Why Evangelism alone will not work

I preface this blog by saying that I do believe in the gift of evangelism and its unique power to communicate the gospel to Sojourners and non-believers alike.  People who posses this gift have an incredible ability to communicate the Living Word in such a way that it is alive and attractive. Furthermore the scripture compels every Christ-follower in their missions endeavor to utilize this gift.  That being said I do believe that evangelism alone is not sufficient to bring about good news to the lost and that Christian teachings that emphasizes evangelism ONLY without a robust teaching of "good news" may potentially be limiting the gospel.

The word for "evangelize" which comes from the Greek noun "euaggelion," literally means "glad tidings," or "good news."  This is also the same word for "gospel" in the New Testament.  Likewise the Greek verb "euaggelizo," means to "announce good news," or "to preach the gospel."  What this means is, yes we cannot bring about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ without "announcing" or telling others about the good news but telling people the good news alone without demonstrating (showing) the good news WILL NOT WORK.  My own missionary experience has affirmed this.

Though the word evangelism is repeatedly found in the Sacred Texts, a closer look into the narrative of Christ will reveal that evangelism was always done in conjunction with demonstration of the good news (Demonstration is physical act of serving, giving, loving, restoring, and bringing healing to those that need it most).  Consider the following verses from the book of Luke that depicts Jesus’ evangelism:   

·       "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel (announcement) to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted (demonstration), to preach (announcement) deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind (demonstration), to set at liberty them that are bruised" Luke 4:18.

·       "And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching (announcement) and showing (demonstration) the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him" Luke 8:1. (Note in this passage, that “glad tidings,” the literal meaning of evangelism, comprises of both preaching and showing).

·       "And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching (announcement) the gospel, and healing (demonstration) every where" Luke 9:6.

The Hebrew word shalom (wholeness), calls us to seek a “whole-listic” understanding of the gospel and not a buffet-style gospel where we pick and choose what we want.  So I ask you today, what’s it going to be?  Will you let your both your words and actions do the evangelism.

Team leadership from the earliest biblical source

I am currently taking a class entitled "Writing for Publication," and I felt honored yesterday when my professor, an accomplished author and writer, asked me to write a blog on "Team Leadership" for his latest blog series. It just so happens that I am interested in this subject as well and plan on writing a book about it someday.  Enjoy!

Ad fontes, a Latin expression of the Protestant Reformation of 1517 calls us to a renewed attention to the Bible as the primary, earliest, and most fundamental source of Christian faith.  As with any topic, it is important that we first look to the Scriptures for meaning, for scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).  Furthermore, we must look to the earliest Scripture source to discover the true origin and example of a particular practice.  This blog will discuss the subject of team leadership as exemplified from the earliest sources in the sacred scriptures.

Team leadership has its origin in the beginning pages of God’s word as Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, let us…” Throughout scriptures we understand God to exist as a Trinity, one God in three distinct persons, yet all equal, which makes God the ultimate team/community.  The world was created out of this beautiful “team dance” (perichoresis), and we who bear this image of God (imago Dei), must reflect this team dynamic.  Furthermore, beauty, creativity, excellence, and shalom comes out when we lead as a team, reflective of God’s created order of the entire world.

Genesis 1:26-28 shows that the first human pair God placed on the earth were created and empowered to work as a team of rulers:

“Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.“  So God created man in his own image,  in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Adam and Eve were created to give team-leadership to creation. They were given the mandate to cultivate the earth together.  In fact, God realized after creating Adam that he was lonely and needed a partner.  Genesis 2:18, 22 states:

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him… Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

In the same way Adam could not rule the earth alone and was not able to physically multiply without Eve, church leadership and multiplication is difficult without a team.  Ephesians 4:11-13 reminds us that all five gifts, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, are necessary to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry and not just a lone-ranger, superstar pastor or teacher as is currently reflected in our church culture.  Joel Comiskey asserts, “The day of the lone-ranger leader is over”; our churches must practice the plurality of leadership.   Beloved brothers and sisters, let us emulate the ancient biblical norms of team leadership; furthermore, as possessors of the imago Dei, let us reflect the true nature of God, the Ultimate Team.

Pentecost: The Old and New Testament Connection

Pentecost (celebrated this Sunday, May 26th), a Christian liturgical holiday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples in the Upper Room, after the Resurrection of Jesus, actually began as a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the God's Law on Sinai.  

What makes this Christian holiday so incredible is the unique connection between the biblical narrative of Old and New Testament promise of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Did you know that on the day of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, there was a half an hour reading in the temple from the first 10 chapters of Ezekiel and the main focus of the reading is the sound of rushing wind? 

So we have this situation where the New Testament Jews on Pentecost went to the temple to hear readings about the sound of powerful rushing wind and suddenly where the disciples were gathered, there was the sound of rushing wind that shook the house they were meeting. 

Can you imagine the excitement the disciples felt, knowing that the readings they have been listening to for all these years in the temple was finally happening.  It was God's plan from the very beginning of time that our authority and power to be effective missionaries will come from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This is why the early missionaries (disciples) were so effective. 

