DEMONSTRATION EVANGELISM

Last Tuesday night in the snow people came out to pray as we discussed Jesus’ method of Evangelism. After selecting disciples, after associating with them, after asking them for consecration, and imparting the Holy Spirit Jesus told them “I have given you an example” (John 13:15).

It was a deliberate part of the strategy of Jesus to demonstrate the kind of life he planned for his people to live. Disciples observed in Him the life they were to live and teach others to live. With Jesus classes were always in session. Today I invite you to consider your life as an example to others. We teach by what we do. Our lives demonstrate to others how to live. Every situation is a learning opportunity.

It is interesting to see how Jesus did not force lessons on disciples, but they were asking him after observing how he lived. Consider Jesus prayer life (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). It is seeing that Jesus received strength in his life through prayer that disciples got so hungry that they asked him “Teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1). Another area of example was Jesus’ use of Scriptures. He was recalling freely the Word of God in every situation as he committed it to his memory. Not only knowing it intellectually, but living by it he advised disciples “abide in the word” (John 15:7). Peter, one of his disciples was so impressed with Jesus example that he writes later in his letter “crave the Word as an infant baby craves mother’s milk” (1^st Peter 2:2). Soul-winning was another huge area of demonstrating by example. Jesus drew people to him. Evangelistic teaching is natural. It is using every life opportunity as an object lesson, not for lecturing but for demonstrating.

As we are moving toward the Year of Evangelism I invite you all to live the life worth imitating. Just as the apostle Paul invited his friends to imitate him as he was imitating Christ (1^st Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17) so are we to live in a way that we could say to people around us – imitate me, as I imitate Christ.

Our children and immediate family are our first disciples. They observe our lives and actions 24x7, everywhere. Demonstrate to your family the life committed to Christ. Let people see the transformation and happiness God brings into your life. momentarily others would be asking you to teach them the secret of your successful life with God.

Real evangelism is not lecturing from the stage, not debating and persuading of right over wrong, it is not even a religious invitation to attend a worship gathering. It is about demonstrating to people the good news of changed free life. It is about making others see the real hope of liberation and freedom in Christ. And I am not talking about gimmicks or techniques of “power-point” workshop or seminar. It is practicing in life what we expect others to learn.

Make it your goal, your New Year resolution, to lead people by your life-example to saving relationship with Jesus. If you yourself need to be converted, make that conversion known and exemplary, so that others would discover their way to repentance too.

IMPARTATION FOR EVANGELISM

Last Tuesday night at our Prayer Meeting we all prayed “not to fear” …..to do evangelism. To many people going bungee-jumping, spalanking (cave exploring), or even rollercoaster ride would be less frightening than doing evangelism. What about you? On a scale of 1 to 10 how afraid are you to do evangelism? You are. This could be the only reason why so few have signed commitment cards, and so few have joined the evangelism preparation team.

So, we simply prayed that God would remove our fears. After all the Book of Revelation says for a reason that fearful will not get to the Kingdom of heaven (Revelation 21:8). It lists fearful, cowardly together with unbelievers. Humanly it is frightening. And it should be, because evangelism is the spiritual warfare. It is about getting people out from captivity of evil, and if you attempt to do it on your own – you better be afraid!

Let me ask you, did Jesus do Evangelism all alone, by himself? Jesus Christ the original and the greatest evangelist who ever walked this earth – he had disciples to go before him, to work with him. Most important, Jesus worked by and with and from the Holy Spirit. If we attempt to do evangelism – it is the Holy Spirit that we need. When we attempt Evangelism, we are promised that the Holy Spirit will be working ahead of us, and his presence will be with us. But we cannot impart to others what we do not have.

As we talk about Evangelism, we recognize that new people will look for friendship and community, yet it is not what they come for. Many will leave long lasting friendships to join the new community of faith not for the sake of a new friendship, but for more, much more – for spirituality. Evangelism is about offering people what they need and will not receive anywhere else – the revelation of Loving God, the Spirit of Living Water. That is possible only when we, as God revealers, God’s representative receive the Holy Spirit in our lives. (John 7:38-39).

So this imparting, which is necessary before demonstration and delegation, is more than information transmission, more than teaching. It is giving the Spirit. Just as Jesus gave us his peace, joy, life, He continues to give us His Spirit (John 20:22).

No doubt the Holy Spirit is working in your life, convicting you of sin, pointing out to righteousness and the Judgment (John 16:8). No doubt the Holy Spirit is sustaining and protecting you always. But it is not given until you obey, until you consecrate yourself in full obedience to God’s commands (Acts 5:32). Only then the church as people will be truly motivated, only then we will possess the power to make Christ known in our community.

We had discussed what we believe. Some are still oblivious, others are coming to study and understand more through the Adventism 101 seminars. We have spent whole year (2007) conversion about the sincere authentic Christian life. this year we explored what it means to be the Kingdom of God. I think no one has doubt or misgivings about the church as a community on its way to the Kingdom of God. We should be able to say any time “I am going to the Kingdom!” The next step is Conversion, deeper conversion within the community, and facilitating conversion outside. And that is possible only by imparting the Holy Spirit.

