Recently he shared this excellent post.

Ten Verses to Defend Your Faith

by Sean McDowell

For the past few days I have been trying to think of the top ten verses that would be most helpful to apologists and evangelists. I have reflected on my own experience and also gotten feedback from many of you on Facebook and Twitter. So, here are my top ten verses to defend your faith (in no particular order):

1 Peter 3:15: “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”   As an apologist you may find yourself having to defend the purpose of apologetics. This is the classic verse indicating that everyone is to be prepared to give an answer with gentleness and respect.

John 1:1-3: “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”  This is one of the most compelling and clear articulations of the deity of Christ. It shows that Christ is the eternal creator and is one with (although distinct from) the Father.

Acts 5:3-4: ^“3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” There is much confusion among Christians as well as groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses about the identity of the Holy Spirit. This passage shows the deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit…

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Greg Stier: “Sadly, the 2,000 year old practice of evangelism has 2,000 years worth of baggage that comes with it.”

Let’s play a word association game. When I use the word “evangelism” what comes to mind?

A bullhorn?

A “Repent” sign?

A pointed index finger (resulting in a flipped up middle finger)?

Too often, too many of us have negative views of the word evangelism. Sadly, the 2,000 year old practice of evangelism has 2,000 years worth of baggage that comes with it (i.e. the inquisition, burning heretics at the stake, Jim Jones, etc.) In the early church, the baggage was merely carry-on. But today, there is so much baggage associated with evangelism that we are forced to check it and tempted to chuck it.

But we shouldn’t. Jesus himself modeled the right brand of evangelism, which was equal parts awkward and awesome, drenched in both love and boldness. He commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. The baton of that responsibility has been passed from generation of believers to generation of believers, and it is now firmly in our hands. It’s our turn to run with it. But as we do, we should do it with an eye toward changing people’s perspective of evangelism from manipulative and obnoxious to patient, powerful, and persuasive.

Here are five reasons why we need to rebrand evangelism:

1. Evangelism literally means “to bring Good News.”

Christians are called to be the good news people, not the bad news bears. When we evangelize, we are to do it with a smile on our face and a twinkle in our eyes. It’s like getting the privilege of telling a friend that the Lotto ticket they had purchased was the big winner or sharing with a cancer-ridden family member that scientists have discovered the cure. Biblical evangelism reeks of breathless excitement and joy, not judgmental, frowny-faced coercion.

2. It has been typecast for “the professionals.”

Too often, we think of Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Luis Palau, and other evangelists as the most qualified Christians to do the work of evangelism. But the rebranding of evangelism begins when it moves from the professionals to the people. When the gospel begins to spread like a contagion is, not just when another evangelistic festival comes to town, but when the everyday Joes and Jolenes take the good news to their family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates.

To rebrand evangelism we must put the work squarely in the hands of “the average Christian.” In the words of Jim Groen, “The first reformation took place when the Word of God got into the hands of the common people. The second reformation will take place when the work of God gets into the hands of the common people.”  read the rest …

February 28, 2011 — Tom Cocklereece, DMin, LBCT

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD OF A SAMPLE DISCIPLESHIP PLAN FROM SIMPLE DISCIPLESHIP.

Click Here—> “DISCIPLESHIP PLAN“

My readers know that I am passionate about disciple-making and it pains me when other Christian leaders accuse proponents of full discipleship of being less than zealous of penetrating lostness by saturation evangelism. I am just as zealous of evangelism as I am about the teaching part of the Great Commission. However, I am also against what I call “Constantinian evangelism” which is evangelism without discipleship. Allow me to explain.

CONSTANTINE’S CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY

Chi-Rho Symbol

In the spring of A.D. 311, Constantine and his force of about 40,000 troops marched toward Rome to confront the more numerous forces of Maxentius. In the evening Constantine saw a vision in the sky which was described as a bright cross with the words “By this sign conquer.” According to Constantine’s account, Jesus Christ told him in a dream to take the cross into battle as his standard. Constantine reportedly had his commander to mark every soldier’s shield with the Chi-Rho symbol- thought to be an early Christian sign identifying allegiance to Christ (Christianity Today).

CONSTANTINE SET THE STAGE FOR EVANGELISM WITHOUT DISCIPLESHIP

Constantine

Stories continue to circulate that Constantine supposedly marched his army through a river for a ritual mass conversion to Christianity or gave them a sprinkling baptism as they marched under a bridge. There is scant evidence that such a mass conversion event occurred. It is well documented in history that Constantine himself remained a superficial Christian at best during the rest of his life. The standard practice of that day for new converts to Christianity was a rigid discipleship course lasting up to three years followed by baptism. Constantine refused any such course of training and even refused baptism until he was close to death.

By his victory at the Milvian Bridge using the Chi-Rho symbol, many soldiers likely adopted the mark in a superstitious way. They accepted the symbol of Christianity while never seeking to really know the Savior Jesus Christ. Thus began what might be called “Constantinian evangelism” or evangelism without discipleship. Constantine may have instituted mass conversion of his military by the use of an indoctrination prayer:

Constantine’s Army Prayer
Emperor Constantine ca 320

We know Thou art God alone;
we recognize in Thee our king.
We call on Thee for aid.
From thee we receive victory,
through thee we are made greater than our enemies.

We recognize thy grace in present blessings
and hope on Thee for the future.
We all beseech Thee, we implore Thee
to preserve our king Constantine
and his pious sons safe and victorious to the end or our days.

