i must hand out 500 tracts, work on ways the church can reach a largely immigrant, transient population, do door-to-door, etc. is this the work of an evangelist? am i an evangelist? (normally i would say no. which does not preclude me from doing the work, though.)
what did Jesus do? well, He healed people, spoke to the masses usually in parables (not simple how-to-be-a-christian speeches, but rather confusing stories that only those "who have ears to hear" understood), discipled a few, and died.
ooo, "discipled". this is key. evangelism must come in relationship. we were not called to go out into all the world and get people saved, no, we were told to preach and MAKE DISCIPLES. this means relationship. this does not mean congratulating someone on saying a prayer and sending them on their merry way. no, no! this means loving people through the good days and the bad and walking with them as they grow in grace.
can i, then, do effective evangelism if i am only here for a short time? good question. if i lead people to a point of decision, i must plug them into relationship with people that will walk with them after i am gone. hence, the local church is key. i can only do evangelism if a) i demonstrate in word and deed my relationship with a Person (Jesus) and b) plug people into relationship with other believers who c) want to disciple new believers.
yes, you may argue, people can choose to follow Jesus in a lonely place. but that is only a place to start, and i do not believe that is the best place, especially if there are so many professing believers around anyway.
these thoughts and others along the same lines are churning within me as i walk through my time here in Hillfields. it is key to my continued involvement with OM as well, since blitz methods of evangelism are near and dear to the heart of the organization, or so it seems.
comments, thoughts, contradictions are always appreciated!
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