From the Editor’s Desk—Dave Benson “Evangelism: What’s Our Message?” That’s the theme of this month’s SIGN. Having last month looked at the basics of evangelism, this month we’re trying to make sense of what exactly it is we’re trying to share. What is the gospel? And what’s our goal? If the “gospel” is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16), then evangelism must at least start with us knowing and sharing this powerful message faithfully, planting the right seeds. So, what is this message? What are natural points of contact in our culture to bridge from in sharing the gospel? How do you go about sharing the message? And what are some of the key sticking points to people accepting the gospel? Before we re-enter my addiction to alliteration—the eight “S’s”—two thank you’s are in order. First, thanks to those who took the time to share thoughts in response to last month’s SIGN, or crafted an article for this edition. The success of SIGN rests on getting beyond my limited experience to bring all our best thoughts and stories to the table. Your contributions are always welcome. And second, a huge thank you to Bec Edmonds who has stepped up as desktop editor for SIGN … from next edition on it’ll be looking schmick! Onto the gospel message …
SIGN INSIDE
☼
S H AP E
getting our story straight Page 2
_____ ______ ______ __ SOCIETY signs of transcendence on the silver screen Page 5
_____ ______ ______ __ S T R AT E G Y
sharing your story (testimony 101) Page 6
_____ ______ ______ __ STORY the difference jesus makes Page 7
_____ ______ ______ __ STUCK the sting in our story’s end Page 8
_____ ______ ______ __ S T UD Y
epic // finding god in the movies Page 10
_____ ______ ______ __ S E A R CH
epic reality // “four circles” evangelism Page 11
_____ ______ ______ __ SERVE
surveying brisvegas—how’s our image? Page 12
_____ ______ ______ __
SIGN, JULY 2009
~ sh ap e ~
{something pithy to shape our understanding of evangelism, mission, and the gospel}
“If you were to die tonight, do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in Heaven?” And if God were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into My Heaven?’ what would you say?” Sound familiar? These questions come from Pastor James Kennedy’s door to door outreach, Evangelism Explosion, launched in Florida back in the 1960s. It was simple, and effective. Thousands have been trained in this approach as a springboard to sharing the gospel, and hundreds of thousands responded. Some even got more creative: “If you find yourself standing at the Pearly Gates, and Peter asks, ‘Why should I let you in?’ what would you say?” Sounds like a pop-quiz! Chatting with an inquisitive university student last month, he was stunned to discover that this scenario was, shall we say, extra-Biblical! But more importantly, he was shattered to learn that his whole life he had wrongly pictured the substance of Christian hope as escape from this Earth to float on Heaven’s cloud-nine, dressed in a white gown, as part of an eternal worship-concert. It’s like our culture’s understanding of Christianity is entirely formed from Simpson’s re-runs … good people go to heaven to strum the harp in the sky, but don’t spit over the side of the divine escalator or you’ll slide down to Satan’s lair. Then again, I wonder if Christians are the main cause of confusion. Not to ‘diss
SIGN, JULY 2009
Evangelism Explosion, but evangelicals are guilty of so emphasizing getting someone across the line and “saved,” that we fail to draw them into the bigger salvation story.1 I like what Einstein said: “Simplify as far as possible, but no further.” Simple is good. Simplistic, however, is dangerous. Take another approach, one which I still use from time to time: The Four Spiritual Laws. Now this approach is worth memorizing.2 Law One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. Psalm 139:13-14; John 3:16; John 10:10
Law Two: All of us are sinful and separated from God. Therefore we cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for our life. Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23
Law Three: Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life. John 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6
Law Four: We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our life. John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 3:20; 1 John 5:12-13
1
Evangelism Explosion’s two questions are most effective with lapsed Christians. To the average Australian—overwhelmed with options without any guidelines to judge between them—it sounds ignorant and arrogant that you presume to “know for sure” anything at all, let alone your eternal destiny. Similarly, in our multicultural society, the Buddhist, Hindu, or New Ager may wonder which God—if any—you are talking about. How could an impersonal force ask why we should be “let in” to “Heaven”? And why suppose you live once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27), rather than reincarnating for a second shot at escaping the karmic wheel of birth, death, and rebirth? As such, patient dialogue at the level of “the big story” we understand ourselves to be in—rather than pointed questions assuming what we need to prove—may be more effective. 2
See http://powertochange.com/landing/fourlaws/ for an example.
