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The Six Styles of Evangelism

23 Apr , 2012 No Comments

Dwight L. Moody, the great American evangelist/pastor, was known for his powerful preaching and evangelistic fervor. He preached in America and England and saw thousands of people come to faith in Christ. He became the pastor of the Chicago Avenue Church in Chicago and preached throughout the United States in the mid to late 1800s. On one occasion a woman challenged him, saying she didn’t like his way of evangelism. As he talked to her, he asked how she shared with Christ others and over the course of the conversation she had to admit that she really didn’t. To that, Moody answered, “Well, I like my way better than yours.”
What is your way of telling others about Jesus? If you are a follower of Jesus, you are the light of the world. Jesus says that you are not to hide out, but you are to let your light shine before others. So how are you intentionally doing this?
I thought about entitling this post, “Being Yourself” or “You’ve Got Style”. There are actually as many “styles” of evangelism as there are people, because it takes all kinds of believers to reach all kinds of unbelievers. Do this exercise: Read through each one thoughtfully and decide which one best describes you (most of us will lean toward more than one but you’ll discover yourself in one style primarily). Determine which one you are and then hone that “style” and the skills/gifts that God brings with that particular style. The six styles below are adapted from “Becoming a Contagious Christian”, by Bill Hybels. A wonderful, practical guide to personal evangelism.

1. Direct Style
Biblical Example: Peter- Acts 2
Characteristics: confident, assertive
Theme Verse: “Preach the word; be prepared in season & out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Tim. 4:2
Examples: Billy Graham, Greg Laurie, Tim Tebow
Cautions: Be sure to use tact when confronting people w/truth – Don’t offend!

2. Intellectual Style
Biblical Example: Paul- Acts 17 (while in Athens- his challenge regarding the “unknown god”). Paul is regarded as one of the greatest intellectuals ever known.
Characteristics: inquisitive, analytical, logical
Theme Verse: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
Examples: Josh McDowell, N.T. Wright, Tim Keller
Cautions: Don’t substitute giving answers for sharing the Gospel Message. Don’t become argumentative and learn to be a good listener.

3. Testimonial Style
Biblical Example: Blind man- John 9 He’s healed by Jesus and they ask him, “Was this man a prophet?” He responds by telling his story. “I don’t know. All I know is I was blind and now I see!” No one can deny your personal story.
Theme verse: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3
Examples: Corrie Ten Boom, Lee Strobel, Joni Erikson Tada, “I am Second” website. Caution: Talk about Jesus and what He’s done- not simply about yourself. Bring glory to Him.

4. Interpersonal Style
Biblical Example: Matthew- Luke 5:29 He invited all his tax-colleting buddies over to his house for a party in order to meet Jesus.
Characteristics: Generally a warm personality, conversational, friendship-oriented
Theme Verse: “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22
Examples: Much has been written about “Lifestyle Evangelism” and how to open your life to those around you. I love a book called, “Questioning Evangelism” by Randy Newman (he proposes that asking questions is the primary means to share the Gospel- not unlike Jesus’ “rabbinic method”).
The caution: Do not value friendships over truth-telling.

5. Invitational Style
Biblical example: Woman at the Well- John 4
Characteristics: hospitable, relational, persuasive
Theme verse: “Then the master told His servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” Luke 14:23
We see another example of this in John 1. Here we see a sequence of events, one person inviting another person to meet Jesus. In John 1:40 it says the first thing that Andrew did was tell his brother Peter. Then the next day Philip invited Nathanial to come and see Jesus. Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said: “Come and see.” Sometimes we just need to say, “Come and see!” Just come. Imagine this: If you know anything about Peter’s role in the early church- What if Andrew had never invited Peter to meet Jesus? A single invitation can change a life, or many lives.

6. Serving Style
Biblical Example: Dorcas- Acts 9:36 (a.k.a. Tabitha) “She was always doing good and helping the poor.”
Characteristics: Others-centered, humble, patient, caring.
Theme verse: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Examples: We see this approach to evangelism in ministries like Buckner International, World Vision. So many examples within our church family.
The caution: Actions are no substitute for words (Rom. 10:14). Nowhere in the Bible does anyone come to faith without words- even the Ethiopian Eunuch (who was reading the Scriptures) needed Philip to explain it to him and share the Gospel.

So, what’s your style? Put it to practice.. today.

The Misplaced Doctrine of Lostness (part 2)

20 Apr , 2012 No Comments

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:10-17

Over and over again, throughout the Bible, we see that salvation is conditional. It is not our spiritual default mode. Indeed, if we are not lost apart from Christ, the cross makes no sense at all. His life, sufferings, death, and resurrection are inconsequential. Let’s break this verse down.

The Power of the Gospel
1. The Gospel is salvation through faith in Christ. (9-10)
Salvation comes through faith in what Christ has done for us on the Cross.
• IF you… Notice that our salvation is conditional. Clearly then, not everyone is saved.
• confess with your mouth… What Paul is not saying is that simply saying
something out loud will save you. We must understand our context here, he has said that the people of Israel, under Moses and the Law- had the word in their mouths- they knew the Law, they could say the Law, but it also had to be in their hearts. He’s continuing this parallel of thought and expression. In fact, he explains:
• believe in your heart … Believe what? “That Jesus raised Him from the
dead”- this would involve His life, suffering, death, burial and resurrection- the Gospel is Christ’s death upon the cross and His subsequent burial and resurrection. Notice Paul says, it is with the heart that we believe and are justified.
• you will be saved. What is the Gospel? In the end the Gospel is Jesus- His life, His sufferings, His death and Resurrection, and His life now in you. When we are saved, we get Him. The GOSPEL is not being a good person- it’s Christ’s righteousness covering my sin. I am superior to no one- I’m a Christian because of what Christ has done- not what I have done.
The English word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word “εύαγγέλιον”(pronounced “euangeleon”). It literally means good news. The Euangeleon was a proclamation of victory- a military announcement- the Gospel is never about something that we do, it is something that’s been done. Victory is ours, and it is ours because of Christ, not because of anything I’ve done.
2. The Gospel is for everyone. (vs. 11-13)
You have never locked eyes with someone form whom Jesus did not die.
3. The Gospel comes through a chain of events.
• Faith Salvation requires faith.(vs. 14) And earlier in verse 9-10..
• Gospel Faith in what ? Faith in the Message- What’s the Message? It is the Euangeleon, the Gospel – Our sin for Christ’s righteousness!
• Messenger Who is the messenger? Anyone who has encountered Jesus.
• Sent Hearing requires a messenger (vs. 15) Notice that we are “sent”- at the core of who we are as disciples of Jesus- we are a SENT people. The church has always been a centrifugal movement, always outward seeking. God SENT Jesus and the ONLY way to join Him on mission to be sent ourselves. Notice it is the “feet” that are beautiful of those bring Good News (not the hands, the head, the arms, etc.). Feet imply going, moving- it is not the mouth alone, not the hands or the mind, it is the feet- moving, walking, taking us to those in our world who are lost without Christ.
• Our salvation is confirmed by the proclamation of it. (vs. 16-17) from the start we proclaim, “He is Lord”- through our confession, through our baptism. Why do we proclaim our faith? Because faith is a personal thing but it not a private thing. Nowhere in Scripture do we see that our faith in Christ is a private matter- (personal, in that it is an individual decision- not someone else’s decision)- but never private. Our inward conviction is confirmed through an outward expression. Baptism is an outward proclamation of an inward decision. When people come to join the fellowship by “profession of faith”- the profession of faith (biblically) is through baptism. Paul summarizes his points in vs. 17: Faith (our means toward for salvation) requires hearing the Message, the Message requires a messenger. The message is the “the word about Christ”- the Gospel. There is a chain of events that must take place for salvation to come.
We must rediscover the doctrine of lostness- in our preaching, our teaching, and our ministries across the board. The activities, programs, and calendared events- our mission work here in the city and around the world must be defined by the Gospel. Solid research (see previous post below) tells us that it’s possible that 50% of the people in our Protestant churches on Sunday are not Christians. Many have offered some kind of intellectual ascent, agreement with some doctrine, or simply “prayed a prayer” at some point- without truly giving our lives to Christ- abandoning any hope for salvation apart from Him. Let’s preach, teach, scrutinize, dialogue, study, and proclaim the gospel of free grace found in Christ alone.

He is Risen! – Easter Sunday

08 Apr , 2012 No Comments

“Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:5-6

Was it a morning like this? Quiet and early, all of nature stretches to a new day as the sun comes up again. Or shall I say, “the Son comes up again!” He is risen! Everything has changed! All of history hinges on this day. Paul said, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Take it a step further. If Christ has not been raised, all of life is useless. Without the conquering of death we all are destined for hell and a life apart from God. Praise be to our glorious Savior. Rejoice today and celebrate your new life in Jesus Christ! Worship Him today with all your heart.

At the risk of putting a damper on your dancing and your celebration, pause for a moment and ponder this – what’s next? Consider the response of the disciples. They celebrated, no doubt, but their response was more than giddiness or mere celebration. They told others what had happened. They realized that all of Christ’s hopes for the Church would rise or fall based on how persuasive these eyewitnesses would be for all – including us today – who have not yet seen. Let us rejoice today, but let us never forget the responsibility we have now that we have experienced the risen Christ! For He is risen indeed!

“… blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” John 20:29

Pray: Jesus, my Lord, I praise You for the resurrected life You have now given me. I want to crucify sin in my life, live in Your resurrection power, and be a pure vessel of Your love. I thank You for how I have grown in my walk with You to the cross. I don’t want to stop here. I want to continue to live a life of sacrifice and self-denial. I will continue to devote myself to You in my quiet place.

And the Angels were Silent – Saturday in the tomb

07 Apr , 2012 No Comments

“He put Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had cut out of rock, and he rolled a very large stone to block the entrance of the tomb.” Matthew 27:60

How quiet it is on Saturday before Easter. How sad it is. How despairing it must have been for those who had seen their teacher, their friend, and their hope die right before them. All of creation held its breath to see what would happen next. All of heaven peered toward earth to see how we would respond. And God didn’t move. Not one word; not even a sign. Have you ever been there? You had great expectations that God was up to something big, something life changing, and then…nothing. Have you ever put all of your hopes in a person or in yourself, only to see them come crashing down before you? Then you know how the disciples must have felt.

They had all run away scared. They couldn’t believe it. Their leader, their master was dead. He was really dead! It was all over. No hope, nowhere to turn, no plans. On Saturday all they could do was run for their lives and hide out hoping no one would find them. Do you ever think God is silent? Do you ever pray thinking it doesn’t get past the ceiling? Let Easter Saturday serve as a lesson for every day of the year. God may seem to be silent, but in reality, He’s about to bring about His greatest work! If you ever wonder if He’s at work on your behalf, ponder the difference between Saturday and Sunday. Remember, God may seem slow, but He’s never late.

Pray: Lord, I confess I have not trusted You in Your silence. I want You to work in my time and in ways that don’t require a lot of waiting and wondering. I realize that when You are silent is when You will soon show your greatest work. And when You are silent, I can show my greatest faith and trust in You.

Good Friday- The Saddest Day in History

06 Apr , 2012 No Comments

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46


We call it “Good Friday”. But like so many things in the Kingdom of God, it was good for us, but bad for Him. What we call “Good” was terrible for our Lord Jesus. As you go about your day today, consider these facts: Early on that Friday morning, after no sleep the night before, Jesus was taken to Pilate’s prison. He was beaten by professional torturers who knew their craft all too well. He was then presented to the crowd who chose the notorious prisoner over the very Son of God. Throughout the day Jesus was silent and, ironically, directing every move that took place. He was taken into the courtyard (called the Praetorium) and the entire company of soldiers surrounded Him. They stripped Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, a staff in His hand, and knelt down before Him in mockery. They spat on Him and punched Him many times, as hard as they could. Later that morning, exhausted and famished, He carried His own cross to Golgotha and was nailed to it at about noon. Darkness came over the earth from noon until 3:00 p.m. Not much later that afternoon, Jesus cried out “It is finished!” and He died. Around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. the women came to prepare His body for burial and they placed it in the tomb. The massive stone was rolled into place as the sun went down on the saddest day in history. And the angels were silent as all creation watched to see what would happen next.

As you go throughout the day today, be in a constant state of remembering what happened to our Lord Jesus. Think about each event as though it was all happening today. Consider the horrific emotional strain of knowing you are about to be killed, and greater still, the anticipation of the very wrath of God upon sin that would come upon you. And remember, He did all of this for one reason: you. Remember also that it’s Friday, the saddest day in history, but… Sunday’s coming…

Pray: Lord, today I will walk with You through Your sufferings. I will meditate on every phase of Your sacrifice for me. My heart breaks over my sin that put You on the cross.