Is Personal Evangelism Mandatory?

Often those issues are debated. This is not the first time. When you do not understand soemething very well then go to passages where ther etaching is clear to help explain something that may appear to be not so clear.

I think a better book to read is How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. Another very good book is Biblical Hermeneutics: A Comprehensive Introduction to Interpreting Scripture by Bruce Corley, Steve Lemke, Grant Lovejoy

 

Go back and read my post reading 1Thes 1, and where Paul states they are the example to the other churches of that area in presenting the Gospel message, so that when they (the aposples or missionary apostles) got there they didn't need to preach it.

 

christianyouth;
I have been out of town this weekend at a wedding, hence I could not get back to you.

As one of the others members has already pointed out, you seem to have missed something in the Great Commission.

Simply put: Exactly what was it do you suppose Jesus was telling His diciples? Jesus said, YOU GO and make disciples and teach them to OBSERVE all that I have commanded YOU.

How clear is that? What is there in this command which would give you the impression that evangelism was only for they who were present at that time?

1. If they make disciples then obviously they MUST have evangelized them first.
2. If they teach them ( the NEW disciples ) ALL that Jesus taught the Apostles then this would INCLUDE evangelism.
3. This would ALSO include teaching THOSE new disciples to evangelize since it is what Jesus commanded the Apostles and is part and parcel of the "ALL" in that command.
4. This would also include teaching the NEW disciples to make MORE disciples and teaching THOSE disciples to observe ALL that Jesus taught the original Apostles.
5.....and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on.........

What is so hard to figure out here? And why the difficulty?

 

TCGreek,

Go...WHERE?

Africa? Iraq? South America? Russia? The local pool hall? The local "liberal" church?

I ask because I've noticed that many times when I hear that type of statement it is usually followed by the idea that we must leave where we are, and "GO" to someplace else to where many Godless lost people are and "win them" for Christ.

That type of phraseology is VERY common when trying to twist the arms of people to get them to become missionaries.

I would say that the most important way to "GO" would be to....

Go about your regular everyday life exactly as you already do, and wait for God to open the door of witness to those already in your circle of influence. As far as "going" someplace else, leave that to God. If He wants to give to your heart the desire to go to some other country or something, God will do that. He is very good at that sort of thing.

We all aready have a circle of influence that contain people who need to hear Gods saving gospel articulated. Ask God to open doors and He will do just that.

God bless,

Mike

 

So let me get this straight. You believe that unless God specifically calls us to go somewhere, we should witness to those in our circle of influence but no one else? So if I go out on street evangelism or door-to-door that is wrong and un-Biblical? Let me know if I have you right.

The Great Commission says we should give the Gospel to "every creature." I think I'll stick with that, while still building relationships and giving the Gospel to those I know. Door-to-door, street evangelism, witnessing to someone I've just met--these are all possible and effective ways to reach "every creature" if people see in you the love of Christ and not just a brash religionist. It is entirely possible to give a good impression, develop a relationship and show genuine caring in just a few minutes. However, if you never go outside your own little circle, many you could win may go to Hell.

This is a very strange statement to me. I am having a hard time imagining what it means to "twist the arms" of people to get them to become missionaries. It actually makes me wonder if you have been called to be a missionary but decided someone was "twisting your arm," so you didn't answer the call. Please enlighten me.

 

John,

Why wouldnt that be the case?

The 1st people I witnessed to were my parents and sister. All...in time...were born again. Not right away, but in Gods timing they all "came to their senses" and accepted Christ. The next person I witnessed to was my best friend. He later became a christian. The next people whom I witnessed to were co-workers. In time some of them were born again. I've never badgered people or put them on guilt trips. Never pressured them.
And its been that way my whole life. I've changed jobs and cities a few times. Our circle of influence is always changing. There are always people willing to hear. People who are ALREADY in our circle of influence. God orders our steps every day of our lives, and He causes us to cross paths with the exact people whom might be touched by our individual witness.

I like the basic premise of Henry Blackaby's discipleship course "Experiencing God". His emphasis is that God does not need us to go and "DO" for Him. He is perfectly able to do for Himself. He wants us to recognise when we see Him already at work and then join Him in it.

I believe this is from his course. If not its very similar....

You seem to be skeptical regarding that possibility. Is that the case? Do you not believe that Almighty God can put a burden on someones heart to travel to another place on this earth to witness? I have "heard" God's voice mutitudes of times. Sometimes its as simple as a night recently when I was at work and God told me to get on the elevator and go to the 4th floor...NOW!

