Tag Archives: Evangelism

The Prodigal Sheep

Evangelism 
(Kudos to my brother, Clark Sims, for stimulating these thoughts with his lesson Sunday.)

There’s no mistake in the title. I want to talk about the prodigal sheep. He’s the brother who finds his way back into God’s service after years of inactivity and without any help or encouragement from the brethren. Like the prodigal son of Luke 15, this wanderer “came to himself” and came home.

Unlike the sheep of Matthew 18 who was sought by his shepherd, no one came looking for him. He just showed back up one day. That’s a good thing, of course, but it is a little scary. What if he didn’t come home? What if he stayed lost? The sheep was sought. The only reason the sheep came home was because someone went looking for him.

Why don’t we look for the lost. Here are 4 reasons we leave the lost, lost.

1. We Think He Knew Better

If a Christian has been around for a while we assume he knows that he should be faithful to the Lord. When he wondered away we figured it was a deliberate act and, since he knew better, he would come home soon enough.

We probably should rethink that.

2. We Think She Needs a Break

Life has a way of ratcheting up the pressure. We all feel a need for a break sometimes. Even Jesus stepped away from the crowds sometimes. Again, we think that she will be back as soon as life settles down a bit.

But what if they don’t?

Maybe we should rethink that.

3. We Think They Are Out of Town

American culture is on the move. We travel a lot. So we often assume that people have taken some spare time to visit parents, see the grandchildren or take a few days of vacation. But when the vacation stretches to the second week we should probably ask around. Most folks don’t leave for weeks without telling someone.

Out of town? Maybe not. We should rethink this one too.

4. They’ll Be Back

Surely no one would leave or drop out! That would be crazy! It’s good to be happy and to think highly of our congregations but sometimes people do leave. A misunderstanding or unintended slight can drive people away. Jesus said to deal with personal issues (Matthew 5:23 ff).

Sure, they might come back…and they might not. Rethink this one.

That lost sheep of Matthew 18 would have died if the shepherd thought like we think sometimes. I’m glad he didn’t, aren’t you?

War

Culture, Daily living, Sin, ,

mushroom cloudThere’s a war going on. It’s not in Syria. Our opponent is not Russia, Iran or North Korea. The bombs are not made by Raytheon, and there are no Admirals or Generals leading armies. This war is far more destructive than any conflict humanity has ever witnessed. More will fall than in all the previous wars and conflicts combined.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12).

Christians must stand strong against those forces that would condemn us to eternal damnation. Instead, we befriend culture while knowing that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Those who support and encourage sin and sinful lifestyles are our enemies. They intend us harm!

1. The Christian is a Soldier

Paul uses the word “wrestle” in Ephesians 6:12 (ESV). Other translations have struggle, battle or fight. This is the only time this Greek word appears in the New Testament, but the concept is well known. Christians fight against evil. We prepare ourselves with appropriate armor (Ephesians 6:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Romans 13:12).

The life of a soldier is not easy. He is often in physical discomfort and many times lonely as he meets the foe. Still, we stand firm. Timothy is told to “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). He is to “wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18).

In our Christian conflict, there are no positions in the rear echelon. We must all serve on the front lines in this eternal conflict.

2. This War is Different

Paul is clear: Our battle is not against people but powers. The descriptions here are of non-human forces “in heavenly places.” Like so many Bible words, context is always vital. Heaven may be the place where God and the glorious host reside, or it may be the sky and space. Here, it is the celestial realm, the place of spirit beings.

Our battle, with immortal consequences, is waged against immortal enemies. Satan and his minions have long been at work against the Lord. Although their defeat is certain, they continue to wage war against the Christ and his saints. Cruise missiles, smart bombs, and bullets have no effect against these enemies.

3. Our Weapons are Spiritual

Physical combatants often wage war for the “hearts and minds” of the people. In most cases, such battles are secondary to the main event of explosions and destruction. In our case, “hearts and minds” are primary.

We combat the evil forces with the absolute weapon of truth. Satan has been a liar from the beginning in Eden (Genesis 3:4,5). When he speaks, he lies for that is his character (John 8:44). When we speak truth, we oppose him and always do damage to him. Again, truth always hurts the devil. As a soldier carefully loads ammunition into a gun, we load truth into our lives by the study of truth, that is, the word of God. As we live by truth, we reject the devil’s lies, and we defend ourselves against his lies.

