Creating a Culture of Evangelism

Part 9

1.   All Church Staff Must Be Evangelistic - certainly it is true that we are all gifted differently but every Christian must be engaged in leading others to Christ.  Any person on the staff of a church should be courageous enough to share their faith in Jesus with others.  If they are not, go find some lost people and help them get saved and let them serve in some position on staff.  New believers are zealous about Christ and have not grown comfortably numb in a church bubble.  They will not yet have been around enough lifeless presentation of Christianity to know any better (worse) but to tell others about Jesus.  Every staff member (or if a smaller church get every leader) must be engaged in the work of evangelism throughout their daily lives.  Empower them to be intentional.  Equip them to be effective.  Challenge them to always be considerate of this most important task.  I once heard of a pastor of a large church who would close down the office on certain days of the week at 3:00 in the afternoon.  On those days at 3:00 all of the church staff would join him in making door to door visits throughout their community.  Every single person on staff would follow the pastor in engaging the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have not been able to confirm the story but it sure is a good example of how every church staff should function.  
2.   Utilize Personal Meetings - always be inviting people to get together and visit.  Don’t leave it open with a “we need to get together soon”.  Take the initiative and schedule it on your calendar immediately.  Ministry is people.  Spending personal time with people is effective ministry.  Show them how much you care with your time and your attentive compassion.  Jesus was always spending time with people.  He eats with His disciples, attends weddings, interacts with multitudes, visits the sick.  Jesus did have His times of solitude but most of what we know about Him is time among the people, and they loved Him for it.  A wise pastor will get out of the office and into the field of ministry.  Meet someone for lunch almost every day.  Meet for coffee.  Meet for ice cream or yogurt.  Go to people’s homes to visit.  Pray for them during these meetings.  Listen to their struggles.  Share in their victories.  Richard Baxter once said that some of his most productive sermon preparation time was time spent visiting the people.  How else can you know their struggles?  How else can you rejoice in their victories?  Always let personal meetings be gospel-centered whether meeting with church members or lost people.  Talk about Jesus and He will use you to lead others to salvation and eternal life.  

Thoughts from a Church Planting Roundtable Discussion:

What have been your greatest struggles?

• The Temptation to Quit - planting a church is harder than anyone could ever imagine.
• The Assimilation of Other Ethnicities into a New Culture - one important role of the pastor of a church from another ethnic background is helping his people function in commerce and education in their new culture.
• Obtaining Facilities that Communicate Stability in Our Culture - it is hard to communicate stability in our society while meeting in a house or even a store front yet land and buildings are so expensive.  It is especially difficult for a new church with little money in areas where real estate is so incredibly expensive.
• Establishing Leaders - biblical leaders do not appear immediately but must be built and this takes time.  

How can we help each other in these struggles?

• Encouragement - we must be relational with other pastors/church planters.  Everybody needs a Barnabas.  We need each other, you cannot do it alone.  This relationship must include random phone calls just to check in on one another.  Personal visits are a must and email alone is not sufficient.  We must be in mutually edifying friendships with other pastors/planters with whom we may share our struggles and celebrate our successes.     
• Assimilation - the local pastor can utilize relationships through the local association for the sake of networking to help church members connect with others.  We have people in the churches who can assist our brothers and sisters in Christ to get jobs, transportation, education and anything else they need.  The resources they need are in the relationships to be built.  
• Working Ahead - one way to help with facilities is to do what may be called “over-seeding” by working with churches that have been experiencing decline.  It is prudent to be a blessing to these churches by allowing them the privilege of continuing the kingdom work through a newer congregation.  It simultaneously blesses the new church by helping provide facilities for their outreach and meetings.  The discussion must begin with caution in order to not offend the declining congregation.  One effective way of beginning this relationship has been for a pastor to simply call the pastors in the area to see if a joint effort may be possible.  This type of over-seeding will often require crossing denominational barriers and each congregation must decide the details of their cooperation.  It is best to approach this relationship with a spirit of serving the congregation.  Whatever could be done to help the people.  Possibly providing some maintenance or visitation and maybe gathering for some joint worship services.  It will help for the church to truly be a part of the new missions effort.  The purchasing of property is such a challenge that we should also be considering the   possibilities of buying land in projected growth areas.  The land would now be affordable and could be found by consulting future development maps in many parts of the DFW metroplex.  When the population growth comes to these areas we would already have property for new churches which would be of great assistance.
• Leaders - we all know the disappointment of investing in another only to see them fall away or be moved elsewhere.  Sometimes those who are closest to us end up hurting us the worst.  We should love and build them up anyway.  Building leaders takes time and hard work.  Everyone falls, including me.  Just as Jesus picks me up and helps me keep going, so I can also do with others.  It is important to not be in a hurry to place people in positions of influence.  We must follow the exhortation of Paul to Timothy, “do not lay hands on anyone hastily.” (1 Timothy 5:22)  It must always be the intentional priority of the church planting pastor to train leaders.  “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  (2 Timothy 2:2)   

