Successful Evangelism

[John of Japan]

Oh no we love evangelism! But we do it simply out of obedience to God and to glorify God.

No you don't. If you were obedient you would be filled with the Holy Spirit as we are commanded to be (Eph. 5:18), would then speak the Word of God with boldness and power (Acts 4:31), and would then make disciples as we are commanded to do (Matt. 28:18). You are thus a disobedient Christian, in spite of your pride at being obedient.

 

[annsni]

Since the Jesus told us to make disciples, how are we obedient when we just speak to someone in passing? How do we know if they are asking like the eunuch did with Philip? Do we have a relationship enough to baptize them as they did in the New Testament? The answer is that we don't.

 

[Revmitchell]

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

We need to go in the power of God with boldness knowing God has sent us.

Mat 28:19 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,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The great commission is about more than just making converts it is about making disciples. To stop at just making converts is to pervert the gospel and the great commission.

We need to:

1. Go!
2. Preach the gospel!
3. Bring them back to the church!
4. Teach them what a Christian is, what it means to have a relationship with Christ, and how God wants us to live!

Simply going out and preaching and never discipling is not the great commission. Any doctrine that interferes with that command and understanding of scripture is a false doctrine.

 

[Don]

Answers to prayer glorify God. Souls saved glorify God. How does seeing no one saved glorify God?

And don't tell me obedience alone. Obedience to the great commission involves making disciples according to Matt. 28:18, where "teach all nations" in the KJV means "make disciples," as you must know, having 20 books on evangelism. And making disciples means the power of God, which again, is what this thread is about.

To sum up. (1) The Christian wants to obey the Great Commission and make disciples. (2) He learns his own bankruptcy and inability to make disciples by himself, by simply getting the Gospel out. (3) He learns of the mighty power of God to save souls through the Holy Spirit empowering the believer, and finally begins to see people saved. And glorifies God through the miracles of salvation that occur.

I've placed Evangelist on ignore; but I can make some pretty good guesses about what he's been saying/writing.

Please allow me to pile on to what JoJ has written here: Obedience, as the term is being used by Evangelist, is a selfish motive. Preaching because I'm being obedient, emphasizes I'm being obedient. Using the justification that God will save those He has elected, emphasizes that whether they get saved or not has nothing to do with me.

Obedience, as JoJ writes above, is supposed to be about others; seeing them be saved, and ensuring their growth in Christ. EVERYTHING about what we're supposed to be doing--including especially obedience--is about others.

We do not tell a man about how to be saved from drowning without extending a hand. We should not preach about being saved from hell without grasping, grabbing, pulling, whatever it takes to help them escape the flames.

So we're clear: We're not the ones doing the saving. We're the instruments being used.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

This thread will be closed sometime after 7pm Pacific.

 

[TCassidy]

If we preach the gospel solely out of mechanical obedience, without praying for and expecting God to convert those who hear we sin the sin of not preaching in faith.

I once had a graduate student who pastored a church in the area. We were talking about the different emphasis on our Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. He remarked that he often had people saved in the morning service but had never had anyone saved in the evening service.

I said, "You don't really expect people to get saved in the evening service, do you?

He said, "No, I guess not."

I responded with, "Well, there's your problem."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

 

[evangelist6589]

If we preach the gospel solely out of mechanical obedience, without praying for and expecting God to convert those who hear we sin the sin of not preaching in faith.

I once had a graduate student who pastored a church in the area. We were talking about the different emphasis on our Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. He remarked that he often had people saved in the morning service but had never had anyone saved in the evening service.

I said, "You don't really expect people to get saved in the evening service, do you?

He said, "No, I guess not."

I responded with, "Well, there's your problem."

Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Of coarse not we evangelize out of love for God! Evangelism is not mechanical it is done in love for God and to glorify him!

 

[evangelist6589]

I've placed Evangelist on ignore; but I can make some pretty good guesses about what he's been saying/writing.

Please allow me to pile on to what JoJ has written here: Obedience, as the term is being used by Evangelist, is a selfish motive. Preaching because I'm being obedient, emphasizes I'm being obedient. Using the justification that God will save those He has elected, emphasizes that whether they get saved or not has nothing to do with me.

Obedience, as JoJ writes above, is supposed to be about others; seeing them be saved, and ensuring their growth in Christ. EVERYTHING about what we're supposed to be doing--including especially obedience--is about others.

We do not tell a man about how to be saved from drowning without extending a hand. We should not preach about being saved from hell without grasping, grabbing, pulling, whatever it takes to help them escape the flames.

So we're clear: We're not the ones doing the saving. We're the instruments being used.

What do you know about my motives? You cannot read my heart and cannot discern my motives!

