Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Introduction

The Art of Christian Conversation

The opening statement can be debatable I didn’t agree with it personally; “It is just

natural for Christians to talk”. The reason I disagree with this opening assessment and

stereotype of all Christians, it simply this, If you were a quite introspective person prior

to conversion chance are you will remain so afterwards. The writer seems to feel that

the New Birth “makes” a person talkative. I will give you a Biblical example of what I

am trying to say. Jesus had 12 disciples and out of that group He chose a sub-group

called the Inner-Circle (Peter, James, and John) you read about Peter and John often and

hardly anything about James; Yet James was one of Jesus closest disciples. I do agree

that the Holy Spirit give us courage to share the Good News, He still doesn’t override

or individual will. I really do not think a person will become more extroverted by

accepting Christ. I do believe that we are apt to share our faith because of our love for

Jesus and the inspiration the Holy Spirit gives us. But I also believe our personalities are

what they are and the individual Christian personality is what it is.

If you get discouraged remember to pray on it, like you did before you started to try

to witness to others. Let God help you. He will give you the courage to help you on

your journey to bring more people closer to Him and on the road to salvation. I do

agree with the author that we are compelled to share our faith by virtue of the Holy

Spirit’s prompting, however that doesn’t mean God will make us talkative if by nature

we are quiet or introverted. Prayer is essential in the Christian's life. Without it your

witness will be far less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the enemy.

When you witness, you need the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be in

fellowship and prayer with The Lord on a consistent basis in order to be an effective

witness. I think we must remember that it is the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

that enables us to witness. It is not our eloquence or witty speech that convinces people

to accept Christ. People are drawn by God. As far as our conversation goes I believe

that the fruit of the Spirit will also help us because our manner of speech will drastically

change as we grow in Grace.

Our manner of talking is so important a matter, not merely for getting along in this

life but also for reaching the next, that the most flaming of the Apostles, St. Paul, fiery

trail blazer to salvation, declared, "Your manner of speaking must always be gracious,

with an edge of liveliness, ready to give each questioner the right answer."1 I should

like especially to call attention to his requiring "an edge of liveliness" in a good

Christian's conversation! It pleases me to interpret this to mean that a fellow who never

lifts a coin from his mother's purse, but who uses up fifteen and then-s to tell how he

talked the "cop" out of a traffic ticket, has a mighty slim chance of wriggling through

that biblical "eye of a needle" that is the gate of heaven!

John Locke, the English philosopher, said, "Before a man can speak on any subject it

is necessary to be acquainted with it." We recall that Samuel Johnson said that for

conversation "There must, in the first place, be knowledge, there must be materials."

One cannot get out of a sack what isn't in it. Since conversation is the communicating of

facts, ideas, and feelings, one must have them to talk them.

While we think of eating as largely a pleasure, we know it is also the means of

keeping us alive. Similarly we think of conversation as a satisfaction and amusement,

yet do not quite so well realize that it is also the sustenance of our mental life. It is an

ocean that never dries up, but which, when it stagnates causes a shriveling up of

everything else, and which, when it ebbs and flows and pushes in all the streams and

inlets, gives a livelier pulse to life everywhere.

Thus, the problem of evangelism is not getting people to do it, but rather a lack of

spiritual reality. It is a problem of being able to deliver what is asserted: which is an

ability to direct others into the presence of the living God in actual encounter.

If we wish to be evangelists, let us seek the Lord while He can be found. And once we

know Him really, then we can introduce others to Him. Let us not be frauds if we do not

have real access to Him, nor let us encourage hypocrisy in others, nor should we be lazy

(an unlikely problem, really)--if we have met Him--to share our bounty with others.

Since the major problem is the lack of reality, evangelism training must start with an

emphasis to know God for those who hope to be able to "lead others" to Him. We must

know how to get there, and have gone ourselves. Anything else is a hideous fraud and

sin. (Mt 23:15)

Remember that our "testimony" is not a "spiel", or prepackaged script, but the truth about

who we are and who God is, what we have done and what He has done. To this we must

witness, and "reckon ourselves dead" to all else.

