Module 1_ Week 1_ Introduction
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Module 1: Week 1: Introduction
Reading
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Pace & Wheeler: Introduction
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Pace & Wheeler: Chapter 8
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Earley & Wheeler: Introduction
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Earley & Wheeler: Chapter 5
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Earley & Wheeler: Chapter 9
Pace & Wheeler: Introduction
But the same questions that influence whether or not we answer our phone should also determine how we respond to God’s call. Who is calling us, and why the caller is specifically calling us, both have implications that impact every area of our lives.
This fundamental understanding of God’s calling is repeatedly affirmed throughout Scripture
and involves three primary aspects.
First, the Christian calling is a call to salvation. Scripture describes salvation as the foundational aspect of our calling, as we “were called by [God] into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9).
The call to salvation is universally extended through the grace of God (Titus 2:11), but it must be personally received through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8).
In addition to our salvation, the Christian calling is a call to serve. This means that it is not only a heavenly calling, but also a humble calling. Jesus taught us that he “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28). When Jesus invites us to follow him, it is not simply a decision to receive eternal life and forgiveness for our sins. He invites us to learn from him, specifically his humility of heart (Matt 11:28–29), so that we might embrace his same disposition.
The third truth we must recognize is that the Christian calling is a call to surrender. Our salvation
was purchased by the “precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18–19). His payment for our sins identifies us as his disciples whose lives belong to him (1 Cor 6:19–20). Giving God control of our lives is an ongoing act of moment-by-moment submission to him. It involves everything from life-altering decisions to life’s everyday decisions. In all things, we are called to “live worthy of the calling [we] have received” (Eph 4:1).
God’s calling for all believers is a heavenly calling, a humble calling, and a holy calling. When we trust Christ we are embracing his call to salvation, his call to serve, and his call to surrender. In this sense, we are all called!
Jesus further explains this concept in John 3:19–21, “This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For
everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
First of all, we are all commissioned to be light in a dark world.
Second, we are all commissioned to be fishers of men. In Matt 4:19, Jesus tells the two brothers, Peter and Andrew, to “[f]ollow me … and I will make you fish for people.”
But since we are all called to fish for souls, the only way that we can fail is to stop casting out the gospel.
In other words, our job is to consistently throw out the nets and to cast out the lines through being active in evangelism, and God’s job is to catch the fish!
Finally, we are all commissioned to be Jesus’s ambassadors. In 2 Cor 5:19–21, Paul reminded the Corinthians and us that in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The obvious question remains, what is an ambassador? By definition, it is “an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.” In reference to our commission, an ambassador is sent out from Christ as his official representative in order to deliver the gospel message of hope to a “foreign” world in need of salvation. Ultimately, under the calling and power of the Holy Spirit, with the Great Commission as our backdrop, we are given this great privilege to join Christ as he draws the world to himself!
Pace & Wheeler: Chapter 8
In order to obey the Great Commission, we have argued that it is essential to follow Jesus’s example of servanthood. His compassion and selflessness moved him to make the ultimate sacrifice to bring us to God. It is that sacrificial lifestyle that we are to emulate as his followers.
1. Jesus Stepped out of His Comfort Zone and Took the Initiative to Start the Conversation Jesus was intentional and spoke with the woman. Even though he was tired and probably hungry, he did not avoid the opportunity to start the conversation. Note what the Bible says in John 4:5–7:
2. Jesus Crossed Barriers to Bring Her the Gospel In those days Jews would not speak to Samaritans, but Jesus broke the ethnic barrier to speak with the woman at the well. In those days religious men would not speak with women, but Jesus crossed the gender barrier to share with her. In those days, godly men did not speak with sinful women—and
as we shall see, this woman had quite a reputation—but Jesus spoke to her. This obviously made a deep impression on this woman that Jesus would break down the wall
of prejudice to speak to her. Notice John 4:9, ‘ “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”
3. Jesus Turned the Conversation to Spiritual Matters In one sentence Jesus turned the conversation from being about his asking her for a drink to the possibility of her having living water. He moved from his physical need for water to her need of living water. Note
John 4:10, “Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would ask him and he would give you living water.’ 4. Jesus Listened to Her When Jesus mentioned “living water,” the woman immediately launched into a commentary about Jesus’s lack of material resources to meet his need. Jesus carefully listened to her words and planned his response. Listening is an essential, powerful tool and an aid for building any relationship
5. Jesus Boldly and Wisely Addressed Her Sin At this point, you will want to note John 4:15–18: “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and
come here to draw water.” “Go, call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.” “I
don’t have a husband,” she answered. “You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,”
’ Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” You may recall when the woman asked Jesus about giving her the living water, Jesus first confronted her regarding her sin. We soon find out that this woman’s primary sin was immorality. She had gone through several husbands and was now cohabiting with a man who was not her husband. Pointedly but politely, Jesus moved the conversation to her sin when he mentioned her husband. When she tried to deflect it, he spoke directly about her obvious need.