Liberty for the Oppressed

Four hundred years is along time for a people to be victims of slavery. (Acts 7:6)  From the seventy ancestors of Jacob, God increased the children of Israel to at least multiplied hundreds of thousands. These descendants became slaves in Egypt and served the political purposes of Pharaoh.  Their oppression increased when “There arose a new new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8).  His insecurities prompted him to escalate hostility toward his Hebrew slaves. (Ex. 1:9)   It was this increased rigor in slavery that caused the Hebrews to cry out to their God for freedom. (Ex. 2:23)  “God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Ex. 2:24) and He acted on behalf of His oppressed children.  

God shows Himself to be the Liberator of the oppressed throughout the scriptures.     

In Judges 4:3 God is the Liberator, “And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.”  He showed His rescuing power again in Judges 10:18 from the hands of the “Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites”.  Yahweh came to their rescue during the oppression of Syria (2 Kings 13:22), the Babylonians (Daniel 5), and the Medo-Persians (Daniel 6 and Nehemiah).  God works in the lives of His children to set the captives free.  He is the physical Liberator of those with whom He has entered into covenant.  As we continue to unfold the pages of the Bible we find that God especially acts on behalf of the oppressed.  He shows a particular interest in those recipients of such horrible injustices at the hands of others and He reserves a specific retaliation for those who treat others so unjustly.  In Psalm 9:9, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”  This divine concern for the afflicted extends beyond the ethnic people of Israel to what could be considered in the Bible simply as “the oppressed”.  He extends His active hand “to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed” (Psalm 10:18).  The LORD is depicted as arising to judgment “to deliver all the oppressed” (Psalm 76:9) and He “executes justice for the oppressed” (Psalm 146:7).  

The physical liberation by God’s hand is well established.  It is also appropriate to recognize the liberation God provides from spiritual oppression.  The physical nature of God’s emancipating activity is clear but it is also important to note its dual function as it foreshadows the work done in redeeming people from the slavery of sin.  The redemption that occurs is evident in spiritual salvation but also continues in the sanctifying work of divine grace.  Peter speaks of God’s sanctifying power even as far back as “righteous Lot” who was “delivered” from the oppression “of the filthy conduct of the wicked.” (2 Peter 2:7)  Paul speaks of liberty in certain practices that would have been restricted before faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 8).  He reminds us that although we are free by God’s sanctifying grace we must not take advantage of our liberty which might cause another to stumble.  This liberty is produced by the presence of the Holy Spirit, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)  So now is the time to escape the oppressive hand of sin and live in the freedom that comes by walking in the Spirit of Christ.

Six Fallacious Colors of the Fictitious Rainbow

Recognizing Logical Fallacies in the Dogmatic Assertions Favoring Same-Sex Marriage:

The purpose of this writing is to bring attention to the logical fallacies involved in the discussion on marriage.  My purpose here is to point out that which is valid and invalid from a logical viewpoint.  The morality of such matters requires further consideration.  

