Why have the Anabaptists FAILED at Reaching the Masses

[Ernie]

Assumptions is right!
If you look up the original meaning of "evangelist" it simply means to share the Gospel or the Good news!
And now the Gospel Jesus shared was the Gospel of the Kingdom of God - So Anabaptists/Mennonites are the only people I know of that have NOT failed the masses in doing this.

That's an interesting perspective. I assume you are referring to North America.

That's an accurate assumption!

I can think of people on other continents that are indeed preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Immigrants from some of their churches have come to North America, and as far as I know, they are preaching the Gospel here as well.

[Sudsy]

That means there was a lot of "assuming" going on here which is why a discussion would have been beneficial, in my honest opinion. When the Bible says "do the work of an evangelist" it seems there's a "starting point" for the one who believes he has a calling to reach the lost,- it starts "somewhere".

Assumptions is right!

If you look up the original meaning of "evangelist" it simply means to share the Gospel or the Good news!

And now the Gospel Jesus shared was the Gospel of the Kingdom of God - So Anabaptists/Mennonites are the only people I know of that have NOT failed the masses in doing this.

I come from an evangelistic background and the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached about often from Jesus teachings. Gospel meaning the good news of what the Kingdom of God is like. Evangelical Anabaptists, it would seem to me, agree and emphasize the need to be born again as entry into this Kingdom of God. As Jesus said in John 3:3 AMP -'Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

The message to the masses is about what Jesus did to allow us entry into the Kingdom way of life. After one has become a Kingdom citizen, they then are able and can begin to comprehend what this Kingdom is about. We need the Holy Spirit living within us first to be able to understand His Kingdom and how to experience it in our hearts even now.

Do you agree ?

[Ernie]

That means there was a lot of "assuming" going on here which is why a discussion would have been beneficial, in my honest opinion. When the Bible says "do the work of an evangelist" it seems there's a "starting point" for the one who believes he has a calling to reach the lost,- it starts "somewhere".

Assumptions is right!

If you look up the original meaning of "evangelist" it simply means to share the Gospel or the Good news!

And now the Gospel Jesus shared was the Gospel of the Kingdom of God - So Anabaptists/Mennonites are the only people I know of that have NOT failed the masses in doing this.

I come from an evangelistic background and the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached about often from Jesus teachings. Gospel meaning the good news of what the Kingdom of God is like. Evangelical Anabaptists, it would seem to me, agree and emphasize the need to be born again as entry into this Kingdom of God. As Jesus said in John 3:3 AMP -'Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

The message to the masses is about what Jesus did to allow us entry into the Kingdom way of life. After one has become a Kingdom citizen, they then are able and can begin to comprehend what this Kingdom is about. We need the Holy Spirit living within us first to be able to understand His Kingdom and how to experience it in our hearts even now.

Do you agree ?

I realize that this question was asked to Ned but I will answer it as well.

I do not.
Jesus preached to all sorts of people including his disciples about the Gospel of the Kingdom. He also taught them how to enter that Kingdom. But they didn't get it. (He even sent them out as evangelists before the "got it". However, after they were converted and had the Holy Spirit, it made sense to them. With that I agree.
What I don't agree with is that we should wait to talk about the Kingdom of God and how to experience it until a person is converted. I think talking about it can create a desire in people to want something they don't yet have.
I simply try to follow Jesus in how he went about teaching the Gospel.

One lady we baptized said this afterwards...

A year ago I was in a very dark place with no light. Then you came to me from where the light was and took me by the hand toward the light. At first I did not know if I could trust you because I did not know where you were going. But I went with you. Eventually I could start seeing a bit of light. This made me want to go toward the light myself. I think you are the light but you tell me the light is God. So I make a decision to go to the light myself. Before you were pulling me along toward the light. Now I want to run towards the light! If I fall down or be blocked by other things, I know the light is with us and brother and sister are with us. I trust the light and brother and sister. I feel beloved and have the confidence to get up rather than fall down - down into the dark and into feelings of helplessness.I view the world so differently. My joy keeps getting more and more.