6. Jesus Introduced Himself to Her John 4:25–26 continues the story. “The woman said to him, ‘I know that the Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will
explain everything to us.’ Jesus told her, ‘I, the one speaking to you, am he.’ ” In response to the woman’s statement, “I know that the Messiah is coming,” Jesus affirmed his deity with the words, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.” A point comes in spiritual conversations when we need to get to Jesus Christ. He is the most important issue in the matter of salvation. A spiritual conversation is not an evangelistic conversation without bringing up Jesus and the gospel.
7. Jesus Was Willing to Stay. Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the
people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They left the town and made their way to him.… Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. Many more believed because of what he said. (John 4:28–30, 39–54)
It is important to be willing to stay invested and involved in people’s lives after we have spiritual conversations. We need to be willing to forge relationships with people in our spheres of influence.
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With Jesus and the woman at the well, you will have trouble finding a specific “technique” or
“method.” This is because what we see in Jesus is an example of genuine love and care for someone else’s spiritual state.
This is how we obey the Great Commission, by sharing the gospel with genuine love, truth, and compassion … just like Jesus!
Earley & Wheeler: Introduction
1. A Choice It is generally accepted in Christian circles that the majority of believers rarely share their faith with an unsaved person. I have noticed this in my graduate-level evangelism classes. By a simple show of hands, well over half the students will admit they rarely share their faith with an unsaved person. One of the contributing factors is that
evangelism is taught as an individual choice rather than a biblical command. This is misleading and dangerous in reference to the Great Commission. 2. Just Passing on Information or Making an Apologetic Presentation There are hundreds of ways to effectively share Christ with an unbeliever. However, in doing so, one must remember that evangelism is not just sharing the right biblical information. I always tell my classes, “You cannot divorce Jesus’s message from the life he lived.” This simply means that Jesus not only shared the truth in word; he also embodied that same truth through a consistent lifestyle. 3. A Spiritual Gift Contrary to what many people believe in the church, evangelism is not listed as a spiritual gift in Scripture. While some people may have talents that aid in becoming more natural at evangelism, the call to evangelize is meant for the entire church. It is not reserved for a select few soldiers.
4. Just Something You Do Evangelism must never be minimized to something you perform as a duty to God. Rather, like breathing, it should be an involuntary response to naturally share Christ whenever possible.
5. In Competition with Discipleship I often hear people espousing the tenets of discipleship over the call to evangelize. These people often minimize evangelism and use phrases like “I am a disciple-maker, not an evangelist.”
6. Based on Your Personality Some people believe that evangelism is only reserved for type A personalities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Evangelism is a biblical command to be fulfilled through all types of people.
7. The Same as “Missions.” The word “evangelism” has lost its distinctiveness and importance to the church over the past twenty-five years, as many people have replaced it
with the concept of “missions.” The essential nature and expression of evangelism is the passionate proclamation of the message of the gospel to the end that people will be redeemed as they trust Christ and his saving work at the cross to receive forgiveness and eternal life.
8. Inviting People to Church When it comes to evangelism over the last fifty years, we have often been instructed by church leaders to invite our friends and family to church and let the “experts” on the stage deal with the gospel. For many people, that sounds like a good approach, especially for those who find evangelism to be a fearful task. Unfortunately, simply inviting people to church is not evangelism. This is not to say that attending church is not important, but we must remember that church does not save anyone—Jesus does! As Great Commission Christians, our privilege is to join Christ on mission as obedient multiplying believers. That means we are all called to share the gospel with our friends, family, etc., not just invite people to church
9. Meant to Be Silenced by Fear In 2 Timothy 1:7–8, the apostle Paul states, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [fear], but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord” (NIV84). While appropriate fear is rational in certain situations, according to Scripture, this should not apply to the task of evangelism.
10. A Theological Dilemma Some people try to use theological constructs to ignore the Great
Commission. Because of extreme viewpoints related to the doctrine of election, more contemporary ministers are ignoring their responsibility to be active in evangelism. The same is true when liberal theologians compromise the authority of Scripture. In many cases humility and obedience are replaced by theological superiority and a critical spirit that is detrimental to evangelism. In short, theology without evangelism is not Christian theology at all.
11. Just Sharing Your Testimony Your conversion testimony is powerful and useful, particularly in our culture today. That said, always remember that your testimony must not ever replace the gospel, it should become a bridge to the gospel!
12. Having a Religious Discussion or Praying without Engaging the Gospel The key to evangelism is actually sharing the gospel. Unfortunately, we often tend to talk around God without specifically mentioning Jesus and the gospel. We may even quote Scripture and never point the discussion back to our need for salvation. Sometimes these discussions may lead to opportunities for prayer—that is good. However, if you are going
to pray for someone, how hard is it to take the conversation to another level and ask about
spiritual beliefs?