God hates trumpery and phoniness and has made this quite clear, so we need not pretend

we know all the answers or are in some other way "prepared" to start. We ARE his

witnesses, and as we speak of our own depravity (as opposed to worldly boasting and

self-promotion) and God's goodness we will find those chosen by God will deeply

resonate to this message by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus said in John 3, "we speak what we KNOW..."

Notice how Paul always tells WHAT HAPPENED to him--how God saved HIM--when

"witnessing". Thus, we have the same story told three times in the book of Acts about

what happened on the road. The telling, and re-telling, of this made him look like rather a

chump, but this was the point. Remember it was Paul who said "God's strength is made

perfect in weakness". So Paul boasted of his history of stupidity and deliverance,

shameful as it was. This kind of "witness" is the hope offered to others that they too can

be healed and made holy before God.

This is true "Christian witnessing". All else I call "Mormon witnessing"--the logical

spiel--the program, the mental strong-arming, the sales-pitch, etc.

We simply are honest about our doubts, our deliverance, our impatience (like David--who

had "a heart after God"), our failures, what He has done for us, His goodness, and the

like--without exaggeration or hype--and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. I think our natural

abilities to communicate either verbally or in written text can be equally effective

because it is not us but the Christ in us that is actually touching the hearts of men and

women. Sometimes witnessing should be as natural as striking up a conversation at a bus

stop and discussing last night’s baseball game. Jesus Christ is not just who we believe in

but rather He is in us and speaking through us.

Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Chapter One

Through Him All Things were Made

The opening verse of scripture used by the author was really perfect for this chapter

because the thing that separates Christianity from all other faiths is the issue of Jesus

Christ authority and deity. I think there is far to much compromise on the issue when

modern era Christians try and evangelize to non-believers. I personally feel the issue of

Jesus deity cannot be compromised to satisfy the enemies of the cross. Millions of

people think Jesus (Yeshua) was just a “good” man, a guru of sorts, or a prophet with a

nice message. Jesus was and is God. C.S. Lewis said a man that made the claims Jesus

did had to be God or a lunatic. Denial of this fact can cost you your soul. If this

knowledge is SO important, why is it hidden to so many?

It is interesting that the author introduces the influence of Karl Marx and Communism

as a major influence on society. While I agree there was an influence from Communism

in attacking the issue of Jesus authority and the validity of Christianity, I feel that

American immorality and racism played a role in hindering the message of the cross at

home and abroad.

Millions of people are of the opinion that Jesus was some New Age guru that found

nirvana, The Holy Spirit is some impersonal force (i.e. Star Wars), and God is a cosmic

big bang that accidentally spawned mankind from some left-over protoplasm. The

problems with these lines of thought are that they will leave you without a heavenly

Father, a Savior for your soul, and a Spirit to keep and guide you. There are some

specific things that we shall examine to help you defend and understand the truth about

Jesus humanity and deity. Jesus is the most talked about man in history, and sadly the

most misunderstood and misrepresented. Jesus was a Jewish carpenter who was also The

Son of God. To some it seems quite contradictory for God to subject himself to such a

humble existence. The Jews expected the Messiah to be a warrior and not a humble

servant. Even Christians forget that Jesus was the ultimate example of servitude.

Remember Peter’s reaction when Jesus wanted to wash his feet? Peter knew that God was

kneeling before him and it was hard for him to understand how the Messiah could wash

his feet.

I am glad the author later in this chapter doesn’t absolve America from the decline of

Christian values. He brings up a valid point about the American’s sense of individualism

and drive for intellectual and material wealth.

