New Testament Pattern For Evangelism
Defining The Problem
Just as in Politics, we saw an upswing in sound conservative thinking in the church over the period of the last decade. But as in all things, things change. Now I see liberalism again creeping into the sound ranks and churches throwing aside what is right. Much of what is professed is based on a misunderstanding of events in Acts.
As has been the case of almost every departure from truth, efforts to reach the lost blind very capable men from the truth. Presently a concept is emerging which places the church as the converting agent. It is a concept based on efforts to convert the lost, not through truth but by programs, schemes, evangelistic planning and pressure. It's not that the basics aren't presented but the main thrust is the procedures and plans. It's described as getting back to New Testament Christianity, but is limited to misapplied concepts found only in the early chapters of Acts.
Members who are babes and others who are unlearned even after years of membership are being sent out to somehow bring in those who are lost. Many are made to feel guilty because they haven't made their quota of phone calls, visited enough in the neighborhood or haven't carried around the latest "gospel packet" for converting the lost with renewed courage and first century zeal.
Babes in Christ are not being taught principles of authority. Dealing with error and refuting it is stressed little if at all. They are being taught that they need to bring in new people. The guilt they may have is not caused by sin in their lives but because they haven't been involved enough in reaching enough people which, in their sphere, may well be presented as the biggest sin of all.
The appeal for conversion becomes the process of evangelism and not the gospel. It often consists of evangelistic planning through subgroups which includes any new converts. The program, high keyed and motivational, in some way involves "wonderful people" talking about how their work for Christ is "wonderful" and all in the group are expected to be part of the "wonderfulness." Converts, likewise are to be wonderful and do wonderful work. "Wonderful" is, of course, my word to portray their attitude of self-righteousness, their zeal without application of what ever knowledge may be there.
Those who do not "get with the program" may soon be left to be only bystanders who, in shame and separation, must only watch the others marching into their glory. The program, it's structure, the wonderfulness of it all, and the motivation become part of the conversion process rather than the gospel.
The subgroups are part of the church activities and arrangements. It is a way to have social activities in the church structure without the church paying for it. It comes complete with evangelistic direction and those nonmembers who come to the meetings get to socialize with all those wonderful people who love their souls so much. I might just say here that interest in a person does not necessarily mean that one loves his soul. The interest may simply be that he become part of the interested party's agenda for growth.
As one can see, defining the problem is difficult. With this difficulty, consider the problems newer members may have. Some probably see something as wrong, but just don't know how to define it. Others, I'm sure, can better define these things than I have.
Spoon fed with just the right formula --
Anything that deals with refuting error is canned. Preachers get a can of "Slam That Error" off the shelf; pour it into a bowl and spoon feed it to the members who sit there with their mouths open and their hearts and minds closed. Most of the talking about error is designed to keep the faithful loyal and in line rather than actually defining and refuting error.
There was a time when Christians looked forward to going to services, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, gospel meetings every night. I remember gospel meetings being extended into the next week because interest was so high. People loved the truth and they loved hearing it taught.. Now the cry of many is: "Do away with Sunday night service." An then to complicate the matter even further, they claim that the Bible doesn't say we have to be there except for the one time on Sunday for worship. They see no need to have so many worship services.
Members who once would have objected, now accept it and complain little. Perhaps their conscience hurt a little at first, but now they look forward to doing other things. If a congregation, for some reason, can't have a Sunday night service, that's one thing, but to cancel because not enough are showing up is another. The many things we are to do together as Christians are hard to fit in even meeting three times a week. With only one or two services a week, it is also difficult for a congregation to develop the unity and strength expected of, and in, the congregation.
Preachers and elders have also become caught up in the system --
They don't have time to study and refute false doctrine because they are working so hard to "evangelize the world." Either through pressure or being misguided some fail to teach the whole counsel of God giving preference to evangelism only. That's why they go with the canned stuff mentioned earlier.