Constantine’s Prayer

In A.D. 303 it was illegal for a soldier in the Roman army to be a Christian; by 416 it was mandatory for a soldier to be a Christian (Adventist Review). The possible use of a prayer for either mass conversion (which converts no no one) or represents compulsory religious conversion by the state should send chills down the spiritual spine of any evangelical Christian. However, it does raise the question for evangelicals: “Do we use what is known as “the sinner’s prayer” in a similar manner?

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” The Sinner’s Prayer

Certainly evangelicals do not approve of or use the sinner’s prayer for state compulsory or mass conversion but the focus on evangelism and baptisms without an equal focus on discipleship raises concern.

INVESTING IN EVANGELISM FUTURES

Process Discipleship

I am not a proponent of a several year discipleship process before one is accepted as a genuine Christian. However, if only by default, many evangelical Christian leaders today may have unintentionally accepted a powerless form of Christianity—evangelism and conversion without discipleship, i.e. Constantinian evangelism. I am for all evangelistic efforts PLUS discipleship.

Discussions rage about the decline of evangelical churches and much of it centers on the need for more evangelism. However, undiscipled Christians are often poor evangelists. Consider that an original document is printed and then successive photo copies are made from copies of the original. Eventually the document will be unreadable. Undiscipled Christians may be like the illustration and fail to make new disciples. On the other hand, good discipleship of new Christians is an investment into future evangelism and real church growth.

Good discipleship of new Christians is an investment into future evangelism and real church growth.

It is time for the evangelical church to return to making disciples as the Great Commission commands—baptizing AND teaching. Church leaders should connect all discipleship ministries in an intentional process as well as cultivate a church culture where people are motivated to follow through in the growth process. The process must include missional opportunities that encourage hands-on ministry experience. Churches that do this are revitalizing their ability to do effective evangelism, as they create needed sustainability.

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QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

1. When Jesus commands his church to make disciples, to what degree does the responsibility belong to the church and to what degree is it the individual Christian’s responsibility?
2. Do you think that some evangelists use “the sinner’s prayer” as Constantine may have used “Constantine’s Army Prayer?”
3. What process does your church use to make disciples?
4. Does your church focus on evangelism without a viable plan for discipling new believers?
5. Does your church take a passive laissez-faire approach to discipling new Christians?
6. How may your church improve the discipleship process?

Simple Discipleship Blessings!

Dr. Tom Cocklereece, The Disciplist

The Simple Discipleship blog is read by Christian leaders in over 66 countries. Pray for this ministry as God has enlarged our territory!

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Simple Discipleship: How to Make Disciples in the 21^st Century was published and released by Church Smart Resources in November 2009. It is not a self-published book. To learn more about Simple Discipleship and to order the book, follow the link below:

http://www.simplediscipleship.com

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Dr. Tom Cocklereece is CEO of RENOVA Coaching and Consulting, LLC

Author “Simple Discipleship,” contributing writer L2L Blogazine
He is a pastor, an author, professional coach, and leadership specialist

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Fairview Bethel Church of God

New Cumberland PA

Dave Anderson and Dan Masshardt are back with the 2012 version of last year’s most popular School of Evangelism Class. They will be sharing insights, philosophy, strategies and resources to help churches of 150 persons or less develop a meaningful and fruitful evangelistic ministry.

The class will meet from 8:30 am-3:30 pm in the Multipurpose Unit of the Church.  Cost is $25 per student, but as always, the class is free if this is your first in the School of Evangelism.  You should register no later than Feb. 1.  Payment can be made at the door.

Register by going to the Commission web site EVANGELISM PLUS and clicking on the link for registrations.  Or you may register on FACEBOOK by going to ERC EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING.

 by Stephen L Dunn

When the ERC decided to once again have a Commission on Evangelism, they commissioned me to be its first chair.  This was not the first time there had been such a commission. When I first entered the ministry in the early 70′s, there was such a commission but it was paired with Christian social concerns.  Like most two-headed anythings, once side gets more attention than the other. The old ECSC Commission tended to focus on social concerns – on community change instead of life change,.  I departed Pennsylvania for  almost 25 years into the Midwest–first working for the denomination, then as a pastor in Ohio and Indiana.  During that time I developed a passion for evangelism, especially as identified in 2 Corinthians 5 as the “ministry of reconciliation.”

It was there I discovered the resource Becoming a Contagious Christian and another idea, Servant Evangelism.  I taught my churches how to build redemptive relationships and perform acts of kindness in Jesus’ name to lay a pre-evangelism foundation.  The churches I served began to enjoy evangelism as they found tools and understandings, but most importantly, a passion for the lost.

In Pennsylvania I learned that there was often little passion for evangelism and hence little evangelism being carried out–except in attractional events like crusades and revivals, most of those attended by the already persuaded.   And the methods when used often centered simply around a confrontation for the purposes of eliciting a decision, rather than discipling for life change.

At the first Conference after our creation, we engaged in a little two question survey: It was distributed to the lay delegates, persons who had been in leadership sometimes for generations.  The two questions were: (1) do you personally engage in a ministry of evangelism and (2) if not, why not?

What do you think were the answers given to those questions?  Make a list, and then think a bit why each answer would be on such a list?  This will be part of our discussion in the class “What is the Gospel?”

This post was published earlier this week on DEEPER EVANGELISM the blog for the School of Evangelism as a discussion preparing the students for this weekend’s class “What is the Gospel?” More will follow.