When we are saved we become a new creation, according to 2 Cor. 5:17: “Therefore,

if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all

things have become new.” This is the new state of being resulting from the action of the

new birth. Where the new birth emphasizes the radical transformation we undergo, the

new creation emphasizes the radical new person we become. How is it possible to

become an old creation once again? Can we be uncreated? Now if we had any doubt as to

the extent of this creation, Paul dispels it by specifying that the old things have passed

away. All things have become new. If I go out and buy a new car and decide I don’t like

it, I can give it back and continue using the old one. But if I have rebuilt the old car,

sanded off the old paint and repainted it, torn out the upholstery and had it reupholstered,

replaced the old engine, tires and electrical system and taken the old parts to the dump—

how can I possibly untransform it and make it back into the old car? God’s work in this

new creation is more than restoration, it is actual creation: we have been created a “new

man” in God’s image (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10).

For many religions it is hard to accept the fact that Jesus is the Creator of the Universe,

but it stands to reason that the same miraculous power that created the Universe is needed

to re-create us after the original sin. Christians don’t really fathom the miraculous work

of salvation. Salvation is God’s work not the work of men. I believe that we often forget

that we cannot “save:” anyone. Too often religion get’s in the way of the process and

miracle of salvation. I believe too many churches blur the difference between

justification and sanctification. Understanding the difference between justification and

sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference between salvation and

damnation.  Rightly dividing between the two is of crucial importance.  When you

understand what they are, you can then draw a line in the sand and say, "This is what

saves.  This is not what saves."

Even though we are unworthy of salvation, even though we are unworthy of God's love,

even though we are unworthy of mercy, even though we are worthy of wrath, God saved

us.  He did so not because of who we are, but because of who He is, not because of what

we do, but because of what He did.  The real danger of not fully understanding that we

need to be justified is we become like Pharisees. Sanctification can ONLY take place

after being justified by accepting the free gift of salvation.

Sin does two things: it offends God and it kills man.  How?  It offends God because it is

His law we break.  It kills us because of the nature of Law. Have you ever heard of a law

without a punishment?  A law without a punishment is only a slogan.  Since God is just

and laws have punishments, then God must punish the lawbreaker.  But that is not the end

of the story.  God is also merciful and gracious.  His justice fell upon Himself -- on the

cross.  His mercy falls upon us -- by grace through faith.

Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Chapter Two

Against You, O Lord, Have I Sinned

The existence of evil is often denied especially by those in the intellectual community

and those of an atheistic mindset. This chapter really focuses on the dilemma facing

America and the developed countries of the world. It is hard to convince someone they

need a “savior” when they don’t think they are in need of saving. The opening quote by

Karl Menninger “Suddenly we awoke from our pleasant dreams with a fearful realization

that something was wrong” is really appropriate especially in America. For years

Americans have lived in an ivory tower believing we are a “Christian Nation”, even

though we had slaves for over 300 years and almost annihilated a race of people (native

Americans). Somewhere the rose colored glasses came off.

This book is really interesting but like many books written from an American point of

view we still seem to think America was at some point “Christian” and somewhere along

the way we lost our way. I think America had a religious history that has had pockets of

real Christians within. I find it hard to believe that truly Born-Again believers could own

slaves, but that is my humble opinion. Like the example the author gives on page 75

about Satan casting doubt on God’s word in the Garden of Eden, I believe for the most

part that was the case in our history in America. We had a “form of Godliness” but truly

denied the power.

I think one of the biggest hindrances to the spread of Christianity in America is the

“I’m OK your OK” way we approach things pertaining to God. It always amazes me

how America can condemn atrocities in other countries and ignore the ones that have

happened on our own shores. A lack of acknowledgement of personal sin is a major

hindrance to accepting the need of a Savior.

It should not surprise us that as we follow Christ, people who want to remain in sin will

start to get uncomfortable around us; that we will be accused of being "judgmental"

before we have said a word, and that in general we are disliked and avoided for the sake

of His name. Others will be attracted to us for this same reason. This is sure proof of the

indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If this does not happen, can anyone rightly claim to have a

measure of the Holy Spirit? Holiness, by its very nature, illuminates sin in sharp relief.

Oswald Chambers: "Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a

man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy

Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses the conscience and

brings him into the presence of God, it is not his relationship with men that bothers him,

but his relationship with God."

