Preachin' Jesus?

[steve-in-kville]

When I saw a church talk about tracts it often felt like they were going into the places where they would never work, live, or attend school, and doing the quickest, easiest thing to fulfill their duty without actually doing any work in these people’s lives. In my opinion, tracts should be coupled with feeding those who hunger, clothing those who are naked, and visiting those who are in prison, at a bare minimum.

When there’s a church that really takes pride in being separate from the world, and does all they can to make sure their families don’t interact with the world more than they absolutely have to, but then they want to go into the city and hand out tracts on a Sunday afternoon, it’s just strikes me as microwave evangelism.

Smartest thing I've read on the interwebz so far today.

(Don't let it go to your head )

[Ernie]

Handing out pamphlets is something that gives me the biggest yuck of all yucks.

Why so? I know of people who came to know and follow Jesus as a result of "pamphlet ministry". I don't consider it the best way to inform people about God/Jesus but it seems like one way to do it.

When I saw a church talk about tracts it often felt like they were going into the places where they would never work, live, or attend school, and doing the quickest, easiest thing to fulfill their duty without actually doing any work in these people’s lives. In my opinion, tracts should be coupled with feeding those who hunger, clothing those who are naked, and visiting those who are in prison, at a bare minimum.

When there’s a church that really takes pride in being separate from the world, and does all they can to make sure their families don’t interact with the world more than they absolutely have to, but then they want to go into the city and hand out tracts on a Sunday afternoon, it’s just strikes me as microwave evangelism.

I agree with you.

But there are not enough of us who interact with people to get around to everybody in my city. If those who are trying to separate themselves from the world, want to come to my city and distribute tracts, they can go for it. Sometimes such folks refer interested persons to me. This may sound a little bad... but most times, I would rather they refer an interested person to me, rather than they interact with the interested person further (due to their approach, their naiveté, and their doctrine).
Yet, one of the things that amazes me the older I get, is how God uses all sorts of people to spread the Gospel. One sows, another reaps.
And as of yet, I've never seen anybody half as strange as Ezekiel.

Our surveys with students tell us that most students in our town get very little exposure to spiritual matters. Pamphlet ministry can introduce people to spiritual things, even though it is very limited.

Here is our survey for anyone who is curious. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yZoQzu ... edit?pli=1

[Neto]

Good topic Steve and I hope I will be surprised by the participation. Generally speaking, in my experience with this topic, there is most always reasons or precautions given to avoid how some Christians do it poorly or even wrongly. I have even heard the reason they don't share their faith with others is that they are not 'called to be an Evangelist' or 'evangelism is not their gift'. And when a whole local church becomes unevangelical the only growth it gets is growing their own earthly families.

To me, and speaking to myself also, I believe the main reason for a Christian not being eager to share their faith is that we do not really care that unbelievers are heading toward a place of unending torment should they not receive Jesus free gift of salvation. What I mean by 'really care' is that things we really care about, we act upon. I was raised in a home where my parents really did care and a great part of their Christian life was in explaining the Gospel and seeing people be born again and begin following the Lord. It was a common conversation around the supper table to share our experiences in this during our day.

Churches are full of people who act like their salvation and life in Jesus is not really worth explaining to others and/or they really don't have the classic understanding of hell and it's unending torment. Although I don't share the identical beliefs of what I was raised in regarding hell, my father left quite an impression on me as he was a street preacher and pleaded for people to be saved. And for the early years, my twenties and thirties especially, I was very engaged in what we called 'soul winning'. We even took courses on how best to do this with Gospel literature and how to lead into a conversation about a person's soul.

As for your survey, at this point in time, I have to give myself a '5' as I am not initiating sharing the Gospel as I once was and would have given myself a '9'. It is a good thing for me to face up to where I currently am in this survey.

Bottom line for me is, I believe when my relationship with Jesus is where it should be, then wanting others to have this experience and security in heaven becomes a loving desire of others that is followed with action as Romans 10:13 says. Currently I have excuses I am using and I know they don't 'hold water'. Perhaps I'll share these if this thread takes interest.

I think that another reason some are not really active in sharing the Gospel / Witnessing comes back to guilt. FALSE Guilt that "I have never 'scored', added a notch to my 'spiritual gun', 'won a soul', etc. (what ever you call it). The Scripture tells us that "one waters, another reaps". Should a 'planter' or 'waterer' feel guilty because he or she was not the one that wielded the scythe? I think not.

One other comment. I have not responded to the survey. In either this thread or in the "Have you lead anyone to the Lord" thread I told a story about once when I "went evangelistically balistic on the street". That was so out of character for me that our pilot, who was with me, or actually, I guess I was with him) later told me he was really taken aback, or shocked, at my "outburst". (That's really what it was, an outburst.) I would never do that as "my MO". I think that the Holy Spirit will guide us as to how we should respond in each case, each opportunity. Jesus didn't do it the same every time. I also doubt if Philip made it his Evangelistic MO to run up to random chariots. These things should "well up from our inward parts" (what the Banawa call the innermost, the "voice of my core"), spilling out upon those chosen by the Spirit of God to hear the message (if we are willing, and "in tune").

