Missions: Confrontational witnessing?

[Craig Shepherd]

The Bible does command us to compel them. The biggest reason I believe in confrontation soul winning is that is works. Every christian should of course be kind, but what could be more kind than pulling them from the pit. I heard that is where pulpit came from....

 

[Pastor Larry]

Originally posted by TomVols:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> I constantly remind my people that Evangelism is a process, not an event.

Agreed. However, there are times that in the evangelism process we must "confront" people with the truth of the gospel and "confront" them with their need to respond. It all must be done naturally.</font>[/QUOTE]I agree absolutely Tom. I was more addressing those people who think evangelism is "now or never." They think "If I don't get this person to pray a prayer right now, he will never get saved." That simply isn't true. For some, they may question and interact with it over a period of time.

 

[Helen]

These are some interesting responses, and thank you. There are some things that went through my mind as I read them.

1. Making a disciple (from a new believer) is a world different than making a believer from a non-believer. We are commanded to do the first and there is no way on God's green earth we can do the second. The second comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.

2. Because faith without works is dead, no matter what anyone says, if his lifestyle and actions do not correspond and support what he says, his words mean nothing. Evangelism starts with the way a person lives his life.

3. In Acts 2, Peter was answering the question, "What does this mean?" (v. 12) and Peter begins his speech with "...let me explain this to you..." This is not confrontational. This, again, is simply answering a question -- even at the very beginning. Had something they had been doing not sparked that question, there is nothing Peter could have answered.

4. Evangelism has NOTHING to do with what is 'right for me.' That is New Age nonsense. It has everything to do with what is right for the other person. And since only the Holy Spirit knows that, my primary job is to listen to Him and obey.

5. Plowed ground receives the seed better. This is why hurting lives are more likely to turn to the Lord. This is also why we should be there for hurting people, being a friend they can count on first of all, when their world has gone nuts. People who are not hurting or scarred rarely feel the need to change.

6. When someone is not ready to hear the Gospel, they are not ready, that is all. It is not up to us to make any judgment at all about the eternal condition of their souls or the current condition of their hearts. Our reaction when we are refused will either bar the way for the next person the Lord sends along or keep it open.

7. It is kindness that leads to repentance, not logic, not Scripture, not anything else. We can be ready with all of those, but it is kindness that opens the door, and that means a personal relationship of some kind with the person being talked to; it does not mean 'confronting' strangers. Confrontation has done more than anything I know of to reap a harvest of anger, scorn, and mocking. It may be easier for someone to talk to a stranger, but that does not mean it is easier for someone to listen to a stranger!

Yes, some respond from that approach. I think I know why. Because those who have been close to them were not responsive to their questions and it takes a stranger to fill the gap.

But please, please tread carefully. Life, and hearts, truly are fragile. People rarely become drunks because all is well in their world.

 

[Paul of Eugene]

Helen, you've really hit the nail right on the head with this one.

 

[tfisher]

Originally posted by Helen:
3. In Acts 2, Peter was answering the question, "What does this mean?" (v. 12) and Peter begins his speech with "...let me explain this to you..." This is not confrontational. This, again, is simply answering a question -- even at the very beginning. Had something they had been doing not sparked that question, there is nothing Peter could have answered.

4. Evangelism has NOTHING to do with what is 'right for me.' That is New Age nonsense. It has everything to do with what is right for the other person. And since only the Holy Spirit knows that, my primary job is to listen to Him and obey.

Helen,

I apologize. Sometimes I am not as good at expressing what I mean as well as I would like. By using Peter as an example of "confrontational" witnessing, I wasn't meaning unloving or uncaring. I was just meaning that he was "taking his stand" as it says in verse 2. When I read it the first time I read it in the KJV. Verse 23 sounds confrontational to me in the KJV. I just read it again in the NASB and it doesn't sound as confrontational there. (I hope I am not starting a translation argument.)

The words "right for me" was a poor choice of words on my part. It is entirely up to the Holy Spirit. However, people do tend to lean mainly toward one certain "style" of evangelism. For instance, it seems the Holy Spirit is able to work through me when I am inconvenienced.

A while back I went to Wal-Mart to get my oil changed in my car. After wandering around the store for over an hour and wondering if they would ever get finished, I heard them page me to come back to the automotive department. When I got there they said, "Mr. Fisher, I am afraid we have lost your car keys. We can't find them anywhere." I told them not to worry that I was sure we could figure something out to deal with the situation. They called a locksmith to make me a new key, but before he could get there a lady called the store and said they had given her the wrong set of keys. I spent a total of about 4 hours in the store through this ordeal. Finally, the young man working behind the counter said to me, "Why is it that you didn't get all bent out of shape? I would have been irrate." That is when I got to share my testimony with him and explain that when I was not a Christian, I would have been irrate as well.

Ever since then, when something like this happens, I start to think about witnessing opportunity. I did build a relationship with this young man first, but it was only for a couple of hours. Then the opportunity presented itself.

 

[latterrain77]

The problem with a “confrontational” style is that it tends to make us like “cold calling” salesman. There is nothing wrong with it – but there may be a better way.

We are commanded to PREACH the gospel to all men (Mark 16: 15). Knocking on people’s doors and demanding an instant “sale” is imprudent – and is likely best avoided.

How many examples are there in the Bible, where Jesus or the Apostles, used “confrontational” style preaching to win souls? Few - if any! It seems that the LORD used “confrontational style” at times when confronting the evil religious rulers and activity in the congregation (John 8: 44, Matt. 21: 12). Both of these were a result of sins that occured "within" the church - not outside of it!