I believe David’s Psalm of contrition (Psalm 51) is the template for the Holy Spirit to

use in us today. The attitude of David when he repented is where the Holy Spirit wants to

take us after we sin against God.

What is the difference between conviction and condemnation in the way of

repentance? Conviction is portrayed in Scripture as the first (welcome) work of the Spirit,

and condemnation as the (just) sentence of God on our sinful natures. This much,

hopefully, is clear in its practical benefit in our spiritual reflexes to prod us back into

Christ when we find ourselves "in the flesh".

Let us be clear about this: sin stinks--to us and God--but it has a purpose. Boy it hurts,

but God feels the pain all the more. So why does He in His Sovereignty allow us to make

such a mess, especially if He Himself feels the pain more acutely than we do? Is this

really the right way to cure our wound? Is this the treatment needed to craft souls that can

and will show true eternal passion towards God?

A false prophet is one who represents God's word incorrectly. When we speak on

behalf of our God, are we saying what He wants, or are we promoting our own program

under His banner? False prophets are more interested in making friends than disciples,

more interested in pleasing men than God. If we falsely represent what God requires, we

not only encourage others to reject God's message, but we share in the judgment of those

we have failed to convict of sin. The Holy Spirit never encourages our carnal nature--the

flesh. The truth is, our carnal desires and nature must die. We are wicked people. Since

we long to fellowship with an utterly holy God, somebody has got to change, and it will

not be God. God offers eternal encouragement by the way of the Gospel: death, burial,

and resurrection. The starting point is the truth. The truth convicts: we are guilty of sin.

Conviction is the first step in the cycle of sanctification, and we should expect it and

welcome it as it does its deadly work on the old man.

Yet some in the modern church have made an industry of "solving the guilt symptom"--to

the spiritual demise of many. We pay money to have someone make us feel good without

repentance; to give us the temporary illusion of God's approval of our sin; to assuage our

guilt with smooth words. But unless the sin which caused the guilt is dealt with, any relief

is only temporary and may make the problem worse. After all, conviction is the first work

of the Holy Spirit!

Imagine a doctor in a clean, well lit hospital having the following dialog with a patient:

"What seems to be the problem?" The patient replies, "My fingers are great." "Good, but

what is wrong with you." "Well, my feet are really feeling fantastic." "Fine, but this is a

hospital, what can we do for you?" "Well, let me brag about my legs, I have been walking

on them all day!" "Great, but this is a place of healing. Around here, we focus on what is

wrong so that we can make you fully healthy. Now then, where does it hurt." Now

imagine the patient saying: "That isn't very positive, I would rather talk about what is

right about me" or "I think I'll find a new hospital. I feel so "sick" here, everyone seems

to be so judgmental and faultfinding."

Or, on the contrary, imagine a needier patient going into a hospital and begging for help

for a particular problem, and having the doctor say, "Don't condemn yourself by

admitting you have a problem. I don't receive that, brother! Let's focus on the positive.

Besides, we were having a cheerful conversation about how great the hospital

administrator is... “The church should function as a spiritual hospital a place for sinners

to come and be healed. But more often, in modern Christianity, churches have become

places where people are affirmed in their sickness, or worse still where sick people brag

about self-wellness. C.H. Spurgeon: "There can be no grace where there is no guilt... You

are such kind people that, out of complement to religion you say, 'Yes, we are all sinners.'

But you know in your heart of hearts you do not mean it. You will never ask for grace

[power]; for you have no sense of shame or guilt."

C.S. Lewis: "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly

idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious

lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out

the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the

strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to

temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour

later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have

lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil

impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was the only man who

never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation

means--the only complete realist." I often realize how merciful God is only when I am on

my own knees seeking His face knowing fully I do NOT deserve anything from Him. I

keep this in mind when I am sharing Christ with someone, it keeps me humble and from

falling into self righteousness.

Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Chapter Three

“I Have Come That They May Have Life in All Its Fullness”

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the thing that separates Jesus from all others.