Earley & Wheeler: Chapter 5
We need to understand several key truths about the principles of the spiritual harvest: 1. The harvest is a process, not an event. As we mentioned in a previous chapter, effective evangelism respects the processional nature of evangelism. 2. More than one element is involved in the harvest. To ensure a harvest, someone must plant
seed. The seed must be watered. God has to make it come to life, grow, and bear fruit.
3. Different people can play different roles in the harvest. Some can plant; others can water. 4. Every aspect is equally important. If no one plants the seed, there can never be a harvest. If no one waters the seed, it will never grow and produce fruit.
Be prayerful. Seed sowing is a spiritual voyage. Prayer is necessary as you set sail with a sense of adventure and abandon.
Be positive. You should share Jesus in a positive manner. Never use his name to win an argument or to put down another person.
Be accepting. Accepting people is not the same as condoning their sinful behavior.
Be consistent. Pray every day that God will help you touch people with the good news of Christ.
Be intentional. I often say that which we intentionally ignore will unintentionally not get done! While true evangelism always depends on the Holy Spirit, sharing your faith does not happen by accident. It must be an intentional and conscious commitment of every Christian.
Be creative. Be creative (but not strange) in looking for ways to light your world with spiritual touches that exemplify the love and message of Christ in practical ways.
Be active. The law of the harvest is simple. The more you spread the gospel seed, the greater the likelihood that people will respond. Psalm 126 is true, “Sow in tears … reap in joy” (v. 5).
1. Spiritual farming is an investment in a process. It is a mistake to define evangelism narrowly as merely sharing the information of the gospel.
2. Spiritual farming is time-consuming. Farming is not a brief process. It is a year-round commitment to working the soil and preparing the fields for the harvest. The same is true with spiritual farming.
3. Spiritual farming is hard work. Farming requires a lot of sweat and commitment. There are
no shortcuts, and it is never easy.
4. Spiritual farming is worth the wait. In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the Lost Sheep. After explaining the importance of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to locate the one that is lost, he concludes, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7 NIV). The harvest is worth the investment!
The law of the harvest is simple. The more you spread the gospel seed, the greater chance that people will respond. —Toby Frost We cannot harvest where no seed has been planted. —Will McRaney Our job is to be seed flingers, not seed protectors watching over God’s business as though He
had a limited supply. —Steve Sjogren
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Earley & Wheeler: Chapter 9
Evangelism is communicating the gospel, or “good news,” to non-Christians.
But what, exactly, is the gospel? According to 1 Peter 1:1–2, not even the angels of heaven understand the full implications of the gospel. Tim Keller explained, “The angels never get tired of looking into the gospel. This means that there is no end to gospel exploration.”
According to Gilbert, the gospel “is like fuel in the furnace of worship. The more you understand about it, believe it, and rely on it, the more you adore God both for who he is and for what he has done for us in Christ.”
The very first verse of the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1 ESV). God is the uncaused cause of everything that exists. Since he has always existed, there was never a time when he was not. Although there is only one true God, he is a triune being existing as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Eventually, however, sin slithered into God’s perfect world—infecting it like a virus. How was this possible? Did God create sin? If not, then how did it come about? As you will see, God’s desire was for his creation, man, to love him unconditionally. Unfortunately, in the end, sin grew from man’s rebellion and unwillingness to obey and trust God.
One primary reason we misunderstand the gospel is that we misunderstand the true nature of sin.
According to the Bible, “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4 ESV). Wayne Grudem explains, “Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” Grudem’s wording reminds us that sin is not limited to our physical actions. Instead, we can sin within the privacy of our minds. Jesus declared, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:27–28 ESV).
Since sin is everywhere, many downplay its significance. However, sin is abhorrent. It violates God’s moral law—our standard of right and wrong.
God did not invent the moral law, nor is he subordinate to it. Instead, God IS the moral law. Moral truth is part of his essential character. Consequently, “God necessarily and eternally hates sin. It is, in essence, the contradiction of the excellence of his moral character. It contradicts his holiness, and he must hate it.” Sin is wrong because it violates
God himself. Those who transgress God’s moral law are not breaking a divine rule, but assaulting and violating God himself
Since God is perfectly just, he cannot simply forgive sin. If he did, he would be sinning for failing to uphold justice. God’s nature obligates him to dispense appropriate justice to all sinners.
First, the real elephant (God) isn’t necessarily mute—he has spoken (Heb 1:1–2). Second, the
illustration presumes that Christians reject pluralism because they lack exposure to other
views. However, many informed Christians reject pluralism because they realize that contradictory truth claims cannot all be true. Third, the illustration is self-refuting. How so? Although this parable argues that no religion has an objective (correct) view of God, the parable requires the very thing it denies—an objective view of God. In other words, the parable requires a person with sight to show that no one has sight. Consequently, the argument is self-defeating and necessarily false.