Regional Evangelism Update from the Pastors Conference

During the Leaders Conference, Mark Prater called us to live like those who are willing to risk their lives for the sake of the gospel. One of the areas where we most need this challenge is in evangelism. Evangelism is not easy. It requires risk because our culture seems to be growing more and more hostile to the gospel each day. 

And it requires help. That’s why I was so grateful to meet with some of our pastors at the conference who have wisdom and experience in this area. I met with pastors in each of the various regions across the US who have a heart for reaching the lost. It was a very inspiring time of hearing miraculous stories of conversions and celebrating the grace of God that has saved us from our dire circumstances.

We also had an opportunity to strategize about how we can help Sovereign Grace grow in the area of evangelism. This is not an easy task, but I am excited about how God wants to use these men to help us grow in this challenging area, and I look forward to getting together again as we seek to help our churches obey the Lord in the glorious privilege of sharing the greatest news in the world. 

Jim Donohue is the Pastor of Evangelism at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glenn Mills, PA.

Jesus Saves

It’s odd the things that stick in your mind from childhood. One such thing for me is seeing big billboards as a kid – JESUS SAVES. Growing up as a little Catholic kid, I wondered why in the world anyone would put up such a billboard. It was only when I was 28 years old, and Jesus actually saved me that I began to comprehend the full weight of that simple message.

There are a lot of places to go to unpack this profound truth, but I know of no better than Matthew 1:21-23, so you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins…and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).

God with us to save us from our sins!! The most stupendous message ever heard. 

First, Jesus is God with us. One man called the incarnation the central miracle of Christianity. The incarnation is the first act of the gospel, and the rest of the gospel cascades down from that first act. In 1 John 4:2, John tells us that the fundamental test of any true or false teacher/spirit is that “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Jesus coming in the flesh shows His preexistence. 

He came from someplace, His eternal place as the second person of the Trinity. His coming shows His purpose and ability to save. He didn’t come just to show up and hang out, but to “seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) And as God come in the flesh, He is able to save because it was as both fully God (for only God can pay the atoning price for sin) and fully man (for only man ought to pay it) that He came. Finally, Paul tells us that His resurrection was the Father’s declaration that He was indeed “the Son of God.” (Romans 1:4)

The gospel is the story of what He did to save. His incarnation and sinless life qualified Him to be the perfect, sinless, substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 captures this – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” What one man called “the amazing exchange.” 

He rose from the dead to validate the efficacy of that sacrifice and to be the source of new life for those who believe. And now He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, building His church and awaiting the day when He will return to consummate His saving work.

Jesus remains the Savior, but he is not physically present with us. How then does He save? The simple yet profound answer is that He continues to save as His people share this gospel good news that Jesus saves to lost sinners. And to that end, He has equipped His people in three ways.

1. He has given us the Holy Spirit. 

The Spirit works directly by bringing spiritually dead sinners to life by His regenerating power. Apart from this work, our witness would be fruitless. 

But He also works in believers as they share. Jesus put it this way – “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) David Wells (God the Evangelist) perfectly captured this twin work of the Spirit this way - “The message proclaimed has the power to do its work not because of the evangelist’s personality or skills of persuasion (which is often what we look to) but because of the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, who alone is able to turn rebel­lious sinners into obedient followers of Christ.”

2. His word the gospel. 

Paul was “not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation.” (Romans 1:16) There is power in this simple message. There may be many methods of presenting the gospel, but there is only one message. Ultimately all we do has to result in the gospel being told because the gospel is the power of God for salvation. J.I. Packer put it this way - “In the last analysis, there is only one method of evangelism: namely, the faithful explanation and application of the gospel message. From which it follows…that the test for any proposed strategy, or technique, or style, of evangelistic action must be this: will it in fact serve the word? Is it calculated to be a means of explaining the gospel truly and fully and applying it deeply and exactly?”