The cool part is that we have this same empowerment as Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to us when he left.  My prayer is that you recognize that you have incredible power that that has been promised to you from the very beginning and has come to earth in a powerful way.  You have power to love radically, to give sacrificially, and to overcome sin and struggle, in short have a meaningful and live a purposeful life.  

The Structure of the Missional Church Gathering

Should mission define how we gather on Sunday?  Yes I believe it should.   In fact the great commission should define all of life, especially our Ecclesiology, the form and function of church.  Jesus' last command to His disciples was the great mission to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28: 18-20). I believe this last mandate to us, should shape the way we scatter during the week and the way gather on Sundays.

With the mission of God in mind, this Sunday theMovement church will gather for 4 reasons.

(1) To Celebrate.  Luke 10:17 states: "the seventy two returned again with joy" – Celebration is at heart of what it means to belong to God so much so that God gave His people, the Israelites, 37 days of holidays apart from Sabbath days. On most of these occasions, God asked His people to rejoice which in Hebrew means to "dance with joy."  The Israelites were known for celebrating God and each other, so we believe we should do the same through, praise, music, and singing, as well as our after party which always includes a meal.

(2) Story Telling.  Luke 10:17b states: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” – Story telling and reports of what God is doing through our kingdom priest and priestess in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth keeps the mission alive and provides encouragement and inspiration.

(3) To be Equipped. Ephesians 4:11-12 states: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" - We cannot be effective missionaries without being equipped.  The dictionary definition of equip means "to supply with necessities such as tools, and to To furnish with the qualities necessary for performance.  This is why we teach and cast vision every Sunday we meet.  We supply and furnish the saints with the necessary tools to engage their worlds with the good news of Christ.

Finally we gather to remember Christ. (4) The Holy Eucharist - for so long we have made our gathering about the sermon. Traditionally every element of the gathering leads up to or prepares us for the sermon, which can make the gathering about us, "being fed," thereby promoting a "consumer faith."   Rather when the focal point of the gathering is on the Holy Eucharist/Communion/Lord's Supper, Christ (whose life and example demonstrated radical mission), becomes the center. As Jesus stated: "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me... For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death" (1 Corinthians 11: 24-26).

If you are pastor or leader of a Christian movement, I encourage you to think through these concepts. How else could the "great mission" of Christ define and shape your gatherings?

Supernatural: we are going put it out there, test it out, and see what happens.

This blog is on another recent email I sent to the leadership team of our church.  We just celebrated our one-year anniversary as church plant.  While we are still a toddler, learning to crawl and walk, we will celebrate what God has done this past year and anticipate to what's ahead.

"In this next year/season we feel inspired to lead in such an audacious way where we exercise our authority in the supernatural.  After all God is spirit and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and truth.  Guess what else, Satan is also spirit.  The sacred scriptures remind us that we are not fighting against humans, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12).  So why do we work so hard to defeat Satan in the natural?  We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 

It's about time we believe we have supernatural authority and power to defeat the enemy.  Yes I am talking about the power and gifts of prophecy, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, and prayer.   If Jesus did it and the guys and girls who founded the church in A.D. 33 practiced it in such a way they experienced the dramatic move of God in their lives, maybe we can see God move in a similar way in our lives and in our city.  After all we serve a God who is unchanging. (“I the LORD do not change" Malachi 3:6).  I am talking marriages restored, broken relationship healed, physical healing, emotional healing, evil spirits being cast out, etc. 

No we will not go crazy with these things, nor hold the gifts over the fruits of the spirits etc.  Our desire is to embrace all of Christ and not just part of him.  If God is indeed supernatural and we are imago Dei as well as heirs of his Kingdom, maybe Jesus is on to something when he claimed that we will even do greater things than he did (John 14:12).  The prerequisite to these supernatural works as He stated in John 14:12 was faith, audacious faith.  As a local expression of the body of Christ, we are going put it out there, test it out, and see what happens.  Thanks as always for your faithfulness and commitment to the cause of Christ"

Missional begins at home

It's been a while since I have done any blogging but still writing, mostly papers for my M.Div. classes as well as book I am working on.  This blog is a recent email I sent to the leadership team of our church.


"Hello Friends!   It's always good to be reminded why we are doing what we are doing.  It is because of His great love that we call ourselves His. And as a result we extend that same measure of grace and love to EVERYONE around us.  As I write this, I am reminded of Jesus' statement "freely you have received; freely give."  How true are those words but it is Jesus' command before he made that claim that truly surprises me.  He commands the twelve to "go" but specifically asks them to focus their mission locally (their city) and not Judea, Samaria, or the ends of the earth.  Check it out:
 
⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

God loves Colorado Springs and desires our mission effort to begin first with the place we call "home."  After all what message will we be displaying to those in far areas if they cannot first see and hear about the kingdom presence of God in our own home.  Friends we are in a good season of our movement and we are seeing God work in our own lives and the lives of our city folks.  We are learning our city is hungry for gospel centered communities that meet both "practical" and "spiritual" needs (see Acts 2:42-47).  God is on the move in our city and we not only get to be a part of His dynamic move but pioneers of it as well.  As we continue to learn what it is to be a multicultural growing missional community, many of us are realizing that it is hard work.  Community is easier said then done, easier said than practice.  But if we stay committed and consistent to the mission of it, it is amazing how beautiful it becomes.  God is community and our being created in the imago Dei desires, wants, and needs community.  Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to the cause of developing these gospel-centered communities in our city. We love you guys." 