Are you a good soldier? Are you prepared? Are you trained? Press against the forces of evil and show yourself a good soldier for Jesus Christ!

 

Too Much Faith In An Election?

Daily living, Evangelism,

 

Did Christendom gain a great victory in the Presidential election of 2016? Some think so. Others are not so sure. Many believed the election to be a turning point, even a final chance for the nation to return to its Christian roots. The election is over and the favored candidate won. Now what? What is different for the church in the post-election period?

Not much.

The American church was not and is not persecuted

Notwithstanding a few rare and extreme cases, the government has maintained a hands-off policy toward the church. Some pseudo-church organizations have been discomforted but the church for which Jesus died has been left alone. The mission of the church is not to place manger scenes in the courthouse square nor to place copies of the 10 Commandments in public places. The mission of the church is to save souls (Luke 19:10; Mark 16:15, 16).

Ironically, the greatest church growth occurred during the 1st century when both the government of Israel (secular and theological) and the government of Rome opposed the church. The original Christians would be surprised at our weak evangelism and thin skin in the present day. We recoil and sniffle at the slightest sarcastic remark while they faced stoning, burning and unspeakable torture for their beliefs. As the writer of Hebrews remarked, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4).

Christians must not depend on the government to do our work

The single brightest spot in the election is the not yet fulfilled promises concerning the United States Supreme Court. If the president-elect does what he has promised, we may see more protection of the unborn through a rolling back of heinous rulings allowing abortion. But even so, the ultimate battle is in the heart of the woman making such a choice. The Supreme Court has little sway in the heart of a woman struggling with a heartbreaking decision. But Jesus changes hearts and lives (Matthew 15:8, 18, 19; 22:37; John 7:38; Acts 8:22; Romans 2:29; 5:5; Galatians 4:6).

O that we would approach our Christian duties with the same fervor as we approached the election. What if we were as passionate about our Lord as we were of our candidate?

We have great work to do. We must be warriors in the Kingdom of Christ. To borrow from Paul, let us fight the good fight ourselves and not expect help from the other government.

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @J_Bryant_Evans.

 

Paralysis: Satan’s Tool

Evangelism, ,

Guillen-Barre is a slowly progressing illness that paralyzes people beginning in the feet and sometimes moving all the way into the chest and neck. It’s terrifying to feel your muscle control slipping away and wondering whether your breathing will soon stop. In most cases GB reverses itself and patients make a full recovery but they are forever changed by the brush with a permanent infirmity.

As horrible as physical paralysis is, spiritual paralysis is far worse and, I would argue, far more common. In fact, paralysis is one of the devil’s top tools for preventing evangelism and stopping the spread of the gospel.

We’ve all experienced it. We meet someone that we really click with. We begin to spend time with them at work or at play. We actually consider talking to them about Jesus. But then the paralysis sets in. We cannot seem to bring ourselves to discuss the most important topic in our life and in theirs. “Jesus” just will not come out of our mouths. It would be easier to bend our arm halfway between our wrist and elbow than to talk to our new friend about their soul. Why? What happened?

Assumptions

We often assume that the people we know are not interested in the Bible. Or we assume that people are already comfortable in their faith and have no interest in anything we have to say.

Paul could have made such an assumption when he traveled city-to-city preaching the gospel. Yet he entered the synagogues, places where devout Jews were found, to preach to them. The entire church began among already devout people (Acts 2:5). Today, we likely assume such devout people are already comfortable in their faith.

We also tend to assume that wicked, sinful people – those with no obvious interest in spiritual matters – would likewise be uninterested in Jesus. We filter them out having never even spoken to them about the Lord. How do we know? Rough, Galilean fishermen were the first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22). Sinners were the chosen friends of Jesus (Matthew 11:19). Our assumptions and filters must be eliminated.

Fear

Fear is incredibly powerful. Yet all of God’s great men and women have rejected fear in favor of trusting in God for every need. The apostles were told that they would stand before powerful kings and governors (Mark 13:9) and Jesus would sustain them. Paul was warned of what awaited him in Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 21:10-16). He appeared before murderous Jews and ignorant Romans and yet he never missed an opportunity to preach truth. Finally he would appear before Caesar and preach among the most influential people of the day (Acts 26:32; Acts 28:16, 30).

