Evangelism & Apologetics
Terri Gross of NPR's Fresh Air recently interviewed Bart Ehrman, author of God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer (also author is Misquoting Jesus).
Ehrman was a "born again believer" and is now an agnostic. It's an interview worth hearing as we consider how to respond to those around us who suffer and find no satisfactory answers.
From the introduction of The Reason for God by Timothy Keller...
Only if you [believers] struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive....But even as believers should learn to look for reasons behind their faith, skeptics must learn to look for a type of faith hidden within their reasoning. All doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs....Every doubt...is based on a leap of faith.
- p. xviiThe only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask yourself what reasons you have for believing it. How do you know your belief is true? It would be inconsistent to require more justification for Christian belief than you do for your own, but that is frequently what happens. In fairness you must doubt your doubts. My thesis is that if you come to recognize the beliefs on which your doubts about Christianity are based, and if you seek as much proof for those beliefs as you seek from Christians for theirs--you will discover that your doubts are not as solid as they first appeared.
- p. xviii
I haven't posted much on evangelism lately, but that should change soon. The main reason is that I'm doing a ton of work on some strategic planning for the next two years (and beyond) at our church. I've had some extra meetings and lots of sketchy ideas and plans that are starting to gel. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll have some things nailed down and can share more about my evangelism plans for the rest of 2008. Some of them are directly tied to our church's plans.
Here are a few books I'm currently reading, rereading, perusing, etc
Promoting the Gospel by John Dickson (info here): To be fair, I haven't gotten past the table of contents. But that's because I just got it in the mail today from Lisa at Narwee Baptist Church in Australia. Thanks Lisa!
unChristian by Kinnaman and Lyons: Used some stats in last Sunday's sermon. Good resource.
Love Walked Among Us by Paul Miller: A book I reread or reskim at least yearly on the compassion of Jesus. You can get it used for about $4 at Amazon. Well worth it.
Redeemer Church Planting Manual by The Godfather (Tim Keller): How can you NOT own this? It's simply outstanding. Been using it a lot for church strategy and planning, but also pulling much on evangelism, ethnographic interviews, etc. I'll be blogging on a few things from the book soon.
Also worthy to note is the short New Church Initiatives (NCI) paper on "The Work of an Evangelist." Check out NCI and their other resources.
I'm curious about the Mulit-Site Exposed Conferences. I'm not a video venue kind of guy, but I'm very open to thinking multi-site if we are growing and it makes sense for our area. Keller's approach is my favorite, with live preaching at all locations.
On the Redeemer site are free sermons related to Tim Keller's book The Reason for God. Enjoy! And go look at the rest of my Tim Keller Resources. (via)
The Trouble with Christianity: Why it's so Hard to Believe it
Exclusivity: How an there be just one true religion?
Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?
Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves
Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?
Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an angry Judge?
Doubt: What should I do with my doubts?
Literalism: Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive?
Doug Wilson on how friendship evangelism is really about your money and material possessions...
Friendship evangelism rests upon generosity, sacrifice, kindness,openness, hospitality, goodness, and open-handedness. That is to be the texture of your life, and non-believers are welcome to come along with you. In short, is your evangelism giving or taking? Are you a benefactor or a salesman?
Alex Chediak is working through a pre-publication copy of Tim Keller's new book, The Reason for God. (Amazon)
Steve Ogne on mobilizing leaders (from GCA conference).
Whiteboard Sessions website is up.
Mike Cosper is Worship and Arts Pastor at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. In 2006 Mike gave Acts 29 talks on "Missional Strategies for the Arts." Both messages are here.
Mark Batterson - Four Dimensions of Courage.
Timmy Brister interviews Mark Dever on Richard Sibbs.
I've been looking forward to Son of Rambow for over a year now. It's finally coming out in May. Here's the trailer...
Finished day 1 of the Acts 29 boot camp in Chicago. Great stuff from Darrin Patrick, Mark Driscoll, and Ed Stetzer. I particularly liked Driscoll's message on preaching. Much of it wasn't new to me as someone who has preached nearly every week for 4 years, but a few of the things he said were really helpful. If the audio gets released I will try to link it.