 

[evangelist6589]

No you don't. If you were obedient you would be filled with the Holy Spirit as we are commanded to be (Eph. 5:18), would then speak the Word of God with boldness and power (Acts 4:31), and would then make disciples as we are commanded to do (Matt. 28:18). You are thus a disobedient Christian, in spite of your pride at being obedient.

So I can force people to get saved. When we confront sin few want to hear it but we must do so in love. The 10 commandments is a powerful tool to use in evangelism and sadly few want to repent of their ways.

 

[evangelist6589]

I've placed Evangelist on ignore; but I can make some pretty good guesses about what he's been saying/writing.

Please allow me to pile on to what JoJ has written here: Obedience, as the term is being used by Evangelist, is a selfish motive. Preaching because I'm being obedient, emphasizes I'm being obedient. Using the justification that God will save those He has elected, emphasizes that whether they get saved or not has nothing to do with me.

Obedience, as JoJ writes above, is supposed to be about others; seeing them be saved, and ensuring their growth in Christ. EVERYTHING about what we're supposed to be doing--including especially obedience--is about others.

We do not tell a man about how to be saved from drowning without extending a hand. We should not preach about being saved from hell without grasping, grabbing, pulling, whatever it takes to help them escape the flames.

So we're clear: We're not the ones doing the saving. We're the instruments being used.

I never said that! I do not witness simply to be obedient I do so out of my love for God and to glorify him!

 

[John of Japan]

So I can force people to get saved. When we confront sin few want to hear it but we must do so in love. The 10 commandments is a powerful tool to use in evangelism and sadly few want to repent of their ways.

Are you kidding me? That's what you get out of this thread, "force people to get saved"? No, a thousand times no!!!

Read the thread. I am telling you over and over to be filled with the Spirit, get ahold of God's power. Get on your knees and pray for God to fill you, and then He will save souls through you. You will see fruit when you are connected to the vine.

 

[evangelist6589]

Are you kidding me? That's what you get out of this thread, "force people to get saved"? No, a thousand times no!!!

Read the thread. I am telling you over and over to be filled with the Spirit, get ahold of God's power. Get on your knees and pray for God to fill you, and then He will save souls through you. You will see fruit when you are connected to the vine.

I disagree. If we do these things we may see people repent but it's no guarantee because salvation is solely of God. God chooses it and chooses when people will come to saving faith.

 

[Revmitchell]

I disagree

And that, my friend, is the problem.

 

[John of Japan]

I disagree. If we do these things we may see people repent but it's no guarantee because salvation is solely of God. God chooses it and chooses when people will come to saving faith.

Let me get this straight. This is what you appear to be saying.

(1) You don't believe in being filled with the Holy Spirit, right?
(2) You deny the Holy Spirit's role in salvation, yes or no?
(3) You do not believe in "making disciples" as Matt. 28:18 says, yes or no?

 

[evangelist6589]

Let me get this straight. This is what you appear to be saying.

(1) You don't believe in being filled with the Holy Spirit, right?
(2) You deny the Holy Spirit's role in salvation, yes or no?
(3) You do not believe in "making disciples" as Matt. 28:18 says, yes or no?

That's not what I am saying! I am all for the above!

 

[TCassidy]

That's not what I am saying! I am all for the above!

How do we know what you are saying when most of your responses are either "read the book" or "chase a rabbit?"

If you would tell us what you believe, and why, perhaps this thread would make a lot more sense.

 

[Rob_BW]

I know evan has mentioned teaching in Sunday school and during Bible studies, among other activities at his local church, so asking him if he does not believe in making disciples seems a bit over the top.

 

[evangelist6589]

And that, my friend, is the problem.

Chosen by God p.209-210 1986 edition

Evangelism is our duty. God has commanded it. That should be enough to end the matter. But there is more. Evangelism is not only a duty; it is also a privilege. God allows us to participate in the greatest work in human history, the work of redemption. Hear what Paul says about it. He adds a chapter 10 to his famous chapter 9 of Romans: (He then quotes Romans 10:13-15)..... God not only foreordains the end of salvation for the elect, he also foreordained the means to that end.....It is a marvelous privilege to be used by God in the plan of redemption.

This is what I believe. We are commanded to evangelize and we do so out of obedience, but also out of love for God. It is a privilege and a joy to evangelize. God chooses preaching and what not to accomplish his purposes. We do not know when God will accomplish his purposes, but we do know He will save the elect at his timing.

 

[evangelist6589]

I know evan has mentioned teaching in Sunday school and during Bible studies, among other activities at his local church, so asking him if he does not believe in making disciples seems a bit over the top.

I am all for making disciples. These people just like to make stuff up to give me a hard time.

 

[TCassidy]

I know evan has mentioned teaching in Sunday school

Does he just tell them to read a book?