Most examples of salvation and soul winning came through relatively “private” transactions, much of it lacking the pomp and circumstance of the circus act like environment that the confrontational style often is. Confrontational preaching often reveals MORE about the preacher than it does about the “hearer.”

latterrain77

 

[Pastor Larry]

Originally posted by Helen:
1. Making a disciple (from a new believer) is a world different than making a believer from a non-believer. We are commanded to do the first and there is no way on God's green earth we can do the second. The second comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.

I think there are a bunch of us here that would disagree with you on that point (surprise surprise ). To become a believer is to be a follower of Christ. Christ warns in Matt that those who do not take up the cross and follow him will lose their soul. That can only be referring to salvation. I think your distinction is a distinction that is hard to defend from Scripture. Every true salvation decision results in discipleship at some level and at some speed, not all the same. Children grow at different rates, but all children grow. It is the same with believers. A believer who isn't growing is a contradiction in terms.

2. Because faith without works is dead, no matter what anyone says, if his lifestyle and actions do not correspond and support what he says, his words mean nothing. Evangelism starts with the way a person lives his life.

To me, this is exactly what I believe and it seems to contradict exactly what you said above. I am sure you didn't mean it that way. But strangely enough, I disagree with your first while I agree with this one. This is something I address when people claim belief and salvation. I say, Where's the fruit?

4. Evangelism has NOTHING to do with what is 'right for me.' That is New Age nonsense. It has everything to do with what is right for the other person. And since only the Holy Spirit knows that, my primary job is to listen to Him and obey.

This I think perhaps might be a misunderstanding. When I talk of something like this, I mean a style of evangelism that someone is comfortable with. You for instance would be very comfortable addressing people intellectually with respect to creation. You as well are probably very emotive, when someone is grieving. I tend to be more of an intellectual communicator, answering questions and the like. I do not do especially well in places where the gift of mercy is a high priority. I am working on that one. Others are much better at other kinds. In Building a Contagious Church, Mark Mittelburg outline 6 or 7 different styles. I can't remember them all or if I got the number right. His point is that there is no one right way to evangelize. For some, they have outgoing personalities and can talk to anyone. Others are very shy and have to build relationships before being comfortable talking. This is typically what we mean.

7. It is kindness that leads to repentance, not logic, not Scripture, not anything else. We can be ready with all of those, but it is kindness that opens the door, and that means a personal relationship of some kind with the person being talked to; it does not mean 'confronting' strangers. Confrontation has done more than anything I know of to reap a harvest of anger, scorn, and mocking. It may be easier for someone to talk to a stranger, but that does not mean it is easier for someone to listen to a stranger!

I would probably reword this to say the "kindness of God" that leads to repentance. It is not referring to our kindness to other people. Of course that is necessary but that is not what Paul is talking about. He is talking about the fact that repentance is a gift from God. It is not something that is worked up by man. Additionally, I must confess that it seems you might have a misunderstanding of what we mean by confrontational. Confrontational means "on the spot" or "immediate" as opposed to "long term" or "relationship." I might practice confrontational witnessing on an airplane with someone who sits next to me whom I will never see again. I might practice relationship evangelism with my neighbor (which my wife and I did resulting in her salvation this past Sunday over dinner at our house after she attended church for the first time). Confrontational does not have to do with being rude or getting in someone's face about the gospel.

[ August 14, 2002, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Pastor Larry ]

 

[SAVED4LIFE]

How bout some examples of how you "seasoned" Christians witness. I mean, if a co-worker says "What's this God stuff all about anyway?", what would you say?

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a fairly new Christian, and I am still learning myself. So, when I'm asked or have an opportunity to witness, I sometimes stumble!

 

[Primitive Baptist]

Where does the Bible authorize handing out Gospel tracts??? As a Primitive Baptist, if someone asks me about the Lord, I will TELL them. I was once told by an Independent Baptist who said they do not know what to say, so they just gave the tract and walked away...If the cross of Christ causes you to be ashamed, you're going about this "witnessing" program all the wrong way. Why not just sit down and talk to them if they have questions or are inquiring??? That is "witnessing."

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15)

These are the words of the Son of God Himself...

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matthew 7:6)

People who reject the Gospel and blaspheme the cross of Christ should not have their arm twisted because according to the words of Jesus those people will turn on you in the end...don't give the holy things to the dogs or pearls to the swine.

 

[Pastor Larry]

Originally posted by Primitive Baptist:
Where does the Bible authorize handing out Gospel tracts???

The same place it authorizes you to use English to talk in. Why do you speak in English since the Bible doesn't authorize it? You meet in a building to meet which is not authorized by the Bible. Why??

Perhaps this approaches the "neo-amish" perspective, a phrase that I heard the other day.

Tracts are not the be all and end all. They serve a purpose. I often, after sharing the gospel verbally, will give them a tract to look through and think about. Nobody is twisting an arm.

 

[HankD]

Going to the "highways" and the "biways".

When I did it in my younger days, we would go out 2X2 with leads from church members, visitor cards, etc., and going door-to-door or during the nursing home ministry.

We found (after making mistakes, plenty) that it was best to say something like this after the preliminary intro "did you know that Christ died for your sins?". The reaction to the "sin" part was our clue. If they reacted negatively and/or with a degree of anger then we figured that they were not ready. After all it is the Spirit of God who convicts of sin. If they were somewhat neutral that was a another clue. If they were sad about their sin then that was a different clue and we showed them the Savior from the Scriptures and invited them to church. We found it better that way than trying to "lead them to Christ" although we did some of that also but it was the exception. We left that for the preaching and the invitation in the Church.

If they visited that was a very good sign. Probably about half who visited from the door-to-door ministry eventually received Christ and were Baptised.

At first we were all scared (terrified?), but later it came to be like the enjoyment of fishing.

HankD