[Sudsy]

Handing out pamphlets is something that gives me the biggest yuck of all yucks.

Why so? I know of people who came to know and follow Jesus as a result of "pamphlet ministry". I don't consider it the best way to inform people about God/Jesus but it seems like one way to do it.

To me, the Kingdom of God is the core of the Gospel, the thing that Jesus talked about more than anything else. Most pamphlets seem to be about personal salvation, praying a prayer as insurance against hell, based on the Four Spiritual Laws formula. I might be more likely to use pamphlets if I had good ones.

I agree that Jesus talked much about the Kingdom as He was mainly preaching to the Jews who were very focused on God setting up His Kingdom on earth. But He also talked much about salvation which is the entry into God's Kingdom. Most Gospel pamphlets focus on the need to be 'born again' as this is the entry into spiritual understanding about the Kingdom one is then in and to what extent at this point in time.

I have read and used some good Gospel tracts in my younger years that explained the Kingdom of God and salvation but I will have to look into my box of sample tracts to see if I can find one that I can share here.

[Sudsy]

Handing out pamphlets is something that gives me the biggest yuck of all yucks.

Why so? I know of people who came to know and follow Jesus as a result of "pamphlet ministry". I don't consider it the best way to inform people about God/Jesus but it seems like one way to do it.

When I saw a church talk about tracts it often felt like they were going into the places where they would never work, live, or attend school, and doing the quickest, easiest thing to fulfill their duty without actually doing any work in these people’s lives. In my opinion, tracts should be coupled with feeding those who hunger, clothing those who are naked, and visiting those who are in prison, at a bare minimum.

When there’s a church that really takes pride in being separate from the world, and does all they can to make sure their families don’t interact with the world more than they absolutely have to, but then they want to go into the city and hand out tracts on a Sunday afternoon, it’s just strikes me as microwave evangelism.

Yes, some good points. Whenever we put Gospel tracts into people's hands as a duty, something is wrong, imo, with our empathy toward those who are lost. One thing I have always liked about the Salvation Army is they do those things you say tracts should be coupled with. Where some Army folks have wandered is not sharing the message of the Gospel in words. My home church is the Salvation Army church in Conception Bay South, Nfld where the message of the Gospel along with good deeds in the community is growing constantly with new converts.

Yes, Jesus sure didn't use 'microwave evangelism' but was scoffed at by those who regarded themselves as super spiritual as they isolated themselves from the world He came to save. Jesus example shows us that following Him means going to where sinners habit and take the Gospel to them in face to face ways. One of His first recorded miracles was when He attended a wedding where there was no doubt those who were drunk before He turned water into wine. Jesus was never so 'holy' that He would not hang out with sinners but He sure got flak from the religious elites of that time and place.

[silentreader]

Why so? I know of people who came to know and follow Jesus as a result of "pamphlet ministry". I don't consider it the best way to inform people about God/Jesus but it seems like one way to do it.

When I saw a church talk about tracts it often felt like they were going into the places where they would never work, live, or attend school, and doing the quickest, easiest thing to fulfill their duty without actually doing any work in these people’s lives. In my opinion, tracts should be coupled with feeding those who hunger, clothing those who are naked, and visiting those who are in prison, at a bare minimum.

When there’s a church that really takes pride in being separate from the world, and does all they can to make sure their families don’t interact with the world more than they absolutely have to, but then they want to go into the city and hand out tracts on a Sunday afternoon, it’s just strikes me as microwave evangelism.

Yes, some good points. Whenever we put Gospel tracts into people's hands as a duty, something is wrong, imo, with our empathy toward those who are lost. One thing I have always liked about the Salvation Army is they do those things you say tracts should be coupled with. Where some Army folks have wandered is not sharing the message of the Gospel in words. My home church is the Salvation Army church in Conception Bay South, Nfld where the message of the Gospel along with good deeds in the community is growing constantly with new converts.

Yes, Jesus sure didn't use 'microwave evangelism' but was scoffed at by those who regarded themselves as super spiritual as they isolated themselves from the world He came to save. Jesus example shows us that following Him means going to where sinners habit and take the Gospel to them in face to face ways. One of His first recorded miracles was when He attended a wedding where there was no doubt those who were drunk before He turned water into wine.



Jesus was never so 'holy' that He would not hang out with sinners but He sure got flak from the religious elites of that time and place.

That's quite a statement from a professing Christian.
Big difference was actually that He was holy enough that other people's unholiness didn't rub off on Him. Not something that the average church-goer can count on.

[Sudsy]

Good topic Steve and I hope I will be surprised by the participation. Generally speaking, in my experience with this topic, there is most always reasons or precautions given to avoid how some Christians do it poorly or even wrongly. I have even heard the reason they don't share their faith with others is that they are not 'called to be an Evangelist' or 'evangelism is not their gift'. And when a whole local church becomes unevangelical the only growth it gets is growing their own earthly families.