Now, all this is true, and important to know and share. But for many people I talk with, this sounds a bit religious and distant from their everyday life. They’re probably wondering what difference this makes for today. And as good as it is to have God’s plan for my life, what about this hurting world around me—does it help there? Often the message we share makes for quick converts rather than devoted disciples. While the “gospel” is relevant to every age, I suspect that we’ve perhaps gone beyond simple to simplistic, overlooking central gospel themes in Jesus’ own teaching: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14-15). We need “good news” for an age marked by environmental destruction, economic freefall, fundamentalist terrorism, and fractured families. We’ve got a good story to tell that calls for a response. And while people may question the truth of our message, if we tell it right, they shouldn’t question the relevance. Quoting N. T. Wright, “The Gospel is that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Lord [master, or boss] of the world. And that His death and resurrection transform the world, and that transformation can happen to you. You, in turn, can be part of the transforming work.” Last edition of SIGN, I recommended James Choung’s book, True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In. For a simple but not simplistic telling of the gospel, Choung offers a good starting point.3
In his words, “Most people ache for a better world. . . . The world and all that’s in it was designed for good. . . . We—and the world—are damaged by evil. . . . Jesus came to restore the world and everything in it for better. . . . With these resources [a community moving in the power of God’s Spirit], Jesus is asking us to be sent together to heal the planet. . . . We need to become the kind of good we want to see in the world.” I think he’s missing the end of the story, so here’s the tweaked version I use when sharing the bigger story of which we’re all a part …
Designed for good
We were made to love God, love each other, and tend this garden planet . . .
(Genesis 1-2; Job 7:17-18; Psalm 8:3-9; 19; 144:3-4; Matthew 22:37-40; John 1; Ephesians 2:8-10)
Damaged by evil
Instead, we’ve despised God, abused others, and vandalized our world. “Sin” pollutes, perverts and destroys life (Genesis 3; Isaiah 59; John 8:34; Romans 1:18-32; 3:23; 6:23)
3
Check out the “search” section of this edition of SIGN for Choung’s “four circles” approach.
SIGN, JULY 2009
Restored for better
We’re forgiven, freed, healed, and transformed by Jesus’ sacrifice4 (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; John 3:16f.; 10:10; Acts 4:12; Romans 5; Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15)
Sent together to heal
Jesus has empowered us with God’s Spirit to live the resurrection hope (Luke 4:18-19; 12:3137, Matthew 20:25-28, 28:18-20, John 13:34-35; 15:5-27; 20:19-22, Acts 1:8)
Set everything right
We await the day Jesus returns to deal with all evil, rule fairly, and set everything right—a transformed world, God with us, and real peace (Psalm 96; 98; Isa. 2:2-4; 65:17-25; Mt. 13:24-51; 25; Acts 17:31f.; Romans 8:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:2158; Philippians 2:1-11; Revelation 11:18; 21:1-8)
Now, I don’t expect you to memorize everything here … but it’s worth looking over the passages so that this story becomes so familiar that you find your own story within its scope. At the least, memorize those headings …
4
For most people today, it’s not immediately obvious how Jesus’ death “restores us for better.” Like if I told you that “Bill loves you so much that he died for you to set you free,” you’d be wondering who this random Bill guy is, why he thinks I’m not free, and how his dying can in any way change that situation. In a future edition of SIGN I’ll share a couple of analogies to help make Jesus’ sacrifice make sense to everyday Aussies. Just know that this step may take some more unpacking for people to get and accept. In theological terms, I believe that Christ’s death was both the necessary sacrifice on our behalf to cover us from the righteous wrath of a just God (penal substitution), and the ransom to redeem us from the powers that hold us captive by the foothold of our sin, thereby conquering Satan (Christus Victor). That is, Jesus’ death made it possible for a just and loving God to forgive our sin and at the same time win our freedom from Satan. This forgiveness and freedom is available right now, but it will be fully known and experienced on the day God judges all evil and sets things right on a personal, corporate, and cosmic level with the resurrection of all things—of which Jesus’ resurrection was the firstfruit and a foretaste. (Sorry to get technical, here, but there’s lots of confusion and debate in our Bible colleges presently concerning how to understand Christ’s “atonement” for our sins.)
