I've been travelling through a very multi-faith part of the world and reading Genesis at the same time.  It strikes me that Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism - every religion - is a corruption of original gospel faith.  We haven't all emerged from a primordial soup of basic spirituality and diverged into different expressions of it.  The world has degenerated from trust in Christ.

There are many implications of this for engaging in mission.  But now I'm in Sydney, it's a beautiful day and I'm off to the SCG to watch Australia extend it's all-forms-of-cricket lead over England to 7-5...

 

 

 

Theology Network have just put up a paper of mine on mission and evangelism.

I basically argue that we need a strictly focussed understanding of mission - i.e. gospel proclamation to the ends of the earth.  In a follow-up paper I talk about having a broader vision for evangelism - all the church in all of life proclaiming the gospel as we go.

We tend to think the other way around.  We ordinarily believe that mission is... lots of stuff... anything you can find a verse for.  But evangelism - yikes, that's the scary stuff that's best left to the professionals.  But no - we need a narrow mission and broad evangelism.

I'll address the evangelism point later.  For now let's think about narrow mission.  How do you react to that idea?  Have a read and let's talk about that.

But here's a little excerpt where I discuss three reasons we need a focussed understanding of mission.  We believe in...

A Gospel God

Think again of Christ’s words in John 20:

“As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you.” (v.21)

Our mission is grounded in the missio (the sending) of the Son, i.e. it is grounded in the very life of God.  So we ask, What was Christ’s mission statement?  Why did the Father send His Son?  Undeniably it was a mission of salvation.  Our God is a Gospel God.

In fact from all eternity the purposes of the Father have been focussed on His Son (e.g. Isaiah 42:1-4).  He has created in and through and for Christ (e.g. Col 1:15f) and has redeemed in and through and for Christ (e.g. Ps 110:4).  It is the Father’s and the Spirit’s deepest passion to exalt the Son.  To inherit our mission from this Gospel God can only mean carrying on a Gospel mission.

A Gospel World

Creation has never been a free-floating entity with means and ends of its own.  The Lord does not have desires for creation over here, and desires for salvation over there.  Creation and salvation are all a part of the one gospel project fulfilled in Christ.

The world exists both by and for the spreading goodness of the sending God (1 Cor. 8:6).  In that outgoing gospel passion it was the same Word who made the world who then entered and reconciled it (Col. 1:20).  It is under the headship of this same Word that creation is renewed and perfected (e.g. Eph. 1:10).  And, crucially, all things are to be drawn under His feet by the Spirit.  This means by the word as Jesus continually emphasizes in, for instance, the upper room discourse (e.g. John 14:10-26).

The mission we have joined is not disjointed, with creational needs on the one hand and redemptive needs on the other.  All creation is to be brought under the rule of its true Lord.  And this is to be done, not in works of the flesh but by the Spirit – that is, by the word.

A Finished Work

The church has not received its mission from a needy Christ, looking for us to finish the job.  He really has saved the world through His death and resurrection.  For this reason, the risen Christ constitutes us as ‘witnesses’ (Acts 1:8).  We are not the do-ers – we are signposts to His ultimate and all-encompassing Doing.  We are a witnessing community not a reforming task-force.  We do not bring redemption to the world, we bring Christ to the world as One who has already accomplished our redemption.

None of this is to deny that the gospel has an incredible transformative effect on lives and communities in the here and now.  Under the Headship of the true Lord, under the authority of the divine word, in the power of the Holy Spirit, there is a power to transform social structures and bring healing to every aspect of life – even in advance of Christ’s return.  Yet that is the context for such change.  To attempt to bring this healing into a sphere which explicitly rejects this Head, this word and this Spirit, is to trust to the flesh and to deny that the gospel is the power to transform.  It is, therefore to betray the evangel – it is to be anti-evangelistic.

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Session 1 here

Evangelism Session 2

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There are three subjects a preacher can speak on to really turn the guilt screws: Praying, Giving and Evangelism

In the year 2000 Jehovah’s Witnesses spent 181 million hours witnessing door to door.  (It's interesting that they compile such detailed statistics.  And that they publish them!)  A Jehovah’s Witness is expected to do 5 hours door to door work a week.

It’s very possible to mobilize incredible ‘evangelistic endeavours’ out of fear, pride, pressure and guilt.

A good question for every evangelist: Am I witnessing to bring this person to God or to bring me to God?

But evangelism doesn't bring me to God.  It's Christ who brings the world to God.  And I join in!

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Definition 3: Evangelism is sharing together in Christ’s mission to the world

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In terms of bringing people to God

He Did - Christ did bring people to God through His cross.

We Are - We are a body of people bringing others to God.

I Can - I can play my part in Christ's mission.

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1) He did.  1 Peter 3:18

THE great missionary task has been completed.

My evangelism does not bring me to God.  And my failures don't keep me away.

When I have failed to speak up or been a terrible witness among my friends - that was sin.  But Christ died for sins...

Some give the impression that Jesus died for every sin except evangelistic failure.  But no, these failures are unrighteous.  But Christ clothed Himself in that unrighteousness and gives you His spotless robe.  You are rejoiced over before the Father, even with all your failures.

So no more fear, no more pride, no more pressure, no more guilt.  You have been brought to God.

And now I join in not because I have to, but because I get to.  In fact... I am!

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2) We are.  1 Peter 2:9; 4:10-11

We scattered aliens and strangers are - together - a priesthood.

Priests are go-betweens standing between God and the people.