I noticed that Alex Chediak is now blogging the Global Church Advancement conference. You can keep up at AlexChediak.com or the new GCA blog. Of interest to me are Alex's notes on Daniel Montgomery's "Theology-Driven Churches" workshop and Tom Nebel's talk on "Evangelism Entropy." There are several other GCA posts from Alex you should check out.
iMonk was on Steve Brown Etc. I haven't heard it, but I will. Two guys I always enjoy listening to.
Justin Taylor has an interview with Tim Keller about his new book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. I think this book will be a great resource for skeptical friends, due in February
OnMovements (first posted by Sam Metcalf) let's us know How to Kill a Movement.
Nelson Searcy's assimilation book is now out: Fusion: Turning First Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church. Get some free resources from the Fusion Site.
More free Jerram Barrs' resources (audio, pdf) from Monergism. Covenant Seminary stuff.
People are talking about Neil Cole's Organic Church (which just came from Amazon today). Tim Chester has a thought-provoking post, Seven Principles for Planting Organic Churches. Chester has another great quote on making new believers evangelists and church planters. Church Planting Novice explains How to Grow a Missional Church.
SUBURBIA: Watch some James Howard Kunstler on YouTube. He is often very helpful on issues of suburbia.
I have to say I'm really appreciating what I've read and reread from Jerram Barrs' The Heart of Evangelism. I think it's one of the most important books on evangelism in print. It's both comprehensive and insightful. Here's a great section on asking questions...
We need to learn to ask questions that will help us understand what is in a person's heart and mind. That is what Jesus did with this man (expert in the law in the Good Samaritan story), and we find Him taking this approach repeatedly in His discussions with people. Francis Schaeffer used to say that if he had only one hour with someone, he would spend fifty-five minutes asking questions and five minutes trying to say something that would speak to his or her situation, once he understood a little more about what was going in in his or her heart and mind. What is needed is genuine love and concern for the person we are meeting, a readiness to ask questions because we truly desire to know the person, and prayer for the discernment of the Holy Spirit about what to say.
I'm also starting into Barrs' lectures from the Covenant Seminary class on Apologetics and Outreach. It's available in audio or transcript and includes a study guide as well. Very helpful.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23...
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. Tothe Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Jerram Barrs in The Heart of Evangelism, p185...
Among people of whatever race, culture, or religious background, Paul's desire was to be a servant to them. He would shape his presentation of the message to fit the understanding of his hearers, and his own pattern of living to their patterns of life. Of course, the message itself stayed the same, and Paul never compromised his own obedience to Christ in adapting his lifestyle to that of those he served; yet he presented himself and the Gospel in very different ways to reach very different people. We, too, are to regard ourselves as servants of everyone we meet, so that we also might find opportunities to "save some."
Sorry for the lack of suburbia links. I have many to file through and some will be on the way soon. I'm halfway through The End of Suburbia, which is disturbia-ing. Ok, not really, but I wanted to try a new word. It's interesting, to say the least. Worth watching, no question.
This is why my best friend is better than your honor student.
You need some good business books, via Fast Company.
Brian Hedgeson elder training.
David Fitch: Confessions of a Missional Pastor (Wannabe?)
Carl Trueman: What Can Miserable Christians Sing?
Is Al Mohler the best choice for SBC President this year? Many think so. Some don't. My question is: Should we have the most recognized face and voice of cultural criticism among SBC'rs be the most recognized face and voice of the Convention as a whole? As much as I love and respect Mohler, I think the answer is clearly no. What do you think?
2008 is the year of evangelism for me. It's the year of discipleship for others.
"The Tyrannus Effect" is a good example of how to get me thinking on issues of evangelism, discipleship and ecclesiology.
Speaking of evangelism...
Roger Carswell's site, author of And Some Evangelists
BeThinking.org - Engage with Culture
Tim Chester PDF: "The Kingdom of God is at Hand: Eschatology and Mission"
(Chester's blog is one of my favorites.)
Evangelism 2008 books I've picked up...