3. His body the church. 

We are the means through which God chooses to deliver the message that the Spirit will make effectual. Jesus saves, and He continues to save, but now he is working through his body, his representatives, the church. We serve a savior. We represent Him in his saving work. This is the great mission of the church. In Romans 10, Paul shows us the importance of this final aspect of Jesus’ ongoing saving work – “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 t preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.’”

CHARLES SPURGEON – “He is what he is called. He saves us from the punishment and the guilt of sin, and then from the ill effect and evil power of sin…It is his nature to do this, as we see in the fact that his very name is Jesus – Savior. We still call him by that name, for he still saves us in these latter days. Let us go and tell out his name among men; for he will save others.”

The Top 10 Myths That Keep Us from Sharing the Gospel

I love Top 10 lists, especially the ones on Sports Center, which rank the greatest successes (and sometimes failures) in sports.  There’s even a website dedicated to the Top 10 of everything.  There’s something that pulls us in when it comes to rankings and lists like this.

Like sports, evangelism requires action and dedication, so let’s consider the Top 10 myths that keep us from sharing the gospel--something infinitely more important than a list of best college basketball teams. Here’s my shot at it. I’d love to hear your additions to the list.

1.     It’s too scary.

It can be. But the sinful nature likes to make it seem much worse than it is. The truth is that there is nothing in this life that will bring you as much joy as seeing someone come to know the forgiveness of their sins through Christ. There is some fear, but there is also joy on the other side.  So what do we do with the fear? Do what the disciples did. Pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit and for boldness to overcome your fear and share the great news.

2.     I’m going to be persecuted.

People are much more open to hearing the gospel than we are in sharing it. Yes, there are people who are hostile and defensive. But many are willing to interact, especially when we show love and care and ask good questions before sharing what we believe. Even if we do get some persecution, Jesus tells us that we are blessed when that happens. 

3.     We must “earn the right to be heard.”

” While there is merit in the idea of gaining a hearing, the notion of “earning the right to be heard” can tempt us to keep the gospel to ourselves. People all around us are making bold assertions about what is right and true. But we have the truth that God has called us to share with a world that desperately needs it.  We need to do that sensitively and persuasively.

4.     My neighbors, co-workers, and friends already know what I believe.

This might be wishful thinking. They may have noticed that you’re a kind church-goer, but do they understand how Jesus has changed your life and can change theirs? It’s better to ask than assume. You might discover that people all around you have all sorts of false notions about God and what it means to be a Christian.

5.     My neighbors, co-workers, and friends already know what they believe.

We often assume others have thought about their spiritual beliefs to the extent we have. But many people haven’t considered spiritual issues deeply, even though they might have a few rehearsed objections in their back pockets.  We need to lovingly discern these “smoke screens” and talk about the core issues that keep a person away from God.

6.     People aren’t interested.

People are much more interested than we realize, especially with the pandemic and the difficult year it was for so many.  People are lonely, confused, depressed, and very open to friendship.  Our initiative and care can go a long way in building bridges for the gospel.

7.     We can witness without words.

By definition, a witness is “one who testifies.” What if all the witnesses in a court were not allowed to speak? As Christians, our actions need to be consistent with our words, but they are not a substitute for them. Our lives testify to the transforming effect of the gospel, but it is the power of the gospel that saves.

8.     I must have all the answers.

I’ll let Paul comment here: “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). If Paul didn’t let weakness stop him, neither should we!

9.     I must have a close long-term relationship with someone before I can share the gospel with them.

While a close friendship helps, the gospel’s inherent power is not bound by our personal connections. God may bring people across our path, for even a brief time, by his sovereign design, in order that we would share the message of Christ with them. Remember the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-4)?  It was the Holy Spirit who prompted Philip to share with him.  And the Holy Spirit wants to prompt us to do the same.  Let’s pray and ask God to guide us in this way.