If Jesus had not rose from the dead our salvation would not be valid. A great many false

religions claim their prophets are equal to or greater than Jesus. No one ever saw

Muhammad walk down the street after he died. Confucius didn’t have lunch with his

followers after he died. Buddha never appeared to his believers for an afternoon lecture.

My point is Messiahship belongs to Jesus alone. Jesus not only rose from the dead, but

he ascended back to the throne room of heaven, His rightful place. Jesus posed the same

question the author did when He asked His disciples “Who do YOU say that I am?” and I

think we forget that the right answer ONLY came as God Himself revealed it to Simon

Peter. We often forget in our zeal to win souls that salvation is really God’s work and it

take the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal that to the lost.

Jesus asked Lazerus sister a serious question, “Do you believe I am the resurrection.

Do you believe that trusting in me will give you eternal life?”

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the difference between Him and all other so-

called messiahs.

The fact that Jesus defeated death makes Him more than just a “good man”. Jesus rose

from the dead bodily, not just as a spirit. He appeared to over 500 people after the

crucifixion. Evidently the Romans and the Sanhedrin were afraid he would rise from the

dead, they put armed guards outside of His tomb.

Jesus allows His closest disciples to see Him in His glory, why? Jesus had to

encourage them concerning His death. They were nervous about all the talk of His death;

Jesus wanted them to know that death had no power over Him. The Father also

reinforced His position by declaring to the three disciples, “ This is my beloved Son, in

whom I am well pleased, HEAR HIM! I see Peter initially made the same mistake many

today makes…putting Jesus on a level with great men. (Elijah and Moses) Jesus was (is)

more than a great man…HE IS GOD! I believe Jesus transfiguration is His boldest

statement concerning His deity. Why? Simple! It is here that he shows people He is

God. Jesus gave The Inner circle (Peter/James/John) a glimpse of His glory. They

shared the same privilege Moses, Joshua, Ezekiel, and Isaiah did…to see the God and His

glory. The author does a great job emphasizing the fact that Jesus is both fully God and

both fully man, a fact that is vital in sharing the faith that we have in Jesus Christ.

Jesus quoted this prophecy of Isaiah in the synagogue before the Elders and His peers.

This was Jesus declaration of His “mission statement”. Jesus started His earthly ministry

declaring what he would do. Long before Muhammad Ali predicted knockouts of his

opponents, Jesus proclaimed His peerless power to those around Him. Jesus validated

His deity by doing things only God could do. Jesus healed every disease he encountered.

He opened blinded eyes, he cleared deaf ears, the dumb were able to speak, and the lame

was able to walk. Jesus demonstrated power over nature as well; He walked on water

and calmed the storm. Jesus had power over demons, they trembled at His appearance.

Jesus forgave sin and healed the brokenhearted. But the miracle that really validated His

Godhood was the ability to defeat death. Jesus raised the dead! No other prophet good

or false could do the things that Jesus did. When John the Baptist was in prison he got

discouraged and sent a messenger to Jesus and asked the question, “are you the one?” I

imagine Jesus could have easily said YES! Instead Jesus said, “tell John the blind see,

the lame walk, and the deaf hear.” This was Jesus way of reminding John, “Hey I am the

real deal!” He didn’t walk around with tunic that said “I’M GOD!” Jesus showed

everyone He was God. Jesus was not bashful either, contrary to what some perceive

about Him, Jesus often said things to validate His deity.

If you were to ask the average person to gather information about Jesus, they would

probably start with the Gospel of Matthew. They would be partially correct in starting

there; however, there are 39 Old Testament books that discuss Him as well. Jesus was

born of a virgin (Mary) that was impregnated by God (The Holy Ghost) (Luke 1:26-32).

He was given the name Jesus (Y’shua) or Joshua in Hebrew. The name means Yahweh’s

Salvation or Salvation is of the Lord.

Jesus was born to die for the sins of the world. But was this the beginning of His

existence? No it wasn’t! His birth was not the beginning of His existence, but the

beginning of an incarnation. The Lord Jesus Christ always existed, as the Son of God.

Remember John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.”

