Evangelism

What is "Evangelism"?

Webster defines it two ways:

1. The preach and promulgation of the gospel.
2. Missionary zeal, purpose, or activity.

I would like to first preface all that is to follow with I love JESUS, and I don't want to seem as though I am angry at the entire system or even the idea of evangelism. My issue lies within the dogma of outdated, culturally irrelevant, mono-systematic approach to evangelism in a world and culture where cultural relevancy and multi-systemic approaches of impact are not only favorable but essential.

Issue #1:

"THE CHOICE"

Please believe me I mean no offense, even though I'm certain much will be taken if anyone actually reads this. But I have grown up sitting in church services where at the end of the service someone or the praise team begins to lead the congregation in a song for the "time of decision". Now I have no problem at all with a "time of decision" my problem lies in what we are asking people to make a decision about. The choice is "heaven or hell", "turn or burn", "get right or get left", choose your cliche, they're all just as terrible. Why? because more times that not people are making a choice of avoidance rather than a choice of acceptance. Meaning, they choice to avoid hell so the option to avoid hell is heaven. They choose to avoid burning so the avoidance option there is to turn, they choose to avoid getting left: get right. No matter how you couch it or frame it, it's all the same premise, you have people making decisions based on an act and theory of avoidance rather than acceptance. They should be making a decision to have a relationship with Christ. Bottom line, I believe that is what salvation is: you choose to accept the fact that because of what Christ did on a cross for you, even though you didn't accept him at the time, so that you could someday have a relationship with Him.

Issue #2

Issue two is very much related to Issue #1.

If we believe that people should be making a choice to have a relationship with Christ, how can they do that if they don't know who Christ is?

Think about it this way, when you meet someone for the first time have you agreed to have a relationship with that person? No. You have simply made their acquaintance, you know who they are, but you have in no way made a commitment to desire and cultivate a deeper relationship with them. So then why do we expect it to be any different when it comes to Jesus. Why do we think that someone sitting to a sermon and some music, and essentially meeting Jesus for the first time, or maybe just being exposed to Him in a new way, would automatically desire a relationship with Him?

Do we as humans with one another not need time to discover and discern whether or not we want to be in a relationship with someone, through learning about them and who they are? If we are to have a real, genuine relationship with Christ I think that happens over a process of time. So then why do we not devote more energy and effort into building relationships with people who don't have a relationship with Christ and allow them to see Him through us, and then allow them to decide if they want a relationship with him?

Salvation is a one time event: the deciding to have and develop a relationship with Christ.

Redemption is a life long process: the developing of our relationship with Christ and becoming more and more like him.

I think this is a paradigm shift that is essential for the modern church to retain it's relevancy and impact in a culture that is quickly turning away from the God who created us all and loves everyone of us.

With Love,
Drew