10.  Sharing the gospel is inherently confrontational.

Most people are uncomfortable with confrontation. Sharing your faith should be a conversation, not a confrontation. Although there is a very real battle taking place in the spiritual realm, on a personal level, people need to know that we genuinely care about them. We need to refine the art of asking good questions and listening. If someone is clearly uncomfortable discussing God, then we should back off.  But remember what Spurgeon said: “They may prevent your speaking, but they cannot prevent your praying.”

Persecution?

At a recent leadership team retreat, we talked about the possibility that some SG churches might face persecution in the not-too-distant future.  I shared some thoughts in that context that Mark asked me to share in an article for this website.  So here you go.

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When Christians think about persecution, we tend to think of being beaten, jailed, or even killed for our faith.  And rightly so.  That is where the NT emphasis falls.  And it is in these ways that the church historically has most often experienced persecution.  And still today, there are places throughout the world where Christians face these consequences for practicing their faith.  Groups like Voice of the Martyrs do an outstanding job of reporting on and giving prayer focus to this type of persecution.  To read the stories of persecution and believers’ response is both heartbreaking and inspiring.  As Hebrews says in 11:38, they are those “of whom the world was not worthy.” May we regularly pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

When considering any persecution SG churches in America and throughout the world will face in 2021 and following, I don’t think it’s going to be persecution as we classically think of it – beatings, imprisonment, and death – though someday that may come.  I think the persecution we will face is being shamed and slandered because of historic Christian beliefs and values. The hostility created in these ways then leads to material harm – being silenced, marginalized, “canceled,” and perhaps even punished in some way.

In both the Psalms and the NT, a lot of the persecution against God’s people is verbal. In the Psalms, we see that the wicked lie, deceive and stir up strife.  They slander and accuse.  They mock, taunt, revile, deride and scorn.  The harmful effect of their words is likened to swords, razors, howling dogs, and a serpent’s venom.  The NT speaks of believers being reviled, insulted, slandered, spoken of as evildoers, and hated for Jesus’ name.  In the beatitudes, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

We are increasingly seeing these sorts of verbal assaults and subsequent material harm happening. The examples are too numerous to mention.  The cultural influencers -  universities, the media, the government, and social media platforms - are increasingly taking stands antithetical to Biblical values and truth.  Proponents of the influential critical theory put those who hold to certain traditional  Biblical values into the oppressor class.  And voicing biblical truth in these contexts is often characterized as hate speech that must be silenced or punished.  On top of all this, social media gives a voice to anyone and everyone hostile to our values.  A voice described so well by one Wall Street Journal writer as “lethal, instantaneous, polarizing, cartooning, inflammatory and ubiquitous.”

Our stances on complementarianism, marriage, sexual ethics,  gender identity issues, and abortion go against the flow of our culture.  Even regarding race issues that are at the forefront of our times, our historical stances on loving your neighbor, equality before God, the sin of prejudice, and the requirements for justice are seen as lacking if they don’t measure up to the culture’s assessment of the root, extent, and solution to the problem.  Even evangelism can be seen as illegitimate and intolerant.  How dare one say that there is only one way to be saved.  Only one way to God.  How dare one challenge someone’s inalienable right to define their own truth and morals!!!

Sadly, this situation is exacerbated by the fact that the church itself - both nominal and genuine – isn’t united on these issues.  When the culture can point to Christian churches that waiver and compromise on these critical issues, they can use such actions to justify their criticisms of more traditional Christians and churches.  We even find that some, under the banner of Christianity, are persecuting Christians who they see as out of line with their, from my perspective, radicalized worldview.

None of this should surprise us since Jesus clearly told us “if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”  Likewise, Paul told Timothy that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  So what are we to do?  Thankfully scripture gives us answers.

1. We are to pray

Psalm 142:6  Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!  Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

1 Timothy 2:1-2  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  

I think we can legitimately include the culture shapers in our universities and media as well as the government as “all who are in high positions.”

