit – Go wireless!
We must recognize that unconcern for unbelievers is—at least in part—a spiritual growth issue. If we take the Scriptures at face value, there is simply no way of getting close to Christ without seeing how much He cares for those for whom He died. Luke 19:10 is quite explicit: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” In light of that clear statement, is it possible to get close to the Master’s heart without getting close to the Master’s mission? Consider Matthew 4:19 where Christ extended the invitation, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
How, then, can we follow closely in His footsteps without being captivated by His concern for the lost? If we would like to think of ourselves as growing Christians, a good biblical barometer of our growth would be, “How concerned am I for lost people?” Does that mean if we do not witness to one person a day, we are not close to Christ and have no concern for the lost? Not for a moment. He wants our lives to be motivated by relationships, not regulations. It is to say, however, that if we draw close to Jesus Christ, we will find His concern for the lost rubbing off on us. Known as the friend of sinners, His whole life revolved around lost people. Since they are so close to His heart, the closer we draw to Him, the closer we draw to the people for whom He died.
Therefore, we ought to ask ourselves the question, “Are we spending the time daily getting to know Christ better, talking to Him through prayer, and letting Him talk to us through the Scriptures?” Or are we like Martha in Luke 10 who was so “worried and troubled about many things” that she neglected just sitting down and talking to Him and letting Him talk to her? A genuine, growing relationship with Him should lead to a growing closeness to non-Christians.
Another way to regain concern for unbelievers is to examine our lives and make some necessary adjustments. Ask yourself this question: Am I living life in a bubble? A Christian bubble is any comfortable place that affords shelter from non-Christians.
“But I’m not really comfortable around non-Christians,” one might remark. But God never asks, “Are you comfortable around them?” God asks, “Do you pity them?” Jesus was moved with compassion for the multitudes that followed Him and longed to be their Shepherd and gather them into His fold (Matt. 9:36). If we share that compassion, we must spend time with lost people in hopes of leading them to the Savior. If we are living in a Christian bubble, we don’t have contact with unbelievers. Without contacts, personal evangelism becomes impossible. How do we speak to people we never see?
Once we come to know the Savior, our desires and interests have a way of changing. We find that it’s more enjoyable to be around believers and hear them speak of prayer, Bible study, or a bit of nourishment they have received through Christian radio. It’s fun knowing those who realize there is more to life than a new house and a new car. Even church becomes a place of fellowship with Christians of like mind instead of our spending time with those of a different mind.
List several non-Christians you know and ask yourself, “What can be done now to have the kind of meaningful contact with them that could result in conversations about Christ?” Remember to make the most of every opportunity (Col. 4:5).