SIGN, JULY 2009
The big story is that God designed us all for good, but through our bad choices we’ve been damaged by evil. But, through Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection, we’ve been restored for better. If you’re humble enough to admit to God that you fall short, and ask Him to forgive you for the wrong you’ve done, putting God first, then you can connect with life to the full—what God always intended for you. Then you can join other Christ-followers, empowered by God’s Spirit, sent together to heal a hurting world, waiting for the day when God will set everything right by judging all the evil and restoring the whole universe. It’s worth putting this story into your own words, so it flows naturally. I’ve gone on for long enough here—whatever happened to half a page?!?—but I’ve attached a “gospel message” I designed for KBC. It’s written for those coming to church for the first time, but wondering what on earth Christianity is all about. Have a read. Find your own words to put it naturally. And most of all, get out there and share this message with anyone and everyone willing to listen.
~ so c ie t y ~ {watching culture for connection points that bridge to the gospel}
So we have an epic “story” to share … a meta-narrative that embraces every other story.
like Gandalf that the hobbits can embrace their destiny. Then, at just the right moment, which feels like the last possible moment, a hero comes—Aragorn returns as King—and sets things right. Life is found again.
Now in a coming edition of SIGN I’ll explore some pushback to Christianity claiming to possess such a big and true story. Our world is increasingly postmodern, marked by “incredulity toward all metanarratives.” That is, people are pretty skeptical of any one claiming to have the story, or the truth. But even as our society is perhaps jaded on this front, it hasn’t changed our addiction to big stories! The tougher the economic times, the more people shell out money to get their movie fix. The cynic would say it’s pure escapism—imagining a different world to avoid facing the damaged world in which we live. When once Marx could say that religion was the opiate of the masses, now it’s entertainment that amuses us to death. Even so, I think there’s something deeper at work … an awesome bridge to the gospel. With “six billion stories and counting”—as SBS reminds us of the human tapestry—it’s bizarre that we all have a taste for the same ingredients in any story. I could choose any of a thousand movies, and you’d see this pattern over and over again. Take J. R. Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings, for instance. Frodo and the Hobbits live a pretty good existence at the Shire. But then something awful happens and those with eyes to see are drawn into an arduous journey to fight a great battle—in this case with Lord Sauron and all the forces of darkness. This life is no pleasure cruise, and it’s only by the selfless sacrifice of heroes
SIGN, JULY 2009
But why this story? Why this pattern? It’s like this formula works because it follows the contours of our souls. It’s like all of our stories are an echo of this bigger story. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “God has planted eternity in the human heart” (3:11). I think that’s exactly what it is. Like Tolkien himself said about the Good News of Jesus in the Bible, “The Gospels contain . . . a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of [other] stories. But this story has entered history and the primary world. . . . This story is supreme; and it is true.” The story pattern contained in the gospel is imprinted on every other story. It’s the beat of our heart. It’s the pattern for our existence. It’s the essence of our hope. This is the master story, the true tune with which all other songs resonate—for all with ears to hear and eyes to see. Designed for good. Damaged by evil. Restored for better. Sent together to heal the world. Waiting for the day everything’s set right
You’ve responded to this story. So ask God to open your eyes, and start noticing all the “redemptive analogies” on the Big Screen. I guess this leads to a strategy, too. A nonChristian friend may feel threatened if you launch straight into the big story of the gospel. But, can you imagine inviting some friends over, watching a movie like Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino,5 and afterward mulling over the plot-line? That’s not so difficult, right? Keep engaging culture guys, and who knows—you might find more than a few “signs of transcendence” through which you can point people to Jesus.
maybe it’s some kind of question about whether God even exists, or what He’s like, or why it matters. What ever it is, look for bridges from where they’re at to the big story. The best way to make this transition is to connect their story to your story … your testimony. Hopefully you’ve done this kind of thing before, but a testimony is simply sharing What your life was like before you accepted Christ How you came to ask Jesus into your life How your life has changed.
~ st r at e g y ~
{offering a practical idea to reach those outside the church}
Okay, so chances are you won’t get the golden opportunity to share the whole gospel story in one hit. Even then, you’ll probably only get a couple of minutes of sustained attention to share anything at all. So what to say? Probably the best place to start is to ask good questions to get to know the person you’re talking to, and listen for points that connect their story to this big story … maybe it’s through a worry they have, or a need, or a desire for life to be different or better. Or
Can you see the big-story playing out again, in your own life? You were designed for good, but turned away, and in the process you were damaged by evil. The story doesn’t finish there, though. The turning point was when, through confessing your sins and centring your life on the Saviour who died for your wrongdoing and rose again in victory, you have been restored for better. Now, in the power of His Spirit, and as part of a community of Jesus’ followers, you’ve increasingly found what God created you for, going together with others to heal a hurting world. The final chapter of your story is the hopeful anticipation that just as Jesus rose from the dead, one day God will resurrect the whole cosmos and you with it, dealing with all evil and setting everything straight—a world of peace and prosperity where God, humanity, and nature sing in harmony. Last edition of SIGN, I suggested that your “testimony” should centre around this question: “What makes Jesus good news for you?”