Elders have become administrators and program directors. In some congregations they are not the leaders and guides they should be in their role as outlined in the New Testament. The pseudo qualifications are not to do the job of being shepherd, but rather they are to be really great guys who have a program planned for the church that they have the courage to implement.
Truly God's people continue to be destroyed for a lack of knowledge.
It seems that nobody studies much. Very few demonstrate in any way that they believe study is necessary. Members don't care enough to question anything. As long as the answers are what the majority have heard for years, every thing is just fine. In fact, they don't need all those services because they have heard the most of it for years any way.
Maybe I'm strange, but after more than 50 years of Bible study I still find it exciting and I'm still finding answers to both old and new questions. My wife and I have worked in unity with every congregation with whom we have worshipped since we were married over 35 years ago. We have done so because we study together as often as possible discussing honestly the things with which we have difficulties. No we didn't always agree with individuals but were in unity concerning the work of the congregation. We believe that being together often, to pray, listen, learn, teach, exhort, admonish, sing, love and consider one another is necessary to please God. Our life proves that this works for peace and I believe I can say with full support of the scriptures that when a congregation does not practice walking in unity the programs are bad, the elders are bad, or both.
The Supposed Authority
"Why," we ask, "is converting emphasized and the members neglected?" ( I am not suggesting that we should not work to convert people.) And the answers --
Answer 1 - Jesus said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel."
Answer 2 - The early church, Acts 2, one big church -- they met in houses, 3000 were baptized.
Wow, can we do that now? It's easy to see that part of the problem is that too many preachers and elders think that they are Peter or Paul and that the members are a bunch of Timothys or Barnabases. These fine examples were duly appointed to do the work they did. They were capable and selected to do the tasks assigned to them.
In Detroit, when the Red Wing Hockey Team won the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, the excitement was astounding. There was a parade.. People missed work and a large number of fans fought the traffic, heat, hunger, and many things, even other fans, just to be at the scene of that parade. The Red Wings had won in Washington with 4 straight wins -- what a home coming! Can you picture that type of excitement?
Now consider, that kind of excitement can not match the situation which happened as recorded in Acts chapter 2. After 2000 years or so of God implementing His plan for a Messiah to save Israel, after the greatest teacher that ever lived had drawn multitudes of 5000 or more in the dessert with no billing, after that teacher had been crucified, at a time when the wisest of scholars were saying the time is here, at a time when every one was waiting for the last days, at a time when every one was expecting the kingdom, looking for the Messiah, we have the record of the first gospel sermon.
In Acts 2, the record of the beginning of the last days is given, Jesus, the Christ (Messiah) was announced. The kingdom of God was being received . Surprise! Surprise! It started with the power of the Holy Spirit and not with the plans of men. "That day" will never come again and certainly we will never duplicate that day. A one time phenomena is not a pattern. We find patterns in Acts. We find patterns in Acts 2. However, duplicating a situation like the first gospel sermon is something we just cannot do.
Answer 3 - - in Acts 2, many argue that everyone was out there teaching.
While insistent that only the 12 apostles received the Holy Spirit, these people also insist that everyone was teaching the gospel message. What the record says is that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (verse 2). It also clearly indicates that the apostles were in charge (verse 14). Now that is the beginning point of any pattern -- apostolic authority by instruction or apostolic example, directly taught or necessarily implied. Note what it says in verses 40 and 41.
Answer this question. Who is the "he" and "his" to whom this passage refers? They might all have been speaking in tongues and all may have supported what was being taught, but Peter was the teacher on this occasion.