2. We are not to respond in kind

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stand up for our rights as citizens.  It’s more the character of our response than the substance that is being addressed here.

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

1 Corinthians 4:12  When reviled, we bless; when persecuted we endure.

1 Peter 3:9  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

3. We are to witness in a certain way.

It is wise to separate the trajectory of the larger culture from the individuals affected by that culture.  Though many individuals are actively hostile to the faith, many have simply been influenced in ways that make them leery, suspicious, and prone to think ill of those who are Christians.  It is to people like these that scripture directs our attention and instructs us how to approach them with the gospel.  Let’s look at four passages in particular.

Philippians 2:14-15  Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights (NIV – shine like stars) in the world.

Colossians 4:5-6  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

1 Peter 2:12    Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 3:14-16 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

The lessons here are these:  when faced with the hostility and opposition of the world, the Christian’s godly behavior will open up opportunities to engage people with the gospel.  And when those opportunities come, our graciousness, gentleness, and respectfulness, often in contrast to their harshness, may well be used by the Holy Spirit to open up their hearts to the gospel and win them to Jesus.  And when that happens, we can thank God that He has once again turned what was meant for evil into good.

Evangelism Book Recommendations for 2021

Jim Donohue and I thought it would be good to start the year with some evangelism book recommendations.  I’d encourage every pastor to read at least one book on evangelism each year as a way to keep your mind and soul refreshed and challenged in this important area.

Mickey’s List (in no particular order):

1.  Evangelism (Mack Stiles). I love the simplicity of his approach and his emphasis on creating a culture of evangelism, which I think should be our goal as local churches.  

2. How to Give Away Your Faith (Paul Little). This is the first book I ever read on evangelism, so you might imagine it’s a bit dated.  And in fact, it is - 1978.  So while there are some things that might need to be translated into 2021, there are many things that are timeless.

3. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Mark Dever). Mark’s personal and practical approach is excellent.  He asks and answers questions like: “Why don’t we evangelize?” “Why should we evangelize?”  as well as chapters on practical issues like who? and how?

4. Evangelism and The Sovereignty of God (J.I. Packer). No book has given me more liberty of soul to witness than this one.  Understanding my role and the Holy Spirit’s role in evangelism lifts an unnecessary burden and implants faith like nothing else I know.

5. Salvation to the Ends of the Earth (Kostenberger and O’Brien). While not strictly an evangelism book, it is my favorite book on the church’s mission and thus gives the broader context for our evangelistic efforts right where we live.

Jim’s list (in no particular order):

1. Learning Evangelism from Jesus (Jeram Barrs). This book walks through the Gospels, showing the towering love that Jesus has for those who are lost and far from God. It is both inspirational and instructive and probably my favorite book on evangelism.

2. Loving your Community (Stephen Viars). I just read this book.  It was very inspiring in regards to reaching out to your community in meaningful and strategic ways. With the changing landscape in evangelism, this book will give you a lot of ideas for making a difference wherever you are.

3. Honest Evangelism (Rico Tice). An excellent book that provides biblical motivation for evangelism and great practical ideas on how to obey God in this. Rico (who wrote Christianity Explored) challenges us in a compelling way that encourages us to be ourselves and take the risks required to reach the lost.  

4. Evangelism in a Skeptical World (Sam Chan). Chan lays out how to approach different people with individualized ways to share the gospel. His grasp of our culture and the world we are reaching out to is excellent, and he translates this knowledge into effective ways to reach non-Christians.

5. The Rise of the Nones (James Emery White). There are other books on reaching the current culture (The Millennials by Rainer and Meet Generation Z by White), but this is my top choice because of how he shows specific strategies for reaching an increasingly secular West.

Jim Donahue is the Pastor of Evangelism at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glenn Mills, PA.

Benefield Testimony

I look forward to you reading this testimony that Cale Benefield recently sent me. It represents two things that I believe are to be central to our evangelistic efforts: building relationally with unbelievers so we might be able to eventually share the gospel with them and covering all our efforts with prayer. Cale - thanks to you and Jackie for modeling these things!!