5
This is a great movie with an awesome story line. But, know that the language is pretty heavy. Racism is a major theme, but like all good gospel-type stories, it resolves in the end with a surprising twist.
SIGN, JULY 2009
Be real. Be natural. Be brief. As you practice this, you can find different angles from which to share your life to better connect with another … e.g., the love angle, the truth angle, a hard-time-I-went-through angle, and so on. The beauty of a testimony is that, because it’s your story, the other person can’t really argue with it. Worst case scenario, they may think it’s irrelevant to them, or say, “Well, I’m happy for you . . . it’s just not for me.” But if you’ve done a good job listening, then it should be relevant for them too. In essence, you’re saying, “This story of how God transformed me … He can do this for you too, if you let Him.” You’re offering them something good, something helpful, something true. Don’t be shy. So can I encourage you to put some time aside and write out your testimony. Grab a Christian friend, and practice sharing one angle on your testimony in two minutes or less. Maybe you could even tell a nonChristian friend that you’re doing this “task” as part of a church activity . . . then ask if he or she would be able to listen to your story and give some feedback. In light of God’s love, sharing with others is a privilege. This is our identity: “But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done” (1 Peter 2:9). As it says in Psalm 107, “Oh, thank GOD—He's so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by GOD, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression” (vv. 11-12).
~ st o r y ~
{recalling a time you got to point someone to Jesus, or how you came to follow Christ}
This month, Dan Paterson shares his journey from being “Jesus’ acquaintance” to becoming His devoted disciple. Read on …
SIGN, JULY 2009
I was speaking with a girl last weekend about what she believed when she shared with me a curious statement: “There are many different levels of relationship with Jesus . . . I’m more of an acquaintance.” I had always thought in terms of only two levels—those who are in (the sheep) and those who are out (the goats)! In the big picture of things the Bible is pretty clear on that one. But the more I thought about what she said, the more it seemed to mimic the journey of my own life. Often a relationship with someone starts simply with being introduced to them (acquaintance), which—if you find them intriguing—builds the desire to know more about them. Coming from a background of serious doubts whether the Jesus I heard about in Sunday school could really be trusted, for most of my life Jesus was just an acquaintance—someone I had been introduced to—until something changed.
At age 17 I had the ability to do anything. I was independent, young and free! Yet I was miserable. I had a conscience I couldn’t shake and a general dissatisfaction with life that there had to be something that made it all worthwhile. Then it happened: I met a Christian. I had grown up with Christians my whole life, but as a teenage lad my fixation with freedom, fulfilment, and entertainment had inoculated me to the Bible’s claim that I needed God. But then, a little older and sufficiently disillusioned at the “best” this world had to offer, this Christian mate of mine reintroduced me to a Jesus that caught my attention. But why?
Because he filled me with intrigue! Reentering the Church scene again, I noticed the affect Jesus had on people. I was left with the hunger to know more, even with my doubts still there. What happened over the next few months was nothing short of a miracle: the miracle of conversion. I came to see that Jesus made sense of this life— that all is not as it should be—and the means to restore it. I became a Christian, one who followed Jesus. Even then, I was still only a newly acquainted friend, not a devoted disciple. I have spent the last four years and an entire degree being intrigued and amazed by Jesus! More and more I find myself understanding the bigger picture and adventure that we are caught up into as Christians. And in sharing it with others, I have found that the most effective witness is not my knowledge of the Bible or of evangelism techniques. Instead, it is a life intrigued, amazed, and captivated by Jesus of Nazareth, about whom I share. So back to the girl I was sharing with at the beginning. Her upbringing had inoculated her to Jesus, as her experience of Christianity was little more than a traditional services full of ritual and rite. As we sat around the fire and waded through a bunch of her misgivings with Christianity, all my answers turned to the winsomeness of Jesus and the intrigue of this unique figure who has utterly gripped my imagination and hope. What I discovered again in her was my own story—that this intrigue is infectious. (You should have seen her eyes light up!) My hope for this life is that, as Paul put it, that I might become more and more smelly! But before you berate me for not bathing, it is the sweet aroma of Christ that I long to smell like (2 Corinthians 2:1417). Keep being amazed and intrigued by the person of Jesus!
