This is the first post in another summer series for Presbymergent called “Evangelism: What is it good for?” My answer: The Integrity of the Church. We aren’t authentic followers of Jesus unless we’re honest about who he is. And we aren’t faithful to His mission unless we’re willing to share honestly about him with people who aren’t his followers. But often we’re hesitant to do so, and we tend to make evangelism much more difficult than it really is. Stereotypes of pushy evangelists with contrived illustrations of the Gospel haunt us. We’d rather keep silent than be perceived as the angry fundamentalist preaching turn-or-burn. So we usually choose silence. Or we use the word “evangelism” to speak of bringing new members to our congregations. A certain program or event may put more people in the pews on Sunday, but it’s not necessarily evangelism.
Evangelism as Honesty
July 8, 2009 By 5 Comments
What if evangelism were simply about honesty? I believe evangelism is honesty about Jesus and what the Church has believed about him for two millenia, as well honesty about our own failures individually and collectively as the Church. First, honesty about Jesus. If someone asked you to tell them about a friend, would you launch immediately into an apologetic to prove something about your friend, or make-up some metaphor to explain why the person you’re talking to has to meet this friend? Probably not. You would simply tell them who your friend is. Likewise, we don’t need any contrived or forced presentations of the Gospel. Jesus said to his disciples, “You will be my witnesses.” Witnesses are generally expected to tell the truth of what they saw, nothing more, nothing less. That makes the commission fairly simple: be honest about who Jesus is. Honesty about Jesus also means telling his whole story, not reducing his life to his death. We have tell the truth about his teachings, his deeds, his confrontation of principalities and powers, his death, and his resurrection. That leads to honesty about the Kingdom of God, which in turn leads to honesty about the mission Jesus passed onto his disciples. When we look at evangelism this way, the pressure’s lifted off our shoulders; we’re just responsible for reporting what we’ve seen and experienced in Jesus, not for converting someone under our own power.
We can’t be honest about Jesus, though, without being honest about ourselves: our individual failures to become authentic disciples, the Church’s frequent betrayals of the mission of God throughout history. In a culture that feeds on plastic and advertising all day, authenticity and integrity speak with power. In my ministry context, I encounter a number of de-churched people, many of whom have been deeply wounded by people or things bearing the Christian label. One told me this weekend that when he was in the Church, Christians were the most immoral people he knew. We lack integrity. The first step to regaining that integrity is confession: admitting to the world our failures to be authentic followers of Jesus. On the one hand, we’re admitting that we’re human. People within the Church have screwed up often since day-one and won’t cease screwing up until the Kingdom of God comes in its fullness. But our humanity isn’t an excuse not to seek integrity. How often do we buy into lies that make it easier for us to stop following Jesus? How often do we distort Jesus’ teachings to make them easier for us to swallow? A life authentically lived as a community following Jesus will speak more powerfully than words, and that’s the next step toward regaining integrity. What does it look like to live individual and communal lives that give substance to what we say is truth about Jesus?
I'm a 2008 graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, now serving as Co-Organizing Pastor to The Upper Room NCD in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and as a barista at the 61C Cafe.
Well put I couldn’t agree with you more. I love how you emphasized that evangelism is about Jesus Christ. Simply put the good news is Jesus himself. Most people these days seem to think it is about a get out of jail free card. When we look at Jesus, our Lord, as the good news we are confronted with our own sinfulness in the reflection of his perfection. Then the great thing is the truth of his death and resurrection giving us the grace to serve him as our Lord once again. Great synopsis Chris!
Well written. I hope others link to the blog as it speaks to so many issues that the mainline needs to deal with. Evangelism isn’t about filling the pews!
I tend to answer that last question with Romans 12.
You’re right about honesty. Ultimately, our doctrinal trench warfare and compulsive use of AmeriChrist Inc. groupspeak leaves people without a clue what the Gospel story is all about. This is…unfortunate…because the story we have to share carries a truth that resonates every soul that’s hoped for something better.
Thanks for writing this, Chris. I’ve wrestled pretty deeply with evangelism. Then, recently, God placed a correspondence in my life where to not share what I thought about God would have been to deny who I am and what I believe about life–and thus, to deny God too–to deny who God made me to be. It was through copious amounts of honesty–about my own walk and joys and failures, and about the Church’s walk and joys and failures–that I accidentally led someone to God. It was, perhaps, the most amazing experience of my life… and his too.
Ah Evangelism. I liked this article because of the challenges to individual responsibility. Evangelism is something we often push off on others.
I think it is about being present with the love of God ready to be shared. Being an angel… ev-ANGEL-ism
God knows us and loves us still
Bobbie