Sunday, October 22, 2006

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Our Evangelism

The concept of evangelism has been bandied about quite frequently in religious circles for as long as there have been religious circles. Reasons for it have been debated and methods for it have been promulgated. Scripture, however, is clear on the matter:

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (HCSB)

"This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 (HCSB)

Evangelism is the reason we are here. It is the reason for the church's existence. It is not only an important task; it is the primary task. The reality of hell compels us to grapple with it and practice it. The command of the Lord Jesus leaves us no room for debate. Evangelism is obedience. Finding excuses to avoid it is disobedience.

So how can we "enhance the effectiveness of our evangelism"? How can we become better at this, our primary task? How can we do a better job of sharing the gospel with the lost? Consider the following list. Ponder it, and make suggestions of your own.

  • Pray for Holy Spirit guidance and empowerment
  • SHARE THE GOSPEL! 
  • Strive to be clear
  • Memorize scripture
  • Look for divine appointments
  • Leave the Word of God behind (with your hearers)
  • Seek to build relationships
  • Don't get sidetracked
  • Know your Bible

Perhaps the last one invades the excuse that most give for not sharing the gospel. It hinges on a fear of being asked a question that one cannot answer. Of course, there is nothing at all wrong with saying "I don't know" when we don't know something. But I submit that it is better to know and have an answer from scripture to help someone or to answer their question. Now I realize that we will not have all the answers and should not claim to have them. But we would know more if we studied more. We would be more effective with better advance preparation.

I read a great article on Lifeway.com that gave an admirable defense of the subject of apologetics, or defending the faith, as a tool in witnessing. make sure to read it here. Below is a notable quote from the article:

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you the reason for the hope that is within you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:15 (HCSB).

The Greek word apologia means "answer," or "reasonable defense." It does not mean to apologize, nor does it mean just to engage in intellectual dialogue. It means to provide reasonable answers to honest questions and to do it with humility, respect, and reverence.

The verse thus suggests that the manner in which one does apologetics is as important as the words expressed. And Peter tells us in this passage that Christians are to be ready always with answers for those who inquire of us concerning our faith. Most Christians have a great deal of study ahead of them before this verse will be a practical reality in their evangelistic efforts.  

I was personally challenged to increase my knowledge of scripture and its application to the lives of those around me for the purpose of giving a more knowledgable and thorough witness to the gospel message.

We should take every measure to ensure that our witness is effective. Souls depend upon it.

Posted by Mike Stover at 20:13:55 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Bloggers and Influence

Check out this article in North Carolina's Biblical Recorder from October 10.

http://journal.biblicalrecorder.org/br/page/ej?entry=little_bloggers_big_force

While not an exhaustive analysis of how blogs have been helping to shape the conversation on a number of issues within the SBC, the fact that state papers and other traditional media outlets are writing about the blogs indicates that blogs are making some impact. Cartledge lists a few of the most prominent SBC bloggers (Marty Duren, Steve McCoy, Wade Burleson, Ben Cole, Nathan Finn) and points out that even SBC leaders Jimmy Draper and Al Mohler set up blogs (he forgot Morris Chapman).

Although some are beginning to see the value of blogs and blogging, some are still prone to take shots at bloggers whenever the opportunity arises. Daniel Akin from Southeastern Seminary takes his in the above-referenced article. I post his comments taken from the article:

During a plenary session of the trustees at Southeastern Seminary, seminary president Daniel Akin was asked by a trustee to share his opinion about blogging. Akin, who posts many of his writings online, though not in the form of an interactive blog, said blogs are both a blessing and a curse, "a 21st century outlet for extreme narcissism."

Blogs require no accountability, Akin said, allowing people "to make scurrilous, false, untrue accusations against men that I believe are men of God."

Akin said he didn't know anyone who had been attacked more than former SEBTS president Paige Patterson. "Some people have personal agendas," he said, and do things that "are shaming the body of Christ."

