Featured Successful Evangelism

We are all called to witness. I have certainly not seen souls saved as in the manner of John of Japan.

In my youth I preached with a fundamentalist group in Boston at the Boston Common/Gardens just across from Park Street Church.

I have been in several soul saving ministries over the years with a small (comparatively speaking) degree of success.

We went door to door as well. Really a tough ministry in the American inner cities but with some fruit.
Some delightful fruit.

Do as God has called and gifted you.
Not all are evangelists.

The very least you can do is pray (fast and weep as well if you are so inclined) for those like JoJ who are in the front lines of the battle for the souls of men. Do it DAILY.

Go.
If you can't Go, Give.
If you can't Give, Pray.

As much as is within you be a living sacrificial witness for Christ.

Matthew 5
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.



HankD

 

@John of Japan

I just ordered Torrey's book per your recommendation.

As i read through Acts, The Gospels and All throughout The Entire Word of God, My heart yearns to be filled with His Spirit. Please Pray for me. Thank you!

I've experienced what you are talking about, the Powerful Work of Christ and His Spirit working in hearts of those who hear the Gospel, but i feel as though I'm not consistently faithful. Please pray for me. Thank you!

 

It may be worth mentioning that William Carey, the 'father of missions,' spent nine years (if memory serves) in India before he saw his first convert. During that time his wife went mad and two of his children died, but he remained faithful to his Lord.

'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart' (Galatians 6:9).

 

I will respond more to this thread later. But I think the OP misunderstands successful evangelism. If you want good books on evangelism I can recommend the best two.

Nothing but the truth by John MacArthur
Today's evangelism by Ernest Reisinger.

Or to fire you up The Way of the Master.

 

Where can I get one of those?

Oh, I remember - in the night dresser draw at the Motel 6.



HankD

 

Normally, I try to make my posts sound the least derogatory as possible. But I don't even care with this one.

Evan, who are you, someone with about a decade (if memory serves) of evangelistic experience, without a single convert, to tell someone who spent 33 years in the mission field and saw God work that he doesn't understand successful evangelism?

It's upstart, it's rude, and it's just plain ignorant.

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I do not wish to downplay the ministry of John R Rice and that of the OP, but will say humbly that I believe he has a total misunderstanding of success in evangelism.

The answer of effectiveness in evangelism has nothing to do with results, but more to do with the following standards.

Was the true gospel proclaimed?
Was the true gospel understood?
Was Christ glorified?
Was the attitude of the Christian godly as he communicated the gospel?

(Evangelism in the NT by Jon Speed p8).

When we look at things Biblically speaking if the following are true then the evangelist has been successful. If we have a true Biblical understanding of CONVERSION because it is not our job to make converts; because our job is simply to proclaim the gospel (Rom 10:14-18). The Holy Spirit is the one the convicts of sin (John 16:8-11) and the father is the one that draws his elect to the savior Jesus Christ (John 6:44).

I am aware that lots of people these days are big on results and refer to the results as success, and so many on this board have spoken derogatory things about my ministry because I have not seen a single convert since 2008 (when I started). I have seen a number come close to saving faith, but no actual converts to the best of my knowledge. History is filled with examples of people coming to faith months or years after they heard the gospel. Do you know the story of Luke Short? There is no reason for people to get discouraged because they have not seen people come to faith. As John MacArthur (or maybe it was John Piper said once) we evangelize to the glory of God. That is the primary reason we evangelize.

Some good books on evangelism from a Calvinist perspective

The gospel and Personal evangelism by Mark Dever
Evangelism in the NT by Jon Speed

 

The Ethiopian eunuch needed a Philip to explain things and so good books on evangelism are written by gifted teachers who help explain things and are Philips.

 

I had no idea the Ethiopian eunuch was getting help understanding evangelism from a book Phillip had on the subject. I always thought they were reading about salvation as found in the scriptures.

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo

 

OHOH!

HankD

 

I was speaking generally about the helpfulness of books.