Logical Fallacy #1 "The False Comparison" - comparing one thing to another that is really not related. 

Example - There is prejudice against race. There is prejudice against sexual orientation. Therefore sexual orientation is the same as race. 

Answer - There are all sorts of prejudice. There is prejudice against nationality, size of body, social class, religion, physical ability. And none of these are considered the same as sexual orientation.

Logical Fallacy #2 "The Red Herring" - an irrelevant topic presented in order to distract attention from the original point of discussion. 

Example - "Christians are speaking out about homosexual marriage but Christians are not speaking out about divorce." 

Answer - Christians have been addressing the problem and pain of divorce but the actual topic of discussion is the definition of marriage. Let's talk about that.

Logical Fallacy #3 "Appeal to Popularity" - drawing a conclusion regarding the truth of a proposition because of the rule of majority. 

Example - 5 Supreme Court Justices rule in favor of same-sex marriage.  Therefore same-sex marriage must be ok. 

Answer - Popular opinion does not equal truth and goodness. In 1857, 7 Supreme Court Justices ruled Dred Scott had no freedom to be an American citizen because he was African American.

Logical Fallacy #4 “Ad Hominem - against the person” - personal attack intended to damage the credibility of the person rather than answering the issue.  

Example - Christians that say homosexuality is sin and support traditional marriage are haters and bigots.  

Answer - The vast majority of Christians are speaking out in love without any hate and are not bigots.  However, that is not the topic of discussion.  The real issue is the moral status of homosexuality and the true definition of marriage.

Logical Fallacy #5 “False Dilemma” - comparing two scenarios from an ‘either/or’ position without considering other relevant possibilities.

Example - Christians should be spending their time on social justice.  They should not be spending their time speaking out against same-sex marriage when they could be helping orphans, the sick, the uneducated, and the poor.

Answer - Christians have historically led the way in matters of social justice and they continue to do so.  Christians founded children’s homes, hospitals, schools and universities, homeless shelters, and homes for the elderly.  They continue to drill water wells, provide medical care, food and clothing, and disaster relief across the world.  Christians also speak out on social issues such as the abolition of slavery, racial equality, liberty for all, and a proper definition of marriage. 

Logical Fallacy #6 “False Comparison” #2 - comparing one thing to another that is really not related.

Example - Everyone deserves marriage equality and to disallow same-sex marriage is to promote inequality.

Answer - The real issue is not actually “equality” because every person already has (had) equal access to marriage.  No person is (was) being denied the equal right to marriage.  The LGBT community is not wanting “equality” but rather a new definition of marriage that includes homosexuality.

Prosperity's Only Hope

     It is the religious liberty that accompanies the Christian gospel which allows for and even promotes all other liberty.  It sets the captives free.  One might think that a society would see the multiplied flourishing that flows from the freedom Christianity brings and would celebrate the gospel presence.  Rodney Stark points us in the right direction, “The success of the West, including the rise of science, rested entirely on religious foundations, and the people who brought it about were devout Christians.”

     The application of God-given reason and the Christian expectation of progress have helped build the flourishing that has characterized the western world.  To look at the history of worldwide human flourishing is to look at the spread of Christianity.  The prosperity of the modern world in western civilization was unprecedented prior to the expansion of the Christian faith.  Even parts of the developing world today that are stepping into new realms of prosperity are the places in which the Christian gospel is being embraced.  Stark enforces this thought, “The modern world arose only in Christian societies.  Not in Islam.  Not in Asia.  Not in a “secular” society - there having been none.  And all the modernization that has since occurred outside Christendom was imported from the West, often brought by colonizers and missionaries.”

      The preservation of religious liberty necessitates contending for what is true.  If religious liberty falls the other liberties will fall.  And if “truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14) then hell-bound implosion results.  Samuel Gregg offers these helpful words, “Truth still has a chance because it is in harmony with what we are as humans.  No error can ever take away the light of the logos who is the truth.  Truth is the only thing that sets us free.”