We declare His praises in the world (v9) and the pagans are brought to God (v12)

Notice: We ARE this priesthood.  Peter doesn’t say ‘Work hard, try and become priestly.’  He says you are already priestly.

You entered the priesthood the day you trusted Jesus.

To be a Christian is to be an integral part of an evangelistic organisation!

Notice: We are TOGETHER this priesthood.

John 13:34-35 - our life together testifies to the world.  How can we witness together?

What if two or three or four of us joined the same gym/club/adult education course?

What if we were committed, regular, intentional, up front about our faith?

Notice: We won't all have the same job within this evangelistic body - 1 Peter 4:10-11.

Some are good 'speakers', some are good 'servers' (a hospitality kind of word).

When they work together it's a potent combination - evangelism through hospitality - speakers and servers together.

What are your gifts?  How can we use them together in a priestly (ie evangelistic)way?

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3) I Can.  1 Peter 3:15

Be prepared.  The scout’s motto!  Be prepared with words.

Like the engaged woman, ready to show off the diamond.  Like film lover who’s just seen their new favourite film.  Like the proud owner of a new sports car or a new outfit 70% off.  Like the football supporter of the cup-winning team.  Like the new grand-parents.  We are always ready to talk about the things that are important to us aren’t we?

This is why setting apart Christ as Lord is so important.  That Christ would be more exciting than the diamond, the film, the car, etc, etc.  If the heart is right the words will come - failingly and falteringly, but they will come.

Gentleness and respect – evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

Notice: Who initiates this evangelistic conversation?  It’s the non-Christian asking “How do you live with such hope?"

It's a "hope that is IN you.”  Not in the creeds or in a gospel tract or even in the bible but IN US!

The section begins with good advice on how to attract such interest: 1 Pet 3:8 - sympathy, love, compassion and humility.

Evangelism is not turning trivial conversations into trite gospel presentations.

It’s about prizing Christ above everything else, living with distinctive words and actions and joining Him in His mission to the world.

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Questions

Have you felt guilt attached to your evangelism in the past?  What does the gospel say into that situation?

What are your gifts?  How can you use them as part of the whole church’s priestly body?

Are there things we can do together in the world?  Be specific.  (This is not about doing more, but about doing what we do together and with gospel intentionality)

What kind of lives attract the questions of non-Christians?  How does this challenge me?  Again, be specific.

Are there one or two non-Christians in your life that you can commit to pray for?  Don't list 300, think of two or three and pray for them regularly.

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Here's the outline for the first of two seminars I ran on evangelism based in 1 Peter.  They were for a local church's weekend away...

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Evangelism Session 1

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Thought Experiment

Think of an evangelist.  What are they like?

Think of a person (or some people) who were significant in leading you to Christ?  What are they like?

What's the difference?

Where did we get that image of "the evangelist" from?

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Definition 1: Evangelism is ordinary people gripped by the gospel

There are such folk as "evangelists" (Eph 4:11)

But their role is to equip the whole church to fulfil its evangelistic ministry (Eph 4:12)

Every Christian can reasonably expect to see friends/family brought to Christ in their lifetime.

1 Peter is written to ordinary people: aliens and strangers, scattered in the world and suffering.

But they are gripped by God (1:2) -

Choice in the Father's eyes

Set apart by the Spirit

United to Christ, their Lord and Saviour

They LOVE Jesus (1:8)

If you don't love Jesus, please don't do evangelism

Jesus speaks of zealous but loveless evangelism in Matt 23:15 - it multiplies sons of hell!

Remember Christ crucified - warm your heart by the fires of the gospel - 1 Pet 3:18

Because we speak about what we love.  Matthew 12:34 “From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

Remember how 1 Pet 3:15 begins: "In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord."  That's the foundation

I can talk all day about cricket.  I've never read a book on how to talk about cricket.  We speak of what we love.

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Definition 2:  Evangelism means living distinctly in word and deed.

When I imagine an evangelist I think of someone who blends in, who is cool, who is popular.

But 1 Peter screams out no.  We follow a crucified man.

His mission to planet earth got Him killed and our own part in this mission will also feel like crucifixion (eg 2:21ff)

2:11-12 - In the short term we will be hated, in the long term this unpopular distinctiveness will have eternal impact.

Peter knows where this distinct living will bite for the Christian:

From 2:13 - living distinctively under hostile authorities

From 2:18 - living distinctively in the work place

From 3:1 - living distinctively in marriages (even with unbelievers)

From 4:1 - living distinctively among non-Christian friends and family

In each circumstance this distinctive living will be like the cross (2:21ff)

It means extending ourselves in love to a hostile world for their salvation - it's what got Jesus killed.

But it's also what saves.

You are not called to be like Billy Graham.

You are not called to be Mr/Mrs/Miss Popular.

You are called to something much harder but much more ordinary - be like Jesus in the simple circumstances of your life.

You are called to live and speak distinctively for Jesus in a world that hates Him.

We think of an evangelist as someone who is the life and soul of the party and a Christian!  What an advertisement for Jesus!

Don't try to be that person.  Be the person who, when the party is over and life turns hard, your friend can talk to about the big issues.

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Questions

Was there a difference between your picture of “an evangelist” and those who actually brought you to Christ?  What was it?

What is the link between love for Jesus and speaking for Him?  What can we do to strengthen that link?

Are you a person that friends, family and colleagues can come to with big issues in life?  Are there things you need to change so that you will be?

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