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This is a reaction to Will McRaney’s statement: “Dealing with lost people will cause us to get our hands dirty and sweaty just like tending to yard work. Part of evangelism is to clear up misconceptions and misperceptions people have about the gospel. Dealing with people and evangelism is often messy.”[1] First, the post will provide a brief reaction to the misconception of the Gospel and the messiness of evangelism. Next, an exploration of the messiness of evangelism and clearing up misconceptions of the Gospel ensues in light of Dave Early and David Wheeler’s book Evangelism Is… and personal testimonies.

The misconception of the Gospel and its impact on evangelism originates with that fact that over half of the self-professed Christians misunderstand the Gospel. Timothy Keller insists there are three ways to respond to God. First, one can accept God’s development and gift of righteousness through Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21).[2] Second, you can reject God by completely shunning God.[3] Third, one can reject God by “embracing and obeying God’s law so as to earn your salvation,” which rejects “the gospel in favor of moralism.”[4] Furthermore, George Barna’s research claims that 54% of self-described Christians, 18 or older, “believe that if you are a good person, or do enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven” and that “doing your best to be obedient…is what provides spiritual wholeness.”[5] If part of evangelism is to clear up the misconception of the Gospel, then a correct understanding of the Gospel by those who evangelize is imperative.

The misunderstanding of the Gospel by the majority of Christians leads to damaging effects on evangelistic efforts. McRaney emphasizes that personal evangelism must avoid judging, shaming, manipulating, and winning arguments.[6] However, if moralism constitutes the Gospel, then evangelism tends to naturally judge, shame, manipulate, and argue in order to prove the necessity of its moral agenda. Alternatively, if the Gospel is God’s work and not man’s, then evangelistic efforts look to join God rather than proving a moral imperative. Accordingly, McRaney explains that healthy personal evangelism is joining God in His work by being willing to respond to His leading, praying for unbelievers, building credible relationships, and recognizing divine appointments.[7] Although sad to imagine the necessity of such a statement, McRaney appropriately summarizes the discussion by stating, “We must demonstrate a concern for the person and not come across as just trying to get her to join our club or buy our version of the product.” In other words, the focus must be on what God is doing in the life of a lost person, and, without question, joining God by loving, laughing, caring, and crying with a lost person can be quite messy.

Dealing with lost people creates a number of difficult or messy situations for individuals engaged in personal evangelism. First, although engaging with lost people is crucial, it is also imperative that the evangelistic efforts maintain distinctiveness.[8]

03. Book Cover Photoshop Template 7 182x300 - Evangelism: Dealing with Lost People

Evangelism Is . . .: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence

Eugene Peterson masterfully addresses the “in but not of” concept by paraphrasing Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: “I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view” (1 Cor. 19-23, The Message [emphasis mine]). Second, often individuals believe that evangelism is an event, but Dave Earley points out, “Evangelism is a process leading to an event.”[9] If evangelism is a process, then entering the world of an unbeliever’s peaks and valleys of life will certainly be messy. David Wheeler expands the concept that evangelism is a process by using the metaphor of spiritual farming and references its messiness by suggesting evangelism is time-consuming, long-suffering, and just plain hard work.[10] Finally, the inundation of church programming may tempt the believer into thinking personal evangelism resides in the safety of institutional structures. However, David Wheeler states, “True evangelism does not require cumbersome programs.”[11]Accordingly, effective evangelism lives in decentralized organic expressions of faith, which, by definition, are individualized, risky, and messy endeavors.

Personal testimonies are powerful tools to engage the lost in an individualized organic way while simultaneously addressing the misconceptions of the Gospel. More specifically, if the Gospel hinges on God’s work and not man’s moral efforts, then authentically sharing even the most difficult challenges or moral failings in light of God’s grace with an unbeliever is not only appropriate, but potentially quite constructive as a relational bridge. Dave Earley suggests that sharing a personal testimony is actually one of the simplest ways to make a meaningful connection with an unbeliever to share the Gospel.[12] In particular, my recovery testimony, where I share how I placed my identity in my work, career, and performance, which led to an emotional breakdown in my early thirties, is a powerful connection with unbelievers who attempt to find their identity in the shallow constructs of the world that never satisfies.

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[1]. Will McRaney Jr., The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2003), 46.

[2]. Timothy J. Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 63.

[3]. Ibid.

[4]. Ibid.

[5]. George Barna, Maximum Faith: Live Like Jesus (Ventura, CA and New York: Metaformation Inc. and Strategenius Group LLC, 2011), 37.

[6]. McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture, 57-61.

[7]. Ibid., 63-68.

[8]. Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010), 46.

[9]. Ibid., 81.

[10]. Ibid., 91.

[11]. Ibid., 115.

[12]. Ibid., 246.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • Barna, George. Maximum Faith: Live Like Jesus. Ventura, CA and New York: Metaformation Inc. and Strategenius Group LLC, 2011.
  • Earley, Dave, and David Wheeler. Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010.
  • Keller, Timothy J. Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
  • McRaney, Will Jr. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2003.
Wilder - Evangelism: Dealing with Lost People
Derek Wilder Executive Director
DEREK WILDER, PhD, is the Executive Director of Lives Transforming Group, Inc., a Christian counseling ministry focused on personal transformation, and the author of FREEDOM and Minds on Fire. Wilder has a Master of Theological Studies, an MDiv in Pastoral Counseling, and a PhD in Biblical Exposition. Wilder's scholarly focus lies in Pauline studies, with his doctoral dissertation specifically examining the ontological implications present in the eighth chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Wilder, an adjunct professor, founded Convergence Therapy, integrating cognitive therapy and grace-based theology into the accredited college course: “Thought Life & Spirit Growth.”