SIGN, JULY 2009
~ st u c k ~
{some apologetic helps for responding to tough questions people are asking}
As you get out and share the gospel story, you’ll find an infinite variety of sticking points holding people back from taking it seriously. In light of naturalistic science, someone may reject that it all started with God “designing us for good.” Another may write off “sin” as false guilt, a projection of one’s inadequacies onto an imaginary father figure in the sky. The sceptic may deny that a person named Jesus really lived, died, and rose again, as the Bible contends. And if so, in what sense are we “restored for better”? Or perhaps she finds it implausible that Christianity—with its history of religious wars and intolerance—could ever be a force of healing for a hurting world . . . especially when Christians refuse to ordain women and embrace homosexuals. Now I’m not raising these objections to shipwreck your “faith.” I’m comfortable raising these issues—as complex as they are—knowing that there are reasonable answers … that at least in my search, I’ve not found a more believable and livable system than Christianity, nor a more trustworthy person than Christ.
But, I bring these issues up as what we believe intersects with the real world. As such, the credibility of my beliefs relates to the substance of my answers to such questions. As Paul said, “If Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). So, “faith” is no excuse for a lazy mind. In telling the gospel story, we’re not asking people to make a “leap into the dark” just to see if Christianity “works.” Rather, we’re trying to help them understand what we believe to be a true story—that it “works” because it lines up with the way the world really is. In the process, we try and help them follow the evidence where we think it leads, taking a step of faith into light and liberation. In following editions of SIGN we’ll tackle some of these objections head on. (And Timothy Keller’s book which I recommended last edition, The Reason for God, is a great help on all this.) But I want to highlight that perhaps the stickiest questions are reserved for how the story ends. For starters, this may sound to some like a utopian dream … pie in the sky when you die. Though telling the story the way I did earlier, this criticism isn’t cutting, as clearly our hope is not to escape the planet. Rather, this future resurrection hope animates our present action to fearlessly confront the powers and heal a hurting world. But, what of the judgment? If “setting everything right” means sending most people to Hell, in what sense do Christians believe in a God of “love”? Maybe the question is a smokescreen: “So, you believe we’re all going to Hell, right? That’s a great God you worship!” But even if it is, it is a genuine sticking point to many people giving Jesus a fair hearing. And maybe some of those listening in on the conversation really do want an answer.
SIGN, JULY 2009
Dave White shared with me how he was recently put on the spot with this question, while hanging out with a big group of his med. student friends at UQ. Now Dave’s a pretty smart guy, but he asked God for help—always a good thing to do!—and felt like God equipped him with the following response: 'Well I think 3 things. First, I think that it's not my place to judge whether or not someone is or isn't going to hell . . . I know that I am just as bad as everyone else, and no one goes to heaven by being morally superior to anyone else. Second, I think that if there is a God like the Christian one—which I can't prove beyond any doubt, but IF hypothetically He exists—then He is a just God. I'm sure whatever decision He makes will be the right one.6 Finally, I think that no one has to go to Hell, because God has given us the choice to seek Him and accept His forgiveness. We are all imperfect and we have all sinned against God and therefore deserve to be separated from his perfection. We all need someone to pay the penalty for us. So if anyone truly desires not to go to Hell, they can be forgiven through God's love for them in Christ." 6
Dave shared this story with his small group. At this point he explained that a non-Christian may object, “We can't be sure that God is 'just' if He exists,” to which Dave replied that it’s at least reasonable to believe He is “just” (if he exists) because any one deity that exists is the absolute standard of justice. To what higher standard can we appeal for our understanding of right and wrong than the Creator of all that is? Our own sense of earthly justice, and the need for wrong to be brought to account, suggests that “justice” may be part of God’s image in us.
~ st u dy ~
That’s a pretty helpful answer. It includes a mini gospel presentation at the end, and flows well: “I don't know if you’re going to Hell—it’s not my place to judge. Either way, God is just. But know that we all have the choice to be saved thanks to Christ's love.”
