Church Evangelism

Small Group Formation/Evangelism

Methods
· Offensive
· Defensive


In attempting to define what I feel is the best way to evangelize through small groups I will lean heavily on 4 sources.

Bible
Living Waters (http://www.livingwaters.com/)
9Marks Ministries (http://www.9marks.org/)
Seeker Small Groups (http://www.willowcreek.com)

The first method I have stated above is an offensive measure. What I mean by offensive is that we take it to the streets. My reasons for this are very simple.


There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3: 10-12

You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40

The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:5

The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient, All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-3




If we are to believe in original sin and that the fall brought about a brokenness and total depravity as scripture states then we are forced to believe the truth that there is no one who seeks for God as stated in v.11. Everyone who has ever come to church has somehow been brought there by an external means whether by a person inviting them or by a holiday reminding them to do their religious duty. Whatever it is, we are incapable of making a good choice by our own.


But how are they to 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 to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
Rom 10:14-15



So here is why I believe it is vitally important to be offensive in our methods of evangelism. It MUST leave the 4 walls and get into the streets, otherwise they will not come. They may trickle in because of a neighbor or friend telling them what the church has to offer but in reality the majority of the people on the streets WILL not come in as scripture clearly states. So now what?

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matt 28:18-20

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 1Cor 9:16.

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Mar 6:34

You see we are not only commanded to go out but we should be under compulsion and driven by compassion because as Jesus said in Mark 6:34 they are lost. Most people do not know they are lost until you tell them why they are lost. So if that is the case and they are indeed lost and blind then the light must go forth.

Love for God is the only sufficient motive for evangelism. Self-love will give way to self-centeredness; love for the lost will fail with those whom we cannot love, and when difficulties seem insurmountable. Only a deep love for God will keep us following His way, declaring his gospel, when human resources fail (John Cheesman, The Grace of God in the Gospel [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1972], 122). 9 Marks



Evangelism is everyman’s job

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Act 8:1-4

Now we can see that it must go out and not remain. So we need to look at some of the ways to reach out.

Tracts

George Street
I got off at George Street byRev. Dave Smethurst.

