What is evangelism? I work in the field with The Salvation Army. When I accepted the position I was told that my major responsibility was to reach the community that surrounded the Corps building with the gospel of Christ. I assumed that this would mean that the majority of my job would be helping people make a decision to become believers in Jesus. What I discovered was that the majority of my job would not be helping these men and women take the final step towards a relationship with Jesus. It would be nudging them closer to Him than when they met me.
I found that I was dealing with people everyday who were searching for God. I attempted to force them into a relationship that they were not ready for. I had to get comfortable with the idea that some people were closer to making a decision than others. After I realized this I began to see the process of evangelism as more than the kneeling with a person helping them, “pray through.” It is the entire process. We have to see our lives on a continuum. With evangelism we are constantly moving people on this continuum. When we do not show people Christ we move them away from Him. When we do, we move them closer to a conversion experience. After conversion we are still moving the person on the continuum towards a sanctification experience. This entire process is evangelism.
I found that I was dealing with people everyday who were searching for God. I attempted to force them into a relationship that they were not ready for. I had to get comfortable with the idea that some people were closer to making a decision than others. After I realized this I began to see the process of evangelism as more than the kneeling with a person helping them, “pray through.” It is the entire process. We have to see our lives on a continuum. With evangelism we are constantly moving people on this continuum. When we do not show people Christ we move them away from Him. When we do, we move them closer to a conversion experience. After conversion we are still moving the person on the continuum towards a sanctification experience. This entire process is evangelism.
2 comments:
Amen, brother!
When I did a semester practicum at Adena Medical Center (Chillicothe) for CBC, I had to deal with a similar question. Chaplain Ramsey asked how we would minister to people who were of different denominations and spiritual maturity. I answered that the crucial thing was leading a person to deepen their faith and trust in God. For some, that might prove to be the first time they trusted God, constituting their conversion. For others, it would be a deepening of their discipleship and sanctification.
That change in perspective has been a helpful one to me.
Thanks for the Amen Chuck. God has been giving me some real clarity on these issues. It really makes you think about evangelism in a new way.
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