The cosmos is a messy place without question – wars in distant lands, pandemic viruses, global warming, earthquakes in divers places. As Christ-followers, the chaotic nature of our world derives from the impact of sin upon Creation. The earth groans under the pressure of the fallen state of affairs, and humanity does not escape this epic cosmological tragedy. This broken state created in the hearts of people results in an internal struggle projected outward upon relationships and present in the diversity of our life-stories. Humankind cries out for salvation, and the evangelistic efforts of people redeemed by the death, burial, and resurrection provide the bridge to another way. The disciple John explains the heart of this new “Way” in his Gospel, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).[1] Jesus is the path to salvation and restoration.
Unfortunately, the challenge for the believer is to remove preconceived belief structures that inform their ideas of evangelism and replace them with carefully formed theological and cultural underpinnings resulting in effective, impactful evangelism. A critical new understanding of the believer derives from the idea of incarnational living within a person’s community. According to Will McRaney, Jr. in The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture, “Rick Richardson said, “In the past, being an expert and having the answers were what built credibility and a hearing. Today, having the same questions, struggles and hurts is what builds credibility and gains a hearing.”[2] The post-modern generation requires vulnerability in order for the witness to gain enough credibility to be heard. Vulnerability is the core principle of incarnation. Without it, the Christ-follower never bridges the gap allowing for an active sharing of the Gospel. Building bridges requires time and effort, and challenges are sure to exist.
As we build bridges, it is critical to understand the idea of the process. In their work, Evangelism Is: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence establishes the idea of the principles of the process through the analogical harvest principle. They state, “effective evangelism respects the processional nature of evangelism.”[3] As we allow the process to unfold, we respect the element of the seed, and the fact that each person involved in the process of Gospel impartation is vital. As we engage in the process, Christ is involved in each step of the way.
Within the messy nature of modern evangelism, the Jesus-follower must rely on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for boldness and wisdom in engaging a pluralistic, post-Christian culture. Peter declared this empowerment at the inauguration of the Church at Pentecost, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The modern believer that utilizes the Holy Spirit and acknowledges its work in the complete process of salvation establishes another critical pillar of the Biblical theology of evangelism. McRaney states, “With regard to evangelism, the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of the witness, in the life of the lost person, at the point of regeneration, and after conversion.”[4] The Holy Spirit is active in all aspects of the salvation process, from drawing the unregenerated person through the process of sanctification and final with the act of glorification.
Finally, the messiness of evangelism requires the believer to become active in a spiritual battle raging around the lost to blunt and dull the efforts of Christ to redeem humanity. Dave Earley and David A. Wheeler in there work, Evangelism Is: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence, declare emphatically “when it comes to spiritual warfare, we are the battleground.”[5] The fact remains that evangelism without active engagement in a spiritual offensive posture through prayer and intercession, the witness faces insurmountable obstacles. However, when the activation of the weapons of our warfare engages the enemy on this battleground, victory is assured. Notice the power imagery in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4). Confidence grows in the witness as we engage effectively in the spiritual battle of evangelism.
Evangelism, although a messy calling, allows for an exciting engagement in the mission and work of Christ in our world. The time is now for the believer to elevate his efforts and engage a lost world with the Gospel that changes everything. If Christ can change a messed up addict like me consumed by the pain of trauma looking for the next fix, he can change anyone. The challenge for us all is to go and not to delay. A lost world is waiting for us.
Bibliography
Earley, Dave, and David A. Wheeler. Evangelism Is–: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, Tenn.: B & H Academic, 2010.
McRaney, Will. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 2003.
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version.
[2] Will McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 2003), 45.
[3] Dave Earley and David A. Wheeler, Evangelism Is–: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, Tenn.: B & H Academic, 2010), 83.
[4] Will McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism, 27.
[5] Dave Earley and David A. Wheeler, Evangelism, 157.
Restored 