"Even if they have legitimate concerns," Akin said, verbally underscroring the "if," they are not expressing them "in ways that are consistent with the Bible."

"I don't really give a rip what most bloggers think," he said. "Most of them are little men with little ideas and little agendas."

I like the comment at the bottom of the Biblical Recorder article that follows:

I suppose when you are president of a prominent Southern Baptist Seminary, and have an ego that would not fit in a C-130, you don't need "a 21st century outlet for extreme narcissism." You already have one. Of course at Southeastern they call it a chapel service.

Does anyone else find it disturbing that the leader of one of our SBC entities doesn't "really give a rip" what we think?

Posted by Mike Stover at 11:47:02 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Commentary for October 22, 2006

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Commentary for October 22, 2006

 Take Hold of Usefulness   2 Timothy 2:14-26

Imagine what your church and community would be like if God used every Christian in your church. With so much to be done - and so much potential - in ministry and evangelism, why doesn't God call and use more people? Maybe the problem is not with God, its with us. Someone has wisely said that the only abilities we need for God to use us are availability and dependability. In our passage for this week we will see that God has called, and regardless of how qualified or unqualified we perceive ourselves, He will use us if we are willing to be used by Him.

Posted by Mike Stover at 11:15:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Commentary for October 15, 2006

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Commentary for October 15, 2006

Take Hold of Contentment   1 Timothy 6:3-19

If you've been in any retail store this week, you've already seen them - Christmas decorations. The merchants are already gearing up for the celebration of the first advent of Christ - I mean, consumerism. Christmas is a festive time for everyone. And how do we celebrate? We buy things. Our culture equates happiness with possessions, so we make people happy by buying them things. Then, next October rolls around and the stores start getting us ready to think about the upgraded version of whatever made us happy last year. Only now it no longer makes us happy. Why? Because there's a newer, better, upgraded version! Will this cycle ever end?

Posted by Mike Stover at 15:42:04 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Internet Evangelism - The New Frontier

Internet Evangelism Day

...a resource focusing on Internet outreach

The growth of the Internet over the last ten years has been incredible. There are over one billion Web users around the world. There are many thousands of Christian websites, but the vast majority of these are written only for Christians. Very few are designed to reach out effectively to non-Christians. Yet the potential is vast.

So the Internet Evangelism Coalition (an umbrella group of outreach ministries) is offering churches and other groups a focus day program called ‘Internet Evangelism Day’. The website is at:
www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

This is purely a ‘web evangelism awareness day’ and resource site – there is no fund-raising element. Many churches and other Christian groups have already used this exciting focus within church services and other meetings. The IE Day site offers downloadable materials for this purpose: 5-minute video testimonies of people who found God online, drama scripts, PowerPoint presentations, discussion questions, and many helpful links. “Our church just started a website and we think that this will give us an opportunity to take it to another level,” says a church in St Louis, Missouri.

The IE Day team hopes for a range of outcomes. High on their list is that churches will create effective websites which can reach out into the community, rather than just be an online noticeboard for members. “It’s an exciting challenge,” says IE Day Co-ordinator Tony Whittaker. “The potential of the Web is enormous.”

Other leaders share his enthusiasm. “The Internet is one of the most key tools that God has given us in the church today,” writes George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization.

“I am excited to see how God will reveal Himself in mighty ways through the uniqueness of cyberspace,” comments Dr. David Tucker of Trans World Radio.

IE Day is endorsed internationally by a wide range of organizations and denominations. For more news of Internet Evangelism Day, visit www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

Posted by Mike Stover at 11:06:01 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday, October 08, 2006

On Mission to Share Jesus Month - October 2006

This month is set aside at our church to place extra emphasis on evangelism. Specifically, we have challenged the church to practice at lease one out of a choice of six evangelistic actions, that will hopefully aid them in living an evangelistic lifestyle. The challenge actions are as follows:

THE CHALLENGE: Choose from 6 evangelistic actions and practice them all through October.  
  1. Share your testimony with at least one person a week.
  2. Pass out one tract a day for 30 days.
  3. Build an evangelistic relationship with one person each week.
  4. Invite one new person to Sunday School and worship each week.
  5. Attend an evangelism training class.
  6. Share the gospel with one person a week.
Our scripture text for the month is found in Matthew 9. "Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their  synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matt 9:35-38 (HCSB) I had 2 people share with me some great testimonies about their sharing experiences. May God grant to all of us a passion and desire to be witnesses of God's grace and mercy in our lives.
Posted by Mike Stover at 14:23:38 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

"Thou shalt not blog..." Let's see, what chapter was that found in?

Can I just take a personal moment here to vent about something that gets my blood boiling? Of course I can, its my blog. Can someone answer me this question: What is the big deal about blogging? Why has it become a badge of sin like a scarlet letter or something to maintain an online journal?

I realize that for many it is simply a sign of ignorance. For those with little or no computer and/or knowledge of the internet, all things therein are evil. Its kind of like TV's to the generation that witnessed their introduction. TV's were viewed as evil and "holy" people refused to allow the devil's box into their home. Of course, we know that television has enormous potential for good as well as bad. And so does the internet, and for that matter, blogging.

Increasingly in Southern Baptist life we find that bloggers are referred to as theologically liberal, armchair warriors with no interest in the Kingdom and every intention of taking over the Convention. That, my friends, is bull-cookies. It is the age-old strategy of "villify those with whom we do not agree", even if it means making up and spreading lies about them.

Here is a case in point. In late September in Winter Park, Florida, a group of 40 Southern Baptist pastors and seminary professors held a two-day meeting called the Joshua Convergence. The stated purpose of the Joshua Convergence is an admirable one:

The purpose of the Joshua Convergence is to give a voice to younger leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention who are strongly committed to biblical inerrancy, who support the goals and leadership of the conservative resurgence, and who unashamedly embrace biblical standards of separation and morality, in order that the Southern Baptist Convention might continue to hold to the authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture in the future and the nations might be transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There has been some speculation that the Joshua Convergence was organized as a reaction to the May 2006 meeting in Memphis that led to the Memphis Declaration. Since I was not part of the group that organized or participated in the Joshua Convergence, I cannot say whether or not such speculation is accurate. What I can say is that, like the meeting in Memphis, the Joshua Convergence issued a statement, the Principles of Affirmation. A different speaker expounded upon each point of the Principles of Affirmation; the Florida Baptist Witness summarizes what each speaker said. There is much in the Principles of Affirmation that I would readily affirm, but there are a few elements to which I cannot subscribe.

However, in one of the messages expounding on a principle of affirmation, (Jeff Crook in his address on the subject of gratitude) said, “They [the leaders of the resurgence] didn’t win the victory by blogging, nor were they armchair quarterbacks. They were in the game and on the field.”

Such backhanded comments are legion among leaders of our Convention. Admittedly, blogging, as well as any other form of public or private communication, can be used harmfully. But does that give those who disagree with a bloggers views to disparage bloggers in general and slander the act of blogging?

Another speaker at the same conference, Jim Shaddix, spoke on service. And he took this opportunity to slap every blogging pastor, young and old, in the face. Read the following from the text of his address:

"When do these guys [bloggers] pastor their churches? When do they prepare? When do they do the seat time and the diligent study to prepare God’s Word, to interpret it rightly and to present it to their people in the preaching [event]? When do they go soul winning and share the Lord Jesus Christ. And maybe most importantly, when do they give themselves the fervent sacrificial prayer crying out to God for His anointing upon their lives and upon their ministries?" He went on to say that there could be good answers to these questions, but the accusation had already been made. I wonder if the same questions could be asked of pastors who spend so much time going to conferences or various board meetings.

Can we just stop all the name-calling and camp-branding and just get about the business of the Kingdom? Blogging is here to stay, and it is not sin. May we all use it to God's glory.

Posted by Mike Stover at 15:40:58 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |