As we prepare for Connect 2012, Ivan summarises Chapter 1 from
‘Breaking the News—Sharing Faith without Fear’ by J John
The author begins the book by arguing that for many Christians today, evangelism is almost a “dirty word” but he goes on to show that it is an essential part of the Gospel, not an optional extra, being mentioned 52 times in the NT. It should be a natural part of our Christian lives. He defines evangelism as simply the “practice of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ” or as handing out “ invitations to a free party that is ‘out of this world’”. He goes on to discuss the interaction between “works” and “words” in relation to sharing the good news. He argues that the bible makes it clear that “evangelistic conversations without godly actions is hypocrisy”, and looks in detail about what the bible says about evangelism. 1 The command of Christ. He reminds his readers that from Matt 28:19-20 we are told to: make disciples; mark disciples (by baptism); help disciples mature (by helping them grow in wisdom and faith). 2 The role of the church. Readers are reminded that the local church has no option but be actively involved in evangelism. Otherwise they are guilty of the sin of omission. He goes on to say that the local church should be: Looking up- worship. Local church must be involved in true worship which is “inwardly transforming and outwardly focused”; Looking in - well being. Local church should provide the place where the biblical concept of shalom is evident through relationships that are accepting, affirming, accountable and transforming; Looking out- witness. Witness should be seen as our first hand testimony through words and works to what God has done for us. The healthy church should have an equal balance between worship, well being and witness. 3 The compassion of Christ. At the heart of true evangelism is a genuine compassion for people which the bible sees as a very strong word, “full of deep, gut-level feeling and emotion”. This is the type of compassion that Jesus displayed when he saw the needs of the crowd in Matt 9:36-38. 4 The conviction of Christ. Christ was committed to the growth of his church both numerically as well as in the depth of the transformation of his followers so that they could be make a difference in their communities. 5 The consummation of Christ’s Kingdom. The Bible makes clear that one of the conditions that have to be realised before Christ’s second coming is that everybody in the world must have heard the gospel (Matt 24:14). We all have a responsibility to make this a reality. Is Jesus Our Most Precious Treasure? J John reminds us that it’s tough to share the Good News if we have lost our first love for Christ. Consequently we should be looking for a fresh outpouring of love and gratitude for all he has done for us. The Bigger Picture - In order to communicate effectively the Gospel we should be able to paint the bigger picture of God’s dealings with humanity. He argues that Eph1:3-2:13 provides a helpful summary of the seven main sections of that history ie: creation; chaos; covenant; Christ the mediator; Christ the conqueror; certainty; completion. What are our Fears? We all have fears and it is important that we recognise them. According to J John there are four common fears that prevent people from sharing the Good News. A Fear of being inadequate - We don’t have to wait until we know everything about the Christian faith. We should be prepared to share our story, what we do know. continued...
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