Satan will try and convince us that we will be persecuted for our faith. Oddly enough, he may be right. But we must know that any persecution that does come our way is laughable compared to what our brothers and sisters in the first century experienced. Be encouraged by the example of all those who stand for truth and let us “speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:14)

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

So Many People!

Evangelism,

crowdThe United States hit a population milestone this year surpassing the 320 million mark. That’s a lot of people but it is still lives us a very distant 3rd in the global population race. Both India and China count 4 times more people in their borders than we do. Worldwide, there are now over 7 billion people.

Correction: 7 billion souls.

When one stops and thinks that each Christian is given the task of bringing the good news to others the task seems enormous. But God gives us nothing beyond our reach. The Great Commission texts of Matthew 22:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16 are doable. The Lord would never have given the command if the results were beyond our reach.

It may be that we need to stop looking at the great forest and look instead at the trees.

Most of us have 2 neighbors within walking distance. Those who live in a planned neighborhood or in an apartment complex may have dozens or even hundreds within seconds of their front door. Let’s start there.

When the church first began Peter preached to the people who were there, at Jerusalem, and within the sound of his voice (Acts 2:1 ff). It is not until Acts 8:1 that people began mission type activities. But even then,  they continued to speak to people in the towns where they migrated to.

Evangelism among the original Christians was not sophisticated. It was incredibly simple. It involved people talking to other people about something important to them – Jesus. Opportunities for the Gospel abound.

Maybe the answer lies in the simplicity of their actions. What if today we simply spoke to people we know about Jesus? What if you turned off the computer and walked next door? Right now?

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Man in the Mirror

Evangelism,

SONY DSCWho’s In the Mirror?

Have you ever noticed how much sinners look like the man in the mirror? I’ve been struck by the similarities of sinners to Christians. I shouldn’t be. Christians are sinners too. The difference lies in the “no condemnation” statement of Romans 8:1, 2:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Note that the freedom from condemnation comes only for those “in Christ Jesus.” Those outside of Christ have no such promise. There is also the very important contrast of those set free by the law of the Spirit of life against those judged by the law of sin and death. That verse is what makes the man in the mirror different from a sinner not in Christ.

That does not mean there are not important similarities. The differences fade quickly when we think of where we were before Jesus came into our lives.

Many who read here grew up with loving, godly parents who ensured they were raised “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, KJV). We were taught the Bible stories and were thrilled when Daniel walked out of the lion’s den or when Jonah was swallowed by a whale. We had our little white Bible and knew all of the Sunday School songs by heart.

But what if we didn’t? What if we did not have godly parents? What if we never attended worship or Bible study as a child? Where would we be?

That is where we find the world today. Many do not have the background we enjoyed and so their lives descended further and further into worldliness and chaos. Without an anchor they drifted from one seemingly satisfying moment to the next. They were never taught.

I might be wise to remember that when you next look into the mirror. The saved face staring back at you might not have been so clean were it not for your blessed past. Where would you be?

My point is that we can see people who are lost but we cannot see why they are lost. Our approach to them must be that of a kindly, patient teacher. Remember the old saw, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” We’ll reach more with understanding. Teaching truth, never compromising, but understanding the path that brought them to us.

 

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Reaching the Unreachable

Church Bulletin, Evangelism, ,

You know someone that needs Jesus. Their life is a mess and chaos reigns every day. You fear their eternity yet they slumber through life with little thought for the Lord and his salvation. Can this person be reached? Are they beyond the love of God? Should we surrender?

The Love of God Extends to All

Sacrificial love flows from God’s throne. Every action Jehovah has taken is targeted toward the salvation of lost men. He is driven by love. The death of Jesus was the evidence of his love (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). That love was directed toward sinners who live in rebellion against his glory.

It is inconceivable that God would offer his only son for those who despised him. Yet that is exactly what he did. Jesus authored salvation for the lost (Hebrews 5:9). All men are called to redemption by God (John 3:15, 21; 1 John 2:2; Acts 17:30, 31).

 Rejecting Jesus is Rejecting Salvation

God has called men in many different ways over the ages. But now, he seeks men through Jesus alone  (Hebrews 1:1-4). There is no other way to salvation except Jesus (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Rejecting Jesus is the same as rejecting salvation. It is a personal choice, allowed by God, with astounding implications.

