SLOWLY AND PATIENTLY REELED IN
Evangelism is about calling people to follow Christ, and following Christ is about learning a new way to live. Knowing biblical truth isn’t an end in itself. We are learning to escape corrosive lies and live a life of obedience to truth.
We are not merely learning religious truths for the sake of knowing ideas. The ideas have practical ramifications, and it is the ramifications, the ends of the ideas, that are important.
I must follow Christ in everything.
I must learn to handle relating to and speaking with others.
And that means I must learn to handle my thought life – how I think about others. I have to learn how to handle annoying people and perhaps more importantly, how not to be an annoying or troublesome person.
I have to learn how to control my negative emotions in relationships – anger and disgust and hurt feelings -- and in tough circumstances – fear and anxiety and discouragement.
I have to learn to give sacrificially, not only to my friends but to those who dislike me as well. I have to learn how to rejoice at the success of others and how to be an encouragement as well as a truthful but gentle critic.
I have to learn to stay focused on my reasons for being here, to not give up or give in when things get difficult. I must learn faithfulness and endurance and to love and serve others, even those that aren’t that friendly to me.
Do you know what I just described to you? Without using religious language, I described parts of the process of our being saved throughout life. Yes, we have been saved at the moment of faith (Ephesians 2.8), but the Scriptures also say that we shall be saved (future – Romans 5.9-10), and that we are being saved (an ongoing process in the present – 1 Corinthians 1.18) – being changed from what we used to be to what we are going to become.
Many of these life skills are things that all people want and need, regardless of religious affiliation, because these things are useful in the journey of life. I used to think that you had to meet Christ first before you could consider these things. It’s the other way around. Any opportunity to think about these things and to try to develop them becomes a gate of truth, bait on the hook, that can eventually lead back to Him who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Evangelism isn’t about eternal destiny and doesn’t need to be confined to a message about heaven or hell. Evangelism is about following Christ, and following Christ is about a way of living life. The platform for evangelism is life, not a church service.
When I think of evangelism, I think less of church services or Bible studies (fine if people are interested in them) and more about…
…sporting activities (organized sports, camping and hiking, exercise and fitness, martial arts or self-defense, skiing, hunting and fishing, or water sports) …hobbies (knitting and sewing, cooking and gardening, birdwatching, music, history and field trips)
…particular skills (first aid, parenting, homeschooling)
…“political” concerns (crisis pregnancy centers, adoption, local concerns).
These things get people together in the living of life. You can talk about living life and build friendships that go deeper than just the weather.
These activities become paths of connection and blessing -- gateways for the truth – and truth eventually leads back to Jesus Christ. So shouldn’t churches sponsor and engage in things that interest people and bless life?
Will those who engage with us in these things become Christians immediately?
Did you?
Or did Christ hook you and slowly and patiently reel you in?
We are not merely learning religious truths for the sake of knowing ideas. The ideas have practical ramifications, and it is the ramifications, the ends of the ideas, that are important.
I must follow Christ in everything.
I must learn to handle relating to and speaking with others.
And that means I must learn to handle my thought life – how I think about others. I have to learn how to handle annoying people and perhaps more importantly, how not to be an annoying or troublesome person.
I have to learn how to control my negative emotions in relationships – anger and disgust and hurt feelings -- and in tough circumstances – fear and anxiety and discouragement.
I have to learn to give sacrificially, not only to my friends but to those who dislike me as well. I have to learn how to rejoice at the success of others and how to be an encouragement as well as a truthful but gentle critic.
I have to learn to stay focused on my reasons for being here, to not give up or give in when things get difficult. I must learn faithfulness and endurance and to love and serve others, even those that aren’t that friendly to me.
Do you know what I just described to you? Without using religious language, I described parts of the process of our being saved throughout life. Yes, we have been saved at the moment of faith (Ephesians 2.8), but the Scriptures also say that we shall be saved (future – Romans 5.9-10), and that we are being saved (an ongoing process in the present – 1 Corinthians 1.18) – being changed from what we used to be to what we are going to become.
Many of these life skills are things that all people want and need, regardless of religious affiliation, because these things are useful in the journey of life. I used to think that you had to meet Christ first before you could consider these things. It’s the other way around. Any opportunity to think about these things and to try to develop them becomes a gate of truth, bait on the hook, that can eventually lead back to Him who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Evangelism isn’t about eternal destiny and doesn’t need to be confined to a message about heaven or hell. Evangelism is about following Christ, and following Christ is about a way of living life. The platform for evangelism is life, not a church service.
When I think of evangelism, I think less of church services or Bible studies (fine if people are interested in them) and more about…
…sporting activities (organized sports, camping and hiking, exercise and fitness, martial arts or self-defense, skiing, hunting and fishing, or water sports) …hobbies (knitting and sewing, cooking and gardening, birdwatching, music, history and field trips)
…particular skills (first aid, parenting, homeschooling)
…“political” concerns (crisis pregnancy centers, adoption, local concerns).
These things get people together in the living of life. You can talk about living life and build friendships that go deeper than just the weather.
These activities become paths of connection and blessing -- gateways for the truth – and truth eventually leads back to Jesus Christ. So shouldn’t churches sponsor and engage in things that interest people and bless life?
Will those who engage with us in these things become Christians immediately?
Did you?
Or did Christ hook you and slowly and patiently reel you in?