 "Missional is being a missionary without ever leaving your zip code" - Ed Stetzer

Our "good works" must match our "good words"

In a recent missional conference (SENTralized) that I attended in Kansas city, I was encouraged to hear one of my heroes, teacher, writer, and missiologist, Michael Frost, speak on the kingdom reign of God.  Using Isaiah 61:1 as a platform, Frosty argued that the purpose of the church is to alert the world of the reign of God through announcement and demonstration.  This statement strikes multiple chords within me as I have been wrestling over the last three years with the these same truths.

 

Consider the writings by Saint Luke in Luke 4:18-19 where Jesus begins his ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth by reading the words prophet Isaiah prophesied about him: "the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Kudos to saint Luke for capturing this powerful moment in the life of Jesus as Jesus reminds everyone of prophet Isaiah words (Isaiah 61:1) of the beautiful reality of the reign of God that was about to take place. "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (v. 21) he said.  

From one kingdom priest to another, I'd like to point out three major kingdom implications of Jesus' words (Luke 4:18-19) to you and I.

(I) Anointing: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me."  Similar to Jesus, we have been anointed, given power and the authority to alert the world to the reign of God.  Just like Jesus was anointed, we have been anointed in a similar fashion.  Consider the following statements from our Lord and teacher: "I have given you authority" (Luke 10:19), "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-19), "as the father has sent me, so I am sending you" (John 20:21), "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), "I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one one on me.  And from our role model apostle Paul, "Christ in you" (Colossians 1:27), "Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20), "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), "the spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Romans 8:11).  And from saint Peter "you are... a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9).  This is the beautiful reality, that you and I have God-given authority and power to alert the world of the reign of God through announcement and demonstration.

(II) Proclamation: we alert the world to the reign of God through proclamation.  Frosty calls this announcement but I prefer to use the word proclamation.  Proclamation is the starting point of the biblical idea of the good news.  That is, to speak hope and encouragement to the broken and marginalized broken.  As well as speak on behalf of the exploited and speak against injustice.  Isaiah 52:7 states, "how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "your God reigns!"  Yes!  Woohoo!  How awesome is that!  Going back to the original text, Luke 4 Jesus stated, His mission is to:

·       preach good news to the poor = hope and encouragement

·       proclaim freedom for the prisoners = speak on behalf of the exploited and speak against injustice.

·       proclaim the year of the Lord's favor = party time!

(III) Demonstration: demonstration and proclamation go hand-in-hand and both are essential to alerting the world of the reign of God.  No one exemplifies this practice better than the King himself in flesh.  People need to hear the good news as well as experience the good news.  This is the gospel.  To bring healing to the lives of sick, wounded, and poor.  As well as to set the oppressed free.  Some believe salvation comes through hearing alone (evangelism) without demonstration and this is all they are responsible for.  If this is you, I would love to reveal more to you about our rabbi Yeshua and I encourage you to study the life of Christ more deeply.  In fact you don’t have to go to far from where Jesus originally declared his intentions in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19), to find an example of his first demonstration in Luke 4:31.   Saint James in James 1:27 supports the demonstrative nature of the kingdom stating that, “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”  Compare this truth with God commanded to his people through the prophet Isaiah, “is not this kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Going back to the original text, Luke 4 Jesus stated, His mission is:

·       recovery of sight for blind = healing

·       to release the oppressed = setting free

I'd like to end with John 10:1-21.  In this story, Jesus proclaimed the good news of God's reign through the use of shepherding metaphors. Many of the Jews in attendance challenged his words accusing him of being demon-possessed.  As you read further you will see that others stood up for Jesus, stating that in now way is he a demon.  The main point of this story is that Jesus didn’t to defend himself, his works, and active demonstration of the reign of God that defended him as we see in verse 21, “these are not the sayings of a man possessed by demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of a blind?"  Jesus’ continual demonstration of the kingdom confirmed his proclamation so much so that his works spoke for themselves.

The fundamentalist holiness movement of the last two hundred years of church history has shaped our thinking and practices in such a way that we Christians focus solely on proclamation (evangelism).  But maybe it is time that we practice the Jesus way, through demonstrating God's presence in lives of our fellow "imago Dei."  Our "good works" must match our "good words".  As the idiom goes, "let's walk the walk and not just talk the talk."

"In the same way let your light shine before people in such a way they see your good works and glorify your father in heaven" - Matthew 5:16

"the Kingdom is not a matter of talk but of power" - 1 Corinthians 4:20