MEANING OF CONSECRATION

What would be the true test of discipleship? What would be your basic proof of real love for Christ? Take a guess………

Now read John 14:21, Jesus says that obedience is the proof. How would you score on “obedience” test? At our Evangelism Prayer meeting Tuesday night we talked about consecration, examined our personal consecration, looked at Jesus’ example of obedience to the Father. John records in his Gospel few other conditions that define discipleship: continuing in the Word (8:31); love for one another (13:35); bearing much fruit (15:8). How are scoring so far on these tests?

Bottom line of discipleship – making Jesus Lord of our life, Lord of our time, Lord of our thoughts, Lord of our money, Lord of our relationships. Is Jesus Lord of your being? That’s consecration!

In expression of our loyalty to Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), beginning in 2009, the Seventh-day Adventist world church is launching a year and a half emphasis on outreach across the globe, called the Year of Evangelism.

Recently Mark Finley, the Vice-president of our church for Evangelism gave an interview to the Adventist News Network. He defined Evangelism as “sharing Jesus in the broadest way possible, proclamation of the gospel to every person possible, bringing people in contact with Jesus.”

Answering regarding the approach to evangelism through seminars, Mark admitted that the methods have changed over the last decade. The main challenge is to reveal that the Bible is authoritative, to lead people to Christ through the Bible, to present practical applications of Biblical teachings.

Regarding the methods for Evangelism Mark pointed out that Christ modeled what is fit in every era – “mingle with people, meet their needs, wish them good” only in such a way a sympathy and confidence can be build to invite people to follow Jesus. Jesus constantly met people where they were, and if the church is really going to make an impact on society we need to reach people where they are at that contact point.

Our world-wide Church scheduled 400,000 evangelistic events to take place between summers of 2005 and 2010, when the next General Conference will take place in Atlanta, Georgia. Believers around the world are sharing Jesus in every cultural context. It is our time to grow in obedience, to witness in our community. Not everyone is called to do public preaching, but we are all called to witness for Jesus.

Have you placed yourself for selection, to be noted, to indicate your interest in participating in this work of Evangelism? Are you associating with people who are doing Evangelism? Are you associating with people who need to be led to Jesus? Now it’s time to count the cost, to stop being distracted by worldly worries, and to commit.

The fact remains that so many professed Christians are stunted in their growth and ineffectual in their witness, because of general indifference to the commands of God, because of contented complacency with mediocrity. We cannot replace obedience to the cross with “do as you please” philosophy of expediency. We must accept Christ’s teachings of self-denial and dedication. There is no place in the Kingdom for a slacker. It is time that the requirements for membership in the church be interpreted in terms of true Christian discipleship of love, obedience and witness; with leaders leading by example!

DISCIPLED BY ASSOCIATION

We continue to study Master’s Plan of Evangelism. Every Tuesday night volunteers, those who are passionate about evangelism are invited to come and join the Prayer group at the South Church at 7 pm. This past week we focused on how Jesus prepared for Evangelism. I had been writing for about two months highlighting the single point: Jesus was not about programs, but about people! When you put people first programs become organic, natural, relevant, not a mechanical institutional “add-ons.”

What program did Jesus use to disciple and train people for Evangelism? Our first intention, and that is how some people responded at our meeting, would be to say: “He proclaimed the gospel and they watched Him do it.” I invite you to look deeper into the process of Jesus’ training program – he lived with them. As they travelled there were women who cooked, washed, and helped his group from their substance. As they were in a small boat together he fell asleep, when his family came to talk, he placed disciples on the top priority, when some people came to complain about disciples he showed transparency and vulnerability in keeping them accountable. They suffered rejection together, they were kicked out from villages, laughed and scorned at TOGETHER!!! There was nothing hidden from his disciples in Jesus’ life.

If we, the mature Christians, are to train others, the new believers, in the work of the Gospel – we are to associate with them in every trivial aspect of our lives, even in the mundane things. Christianity is experienced first, then explained. Of course there were stories, lessons and parables. But it was the life, the “reality show” that made disciples want to know more.

Are we ready for Evangelism? Currently we see that ½ of people who join the church leave, because no one befriended them. How many people are we ready to embrace and associate with? What if the Lord would send a 100 new people into our midst, would we have a 100 of volunteers to “adopt” a new believer each, and to spend next 3½ years discipling? Would we have at least 50, to adopt two each? Consider Jesus’ method – He did not chose one, he chose twelve, and among them he chose three, hence no hierarchy was created. The best way of discipling is to have at least three individuals to associate and invest in.

As I am thinking about Evangelism, I can’t help but think about those who were among us but faded away into the community, stopped coming, disappeared. We still see them occasionally at work, in the market, on the street. Do we admit deep inside that the reason they left is we did not pay enough attention to them, we did not associate meaningfully with them? Unless we turn this trend around and begin to invest in people by selecting individuals, and then associating with them, we will not evangelise the city.

Jesus method of training was in letting people follow and be with Him. His way was not scholastic lecturing and formal meetings, as scribes did it, but in saying “come and see where and how I live.” As time progressed the group got even more close together. As the Nominating Committee completed its work of selecting officers and asking volunteers to commit I still wonder, do we k now each other well enough to march talents with tasks well?

Suppose you are a member of a church that does not have people committed to leading others to maturity, what would you do? Jesus’ way of associating with us gives an example of initiative: “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20) Are you ready to say it to someone who is willing to learn and wants to learn it from you?