Now someone might argue the point, “How do we know that THE WORD is Jesus?

Well let’s look at other scripture. I John 5:7 says, “ There are three that bear record in

heaven, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost; these three are one.” Jesus (The

Word) is a co-equal partner in the Holy Tri-unity of God. (Triunity is a word I use to

describe I John 5:7) There is only one God, but in three persons. The Father/Word/Holy

Spirit they are in complete agreement with each other, hence the word "Triunity”. They

are one in purpose and power. The Bible says Jesus has ALL power in His hands . Only

God can have ALL POWER! The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the thing that

separates Jesus from all others. If Jesus had not risen from the dead our salvation would

not be valid. A great many false religions claim their prophets are equal to or greater

than Jesus. No one ever saw Muhammad walk down the street after he died. Confucius

didn’t have lunch with his followers after he died. Buddha never appeared to his

believers for an afternoon lecture. My point is Messiahship belongs to Jesus alone. Jesus

not only rose from the dead, but he ascended back to the throne room of heaven, His

rightful place.

Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Chapter Four

“Rebirth and Renewal in the Holy Spirit”

This chapter is very important for believers that have a mind for Evangelism because we

must truly understand that only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we effectively

preach Jesus Christ and live for Jesus Christ. To me, the most important Scriptures in the

Bible are the ones that are printed in red. They are the Lord's spoken Words when He

was on the earth. We know that the entire Bible is inspired of God, but these words in

red are the very words of God our Savior.

John 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the

Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring

all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Jesus wanted His disciple to understand they must depend on the Holy Spirit to lead them

and guide them as preachers and as witnesses. One issue that has weakened the effect of

Christianity in America is the lack of understanding about the role of the Holy Spirit in

the believers walk. While there are significant attacks on the deity of Jesus there are also

attacks on the person of the Holy Spirit. From the heresy of Arius to the modern day

Jehovah’s Witnesses, there continues to be an assault on the need for Rebirth and

Renewal.

This Holy Spirit's functions are to comfort, teach, and guide. Jesus is the Saviour. The

Spirit of God was present with Jesus when He walked the earth. When Jesus goes back

to heaven and becomes the Word again, the Spirit of God will still be present on the earth

in the Holy Spirit. In all of this, notice the unity of the will of the Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are to continue the work of Jesus

Christ. This was my favorite chapter of this book because it helps the reader realize that

the Holy Spirit is the real witness and source of power. Jesus trained twelve ordinary men

to continue His evangelism and healing ministry, and then He sent them out on a short

mission’s trip to put into practice what they had been learning:

Luke 9:1-2,6,10: "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent

On their short-term missions trip, the apostles preached the Gospel, healed the sick, and

cast out demons. Jesus was preparing them to take over His evangelism and healing

ministry. Notice in the passage above that the apostles healed the sick (by the power of

God). In the same way, you can heal the sick in Jesus' Name (by the power of God).

In Luke 4:18, Jesus said that God had sent Him into the world to have an earthly ministry

of preaching the Good News and healing the sick. In John 17:18-19 Jesus told His

Father that He had sent the disciples into the world to do the same ministry that He had

been sent to do. Then in John 20:21 Jesus told the disciples that He was sending them

into the world to do the same ministry that He had been sent to do:

Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind"

John 17:18-19: "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."

John 20:21: "Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.""

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave the disciples what we call "the Great Commission":

Matthew 28:18-20: "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

The Holy Spirit is the one force in the world today that is restraining the world from

plunging headlong into the darkest expression of its sin and rebellion. But there will

come a time in the future when the Holy Spirit will withdraw and believers will be

snatched away (Luke 17:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) - and then the full expression of

sin will be revealed in time for the outpouring of God's judgment. As vessels of the Holy

Spirit, we too are encouraged to be instruments of His restraint (see Matthew 5:13; 1

Timothy 2:1-2). The early Church was birthed in the power of the Holy Spirit, and it

was that power that gave evidence of the reality of what they had experienced.