During his ministry, Jesus was rejected by many. John 6:66 has disciples deserting Jesus because of difficult teachings. Jewish leaders rejected him just as prophesied centuries before (Isaiah 53:3). Some people have, and will continue to, reject Jesus to their own detriment. Scriptures teach that many will follow broad paths to destruction (Matthew 7:13).

Surrender is Not an Option

Although many will die shaking a fist of rebellion at the Father we must not give up. Our task is to go and preach (Matthew 28:18, 19; Mark 16:15, 16). We work together with brethren and God gives increase through his word (1 Corinthians 1:6). So even in the face of apparent defeat, we press on. One may wonder how often Paul thought of quitting and retiring to a quiet place to worship in his later years in peace. But he did not, nor should we.

When people reject our message of salvation we understand that they are rejecting God – not us. Samuel found Israel’s demand for a king other than God to be repulsive and he took their demands personally. But God reminded him that the people were rebelling against heaven (1 Samuel 8:7).

Reaching the Unreachable

Actually, no man is unreachable. Contrary to some teachings, God calls all men and does not desire the destruction of any (2 Peter 3:9). We must not faint in our effort (2 Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9). We press on and save those whom we can.

A man may reject your words and overtures of love but he cannot overlook a life of God-filled joy and glory. We begin by living the life that is worthy of our place with God (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Revelation 3:4).

Next, we watch for opportunities and we seek openings to share the power of Christ. Jesus, through John, told Philadelphia that he had set an “open door” before them (Revelation 3:8). We must watch for those doors and be prepared to quickly walk through before they close forever.

Never give up, always press forward and always be prepared!

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

 

3 Lessons from Fish

Church Bulletin, Evangelism, Luke, ,

BD-fishermenPeter, James and John fished for a living. They knew when to fish and where to fish but on this day the fish were not cooperating. When Jesus tells them to let down the nets they reply that they have worked all night and caught nothing. But, at Jesus’ words, they dropped the nets and caught so many fish their nets began to break. Peter is overwhelmed at the presence of the Lord and falls at his feet. The Lord tells them that from now on, they will be catching men, not fish (Luke 5:1-11). Consider these three thoughts:

Man’s Work is Futile

Peter, James and John toiled all night for nothing. Not a fish was caught. Certainly they were doing their best and using the best techniques they knew. Their lives and the lives of their family depended upon their work. Yet, they came up empty handed.

When we depend on our own knowledge and abilities in evangelism, we will also come up short. Man does not have the ability to save souls. We create programs and ministries and we design training programs to teach people how to spread the gospel. In some places even the very worship of God has been changed so as to draw more into the kingdom of Christ yet we are failing to change lives. Apart from Jesus, Peter, James and John caught no fish. And apart from Jesus we will save no souls.

The Fish May Not Be Where You Expect Them to Be

The Bible says the fishers were “astonished” at the catch (Luke 5:9). I wonder if they had fished in the same spot before or if they had overlooked it. In any case, they were stunned at the unexpected results.

Sometimes, people who need and desire the gospel are not where we expect them to be. Sometimes they do not look like us and do not talk like us. They may even have some rough edges on them. How many times have we failed to evangelize because a neighbor seemed uninterested or because a neighborhood seemed a little tough?

We must not filter out prospects for the gospel. Our job is to teach (Matthew 28:18-19) and God’s job is to save.

It is the Lord Who Gives the Increase

Jesus is the sole path to God (John 14:6). He alone is the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). From Luke 5:3 that Jesus was in the boat with the fishermen. He was there when the net-breaking catch was hauled aboard. The men did nothing different than what they had been doing all night. But with Jesus onboard everything was different.

Paul supports our thinking here in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Paul had little interest in evangelism based upon the wisdom of the world. He simply preached Jesus and him crucified. When we labor in the way God desires, he will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

There are great lessons in this short story from the banks of the Galilee. Trust God and he will bless us with a great bounty for the kingdom. Our nets (buildings) will be filled to overflowing with a multitude of fish (people) if we will trust Jesus!

 Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

Growing

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Evangelism,

Adding souls to the body of Christ is vital. It is not an option and it cannot be ignored. Every Christian has a responsibility to teach others the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-19) is clear:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We find people, making them followers of Jesus, baptize them and then continue to teach them. By doing these things, the kingdom grows. The original Christians of the 1st century did precisely that. In Acts 8:4, persecuted Christians fled Jerusalem and “went about preaching the word.” Their efforts led to the  outbreak of the Gospel in Samaria. Wouldn’t it be great if we could see an outbreak of the Gospel in our time? It is possible and there are some signs that the world is ready for the truth.