This all started a number of years ago in a Baptist church in Crystal Palace in South London. The Sunday morning service was closing and a man stood up at the back and raised his hand and said: "Excuse me pastor can I share a short testimony?" The pastor looked at his watch and said "You have three minutes". The man proceeded with his story: "I've just moved into this area. I used to live in Sydney Australia. Just a few months back I was visiting some relatives and I was walking down George Street. You know where George Street is in Sydney going from the Business Area out to the Rock the colonial area. A strange little white haired man stepped out from a shop doorway, put a pamphlet in my hand and said: "Excuse me sir, are you saved, if you die tonight are you going to heaven?" "I was astounded by these words. No one had ever asked me that. I thanked him courteously and all the way home to London this puzzled me. I called a friend and thank God he was a Christian and he led me to Christ." The Baptists love testimonies like that. Everyone applauded and welcomed him into their fellowship. The Baptist pastor flew to Adelaide, Australia the next week and 10 days later in the middle of a three day series in a Baptist church in Adelaide, a woman came up to him for some counseling. He wanted to establish where she stood with Christ. He said "I used to live in Sydney and just a couple of months back I was visiting some friends in Sydney doing some last minute shopping down George Street. A strange little white haired man stepped out of a shop doorway and offered me a pamphlet and said "Excuse me madam, are you saved, if you die tonight are you going to heaven?" "I was disturbed by those words. When I got home to Adelaide, I knew this Baptist church was on the next block form me. I sought out the pastor and he led me to Christ. So I am telling you that I am a Christian." The London pastor was now very puzzled. Twice in two weeks he had heard the same testimony. He then flew to preach in the Mount Pleasant Church in Perth. When his teaching series was over the senior elder of that Church took him out for a meal and he asked the elder how he got saved. "I grew up in this church from the age of 15. I never made a commitment to Jesus, just hopped on the bandwagon like everyone else. Because of my business ability grew up to a place of influence. I was on a business trip to Sydney just three years ago. An obnoxious spiteful little man stepped out of a shop doorway, offered me a religious pamphlet cheap junk and accosted me with a question: "Excuse me sir, are you saved, if you die tonight are you going to heaven?" I tried to tell him I was a Baptist elder. He wouldn't listen to me. I was seething with anger all the way home from Sydney to Perth. I told my pastor, thinking that he would sympathize, but he agreed. He had been disturbed for years knowing that I didn't have a relationship with Jesus, and he was right. My pastor led me to Jesus just three years ago." The London preacher flew home and was soon speaking at the Keswick conventions in the Lake District and he threw in these three testimonies. At the close of this teaching series, fours elderly pastors came up and explained that they too had been saved between 25 and 30 years earlier through that same little man on George Street, offering them a pamphlet and asking that same question. The following week he flew to a similar Keswick convention in the Caribbean to missionaries. He shared the same testimonies. At the close of his teaching three missionaries came forward and said that they had also had been saved between 15 and 25 years earlier by that same little man's testimony and asked us the same question on George Street in Sydney. Next he stopped in Atlanta, Georgia to speak at a Naval Chaplain convention. Here for three days he spoke to over 1000 Naval Chaplains. Afterwards the Chaplain General took him out for a meal and he asked the Chaplain how he became a Christian. "It was miraculous. I was a rating on a Naval battleship and I lived a reprobate life. We were doing exercises in the South Pacific and we docked at Sydney harbor for replenishments. We hit Kings Cross with a vengeance. I was blind drunk, got on the wrong bus and got off in George Street. As I got off the bus, I though I saw a ghost as this man jumped out in front of me, pushed a pamphlet in my hand and said "Sailor, are you saved, if you die tonight are you going to heaven?" The fear of God hit me immediately. I was shocked sober, ran back to the ship and sought out the Chaplain. He led me to Christ. I soon began to prepare for the ministry under his guidance. I am now in charge of 1000 chaplains who are bent on soul winning today." Six months later that London pastor flew to a conference for 5,000 Indian missionaries in a remote part of NE India. At the end the head missionary took him to his humble little home for a simple meal. He asked how he as a Hindu came to Christ. "I grew up in a very privileged position, I worked the Indian Diplomatic Mission and I traveled the world. I am so glad for the forgiveness of Christ and blood covering my sin. I would be very embarrassed if people found out what I got into. One period of diplomatic service took me to Sydney. I was doing some last minute shopping, laden with toys and clothes for my children. I was walking down George Street when a courteous white haired little man stepped out in front of me and offered me a pamphlet and said "Excuse me sir, are you saved, if you die tonight are you going to heaven?" I thanked him very much but this disturbed me. I got back to my town, sought out our Hindu priest. He couldn't help me, but he advised me that to satisfy my curious mind, I should go and talk to the missionary in the mission home at the end of road. That was good advice because that day the missionary led me to Christ. I quit Hinduism immediately and began to prepare for ministry. I left the Diplomatic Service and here I am today, by God's grace in charge of all these missionaries who have together led 100.000 people to Christ. Eight months later that London Pastor was preaching in Sydney. He asked the local Baptist Minister if he knew of a little elderly white haired man who handed out tracts on George Street. He replied "Yes is do, his name is Mr. Genor, although I don't think he does it any more because he is so frail and elderly." Two nights later they went to meet him in his little apartment. They knocked on the door and this tiny frail old man greeted them. He sat them down and made them tea. He was so frail that he was slopping the tea into the saucer as his hands shook. The London preacher sat there and told him of all these accounts from the previous three years. This little man sat with tears running down his cheeks. He told them his story. "I was a rating on an Australian warship. I was living a reprobate life. In a crisis I really hit the wall. One of my collogues, to whom I gave literal hell, was there to help me. He led me to Jesus and the change in my life was night to day in 24 hours. I was so grateful to God; I promised God that I would share Jesus in a simple witness with at least 10 people a day. As God me strength I did that. Sometimes I was ill and couldn't do it, but I made up for the days I missed it at other times. I wasn't paranoid about it. I have done this for over 40 years. In my retirement years, the best place was on St. George Street where I saw hundreds of people a day. I got lots of rejections, but a lot of people courteously took the tract. In 40 years of doing this, I have never heard of one single person coming to Jesus until today." You know, I would say that he has to be commitment. To show gratitude and love for Jesus to do that for 40 years and not hear of any results. That simple little non-charismatic Baptist man witnessed to perhaps 147,000 people. I think that God was showing that Baptist pastor from London was the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Goodness knows how many more had been arrested for Christ. Doing huge jobs out in the mission fields. Mr. Genor died two weeks later. Can you imagine the reward he went home to in Heaven? I doubt his face would ever have appeared on Charisma Magazine. I doubt there would ever have been a photograph and a write up in Billy Graham's Decision magazine. No one except a little group of Baptists in Sydney knew about Mr. Genor, but I tell you his name was famous in Heaven. Heaven knew Mr. Genor and you can imagine the welcome and Red Carpet and the fanfare that he received when he went home to Glory. ..."The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37-38


Why tracts work
1. They are a very economical form of evangelism
2. They work while we sleep
3. They have the ability to get into a house and stay there
4. They are never afraid or show cowardice
5. They are never tempted to compromise their message
6. They never get tired, discouraged or give up
7. They stick to what they have to say and never argue
8. They can present the message when don't have time
9. They can go to places where we cannot
10. They get people in the mood – they only speak when they are read