Also, if any of you have a testimony that you think would serve please send it on to either Jim or me.

Mickey

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Testimony:

My wife Jackie and I are getting used to living in a neighborhood for the first time in our lives. We were raised in a semi-rural area and have lived in several apartments during our first years of marriage. One aspect of living in a neighborhood that we regularly enjoy is evening walks after dinner together with our 8-month old daughter, Eleanor.  On a walk a few months ago, we met some friendly neighbors who I’ll call James and Michelle along with their 3-year-old daughter. Needless to say, we chatted briefly but continued on our walk. One request I’ve been asking God for months has been “Lord would you give Jackie and me the opportunity to have long-term, mutually enjoyable friendship with unbelievers for the sake of the gospel.” My first thought after meeting these folks was that this friendship might be a way the Lord would begin to answer that request.  

That brief exchange with James and Michelle came and went, and I wondered what might come of it. I came across two Sovereign Grace blog posts on evangelism (“Evangelism and Prayer” and “Do Not Grow Weary”) that specifically encouraged me to pray simple but consistent requests and to keep my eyes peeled for ongoing opportunities with James and Michelle.  Similarly, a Sunday sermon on the Lord’s Prayer in Luke was the catalyst for a yearning to ask for God’s kingdom to come (something I feel like I had never honestly or fervently asked before).  By teaching his disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come, Jesus is telling us the will of the Father so that we can ask according to his will and then receive from a God who hears! So, ever since we moved into our new neighborhood, the your-kingdom-come request has been, “God, change this neighborhood.” I don’t know how he’s going to do it… but I tend to think that it’s through genuine friendship with people like James and Michelle whose house we pass on our evening walks. 

Armed with the promise that God will most certainly grant the request for his kingdom to come, I found myself asking on one walk, “Lord would you allow us to see James and Michelle on our walk?” Before we passed their home I had some sense that I had been granted that request. As we walked by… well… nobody outside.  But  as we rounded the corner several houses down, the Spirit prompted me to uncomfortably say to my wife, “It might sound crazy, but can we turn back around and see if we come across James and Michelle?” Lo and behold once we had turned around, they were coming out for a walk in the opposite direction. We chatted for a bit in an attempt to establish some sort of familiarity and went on our way after a few minutes. Between that brief conversation and our next few walks, I felt emboldened to ask things more specifically and eagerly having just experienced a clear answer to prayer.  On future walks, I found myself asking “Lord would you let us walk with them?” A few walks were spent simply enjoying family time because we weren’t guaranteed to see James and Michelle on every walk.  After making that same request over the course of days and weeks, we passed by one evening as our neighbors were preparing to walk as well. We walked and talked for about an hour, and Jackie and I both came away eager to spend more time with them. It seemed so simple, but it was clearly the result of a generous Father happily granting a request made according to his will. 

 The next request as the Lord lovingly fortified our faith was, “Can we sit with them, Lord?” The next time we saw James and Michelle, we didn’t sit with them. BUT we exchanged phone numbers during a very brief “hi, bye” one day and they invited us to their back porch to hang out for a Saturday afternoon. I didn’t expect what felt like basic salutations and conversations to spring directly from prayers that God delights to hear and answer partially because I hadn’t felt that those were the kind of things God delights to grant to us. 

Fast-forward a month or so to today. As a friendship is built and a door for the gospel is opened to us with our neighbors, I have been filled with confidence that since God really wants his kingdom to come, that he wants uses the smallest things asked in his name to accomplish his work of rescuing souls.  What is clear is that James and Michelle are not just neighbors. They are nice yet broken sinners in need of a savior.  They are also acquaintances with whom my family now has the joy of telling them that God the Father sent that very Savior that they need. I have no assurance that James and Michelle will hear the gospel and believe in Jesus. However, I do have assurance of something very important concerning our relationship with them…“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you,” and he has done so on a number of occasions. Needless to say, the current request we’ve been making of our Father has been, “Father, can we share a meal together with James and Michelle?” And here we are awaiting having them over for dinner next week.

