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Evangelism – what it is NOT

I recently began a short, 3-part series on evangelism. Week 1 is what evangelism is not, week 2 is a look at biblical evangelism, and week 3 is a look at the biblical gospel.evangelism

These are the points in lesson one on evangelism – what it is NOT:

Evangelism is not inviting people to church nor is giving your testimony of how the Lord saved you.

Evangelism is not telling people about your church or pastor nor is it providing food and shelter to those in need.

Evangelism is not praying for people nor is it leading them to pray to receive Christ.

Evangelism is not telling people they are sinners nor is it pressing the “10 Commandments” on them.

Evangelism is not telling people Jesus loves them nor is it telling them God has a plan for their lives.

Evangelism is not befriending lost people in hopes they will see Jesus in you nor is it telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts.

Evangelism is not 4 spiritual laws nor is it presenting evidence that demands a verdict.

Most Baptist would have my head on a pole for this.
You can listen to that message here if you wish. There’s much more than just these points in the message.

9 thoughts on “Evangelism – what it is NOT”

  2. Manfred’s head on a pole! LOL I’ve seen your picture brother and it is on a pole! You look like you have 50 year old tape worms! (I could use some help with a um larger problem) If you and I ever had our pictures taken together we’d look like Laurel and Hardee, or Lincoln and Taft…

    Anyways nice post!

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  3. Mickey – you always crack me up.

    My son listened to this message and told I was getting a southern drawl. I think he’s lived in Seattle far too long.

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  5. I am also teaching through Romans each Sunday, recording those for a friend in South Africa who wants me to contribute to the blog from the seminary he teaches at.

    If my son were to send me coffee, it would have to be Seattle’s Best and NOT Starbucks. That region has lots of caffeine but most everyone is “asleep.”

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  6. Evangelist: one who announces good tidings.
    I simply contrast Christ’s instructions to his disciples when he sent them out to evangelize ( Mark 6: 7-13 ) with Manfred’s list of donts. …..take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money…
    I don’t know how knocking on a strangers door with your wooden staff would work today……but there was nothing seeker friendly about his instructions. they simply announced the good tidings. There was nothing seeker friendly about John the Baptist either.
    Also in Matt. 28: 19-20 he commands that his disciples should 1. make disciples, 2. baptize them, 3. teach them to observe all that I have commanded….
    However fishing is fishing be it with nets, worms, dry flies, trolling, deep sea, spears or fisting in muddy pools like southerners do. Most of all, real fishermen actually do fish.

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  7. I enjoyed listening to the message linked to this article. I have a question though where he mentions that we need not pray for certain situations [around the 40th minute into the message]. But then even Paul says in the Scripture that he prayed about situations, where God either permitted or did not allow them to travel to certain places. So prayer was very much a part and parcel of spreading the good news of the Gospel and God did direct the disciples in each scenario. I hope I was able to articulate what my question is, regarding the point he raises in the audio message.

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  8. Risa, While I agree we at be in prayer as regular course of life, that is mostly a means of keeping us focused on Christ rather than seeking a specific answer to a situation. The latter is what I was saying is not necessary for many things, because we can see in Scripture those things that are good in God’s sight. If we have opportunity to do good we need not seek His approval – we have it. There is a danger in trying to divine the will of God – we can fall into mystical methods that end up testing God rather than trusting Him.

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  9. Thank you for clarifying. I agree to how people can misconstrue and sadly even use prayer as an excuse for either personal validation or confirmation to their wicked desires. Honestly, I myself am guilty of the same when I was a young christian. But having said that, I also lean onto prayer for every single detail of my life. I find comfort that my heavenly Father is interested in every trivial or non-trivial parts of my existence. Mostly spamming him 🙂

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