Questioning Evangelism and Corner Conversations
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! ThereforeI endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 2:8-10, ESV
Robert Murray McCheyne preached in Dundee in Scotland in the early 1800s. Each Saturday he visited the dying in order to prepare his heart, so that on Sunday he might plead with souls the more earnestly. Yet, he said,
I have not been like a shepherd after lost sheep, nor like a physician among dying men, nor like a servant bidding you to the marriage, nor like one plucking brands from the burning! How often have I gone to your houses to try and win souls, and you have put me off with a little worldly talk. I dared not tell you that you were perishing. How often have I sat at some of your tables and yearned for your souls, yet a false shame kept me silent! How often have I gone home crying bitterly, 'Free me from blood-guiltiness, O God!'
All of the above is a quote from And Some Evangelists by Roger Carswell, p 49.
If I never won souls, I would sigh till I did. I would break my heart over them if I could not break their hearts. Though I can understand the possibility of an earnest sower never reaping, I cannot understand the possibility of an earnest sower being content not to reap. I cannot comprehend any one of you Christian people trying to win souls and not having results, and being satisfied without results.
Charles Spurgeon, quoted in Don Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (p113)
p56 - "Evangelism is best done out of the context of a gospel community whose corporate life demonstrates the reality of the word that gave her life."
"People need to encounter the church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. Mission must involve not only contact between unbelievers and individual Christians, but between unbelievers and the Christian community."
p61 - "Most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality."
p74 - "...we are failing to reach the working class with the gospel. Evangelicalism has become a largely middle-class, professional phenomenon. When we invite people to our dinners and our churches, we invite our friends, our relatives and our rich neighbors. We do not invite the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. What is at stake is the grace of God."
p76 - "Social action without proclamation is like a signpost to nowhere."
"...evangelism cannot be separated from social action because mission takes place through relationships and relationships are multi-faceted."
I decided a couple of weeks ago that as I welcomed in the new year I was going to make this a year of more focused evangelism. I don't know how much of what I'm doing will translate into blog posts, but I assume it will consume a lot of what I say at Reformissionary since it will consume a lot of what I'm thinking and doing.
Here are some specific things I'm doing in 2008 to grow in the area of evangelism. I'm sure this will be tweaked as I sharpen my approach.
1. Study/Reading: I'm going to read or reread a number of evangelism books. I have nearly 100 books/tools in this area already in my library. Plus are also many books on theology, the church, etc, that will have sections on evangelism that I'll be checking out. I'm also going to look into sermons and podcasts on the subject. I want to think through the thoughts of many on evangelism this year, though I already know which folks I won't be listening to.
2. Evangelism Journal: I'm keeping an evangelism notebook for recording quotes and notes from books on evangelism, my plans and ideas, experiences I've had with evangelism during the year, etc. I'm using the small plain cahier's notebook from Moleskine. I'm guessing I'll fill up a handful over the year. I'm using this notebook because I can tuck it under the elastic on another Moleskine that I already carry with me, and it takes up almost no space. Keeping this journal will be of tremendous value this year for me.
3. Evangelism Plan: I see my evangelism in basically 5 areas: personal, family, small group, worship gathering, and TBA.
<>"Personal" is where I have the most flexibility and will likely spend the most time and effort. I'm hoping to implement a tweaked 3 by 5 plan. I'm working on "hangout evangelism" ideas and plans. I'm also praying about greater intentionality and a sense of any-moment preparedness.
<>"Family" will include things like hospitality, open houses, hanging out in "family" spots (like kids sections in book stores or public libraries or parks), etc.
<>"Small Group" stuff will be both about working with the small group to do evangelism and using the small group as a place to invite those who need Jesus.
<>"Worship Gathering" stuff will be in the areas of preaching (making sure the gospel is not only in my sermons, but saturates it, with a clear call to repent and believe) and inviting unbelievers, as well as working with unbelieving visitors to help them understand the gospel.
<> "TBA" is yet unannounced because I'm working on something I've never really seen anyone do, and I'm trying to figure it out and maybe try it out before I talk about it publicly.
Sheesh, that feels like a lot and yet it still seems very incomplete. I'm sure I'll be working on equipping others for evangelism and lots of stuff not mentioned here. But this should be a helpful start. By the way, you can keep up with my Evangelism 2008 posts by following the Evangelism 2008 category link.