May Jesus be glorified in the requests that you make persistently and for his name’s sake with the expectation that the Father will grant it to you. 

Evangelism and Prayer

In his book Prayer, John Bunyan said “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”  I think that is great counsel when it comes to our evangelism.  J.I. Packer explains why -  “Preaching and praying must go together…We are to preach because without knowledge of the gospel no man can be saved.  We are to pray because only the sovereign Holy Spirit in us and in men’s hearts can make our preaching effective to men’s salvation.”

With that I mind, here are some of the ways scripture encourages to pray for evangelism.

1.  Pray for opportunities to witness.

Colossians 4:3-4  pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word.

2 Thessalonians 3:1  pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.

2.  Pray for specific people you want to see saved.

1 Timothy 2:1-4  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…this is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

3.  Pray for boldness and courage. 

Acts 4:29  Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

 4.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to be at work in your witnessing and in your hearers.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses.

Acts 16:14 The Lord opened her (Lydia’s) heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

5.  Pray that God would grant you a greater heart for the lost.

John 4:35  Open your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

Romans 10:1  my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

6.  Pray that God would send laborers into the harvest field – and include yourself.  

Matthew 9:37-38  The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

7.  Pray for skill in presenting the gospel – clarity, joy, proper weightiness.

Colossians 4:3-4  pray…that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

One final thing.  Praying is something everyone can do to participate in evangelism.  We can and should “do the work of an evangelist” by teaching people how to pray for evangelism.  But I would also urge pastors to use pastoral prayer on Sundays to pray in these ways.  Hearing your prayers for these things will serve as a wonderful example and encouragement to those in your church to do the same.

Do Not Become Weary

I’ve been trying to reach out to people ever since I became a Christian many years ago.  I have a pretty easy time getting to know people, drawing them out, looking for opportunities to serve, and trying to invite them to come to church or the Bridge Course.  I’ve noticed that many people seem receptive or at least polite during these interactions, but I rarely see people actually come to something I’ve invited them to. Until recently.

 For some reason, I have seen several of my ongoing outreach opportunities bear fruit. God often brings fruit from our obedience, but not always in our timeframe. These encounters greatly encouraged me to continue to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). I hope they encourage you too.

•  A couple of years ago I was sitting across from a couple with a marriage that was on the ropes.  I had met her after a couple of weeks at the Bridge Course and she somehow convinced her husband to come for counseling.  He was a successful, good looking guy and I wasn’t sure how this was going to go.  But he was much more receptive than I imagined and ended up coming to the next Bridge Course and church.  We did lunch several times and God seemed to be drawing him, but he soon got sucked away because of work and the pull of the world.  A couple of months ago he called me.  He was visiting his cousin in Florida who happened to be a Christian and asked him why he stopped coming to church.  So he called me.  We got together a few more times, then he sent me a text saying that he thinks he just gave his life to the Lord.  I called him and he told me through tears how he had confessed to his wife and been reconciled to Christ.  Years later, he is still loving the Lord, reading the Bible an hour a day, listening to messages constantly, and reading the Big Picture Story Bible to his kids every night. It is a joy to watch him grow. God breathed on my mundane faithfulness and brought a soul to himself.

• A couple of months ago, I was preaching at a recovery meeting at a homeless shelter/rehab in Chester, Pennsylvania.   I know a lot of these guys since they attend our Bridge Course.  At the end of the night, I ran into a guy that I hadn’t seen in a while and asked how he was doing.  He told me that he just got there that day and that things were not going well.  I encouraged him and invited him to church.  The next night I was getting my hair cut and talking to a girl that has cut my hair many times.  She was going through a lot of hardship and was even in tears as she explained all that was going on.  As we talked, I asked her the name of her boyfriend.  After going back and forth she showed me a picture and it was the same guy that I saw the day before at the shelter/rehab.  I couldn’t believe it and neither could she.  At that moment, I told her that this was God’s way of showing her that he was real.  I invited her to the Bridge and to church and she came and gave her life to Christ. Just regular preaching and encouraging. Just a regular haircut. But God was at work once again in ways I couldn’t see.

