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Tag: evangelism

Quote Of The Week

Published by Jeff Kennon on June 3, 2016

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We too readily think of mission as extraordinary. Perhaps that’s because we find it awkward to talk about Jesus outside a church gathering. Perhaps it’s because we think God moves through the spectacular rather than the witness of people like us. Perhaps it’s because we want to outsource mission to the professionals, so we invite people to guest services where an “expert” can do mission for us. But most people live in the ordinary, and most people will be reached by ordinary people.

(taken from A Meal With Jesus by Tim Chester, p. 91)

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4 Thoughts About Everyday Evangelism

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 24, 2016

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At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, when Christ asked Peter and Andrew to follow Him, he told them that as they did so, He would make them “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Later on, near the end of Jesus’ time on earth, Jesus told his disciples that “just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21) He would also pray to His Father that “as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).

I think we understand what Jesus was telling His disciples about what it means to follow Him. We know that we are a sent people into the world who are to be “fishers of men.” We can quote the “Great Commission.” We get this stuff! Knowledge is not our problem (or at least it’s not mine). Ed Stetzer, commenting about the Transformational Discipleship study he helped to conduct, writes:

We asked 3,000 protestant churchgoers how many times they had personally shared with another person how to become a Christian. Sixty-one percent said that they had never shared their faith. Zero times. Forty-eight percent said they hadn’t invited anyone to church during that period of time.

Again, it’s not a knowledge problem, it’s a problem of praxis. Somehow we need to move what we know to do and become to the area of daily living. The key is that we just have to start doing it. We have to develop the practice of sharing the gospel with others (more could be written about this in regards to developing habits and virtue). So where do we start? I believe it needs to begin in your ordinary everyday life. Therefore, consider these four things…

Prayer

I hope you realize the importance of prayer. Consider the following quotes by N.T. Wright in his book Simply Good News:

Prayer is standing between the one true God and his world, becoming a place where the love of this God and the life of this world (and especially the pain of this world) are somehow held together.

Prayer is part of the larger vocation in which we humans are supposed to be bringing God’s love to bear on his world.

Do we see prayer as a part of our “vocation?” Do we really understand that prayer is where we battle for the souls of those around us to connect them to the love of God?

So who are you praying for? Are you praying for those around you? Do you have a list? Do you write down names daily of people you encounter? If not, start today. Buy a small notebook or start plugging in names into your phone. Regardless of how you do it, begin praying specifically for those around you. And pray that God will awaken them to His love and grace!

Presence

Wherever you are, be all there. Practice the presence of people. Turn off technology and realize who is around you. Don’t be in such a rush everywhere you go. The reality is that you probably come into contact with many people each day that you might not even be aware of. As I’ve written before, we see people as either scenery, machinery, or ministry. So how do you see those around you?

Being present is being incarnational. In our hurried up world, can you imagine how refreshing we could be to others if we slowed down to be present among them? Can you imagine how life-giving we could be if we slowed down enough to listen to people? I believe people are starving to be heard.

Proclamation

You have to speak! Now I’m not talking about preaching at others. What I mean is that you have to converse about the gospel. But if you are praying for others and if you are present among them with a listening ear, you might find more open doors to begin talking about God than you thought imaginable. But you do have to be willing to speak.

The key is to be who you are. Talking with others about Christ is not about having a certain type of personality. Don’t turn into your pastor when you start sharing the gospel. I’m sure there is nothing wrong with your pastor, but you are not him. Be yourself. Be honest. Be caring.

Perseverance

Keep going. Be faithful. Don’t stop praying for those around you. Don’t stop caring for someone. Don’t give up. It might be years before you see something happen in a particular person’s life, but keep trusting that God is working. Stay committed. I think this is especially hard for us in our world of having everything “on demand.” But stay the course!!!

Begin today! Don’t put it off. Start praying now. Make a list. Pay attention to who is around you. And be open to where God is working. Start a conversation. Take a risk. And keep going.

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What Do We Show The World?

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 10, 2016

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As followers of Christ, we  know what we should tell the world. Or at least I hope we do. We must proclaim the gospel. We must speak of the grace and mercy of God. Others need to know that with Christ, there is now hope in this life and the next. Paul reminds us of  “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom 10:15). The news of what Christ has done is too good to keep hidden. It must be known.

But I wonder what we show the world? We tell others of their need for Christ, but I wonder if they see in us how much we need Him as well? In his book Get Real: Sharing Your Everyday Faith Every Day, Justin Leonard writes, “we want people to see Jesus in us when it would be so much better if they instead saw someone in need of Jesus.”

I don’t take Leonard’s words to mean that we should abandon Christlikeness. After all, Scripture is clear that we should be conformed to His image (see Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; 1 Jn 2:6). However, if we are not careful, we can appear as though we have no problems, no worries, or no hassles. And who can live up to that? Could it be that we sometimes try to become “too Christian?”

There is a lot of talk today about authenticity. “You gotta keep it real!” So maybe the world needs to see how human and needy we really are. Do your neighbors know that you struggle sometimes in your marriage? Do those you work with know that you, like that rest of the world, struggle with identity?

In Get Real, Leonard tells a story about a lady who is wanting her sister to become a believer in Christ. Though she continues to witness to her, it appears she never listens. So Leonards asks: “Have you ever considered that the way you present yourself as a Christian might be part of the reason your sister doesn’t believe?” In other words, he writes, “Instead of being a help to your sister, you may be her biggest obstacle to belief because she can never imagine herself believing like the person you want her to believe you are.”

Let’s not stop telling others about Jesus. But let’s also show them our need for Him as well. In humility, let’s be real. And let’s point people to the one in whom we trust to save us from the mess we have made of ourselves.

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5 Thoughts About Evangelism In Everyday Life

Published by Jeff Kennon on May 5, 2016

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We know we are to “make disciples who make disciples.” In fact, I believe when we go deeper into understanding the heart of God, we will be compelled to do so. But we still wonder how we should go about sharing the gospel with others, especially in our ordinary, everyday lives.  I pray these few thoughts below will be of some help as we wrestle with what it looks like to share the gospel within our daily routines.

Be aware of who is around you.

Are you aware of those around you? We need to think about where God has already placed us. Sharing the gospel is not always about adding new people into your life, but becoming aware of who is already around you and where you do life.

Consider doing a  mental walk-through of your day.  Write down some names or descriptions of people you encounter. Are they sometimes the same people? Where do you buy coffee, lunch, gas, and groceries? Are you in a study or work group? What about where you work or or where you exercise or where you walk your dog? This is your mission field.

Be interested in others.

Do you find people interesting? You should. Behind every face is a story. Therefore, spend some time getting to know the stories of those around you.

So how do you do this? Well, begin by saying” Hello” or asking “How’s your day? Also, get to know people’s names. If you are bad at names like I am, write them down or play a name association game. Do whatever works.

Also, learn to ask good questions. And by all means, don’t try to “top” someone else’s story. We need to get rid of the sin of one up-man-ship!

Learn to listen.

Learning to listen is directly related to being interested in others. When you ask someone “How ya doing?” ask it in a way that shows you really want to know. This means getting off your cell phone and paying attention. Sherry Turkle aptly writes in regards to our digital age that “we let digital devices dictate our daily life at a great cost. They are an assault on compassion.” We must not let our smart phone cause us to become unaware of people who are starving for someone to listen to them.

We are often told to pray for someone to talk to about Jesus, and by the way, I think this is good. But maybe we should also pray for someone in whom to listen. I know we are busy people and listening takes time,  but I sometimes  wonder why we are in such a hurry to get from point A to point B?

Learn to walk in another’s shoes

The old saying goes that we should never criticize a person until we have walked a mile in his or her shoes. In other words, don’t be so quick to judge. There is a reason people do what they do. The person who is rude to you while checking out at Wal-Mart probably doesn’t have a personal vendetta against you. You don’t know what kind of day he or she has had or for that matter, what kind of life he or she might be having to endure.

How do you begin to “walk in another’s shoes?” To start, learn to listen. I know we just mentioned listening above, but I don’t think we can escape it in learning to understand others. Jonathan Dodson records that Francis Schaeffer was asked what he’d do if he had an hour to share the gospel with someone. He responded by saying he’d listen for 55 minutes and then, in the last 5 minutes, have something meaningful to say.

Know the Gospel!

It’s imperative that we know the gospel story. And we must know it not just to share it with others as some sort of information piece, but also so that we can internalize it. The gospel story needs to rewrite our stories and replot our identity. For when it does so, we are doing more than just acting out a script, but telling the news of what God has done for us.

Remember, our announcement of good news is one of bringing life.

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Evangelism & The Elephant in the Room

Published by Jeff Kennon on April 28, 2016

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Why do we want to tell people about Jesus? It’s a somewhat simple question that I recently asked to several college students not too long ago. We were discussing outreach ideas to the campus of Texas Tech and I wanted us to get back to the heart of why we were doing what we were doing. We all had some great ideas about the how, but I wanted to get back to the why. I felt that if we didn’t think about purpose, any plan we had for reaching the campus would end up losing energy.

If you attend church, you most likely hear (or at least I hope you do) how we are called, commissioned, and created to “make disciples” (see Matthew 28:16:20). In fact, I would say that the whole story of the Bible is one in which we as God’s people, created in His image, are the ones who are to make things “on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Paul says it well when he writes that God…through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

So why evangelism? Why should we care if people “get saved?” As I discussed these questions with this group of students, there seemed to be an elephant in the room that no one seemed to acknowledge. It was staring right at us, but we ignored it. It was the issue of Hell. We all agreed that we should share the gospel with others because we want people to have a relationship with God, we want to be obedient to God and see him glorified, and we want to love others. But what about not wanting people to spend eternity in Hell? Is that a solid reason to share the gospel in the politically correct 21st Century?

Now I’m no where near a “fire and brimstone” type guy. I don’t think yelling at people that they are going to Hell is effective. The gospel is good news. It is about forgiveness, hope, and restored relationships. The gospel is life. It’s bigger than just avoiding Hell. In fact, when it comes to the gospel message, we might need to ask if Hell should be included in it? (see Roger Olson article)

But nonetheless, the reality is that the Bible seems to indicate there is a place called Hell. Though it might not be in the foreground of the gospel message, it’s definitely in the background. Just consider the New Testament. The most frequently employed term for hell in the New Testament is the word gehenna. It is used 12 times in the New Testament. It is mostly found in the gospels as Jesus used the word 11 times to refer to the fiery judgment. In addition to gehenna, the term “outer darkness” is also by Jesus 3 times.

Add to these terms the following expressions: pits (dungeons) or chains of darkness (2 Peter 2:4); unquenchable fire (Mt 3:12) fiery furnace (Mt 13:42); eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41) blackest darkness (Jude 13); condemnation (Matt 23:33); destruction (2 Thess. 1:9); second death (Rev 20:11); weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mt 25:30); a place where the worm does not die (Mark 9:46); self exclusion from Christ’s blessing (Mt 7:23; 25:41); and exposure to God’s fierce wrath (1 Thess 1:10; Heb 10:27:31). Such a quick look through the New Testament seems to indicate that there is a Hell. I know there could be much more said here, but for the sake of space and to not veer too far off topic, this quick survey should suffice. (taken from Redeemed! Eschatological Redemption and the Kingdom of God by Boyd Hunt)

So where does the reality of Hell find itself in our motivation of sharing the gospel with others? Should it be our primary motivation? It’s obviously not the only thing that compels us to evangelize, but where does it fit? Or should it even be considered at all as a driving force for wanting others to become Christ-followers?

Maybe we should also consider God’s heart. What is his desire? Does he not want all to know him and find salvation in him ( consider 1 Timothy 2:4)? After all, why did Jesus come? What does the cross say about God’s commitment to his creation to restore and heal? So therefore, what does God think of Hell? I like what Bob Utley writes: An eternal hell is not only a tragedy for rebellious mankind, but also for God! Hell is an open, bleeding sore in the heart of God that will never be healed. Is God really broken over the results of our rebelliousness? I think the answer has to be “Yes!”

There is way much more that could be and should be said in regards to this matter. And in writing this I have come up with more questions than answers. This is especially true in regards to the doctrine of Hell. Though this quick article is not really addressing Hell per se, but how the reality of it motivates and informs our evangelism, it is understood that a deeper understanding of the doctrine might be helpful.

Bottom line, we must be concerned for the eternal plight of those around us. There is no doubt that God cares about it. So I guess it was okay for us that day to address the elephant in the room and say that we really don’t want people to live apart from God in Hell.

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Speak & They Will Hear, Believe, & Call

Published by Jeff Kennon on October 29, 2014

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For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)

These words from Paul present an incredible promise and an incredible challenge. Let’s think through what Paul is saying…

  • If people call on the name of the Lord, they will be saved.
  • But how will they call on one they have not believed in?
  • And how can they believe unless they hear?
  • And how can they hear unless someone tells them?
  • So we must go and speak!

Do you see the promise? If anyone calls upon the name of the Lord they will be saved. A few verses earlier in Romans 10, Paul writes that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9).

God is working. He is saving those who call upon Him. When we as Christ-followers go and speak the gospel, then people hear. And when people hear, they will believe. And when they believe, they will respond and call upon the Lord for salvation.

God is calling people unto himself and saving them. Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  He did not come to be served but to offer his life as a ransom (Mark 10:45) and gave his life for us (Gal. 2:20). How marvelous is the grace of God!

But alongside such a merciful promise is our challenge as Christ’s disciples to make the gospel known. People will respond and believe, but they will do so only if they are able to hear. And how do they hear? It’s by our speaking.

Our calling is to “make disciples” (Mt 28:16-20) and to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the world” (Acts 1:8). We have been given the ministry of reconciliation therefore, “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:20).

We are a sent people, by Christ’s authority, to make known the glorious mysteries of the gospel. We can be confident as we go that as we speak, people will hear, believe, and respond. And when they call on the Lord, they will be saved.

Let’s not be ashamed of the gospel therefore, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). Let’s be bold with all kindness and gentleness and patience and love and go and speak the gospel. And as we do, let’s remember the promise that God will save.

 

 

 

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To Be The Means Of Saving A Soul!

Published by Jeff Kennon on October 8, 2014

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Charles Spurgeon wrote:

I would rather be the means of saving a soul from death than be the greatest orator on earth. I would rather bring the poorest woman in the world to the feet of Jesus than I would be made Archbishop of Canterbury. I would sooner pluck one single brand from the burning than explain all mysteries. To win a soul from going down into the pit, is a more glorious achievement than to be crowned in the arena of theological controversy…to have faithfully unveiled the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ will be, in the final judgment, accounted worthier service than to have solved the problems of the religious Sphinx, or to have cut the Gordian knot of Apocalyptic difficulty.

One of my happiest thoughts is that, when I die, it shall be my privilege to enter into rest in the bosom of Christ, and I know that I shall not enjoy my Heaven alone. Thousands have already entered there, who have been drawn to Christ under my ministry. Oh! what bliss it will be to fly to Heaven, and to have a multitude of converts before and behind.

(The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon by Steven J. Lawson)

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Our Chief Aim

Published by Jeff Kennon on August 29, 2014

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From the pen of Charles Spurgeon…

The grand object of the Christian ministry is the glory of God. Whether souls are converted or not, if Jesus Christ be faithfully preached, the minister has not labored in vain. Yet as a rule, God has sent us to preach in order that through the gospel of Jesus Christ the sons of men may be reconciled to Him.

Our great objective of glorifying God is, however, to be mainly achieved by the winning of souls. We must see souls born unto God. If we do not, our fury should be that of Rachel “Give me children, or I die.” If we do not win souls, we should mourn as the husbandman who sees no harvest, as the fisherman who returns to his cottage with an empty net, or as the huntsman who has in vain roamed over hill and dale. Ours should be Isaiah’s language uttered with many a sigh and groan “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” The ambassadors of peace should not cease to weep bitterly until sinners weep for their sins. 

–Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon

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