{suggested reading to be equipped}
Again, the purpose of apologetics is not win an argument, but rather to open up a dialogue. We do so by removing or neutralizing an obstacle so our conversation partner can understand the story and respond to God’s drawing, if that’s what they want to do. Thanks Dave for helping us toward that end.
John Eldredge, Epic: The Story God Is Telling and the Role That Is Yours to Play (Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2007).
Want more? Download the notes for the Logos talk, “Whatever Happened to Hell?” via http://www.mediafire.com/?2izn4zz1iqe. (The note outline is available from http://www.mediafire.com/?2jmhl35lyrm, while the mp3 of the talk is available from http://www.mediafire.com/?dodzzwizyxw.)
Keeping on with the “true story” theme, Eldredge weaves a compelling tale of the gospel epic around four acts: Eternal Love (a personal God creating a personal universe); The Entrance of Evil (Satan the villain); The Battle for the Heart (God's calling humans to love him), and The Kingdom Is Restored (God, through Christ, makes all things new). He invites us to revisit the drama of life, viewing God not only as the author but also as the lead actor, exploring His motives and His heart. Eldredge examines the power of story, the universal longing for a "plot" that makes sense deep inside us, our desire for a meaningful role to play, our love of books and movies, and how all of this points us to the gospel itself. If you were inspired by Eldredge’s, Waking the Dead, or want a short and punchy narrative approach to explain Christianity to a friend, then this a good read.7 It’s short and sharp, and designed to give away to those outside the church. 7
On a slightly different note, Walter Wangerin Jr.’s The Book of God is a very readable retelling of the Bible’s most dramatic stories. While it is no substitute for the Bible itself—it’s a selective paraphrase at best—it might be a good inroad for friends who struggle to understand the Bible, but easily consume classic Bryce Courtenay style novels.
SIGN, JULY 2009
~ se ar c h ~
{evangelism related web-links to explore}
<http://www.epicreality.com> This web-site accompanies John Eldredge’s Epic book. It’s simple but engaging, and also has some fantastic suggestions about how to share the gospel story with others. (His ideas for a gospel talk are excellent too.) Explore away!
Catherine M. Barsotti, and Robert K. Johnston, Finding God in the Movies (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2004). Okay, I’m aware that movies date fast (though 2004 isn’t that long ago if you’re getting out a good video to watch with friends!). But the introductory chapter alone is worth the price of the book. Barsotti and Johnston go beyond cherry picking scenes from movies to make tenuous Christian links. Instead, they give us a theological frame for understanding stories, criteria for what makes a powerful movie, and useful tools for unpacking the heart of any story. They then work through 33 movies—many of them relatively timeless—to draw out gospel links and conversation starters. For any movie buffs out there, this may be a stepping stone to taking something you love and using it as an unpretentious signpost pointing people to Jesus.
SIGN, JULY 2009
<www.jameschoung.net/2007/09/17/thebig-story ... also www.jameschoung.net/2008/01/31/thebig-story-part-2> Spend six minutes with James Choung putting pen to napkin and you’ll get a good feel for how he goes about diagramming and relating the big story. These two very basic you-tube videos will help you learn his “four circles” approach and share it with others. Practice makes perfect, though, so see if you can imitate his approach as crosstraining for your own attempts to point people to Jesus. Again, I think he cuts the end of the story short—our hope, after all, isn’t in us bringing the Kingdom, but God Himself setting everything right (Hebrews 11:10)—so feel free to adapt what you do so it is faithful, clear, and natural for you personally.
~ se r v e ~
{opportunities to grow in your witness through participation and/or training}
Last edition of SIGN I highlighted the amazing “open doors” God has given KBC with International Students. It’s great to hear that a number of you connected in with Taste of Australia bush dance, and have rocked up to KBC’s lower hall on Sundays 3:30-4:30pm to join Speaking English with Aussies. So, here’s a second plug: get involved! One other quick plug. On August 23rd the LOGOS team is presenting a talk in each of the three KBC services (8am, 10am, and 5pm.)8 It’s called, “Caught Out: Quick Answers to Tough Questions.” In preparation, we’re trying to discover for those outside the church their biggest sticking point to believing in, and following, Jesus. To help with this, we’ve designed an incredibly easy to use survey that you can try with friends and strangers alike.