     We must contend for the truth.  The truth is the only hope for human freedom and the liberation needed from tyranny in every form.  At times we wonder if the truth is enough.  Why doesn’t it seem to be working stronger, more fully?  But it is working because it is a person.  His name is Jesus and He is still working.  It is His truth alone that properly corresponds to reality.  Only the truth found in the person of Christ is the penetrating light that pierces through the darkness of deception and death and brings freedom.  Let us walk in the Truth, speak the Truth, and live out the Truth.  The Truth will set us free and we will be free indeed. 

Religious Liberty Demands Political Struggle

Religious liberty will always require political struggle.  This has not always been so evident to me.  As a pastor I spent many years avoiding political struggle.  So many times I insisted that preaching the gospel is our only task and our only hope.  While it is true that the gospel is our only hope it is not true that our task of preaching the gospel does not include striving for liberty.  American civilization has provided over 230 years of religious liberty in the public square but it has not come without struggle.   Even with the First Amendment right of “free religious expression” (1789) there were still concerns in 1801 when the Danbury Baptist Association petitioned Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson assured the Baptists that he adhered to the principle that the legislature, which belonged to the American people, “should make no law...prohibiting the free exercise of religion”.  As Robert Sirico said, “A healthy civilization needs good soil to flourish so we must be tillers of that soil. This is a critical moment in our history.  It is time for a renewal of the principles that formed this civilization itself.”
I’m not promoting a nationalistic American-flag-on-the-church-platform confusion of American patriotism over loyalty to Jesus.  This world is not our home and my life only belongs to one King.  But I am saying the freedom to preach the gospel goes along with contending for the full legal right to do so.  This does not come by way of isolation.  This means struggle.  We must be resolved to act and do it no matter the cost.  

Cultivating a Culture of Evangelism - Part 8

1. Help other churches do evangelism - In the pioneer days of Texas the Baptist churches were driven with evangelistic zeal to start churches in virtually every community of the state.  They partnered together in local associations which were built on confessional agreement and missiological purpose.  These churches shared biblical unity for the sake of kingdom advancement.  Wherever they knew of a group of people starting a community they would rally sister churches together to have a series of evangelistic meetings in that community to start a new church.  Their methods worked as they preached the gospel across the vast state and in spite of great hardship within 40 years there were Baptist churches throughout Texas.  Today we have mission churches in communities that are struggling to get going stronger.  We have pastors struggling in smaller churches that need revitalization.  We have communities appearing almost overnight that need new churches.  One of the best things we could do for these sister churches and areas in need is to gather a group of people together and go help them do some type of outreach.  It could be a cookout or block party or maybe just go help them knock on doors.  If we will ever rescue the perishing we must work together to do it.  Going to help sister churches will give them a boost...and will help your church think outside of herself.  It will create a stronger sense of the necessity of evangelistic effort in all the churches involved.
2. Multi-cultural Involvement - By His blood Jesus has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Rev. 5:9)  Don’t you think we should begin to look like it?  I know the challenges and the vast majority of our churches reflect the community in which they reside.  I understand.  But don’t you want a taste of the glory?  To see what it tastes like?  (some don’t think I know about the gospel...but I do - only some of you will get this)  But seriously, there is something invigorating and powerful about sharing worship experiences with brothers and sisters from other cultures.  Find a church that is of another cultural expression and join together in a worship service.  It will help those who love Jesus to think outside of their tradition and see the glorious power of the gospel reaching the nations.  If you need contact with a church of another cultural expression let me know and I will hook you up.  Get together and listen as other worshippers cry out to God in their native language.  Hear songs of praise lifted up in ways you didn’t know existed.  Experience the anointing power of the Holy Spirit at work in another brother as he preaches the riches of Christ Jesus.  Everyone will be encouraged as the evangelistic culture is being cultivated by seeing the far-reaching power of Jesus.