[Sudsy]

What I don't agree with is that we should wait to talk about the Kingdom of God and how to experience it until a person is converted. I think talking about it can create a desire in people to want something they don't yet have.
I simply try to follow Jesus in how he went about teaching the Gospel.

OK, that has not been my approach but rather getting right to the issue of the Gospel of Salvation. So, how is this working for you and others who use your approach ? Is the result creating this 'desire in people to want something they don't yet have' and after that are they then asking 'what must I do to be saved ?' or 'how do I become a Kingdom citizen ?' or something like that ?

Are there some Gospel tracts that uses this approach that I can look at ?

[Ernie]

OK, that has not been my approach but rather getting right to the issue of the Gospel of Salvation. So, how is this working for you and others who use your approach ? Is the result creating this 'desire in people to want something they don't yet have' and after that are they then asking 'what must I do to be saved ?' or 'how do I become a Kingdom citizen ?' or something like that ?

Are there some Gospel tracts that uses this approach that I can look at ?

Normally those who are convicted of sin and want to follow Jesus will indicate that they want to make a public commitment to Christ and be baptized.

Here is a gospel tract:
https://churchplantersforum.org/wp-cont ... p-Hess.pdf

Here is another:
https://lifeq.org/wp-content/uploads/20 ... ife_10.pdf

[Ken]

OK, that has not been my approach but rather getting right to the issue of the Gospel of Salvation. So, how is this working for you and others who use your approach ? Is the result creating this 'desire in people to want something they don't yet have' and after that are they then asking 'what must I do to be saved ?' or 'how do I become a Kingdom citizen ?' or something like that ?

Are there some Gospel tracts that uses this approach that I can look at ?

Normally those who are convicted of sin and want to follow Jesus will indicate that they want to make a public commitment to Christ and be baptized.

Here is a gospel tract:
https://churchplantersforum.org/wp-cont ... p-Hess.pdf

Here is another:
https://lifeq.org/wp-content/uploads/20 ... ife_10.pdf

Honestly I don't find either of those tracts to be very readable.

[ohio jones]

Honestly I don't find either of those tracts to be very readable.

Would it help if they changed the font to Google Sans?

[ken_sylvania]

OK, that has not been my approach but rather getting right to the issue of the Gospel of Salvation. So, how is this working for you and others who use your approach ? Is the result creating this 'desire in people to want something they don't yet have' and after that are they then asking 'what must I do to be saved ?' or 'how do I become a Kingdom citizen ?' or something like that ?

Are there some Gospel tracts that uses this approach that I can look at ?

Normally those who are convicted of sin and want to follow Jesus will indicate that they want to make a public commitment to Christ and be baptized.

Here is a gospel tract:
https://churchplantersforum.org/wp-cont ... p-Hess.pdf

Here is another:
https://lifeq.org/wp-content/uploads/20 ... ife_10.pdf

Honestly I don't find either of those tracts to be very readable.

That's not surprising. They don't appear to be written with intent to appeal to a self-satisfied worldly-wise white male audience.

[Ken]

Honestly I don't find either of those tracts to be very readable.

Would it help if they changed the font to Google Sans?

It's not the font. It's bad format. The topic bounces all over. And isn't really coherent or I think Biblically correct. For example, in the first tract these two sentences are back to back:

Human sin and selfishness causes wars, murder, theft, divorce, abuse, and all the things that people do to harm each other

and

God sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to fix this situation.

Um, no. Jesus isn't going to fix selfishness, wars, murder, theft, divorce, abuse, and all things that people do to harm each other. Not here in the world. Those things are all still with us two thousand years later.

I just think if people are going to go through the cost and effort of distributing tracts, they can do better.

[Josh]

Um, no. Jesus isn't going to fix selfishness, wars, murder, theft, divorce, abuse, and all things that people do to harm each other. Not here in the world. Those things are all still with us two thousand years later.

I just think if people are going to go through the cost and effort of distributing tracts, they can do better.

I would toss out there that you might be the exact audience the tract was intended for, and to open your mind just a little bit.