Over the past few years there has been a wonderful trend in evangelism to return to a solid doctrinal message and method of proclaiming the gospel to the lost. Instead of handing out a coke (i.e.,God) and a smile evangelists are shocking the world with a message that they are actually sinners and in NEED of salvation. They do not lead people to believe that they can just “Try Jesus” as an alternative lifestyle that may help you feel better or improve your standards of living.
More and more we are seeing Christians taking to the streets in an effort to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to the lost. Evangelists are handing out tracts, engaging folks in gospel conversations, and open-air preaching. This is a wonderful thing. However, of late I have become concerned over a trend that is developing. Some are equating boldness in the Lord concerning evangelism as nothing more than opportunity for foolishness. I am not try to sound harsh here, but what I have seen by grown adults is akin to adolescent behaviour. You can search youtube.com and a host of blogs and see "evangelists" doing shock evangelism. The idea is to see who can do the most "insane" evangelism encounter. This can be seen when folks are being dared to go open-air preach in the middle of a crowded restaurant knowing that they are going to be expelled or have the police called on them for doing such. "Ah, but you gotta make sure you get it all on video or it doesn't count" is the idea. I don't have a problem with people photo or video documenting evangelism when the motive is to instruct and to inspire others. But folks, we are not out there preaching the Gospel to entertain viewers or our buddies.
I don't want to make this a long rant, I just want to say to all of those out there looking to "push the envelope" of "extreme evangelism" to check your motives, evaluate your heart. Are you falling into the trap of being a man-pleaser or seeking glory from man? Or is it about your love for God and His glory? Or is it all about your glory? Is your passion for the lost? Or is it all about the rush from trying to get yourself in trouble for preaching where you know you are not suppose to be doing public speaking (preaching or otherwise).
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." Mat 6:1
"Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will." Phil.1:15
2 comments:
Have been thinking the same thing especially about those who set out to cause offence by -for example- ranting about Mohammed being any number of offensive things.
Or deliberately annoying people in a place where they have no choice but to be. On a shopping street, people can walk away. In a restaurant or something similar, it is pretty questionable.
Yes, I am aware of one pastor who has sort of a competition to see who has open aired preached or evangelized in the most extreme situations. And then there are those who intentionaly go to the roughest areasof town because they want to be know for being "extreme". I am a firm believer that if you are not evangelizing near your church then you should not be evangelizing on the streets away from your church. No Jerusalem, no Samaria.
Post a Comment