• I had been reaching out to my dental hygienist for years.  Despite the fact that it’s really difficult to form intelligible words with all the dental instruments in your mouth, I tried.  I talked to her about God and the Bible and church and the Bridge. But she never came to anything. Recently, I was preaching the second message at the Bridge Course and I looked to my left and there she was, sitting in one of the groups.  I couldn’t believe it.  She was attending the Bridge Course and I didn’t even know it.  She said that she had visited other churches, but she had never heard messages that seemed to make so much sense.  She was even telling the dentist all about it which saved me from trying to do it with all those instruments in my mouth.  

This season has been very encouraging for me after years of sowing with not a lot of reaping.  It reminds me of the verse, “Do not become weary in doing good for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9).  It’s easy to become weary when it comes to evangelism especially if you are in a season where there is a lot of sowing but not much reaping.  But let’s remember God’s promise that if we don’t give up, we will reap a harvest.  God just wants us to be faithful and he will do the rest.

Jim Donahue is the Pastor of Evangelism at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glenn Mills, PA.

Looking at People

Encountering the Self-Righteous

What do you do when you encounter people who are self-righteous and arrogant?  Roll your eyes?  Make an excuse to walk away from them?  Give them some self-righteousness of your own?  

When Jesus encountered the rich young ruler in Mark 10, he had that opportunity. The man wanted to be sure that he had eternal life, which was good.  He also believed that he had kept the law and deserved a place in heaven; in short, he was self-righteous and arrogant.  

So how did Jesus respond to the young man’s blatant boasting and self-assurance?  Verse 21 says, “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him…”  Without getting into what Jesus said in order to expose the man’s idolatry and call him to repentance, let’s consider what Jesus did.  

Looking and Loving

He looked at him.  It’s interesting that the Bible includes this detail.  The King James Version says “He beheld him,” which means to look at someone in order to learn about him.  I think this look shows that Jesus cared.  He gave the young man his attention.  He didn’t become angry or impatient but showed concern for him.  

This look was Jesus loving this proud man (thank God he loves proud men!).  We see Jesus loving the proud throughout Scripture.  He gives people his full, undivided attention whether it’s a tax collector in a tree, an immoral woman at a well, or a grieving widow in a crowd of mourners.  This is what Jesus did.  He looked at people and saw men and women made in the image of God, even if they were arrogant.  He looked at people and loved them.

A Lesson for Us

I wonder if this is a lesson for us.  We can be so busy looking at our phones that we don’t look at people or give them our attention – we don’t interact with others.  Last summer I went to a baseball game and I was amazed at how many people were looking at their phones instead of looking at the game!  They could have stayed home, cooked a Ballpark frank, and saved some money.  It is staggering how impersonal our world is becoming.  We don’t have to interact with people anymore.  We can shop online, bank online, socialize online, and do whatever we want online.  I wonder if part of the drive behind the social media obsession is the world saying, “Somebody look at me!”  

God is calling us to be like Jesus and look at people—to reach out and connect.  As Christians, we have the most amazing news in the world and it is news that we simply can’t keep to ourselves.  We are called to love this lost world with the good news of the gospel. 

That means that we reach out in friendship to people.  It means we put the phone down and talk to the waitress. It means we care about what our neighbor or co-worker is going through and let them know we are praying for them.  It means we greet people in public.  It means we take a risk and invite someone to grab coffee or come to church.

