Part 1
In the video presentation that shows an interview with a nonbeliever named Lindsay, it becomes evident that Lindsay’s belief system aligns with a postmodern perspective. Specifically, Lindsay states, “I believe in an individual absolute truth…I have something that is true to me, but it may not be true to you.”[1] Lindsay’s comments align directly with the postmodern perspective identified by Will McRaney who suggests postmodernism rejects “any one individual’s ability and right to determine absolute truth for another person.
[2] Accordingly, a postmodern evangelistic response to Lindsay is most appropriate. First, prayer must be a top priority. Dave Earley provides an important reminder that since God can do things faster, better, and greater than I, then not praying is absurd.[3] Without question, God has the ability to align circumstances of life to gain the attention of Lindsay. God often allows difficult circumstances to enter a person’s life to provide an opportunity for God to reveal Himself. However, as God works in Lindsay’s life, if I am not available, then the evangelistic effort is crippled. Thus, a second focus must be on building a relationship with Lindsay. McRaney provides a number of principles to guide relational living in a postmodern world including asking inquiring questions, initiating discussions regarding meaning and purpose, and caring for individuals beyond an evangelistic agenda.[4] Accordingly, the plan to reach Lindsay would be to pray for God to work in Lindsay’s life, make myself available to join God in His work as He prompts, and intentionally keep my eyes open for ways to relationally engage Lindsay. More specifically, I would look for ways to ask questions, open discussions around the meaning of life, and care for Lindsay in practical ways patiently waiting for God to connect with Lindsay in His perfect timing.
Part 2
Upon review of the assigned websites a number observations arose. First, the GotLife.org website uses the acronym LIFE, which stands for love, isolation, forgiveness, and eternal life and then concludes with leading an individual to Christ using the acronym ABC, which stands for admitting sins, believing Jesus died for sins, and confessing verbally and publicly belief in Christ. The system appears to be a helpful paradigm that is similar to many other acronyms used in evangelistic settings. Next, The Way of the Master website has the stated purpose of equipping Christians to share the Gospel in a simple way. Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort assert that 80 to 90 percent of individuals that have made decisions for Christ have fallen away from the faith and anecdotally assume this is because people do not properly understand sin prior to conversion.[5] Accordingly, the methodology used for evangelism focuses on convincing individuals they have broken the Ten Commandments and need Jesus, like a parachute, to keep them from falling into hell.[6] Although eternal issues are critically important, to use fear based techniques to supposedly keep people from falling away appears manipulative and naïve in light of the Gospel of grace. In fact, it seems more likely the reason people fall away from the faith is an inability to appropriate grace rather than a lack of fear (cf. Galatians 1:6-7). Finally, I attempted to review SimplyShareJesus.com, but the website appears to no longer exist. However, while searching for the website I came across an oddly named website named jeffkaul.com/ac/ssj/ index.html, which is apparently a ministry of Alpine Church out of Illinois that provides six evangelism lessons entitled “Simply Sharing Jesus.” Interestingly, this method is the only evangelistic system I have found that had an entire lesson regarding the implications of dwelling in Christ.
The individuals I have led to Christ over the past number of years occurred by focusing on helping hurting individuals discover their identity in Christ. In fact, one of the greatest church planters and evangelists of all time, the Apostle Paul, references the importance of a believer being “in Christ” more than 160 times in his letters excluding Colossians, Ephesians, and the Pastorals.[7] Additionally, Paul references “in Christ” 36 times in Ephesians alone.[8] Ironically, Paul “never uses the Greek words that are normally translated “hell,” and “never in his letters explicitly uses hell as a means of stimulating unbelievers to repent.”[9] Accordingly, my overall approach to evangelism will integrate the message of a believer’s new identity in Christ with William Fay’s no-argument methodology of evangelism, which focuses on inquiry. Servant evangelism will allow me to maintain relationships with nonbelievers until the worldly idols of identity, such as money, fame, spouse, children, and career inevitably let them down and the nonbeliever looks for a more solid place to find meaning. Finally, my testimony, which consists of an emotional collapse from my addiction to work caused by the idol of performance will allow me to share how my new identity in Christ set me free.
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[1]. Liberty University, “Presentation: Lindsay Video”, Liberty University Web site, Microsoft Silverlight file, 3:56-4:15, http://bb7.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_1981517_1 (accessed May 19, 2013).
[2]. Will McRaney Jr., The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2003), 119.
[3]. Liberty University, “Presentation: Air Assault – Not Enough Prayer”, Liberty University Web site, Microsoft Silverlight file, 7:00-7:15, http://bb7.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_1981517_1 (accessed May 19, 2013).
[4]. McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture, 127-29.
[5]. Living Waters Publications, “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”, The Way of the Master Web site, Adobe Flash Player file, :01-4:00, http://wayofthemaster.com/videolessons.shtml (accessed May 19, 2013).
[6]. Ibid., 33:38-37:48.
[7]. Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 170.
[8]. Ibid., 173.
[9]. Douglas J. Moo, “Paul on Hell,” in Hell under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment., ed. Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 109.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Hoehner, Harold W. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.
- Moo, Douglas J. “Paul on Hell.” In Hell under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment., edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.
- Liberty University. “Presentation: Air Assault – Not Enough Prayer.” Liberty University Web site. Microsoft Silverlight file. http://bb7.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_1981517_1 (accessed May 19, 2013).
- Liberty University. “Presentation: Lindsay Video.” Liberty University Web site. Microsoft Silverlight file. http://bb7.liberty.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_1981517_1 (accessed May 19, 2013).
- Living Waters Publications. “Hell’s Best Kept Secret.” The Way of the Master Web site. Adobe Flash Player file. http://wayofthemaster.com/videolessons.shtml (accessed May 19, 2013).
- McRaney, Will Jr. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2003.