Teach them...while you walk by the way

My youngest overheard a conversation between my wife and I about a friend’s upcoming baby shower. This excited my five year old daughter. She asked if she could go. I don't know, I said, we will have to see the invitation. Oh, she said in a dejected tone. Do you know what an invitation? No, my daughter replied. It’s a written letter letting you know you can come to the party. You can't invite yourself to come. It’s similar to God's book of life in heaven. In it is the name of everyone God has decided to allow to come into heaven. You can't just invite yourself.

 

This may not have been the deepest or most complete lesson but it’s what popped into my head. It only takes a minute to tie everyday conversation to the things of God. This is good because it not only teaches your children but helps them to understand that talking about spiritual things is perfectly normal and not confined to Sunday morning. If you never instill this you are teaching them to compartmentalize religion. This is exactly what the world wants. Keep your religion to yourself they say. I say be obedient to God’s word and take responsibility for teaching your children bible doctrine when you walk, when you rise, and when you lie down.

The Club

At a recent spring fair I saw a booth for the local school gay and lesbian club. When I was in school the most controversial club we had was the Young Republicans. Gathered under the tent was a group of young girls and boys promoting their choice of lifestyle. I was there doing some one to one witnessing and felt a burden to speak to them. Positioned directly across from them was a booth promoting a local church group. They were doing the “bead” evangelism program. I decided because of the clubs close proximity to a Christian outreach booth that I would ask them what they thought of Christianity. I wanted them to have a chance to speak their mind before questioning them about their spiritual state. To my surprise they all thought they were already Christians. I had expected a vial reaction but instead they were all very nice and polite. In hind-sight this shouldn’t have surprised me at all. For decades the “church” has been hiding the truth of scriptures so as not to offend. The result has been an inclusive message that God loves you the way you are. The unbeliever hears this and naturally assumes they can have eternal life and their pet sins just by praying a prayer and a false convert is born.

I began to go through God’s law with them and explain how it reveals our true condition and problem between ourselves and God. We discussed lying, stealing, disobedience to our parents, hatred of the heart, and adultery of the heart. We discussed why hell is reasonable and the legal transaction that took place on the cross. What we never discussed was homosexuality. While this may have been the most obvious sin in their lives it is also the most precious. As the Holy Spirit convict these young hearts of the sins we discussed He will convict them of this one as well. I believe it is wise not to go for this sin immediately when speaking to those in this lifestyle. At the same time if it comes up we should not condone it by our silence but to urge the hearer to know God see all sin equally in that it is all transgression of the law. We tend to look at people in extreme sinful lifestyles, drugs, pornography, prostitution, homosexuality as worse than ourselves. Do you not understand that your own sins punished Christ?

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The Kickboxer

“Then all…went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordon River, confessing their sins.” –Mark 1:5

I ran across a retired kick-boxer the other day on a quiet downtown street. I happened to be taking a walk with my family when my eyes made contact with this other man. I smiled and said how are you doing?  He responded in a friendly manner indicating he was fine and as things would be we began a conversation. He illustrated graphically the injuries he suffered as a result of kick-boxing which lead to his retirement. I then changed the conversation to the afterlife. We went through God’s law looking at it as a mirror for him to see himself as God does. After examining a few he began to justify himself and continued to declare his goodness. I pleaded with his conscience and asked if he was the least bit concerned about his eternal destiny. No, he responded, Pastor So-and-so told me I’m going to heaven and he baptized me.

What a sad thing. This man is trusting in baptism to save him and is convinced of his salvation on the word of a pastor who knows not the condition of this man’s soul. Baptism does not bring about salvation. It is an act of obedience in response to God’s grace. No matter how many times this man went under the waters of baptism, if there is no confession of sins then something is dreadfully wrong. 

Do not be too quick to declare someone saved. You may make a false convert with a heart of stone.

The Inhumane Gospel

It was a nice Sunday afternoon so the family and I went to a local festival. Of course the immediate plan before we enjoyed ourselves by the sights and sounds was to pass out gospel tracts. I established myself at the entrance where nobody could come or leave without passing me and began handing out a tract that looks like a huge $100 bill. About a third of those who came by were interested and I ask them each to look at the back because there is a Gospel message on it. I had two people bring them back after reading the clear message on the reverse. (I love the fact they bring them back because I can hand it to someone else Yea!!) The second guy said something very interesting as he handed it back to me. 

“What you’re telling people is inhumane” 

This caught me a little off guard. Here was a man equating handing people large sums of cash (pun intended) with a life saving message to abuse. After further inquiry it turns out that the issue was that the Gospel message used God’s law to rightly show people they are sinful and in the need of a savior. He told me it would be better if I told people that they are good and should help others. I gently asked him if he thought it was unkind to warn someone. I used the analogy of a blind man walking to a cliff. Is disrupting his peaceful walk inhumane? He agreed I was warning people but admitted he didn’t agree with the message, no doubt loving his sin.

The use of the law to illustrate how we appear to God is one of the kindest things we can do. 

“Deliver those who are drawn to death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter” –Proverbs 24:11

Welcome..

I decided to begin this blog to encourage others to reach out in faith to the lost in their neighborhoods. As I look around it appears lonely on the evangelism front lines. There are a few overactive Christian taking good news directly to the sinner but as I look back I see the vast majority of the troops still in the trenches. I’ve notice a few different viewpoints on witnessing from Christians that result in them remaining on inactive duty. I’d like to address a few of them right here. 

1    Evangelismis the role of the Church leaders: Some how we think that the role of proclaiming the Gospel belongs solely to the Church leaders. This is why we rather ask someone to come to Church in hope that they will hear the Gospel rather then share it ourselves. The Great Commission belongs to us all. We say we want to follow Jesus expect when he says "I make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). We want the power of the Holy Spirit unless it come with the requirement "you shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8). We call Christ Lord but "not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)

       I don’thave the gift of evangelism: Let’s look at what this gift is. Look at Ephesians 4:11. The scriptures say “He gave some to be …evangelist.”This is where some stop but if we look a little further down to verse 12 we see why God gave some to be evangelist and it is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.” The work an evangelist will equip the saints for is to be a witness. 

       I don’tlike the way you do it, it’s just not for me: I’ve been told this beforeand it usually is one of two things. First, they are uncomfortable with it because they don’t know what to say. This is like a solider going to war without knowing how to shoot. This understandable. If we feel we are not equipped to speak to others about Christ then we need to get ourselves in shape and join the battle. The second is related to the use ofthe law in witnessing which is a very biblical way to proclaim the Gospel. In fact it is how Jesus did it. I think sometimes the law is pricking their own heart and this makes them uncomfortable. I suggest if this is your case to examine your own life against God’s holy law. A wise man once said in response to a similar argument,“I like the way I witness better than the way you don’t.”

So there are the top three I have ran across and I hope thiswill help eliminate some excuses and encourage you to join ranks.