Answer 4 - They went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4) --
Who preached? Is this example limited? Is it a commandment? According to the record, Philip did some preaching. No one else is specifically mentioned. Philip certainly does not sound like every person. We have to ask why Barnabas was sent out by the Jerusalem church to go as far as Antioch. Was every member preaching? With all those preaching, if it includes everyone, why was Philip by himself preaching in Samaria? If all those scattered were preaching, where is the record? I conclude the preaching was done according to the pattern we find for preaching the gospel in the rest of the Bible. The qualified did it and the rest supported it. Certainly the scattered Christians were not the Jerusalem church and for a period of time were not any local church.. Just as Peter was the speaker in Acts 2, Philip was the teacher in Acts 8.
There Is A Pattern
There is a New Testament pattern for churches' and individuals' involvement in the preaching of the gospel just like there is a pattern for every thing else we teach and preach. That pattern is not a pamphlet in every member's hand and a quota of invites to the next service. Whatever the pattern is, it's not that.
The pattern in Acts.--
Just because you're not out there banging on doors or in the pulpit waxing elephants or in some miserable place preaching the gospel doesn't mean that you're not part of the preaching and the efforts to reach the lost.
In Acts 4 the church prayed that God's servants could speak the word with boldness. They also prayed that wonders and signs could be done through the Holy Servant Jesus. (Verses 23-31) Now note verse 33,
The boldness is good but one cannot forget the capabilities. It was the apostles who implemented the prayer.
In Acts 11 Barnabas was sent to go as far as Antioch by the Jerusalem church. The gospel was being spread in that region to the Hellenists by some men from Cyprus and Cyrene.
Now I'm not saying that it is wrong to knock on doors or that everyone in the congregation could not do that, but show one pattern in the New Testament where this was practiced as some kind of church work or church program. One should be qualified to teach the gospel before going out. There is no New Testament pattern for every one to preach the gospel as many would lead us to believe. Do we get the message of the above four questions. It was the apostles and leaders who were teaching, who were being sent away, who needed protection, and who were sent out into mission fields.
What most want to emulate today is the big response, the excitement of drawing many to hear and the motivation of being involved. To have those qualified teachers, those able to refute error and convert people who are practicing error, someone has to be teaching and there has to be time invested learning God's word. There has to be a love of truth. If we are to emulate anything let us emulate the love for the truth. People sacrificed time, money, power, the lives they lived and finally their living bodies in love of truth. People today want to spend a little time in an organized attempt to evangelize and then happily pursue everything else the rest of the time. Certainly I'm not including all in this shallowness, but from where I view things, it sure looks like a majority. We have to ask, if II Timothy 2:2, "commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others," and II Peter 3:15 "be able to give a defense to anyone who asks" mean anything any more?
The Pattern Of Evangelism In The Early Churches
Romans
Philippi
Thessalonia
Corinth
Conclusions
The spread of the gospel was accomplished as the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20) went out preaching the Gospel. The churches participated in this with support as they grew in faith. There is a pattern here. The preaching and teaching was always done by individuals because it is individuals with the responsibility. Churches supported the individuals providing for their needs. The Church in Jerusalem, the church in Antioch, the church in Philippi, the church in Thessalonica, all sent or supported qualified men to preach the gospel and the church in Corinth was to do the same when faith was increased. Did I miss any?
Member Responsibilities
Living correctly in the world as lights -- Phillipians 2: 14-16
When one reads through the letters to the churches he finds that emphasis is on the lives of Christians and their character. Very little if any is said about their evangelistic skills. In their role of lights, I see the New Testament pattern at work for true conversions.
Other general member involvement
Ephesians 4:14-16
I Peter 3:15
Members should be knowledgeable so they can defend their hope and be able to discuss their faith with others and thereby grow to have greater spiritual strength.
Jesus came to bring salvation and in so doing he built his church wherein are all the saved. That message of salvation and the teaching to those who believed and obeyed is all part of truth. That truth is real, vital and sure. It is always from God and not man. It is the authority and basis for all that we are as Christians. It is from God and must be loved. Being a Christian is not just serving in the kingdom or serving Christ. We are to serve in truth. Many who work hard, having great zeal, and love for building up the kingdom, go astray because they do not respect God's truth.