The very first service which my youthful heart rendered to Christ was the placing of tracts in envelopes, and then sealing them up, that I might send them. . . . I might have done nothing for Christ if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do a little. Then I sought to do something more, and from that something more, and I do not doubt that many servants of God have been led on to higher and nobler labours for their Lord, because they began to serve Him in the right spirit and manner. . . . I used to write texts on little scraps of paper, and drop them anywhere, that some poor creatures might pick them up, and receive them as messages of mercy to their souls. I could scarcely content myself even for five minutes without trying to do something for Christ. If I walked along the street, I must have a few tracts with me; if I went into a railway carriage, I must drop a tract out of the window; if I had a moment's leisure, I must be upon my knees or at my Bible; if I were in company, I must turn the subject of conversation to Christ, that I might serve my Master. C.H. Spurgeon


One-2-One
In order to truly get out onto the streets we must make be diligent to learn how to open up conversations. As we learn to swing from the natural to the spiritual we can speak the things of God to them in a not confronting, loving manner. Tracts are usually used to stop the person in order to drum up a conversation.




Open Air Preaching

Now open air I imagine drums up visions of those people on street corners screaming hellfire repentance and while it is true that without repentance they will see hell, there is a correct way to do it being fun, yet allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work. Some methods used are to offer money for trivia questions which draws a crowd because money is god to most people and then after we have given some singles away we offer $10 or $20.00 for someone who thinks they are a good person. They of course want the money so we take them through the law. They are guilty, and the crowd has also become guilty under the law. Now you can give them grace because they now know WHY they need a savior.

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Rom 7:7-13

At the end of the open air meeting, even though the “good person” was in fact not good by God’s standards, we still give them the money which represents God’s grace.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph 2:1-9


So with these offensive methods we can take it into the streets and away from the church. I believe this is the Biblical approach to evangelism and it is offensive.


And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:18

Hell’s gates are defensive and Jesus kicked them down and so we should be like Him and not let Satan infiltrate our ranks. We are the body, the bride of Christ and therefore we have all of heaven on our side.


· Defensive Evangelism

In order to be defensive we must know what we are fighting against. The apostle Paul makes it very clear.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Eph 6:12

So the enemy is spiritual, not physical. If that be the case we must guard everything closely. This includes the people in the church, our doctrine, and our very souls. This is war and I believe that the battle is very real and we need very strong, aggressive methods to protect our groups. I propose the following:

Strong Apologetics classes offered during the week
Strong qualifications for small group leaders
Close examination of teaching materials being used during group settings

In the Seeker Small Group book by Garry Poole he talks about inviting non-Christian people into your group to explore Christianity. I believe this is the vital second step in the sense that they have been given the Gospel and they are not ready to commit at that time. He cites that many have intellectual arguments that they cannot resolve. This is where strong apologetics come in and therefore we must be ready always to defend our faith. Some excellent resources are listed below.
http://www.carm.org/
http://www.drdino.com/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.crosstv.com/

In learning how to evangelize, people are naturally pushed to read scripture, to pray, and to study.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
2Ti 2:15

So if this is how we should evangelize, how do the groups enact it? I believe the following things need to happen.

We need to seek God with diligent purposeful prayer asking with boldness for workers who will step up and fit the qualifications that the church sets forth for leaders instead of seeking anyone who will facilitate a group.

We need to have small group leader training that is intense and God glorifying. What I mean by that is that those who are most able to teach (pastors, elders) should teach the small group leaders good biblical doctrine to ensure that we are truly doing the work we have been called to and not sowing error into the members. This should be a monthly class if not weekly. See this excellent sermon by John MacArthur. http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/90-157.HTM

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2Ti 2:1-2

So in closing, to enact this in small groups takes a strong leadership core at the very top who will impart it to the small group leaders and then they will impart it to others in their groups. This will allow God’s word to be highly exalted and God will receive glory.

I believe like all of the leadership in the church does that we are to lead people to Jesus Christ. Once they are a part of the family, I believe a strong discipleship program needs to be in place which should come primarily through small groups. This will ignite people to evangelize which is the key to advancing the kingdom and will encourage strong Word knowledge.



“I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working.” - James Hudson Taylor

“You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most…It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance.”– John Wesley

“Oh! men and brethren, what would this heart feel if I could but believe that there were some among you who would go home and pray for a revival – men whose faith is large enough, and their love fiery enough to lead them from this moment to exercise unceasing intercessions that God would appear among us and do wondrous things here, as in the times of former generations.” -C. H. Spurgeon

"My Lord was pleased to die for my sins; why should I not be glad to give up my poor life out of love for Him." -Girolamo Savanarola

"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." - Leonard Ravenhill



Abiding in His Grace,
Jeff