One of the Holy Spirit's functions is to testify to the truth of the Gospel by performing

miracles and wonders. We have been given the Holy Spirit, but He is only released to do

His work in our lives as we allow Him to. We are not only to "receive the Holy Spirit"

(John 20:22), but are to ''walk in the Spirit'' (Galatians 5:25, KJV) - to live under His

canopy and allow Him to have full influence over our daily lives.

The Holy Spirit is the bond that unites us with God. This is not "the Force." God is

personal, so the Holy Spirit is a personal presence. Christians live in community. Jesus

described himself as a vine, with us as the branches. It is not possible to be united with

him without also being united with other Christians. The motivating force behind the

Christian life is love. Since love is a personal relationship, there's no way to grow in love

other than to be with others. This Christian community is called the "Church".

The Creed speaks of the Church as holy and catholic. The term "catholic" means

"universal". Because the Church is Christ's body, there is ultimately only one Church.

While the ideal is that the Church is holy and one, the reality is that it is human. That

means that it is often less than holy, and it is all too often far from one. This does not

mean that we can live without it. Christian love isn't real unless it's willing to come to

grips with real human relationships and the problems that arise with them.

The term "communion of saints" refers to the unity of all of Christ's followers, living and

dead.

Forgiveness of sins is one of the key marks of Christianity. Christ died to seal our

forgiveness by God. We are expected to respond by forgiving each other, and acting as a

force for reconciliation in the world.

The term "resurrection of the body" is worth a note: It's fairly common for religions to

believe that there is some existence after death. However this is often seen in ways that

would be better described as "immortality of the soul". That is, many religions believe

that there is something in human beings beyond the body. This survives death, and is in

some way united with God. I really believe that the greatest work of the Holy Spirit is

the conviction of sin. The conviction of sin is what “keeps us”, the Bible tells us that

ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. So how can fallen men and women

help fulfill the Great Commission? Through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit we are

always reminded of the Holy mandate in our spirit. It is hard for a Spirit-filled believer to

ignore the tug of conviction, that conviction constrains us to share the message of Jesus

not only verbally but in our deeds as well.

Christians generally believe in the immortality of the soul (though a few do not).

However the characteristic Christian belief is something else: the resurrection of the

body. Christianity, like Judaism, sees the body as an intrinsic part of a human being.

They do not believe that the soul will exist in the long run independent of something like

a body. (Some Christians do believe in an "intermediate state" between death and the

final judgment. During this period, souls may temporarily exist without a body.)

When Jesus addressed His closest friends in the upper room on the eve of His crucifixion,

He introduced them to the far-reaching ministry of the Holy Spirit — the "other"

Comforter ("another" of the same essence), the blessed Paraclete. Among the roles God

the Spirit exercises is a convincing role. John 16:8-11 is very clear, When He comes, He

will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: about sin, because they do

not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no

longer see Me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Theologian Herman Bavinck wrote an important volume called An Introduction to the

Science of Missions. Drawing from the word translated "convict," he coined the word

elenctics. His argument, written in the context of the mid-20th century, was that missions'

strategies and methods of his era had fallen short of the Great Commission mandate. He

wrote:

"When we speak of elenctics we do well to understand it in the sense that it has in John

16:8. The Holy Spirit will convince the world of sin. The Holy Spirit is actually the only

conceivable subject of this verb, for the conviction of sin exceeds all human ability. Only

the Holy Spirit can do this, even though he can and will use us as instruments in his

hand."2

The Holy Spirit, using the biblical message of the Cross, "awakens in man that deeply

hidden awareness of guilt. He convinces man of sin, even where previously no

consciousness of sin was apparently present. The Holy Spirit uses the word of the

preacher and touches the heart of the hearer, making it accessible to the word."3

When the Holy Spirit convinces people of their sin, of Jesus' righteousness, and of certain

judgment, He awakens the human heart to hear and see truth in a new way. Upon seeing

and perceiving (cf. Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:15), the human heart cries out for God.