To me, and speaking to myself also, I believe the main reason for a Christian not being eager to share their faith is that we do not really care that unbelievers are heading toward a place of unending torment should they not receive Jesus free gift of salvation. What I mean by 'really care' is that things we really care about, we act upon. I was raised in a home where my parents really did care and a great part of their Christian life was in explaining the Gospel and seeing people be born again and begin following the Lord. It was a common conversation around the supper table to share our experiences in this during our day.

Churches are full of people who act like their salvation and life in Jesus is not really worth explaining to others and/or they really don't have the classic understanding of hell and it's unending torment. Although I don't share the identical beliefs of what I was raised in regarding hell, my father left quite an impression on me as he was a street preacher and pleaded for people to be saved. And for the early years, my twenties and thirties especially, I was very engaged in what we called 'soul winning'. We even took courses on how best to do this with Gospel literature and how to lead into a conversation about a person's soul.

As for your survey, at this point in time, I have to give myself a '5' as I am not initiating sharing the Gospel as I once was and would have given myself a '9'. It is a good thing for me to face up to where I currently am in this survey.

Bottom line for me is, I believe when my relationship with Jesus is where it should be, then wanting others to have this experience and security in heaven becomes a loving desire of others that is followed with action as Romans 10:13 says. Currently I have excuses I am using and I know they don't 'hold water'. Perhaps I'll share these if this thread takes interest.

I think that another reason some are not really active in sharing the Gospel / Witnessing comes back to guilt. FALSE Guilt that "I have never 'scored', added a notch to my 'spiritual gun', 'won a soul', etc. (what ever you call it). The Scripture tells us that "one waters, another reaps". Should a 'planter' or 'waterer' feel guilty because he or she was not the one that wielded the scythe? I think not.

I agree and have heard testimonies of those who can look back and tell of the time in their life when the seed was first planted, when it was watered and then their day of being 'born again', the havest. What matters is us being active somewhere in this process. What I wonder about is when a local church is not having any local harvest. What kind of seed are they planting ? What might be choking out that seed from taking root ? What causes some that takes root to later wither up and die ? I can think of various things that might be causes.

One other comment. I have not responded to the survey. In either this thread or in the "Have you lead anyone to the Lord" thread I told a story about once when I "went evangelistically balistic on the street". That was so out of character for me that our pilot, who was with me, or actually, I guess I was with him) later told me he was really taken aback, or shocked, at my "outburst". (That's really what it was, an outburst.) I would never do that as "my MO". I think that the Holy Spirit will guide us as to how we should respond in each case, each opportunity. Jesus didn't do it the same every time. I also doubt if Philip made it his Evangelistic MO to run up to random chariots. These things should "well up from our inward parts" (what the Banawa call the innermost, the "voice of my core"), spilling out upon those chosen by the Spirit of God to hear the message (if we are willing, and "in tune").

I especially agree with the sentence I underlined. The Holy Spirit knows what we don't know about a seeker and will guide us. I have experienced this to the point of being shocked by His guidance and knew it wasn't my brain that was putting this together. I need more of this being 'in tune' with the Spirit each day. I tend to wander and by now should have learned not to but this will likely always be a battle to give Him full control.

[Sudsy]

When I saw a church talk about tracts it often felt like they were going into the places where they would never work, live, or attend school, and doing the quickest, easiest thing to fulfill their duty without actually doing any work in these people’s lives. In my opinion, tracts should be coupled with feeding those who hunger, clothing those who are naked, and visiting those who are in prison, at a bare minimum.

When there’s a church that really takes pride in being separate from the world, and does all they can to make sure their families don’t interact with the world more than they absolutely have to, but then they want to go into the city and hand out tracts on a Sunday afternoon, it’s just strikes me as microwave evangelism.

Yes, some good points. Whenever we put Gospel tracts into people's hands as a duty, something is wrong, imo, with our empathy toward those who are lost. One thing I have always liked about the Salvation Army is they do those things you say tracts should be coupled with. Where some Army folks have wandered is not sharing the message of the Gospel in words. My home church is the Salvation Army church in Conception Bay South, Nfld where the message of the Gospel along with good deeds in the community is growing constantly with new converts.

Yes, Jesus sure didn't use 'microwave evangelism' but was scoffed at by those who regarded themselves as super spiritual as they isolated themselves from the world He came to save. Jesus example shows us that following Him means going to where sinners habit and take the Gospel to them in face to face ways. One of His first recorded miracles was when He attended a wedding where there was no doubt those who were drunk before He turned water into wine.



Jesus was never so 'holy' that He would not hang out with sinners but He sure got flak from the religious elites of that time and place.

That's quite a statement from a professing Christian.
Big difference was actually that He was holy enough that other people's unholiness didn't rub off on Him. Not something that the average church-goer can count on.

What I intended to convey in that statement was the 'holiness' some Christians live by. That is why I put it in 'quotes'. Jesus was totally Holy.

I believe to be 'in the world but not of the world' and going where Jesus would go and it not causing us to sin is if we are going in the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is a matter of whether I am going out into the world as a Christ representative in my own power or in the power of the Holy Spirit. In my own power/strength I can give way to sinful attractions.