Challenging thoughts on evangelism

Along the lines of yesterday's post on marketing the faith are a couple of thought-provoking meditations on evangelism. In "Evangelism 101," Nathan Colquhoun looks at several evangelism-related passages: Eph. 5:15-16, Col. 4:2-5, 1 Pe. 3:15, and Acts 8:26-40. He then makes this observation:

If you notice that in all of these verses, where it is talking about speaking to unbelievers, it speaks of an opportunity of some sort. Notice also, that nowhere does it ever say to go out and make opportunities. It only says to either pray for them or to take them when they are there.

Could it be possible that we were never meant to go out searching for opportunities to witness? It seems like when we really do we are head hunting as opposed to seeking out true relationships. To be honest, the only disciples I have ever seen come to the faith by God using me was through relationships and that number are very few. It’s been said that “what you win people with, you win people to.” If we win people with our schemes and our get-souls-quick-surveys then we are winning them to nothing more than a self-centered number-based religion.

Over at Wallo World, Bill dissects the idea that The One Thing for the church to do is evangelize. For example, Bill points out, the Great Commission is not only about bringing people to Christ, but bringing them up in Christ--making disciples. Christians are certainly called to have a part of evangelism, Bill explains, but it is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, and the Lord who saves:

Look at it like this. The “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:19 is a task, or an assignment. It is, I agree, what the church as a body and Christians as individuals should be doing. But the “Great Commandment” in which Jesus simultaneously instructed believers to love God and love our neighbors is a purpose. It reflects how we should go about our lives, and the attitude that should pervade our existence. Man was not created in order to make disciples; man was created to glorify his creator.

Amen.