Up I went. And after I got up there a huge door of witness opened up that I would have missed if I had hesitated or put it off.

And God speaks to people routinely to go to other countries to witness.

I agree completly.

Absolutely!

"You" could win? We dont win anyone, John. God does.

And why do you think you are the only one whom God could use? Are you the only christian? If YOU dont get to them they will go to hell? Nobody ELSE is able to witness to them?

There certainly are people who need Christ who are just outside of your personal "circle of influence". And guess what? They have neighbors other than you who are christians. They have co-workers where THEY work...other than you...who are born again. God will use THOSE christians to share with them.

Let me say it again. I AM NOT AGAINST GOING TTHER COUNTRIES.

I said that in my 1st post...

The only thing I am objecting to is the message I hear sometimes in some services. And that is when the attempt is made to put everyone in the room on a monumental guilt trip if THEY DONT GO to whatever "other place" they are trying to recruit people to sign up to go to. And if they dont go those people will burn in hell for eternity and it will be "your fault" for not "going".

God have mercy.

I'm not against people becoming missionaries. Nothing in the world wrong with letting people know of a need, and asking them to pray about possibly helping, or going. I am referring to psychological manipulation from the pulpit designed to shame people into signing up, when God isnt calling them to. That is the "arm twisting" I was referring to.

And the other concern I have is when people are left with the false idea that "going" on mission trips or "going" to other countries long term is the only way to be of use to God as a witness. That is 100% false.

Thats not the case at all. I HAVE joined in on some opportunities to go to another location and witness. I did it because God clearly told me he wanted me to. But I know for certain that as of 3:40 AM Eastern Time I HAVE NOT been called by God to be a missionary to another country. So if I were to go over to some other country right now I would not be used of God in any way over there, because His anointing would not be on me. Now...if all of a sudden God were to begin to give me a burning desire to do something like that..an inner *knowing* that I just have to go...then off I'll go.

But right now, I am without a doubt a witness for the Most High God. Every minute of every day. I am available for Him to use any time He desires as I go about my "everyday" life.

Grace and peace,

Mike

 

Hello, Mike.

We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. Your first post gave me the mistaken impression that you oppose direct evangelism, and that always gets my dander up. Some people definitely do oppose it, such as Arthur McPhee in his book Friendship Evangelism. I was very glad to see that you do not oppose the types of evangelism I mentioned. We evidently have very similar views on evangelism as being through the leading and power of the Holy Spirit to give the Gospel every person.

See, this is confusing. This is in answer to my statement, "So let me get this straight. You believe that unless God specifically calls us to go somewhere, we should witness to those in our circle of influence but no one else?" But then when I talk about direct evangelism to those outside your sphere of influence you say, "Absolutely."

I'll have to disagree with Henry Blackaby. I believe that we are "laborers together with God" (1 Cor. 3:9), "workers together with Him" (2 Cor. 6:1) and He sends laborers into His harvest (Matt. 9:37-38). These all imply "doing." And I strongly believe that we are commanded to go out first and not wait until we believe God is working, since He is working everywhere. The Great Commission in Matthew tells us to "Go" before it tells us that Christ is with us until the end of the world/age.

I am absolutely not skeptical about God's leadership. I have experienced it many, many times. Please check out our website to see my article about how God led my wife and me together to His glory.

Thanks for the wonderful testimony about how God led you to get on the elevator. :thumbs:

Um, you did notice I am a missionary, did you not? Check out my testimony on our website about how I was led by God to Japan.

And here we will differ. I believe that yes, we do win souls to Christ in cooperation with the Lord, Who does the saving. I believe that this is an entirely Biblical concept, and have even written a grad school paper on it. You might as well give up on this point, because you won't convince me. I've been pondering it for 40 years. :smilewinkgrin: (May God be praised that I grew up in a family that believed strongly in personal evangelism.)

Um, I specifically said "may go to Hell," meaning that no, I do not think that I am the only one who could win a certain soul to Christ.

We evidently move in completely different circles. In the circles I move in, the call of God is routinely preached when it comes to missions. I have attended many missionary conferences and for the last 30 years preached in many of them. Never have I used or heard used what I thought to be psychological manipulation to shame people in going to the mission field. In fact, I absolutely don't want people coming to Japan who have been manipulated into it. I once had to help pick up the pieces from such a case when the man had a breakdown.

I am very glad to read this. Some of the saddest Christians I've ever know are those who were called to be missionaries but turned their back on the heavenly vision.

God bless.

John R. Himes
Asahikawa, Japan