Bible Based Preaching Is Returning

For years, some preachers sounded more like Dr. Phil or Oprah than the Scriptures. Their sermons came from the self help genre and sought to meet so-called felt needs. These needs focused on immediate concerns and often ignored the profound need of man to return to his Creator. Today, the Bible is returning as the centerpiece of preaching. The expository sermon which firmly anchors itself in a single passage and expounds upon the message of that single Bible passage is growing in popularity.

Denominational authors are calling for deeper Bible knowledge and asking their readers to study the Word for themselves. Such a return to serious Bible study can only help prepare people for the reception of the pure truth of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; James 1:21). As honest men and women hear the pure truth, they will reject the teachings of men which have polluted hearts so long (Matthew 15:9).

Evil is Obvious

The true nature of Satan is being revealed daily (2 Corinthians 2:11) and people are frightened. Violence seems more common, the world is more willing to attack people of faith, government is publically less righteous and the whole world seems spinning out of control. The world lies in Satan’s hands (Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19) People are scared.

No man can face the evil onslaught alone. He knows trouble and sees it destroying people. He needs the pure Gospel message from God. Shallow preaching no longer helps and is viewed as a waste of time. Mankind needs help and can find it only in the truth of the Gospel. Men’s hearts are ready to receive truth.

Technology is Shrinking the World and Saving Time

Facebook and Twitter have changed the world in many ways. Now, instantly, Godly messages can be exchanged and small snippets of truth taught. A man can ask questions and investigate the local church anonymously. Technology is making the Great Commission easier and less expensive. Unfortunately, most people use these great devices to post trivial comments, like “I just burned the beans…”

We can initiate serious discussions through social media; we can move those discussions to personal Bible studies.  If you have a Twitter account, can you post something positive in 140 characters? I’m sure you can.

The world is ready. The technology is in place. The only thing missing is you. Who do you know that needs the truth today?

It’s Not Working

Church, Church Bulletin, Evangelism,

Churches try all sorts of ways to attract people to their services. Some focus heavily on music and large scale productions while others have turned to large youth oriented carnivals and rallies. Still others spend large amounts on advertising and market research. Of course many still rely on the ICP’s (incredibly corny phrases) posted on the sign out front. But when  the music stops and the carnivals close, have any been brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus?

Only God knows the precise number of those who are saved and those who are lost. But it sure seems that we are not gaining any ground. In 2004, the Barna group reported that 34% of American adults are unchurched, that is, they have not attended a religious service, except for a holiday or special event like a wedding or funeral, in at least 6 months. That was a 92% increase from 1991. In 2010 some researchers estimate the ranks of the unchurched were growing by 1 million every year.

Clearly, something is not working.

As we explore this question of why we are losing more and more souls, we can identify some Biblical landmarks to help us gain some understanding and possible right the ship before it sinks completely.

  •  Some will be lost. Indeed, most adults will choose lives of rebellion (Matthew 7:13-14).
  •  Salvation is in Jesus only. (John 14:6).
  •  The Bible, only, points us to that salvation and is true (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16).
  •  The message of salvation is entrusted to men (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 5:18).
  •  We are to preach all of God’s word (Acts 20:27; Acts 8:4; 2 Timothy 4:2).
  •  That word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11).

Based upon the forgoing 6 points, am I wrong to conclude that we are not preaching the word in its totality and in its power?

There seems to be a gross imbalance in preaching today. In an effort to attract and not to discourage, we preachers, me included, like to preach feel good sermons. We want people to leave the services feeling good so that they will come back next week for another shot of encouragement.

There’s a problem with that.

I have never in my life gone to the doctor for encouragement. I go when something is wrong and I need to be fixed. Sometimes his words are encouraging. Sometimes they are strong, harsh and even painful. I still return, and maybe even more so, when his words are tough.

Preachers must talk about sin.

Preachers must talk about repentance or change.

Preachers must talk about hell and consequences.

If we do not then we do not preach the “whole counsel” of God. If we do not, we show our lack of faith in the power of the word to change men and save souls. If we do not, we suggest that only part of the Scriptures are powerful. We cheat our hearers and give them false hope so we can build our attendance numbers. That’s eternally wrong. We can do better.

Bryant Evans