8
LOGOS is KBC’s apologetics arm, seeking to defend and commend the truth and relevance of Christ in all of life’s dimensions. If evangelism is about sowing the seed and reaping a harvest, LOGOS is about equipping you to remove the stones and till the soil of your friend’s soul, so that—God willing— the gospel seed may take root and grow. It’s about removing or neutralizing any obstacles and blockages to a fresh hearing of the good news.
SIGN, JULY 2009
(The survey is at the end of SIGN, so you can print off your own copies.) A group of us tried it out last weekend at the Roma Street Parklands, and we found it effective, authentic, and not in any way manipulative of those you interview. Be bold, and give it a go. And if you get a chance, send me either the surveys you collect, or type up how people responded. We’ll collate the data to find the top 5 sticking points, which we’ll then address on the 23rd with a 3 minute example of what you might say when someone asks, so you don’t get caught out. It should be easy to use with those you already know, but here’s roughly what I would say when approaching a stranger:
Hey my name’s Dave, and I’m from one of the local churches in Brisbane, and we’ve just worked out that Christianity has an image problem in Australia (call us slow if you want!). So a number of us are getting out and trying to get a feel on the ground level as to what people think. Would you have a few minutes to answer just four questions? If they seem apprehensive, I explain that I’m not going to preach at them, or hand them materials—I’m purely trying to understand what they think so we can do a better job of connecting with today’s culture. And I try to stick to this as well, using insightful questions from time to time to open up the dialogue. Genuinely aim to finish each interview in a few minutes, sensitive to when they’ve had enough. Interestingly, I found most people were happy to sit around and scan the universe for up to half an hour.
At the end of the survey, I tend to ask if they have any questions they want to ask me— whether about the survey, or about stuff they don’t understand in what Christians believe. I finish with something like this: Hey thanks so much for your time. I’m going to be hanging around asking others the same questions, so if you wanted to talk more, feel free to come over and have a chat. So here’s a challenge for the next month. Try and do the survey with ten people—five friends, and five strangers. Just getting out of your comfort zone is a good exercise. And who knows, perhaps you’ll find that some people were waiting for an opportunity to engage. Final Thoughts … Well, thanks for taking the time to read this far. I pray, and believe, that it is time well invested. But don’t let it stay as more content. Our whole society is awash in great ideas never enacted.
I believe Australia is waiting for the Church to go beyond words and demonstrate the difference life in Jesus makes. And for that, we need to be Spirit-empowered. So the next edition of SIGN is themed around the Spirit … sharing the gospel in and by the power of God. Check out these verses to get the drift . . . Romans 1:16; 15:19 1 Corinthians 1:17 Ephesians 3:7 1 Thessalonians 1:5 2 Timothy 1:8 Send in your thoughts and stories of what a Spirit-empowered witness means to you. How does it look in your context? What difference does it make? What strategies rely on the Spirit to demonstrate the power of God? Is there a place for “power encounters” today, in a world where “spirituality” is on the rise? Have a think about it, then send me something before the middle of August ☺
Be bold. Experiment. Reflect. And Refine. There’s a needy world out there desperate for some good news worth believing in. (And don’t forget to send me some stories from your adventures!)
Until next edition,
May you point many people to Jesus, empowered by the Spirit of love. Make the most of every opportunity, giving glory to our Father above. By the time you receive the August edition of SIGN, KBC will be hosting SPIRIT-FIRE. Do yourself and this world a favour by checking out www.kbc.org.au and registering for the conference.
SIGN, JULY 2009
Your fellow labourer in the Kingdom, Dave Benson
KENMORE BAPTIST CHURCH ABN 30 331 391 636
57a Kenmore Road, KENMORE PO Box 29 KENMORE QLD 4069 Ph: +61 7 3378 3595 Fax: +61 7 3378 4887 Email: church@kbc.org.au
Street Survey: Attitudes to Christianity KBC Logos Ministry 1. Have you ever considered or been involved with Christianity?
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Yes ○ No Details: ________________________________________ ** If not a Christian go to question 2a; if Christian go to 2b **
2a. For you personally, what would be the biggest sticking point to believing in Christianity? (Clarify - What in particular? / Why do you think it is untrue?) ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 2b. In your discussions with friends who aren’t Christians, what is their biggest sticking point to believing in, or following, Christianity? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What most interests or draws you toward Jesus, or Christianity as a whole? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Imagine you were hired as the PR (public relations) person for Christianity. What’s the first thing you would change? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
SIGN, JULY 2009