Imagine someone accepting your invitation and grabbing coffee with you and then coming to church.  Imagine them hearing the gospel for the first time and understanding that grace is for people who are messed up, not people who have their act together.  Imagine them being transformed by the power of the gospel in the same way you were.  Imagine them sitting next to you on Sundays worshipping God with joy in their hearts.  Let’s look at the people that God has placed in our lives and love them.  And let’s love them enough to reach out and invite them into our lives and into the community that God has placed us in.

Jim Donahue is the Pastor of Evangelism at Covenant Fellowship Church, Glenn Mills, PA.

Minimum Daily Requirements for Evangelism

I have always had, a Love/Hate relationship with evangelism – I love the concept, I would love to be successful, I would love for it to be easy and natural, mostly I would love to see people saved and added to local churches. I don’t think any Christian or local church will ever be completely joyful and fulfilled unless passionately involved in evangelism and seeing people saved.  I believe God created us to be that way because we are created after His image and He is that way.  I believe the joy and fulfillment we will experience is the very joy and fulfillment God experiences.

But, I often hate my resume’.  I never feel like I witness enough (even though I can’t even say what enough is), as a result, there is no area of my life I more regularly feel guilt. And when I try I often feel inadequate and anxious.  At times, I would like to ignore the entire subject (make it go away!) but I know that isn’t an option because this is something that God has clearly called every Christian to – can anyone relate?

So doing nothing isn’t an option but what am I to do?  What does it actually look like for the ordinary Christian to evangelize?  So let me just give you 5 simple things that every Christian can do to be involved in the church’s mission to preach the gospel to the lost.

What I call – Minimum Daily Requirements (MDA) for Evangelism.

Be conscious that you are on a mission

All the gospels end with a commission to mission.  Acts begins with a commission.  The best known of these commissioning statements is…

Matt. 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

The commission begins with a mandate to evangelism.  The process of making disciples starts with disciples going to tell unbelievers the good news of what Jesus has done to save them from their sins.   As missionary disciples, we must find ways to remind ourselves daily that there are mission opportunities all around us and that we need to be consciously looking for them.

CHESTER and TIMMIS (Total Church, 63) – “Most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.” 

Pray for the lost and for opportunities to share the gospel

1 Tim. 2:1-4:  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…this is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Praying for the lost is an easy way to remind yourself daily that you are on a mission, plus, I believe these are prayers that God will answer.   Pray for opportunities.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant you boldness.  And most of all pray for those people in your life that you long to see saved – those who are close to you but far from God.

Be friendly and engaging

John 4:35: “lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

We all face the temptation to go through life with our heads down.  Evangelism opportunities may arise from simply being nice to people.  Saying hi.  Engaging them in conversation.  Introducing yourself to your neighbor.  Talking to your co-workers, service workers, etc.

This simple friendliness may open opportunities for further conversations, to invite someone over, or to be invited over or to talk about something important someday.  Remember, Jesus was a friend of sinners.

Let people know that you are a Christian

I’m not suggesting telling everyone you meet – “say, by the way, I’m a Christian.”  But there are many ways to talk about your church, the Bible, Christian relationships, etc.  For example, how often does someone ask - what did you do this weekend?

Once people know you are a Christian they will start looking at you differently, observing you, give you a chance to break stereotypes, and you will be surprised how people may seek you out when they have questions or problems.

Share a tract, your story, the gospel as the opportunity arises

Actually sharing the gospel is the goal.  All the above positions you to do so.  But if the opportunity arises are you prepared?

1 Peter 3:15:  “Always being prepared to make a defense (NIV - to give an answer) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Being a witness requires some work on your part.   Could you simply and accurately share the gospel?  Can you explain simply why a person needs to be saved; how the gospel saves and how one is called to respond?  Can you explain simply your story? 

In the coming months, Jim and I are going to be fleshing out these MDAs in ways that we hope will help you – do the work of an evangelist – and help your members experience the joy of sharing the gospel and seeing God work in the lives of their family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.