In ancient times, Job experienced this first hand. Surely I spoke about things I did not

understand, things too wonderful for me to know .... I had heard rumors about You, but

now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I take back my words and repent in dust and ashes

(Job 42:3, 5-6, emphasis supplied).

Before the Spirit of God awakened his heart, Job felt free to speak his mind to God.

However, somewhere along the way, something transformational happened in his heart.

He who had not seen, now saw. Why? The Spirit opened his eyes. He became convinced

of his own finitude and of God's eternal majesty and glory. An awakening took place.

How? To us it is a mystery, for only the Lord God can effect such change in the human

heart. The whirlwind of God's Spirit confounded Job's every thought, directing him to see

God and God alone. The wind had blown away every last vestige of earthly reliance and

self-righteousness, and Job was changed.

Whenever Jesus showed up, He brought division among men. He brought inner peace

to a few, but outward hostility among people who were getting along fine until He

showed up. Christ's Spirit is the great polarizer, wedge driver, sword. If this same Spirit

lives in us, we should expect that we too will illuminate what eternal side people are on.

It should not surprise us that as we follow Christ, people who want to remain in sin will

start to get uncomfortable around us; that we will be accused of being "judgmental"

before we have said a word, and that in general we are disliked and avoided for the sake

of His name. Others will be attracted to us for this same reason. This is sure proof of the

indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If this does not happen, can anyone rightly claim to have a

measure of the Holy Spirit? Holiness, by its very nature, illuminates sin in sharp relief.

Mark H. Stevens, M.Min

15 March 12, 2010

TH-7044 Evangelistic Theology

Conclusion

“Peace to Those Whom He Sends”

The conclusion of this book was very short but very important because it dealt with

the conclusion of the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. The author blends the

importance of the Great Commission with the End of the Age and Christ Return. Just

before Jesus ascended into heaven He gave the disciples the mission of the New

Testament Church, as we saw in Mark 16:15-18 (above). If the Great Commission

involves preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking in

tongues, and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, then we should expect to see

some of the apostles and early Christians doing all of these things, right? In fact, that

is exactly what the New Testament describes! The apostles interpreted the Great

Commission to mean that Christians should preach the Gospel and set the captives

free, just as Jesus did. This is why throughout the book of Acts we find numerous

examples of the Gospel being preached, people being healed, spirits being cast out,

tongues being spoken, and the power of the Holy Spirit being demonstrated, just as

the Great Commission says to do.

The apostles and early Christians were continuing Jesus' evangelism and healing

ministry until He returns, which is what Jesus commissioned the Church to do. Jesus

has not returned yet, so we should be continuing His evangelism and healing ministry

as well!

The Great Commission is not just a matter of going out and "witnessing" in order

to get people to say a "sinner's prayer." Jesus did not simply command us to make

new Christians, He commanded us to make new disciples (i.e. Christians who will do

what the Bible says), teaching them to continue His evangelism and healing ministry

until He returns (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus lived a lifestyle of doing good and sharing

the Good News and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, and the apostles and

early Christians followed His example as they continued His ministry. Doing good

and sharing the Gospel and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit are all meant

to be part of our lifestyle as well! Jesus made the sweeping statement that anyone

with faith in Him will do exactly what He had been doing, and then He repeated over

and over that Christians must obey what He has commanded. Then, in the Great

Commission, Jesus told the original disciples to teach all new disciples to obey what

He had commanded. Therefore, all Christians should be obeying Jesus' command that

"anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing"! This includes doing

good, sharing the Good News, casting out demons, healing the sick, and training

others to do the same. My concluding thoughts on this book are overall very positive

because I believe the author is very zealous about the Great Commission and he fully

understands the need for the power of The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) to fulfill the

mandate to witness and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Word of God! He always existed and He became FLESH, born of a

virgin named Mary. The way the Messiah was to come was of a humble fashion,

born of young betrothed but unwed mother. Mary and Joseph couldn’t even find a

place suitable for human standards to give birth to the King of the Universe. He was

born in a manger (a place from which animals drank water). A stable with straw and

hay seems hardly the place for a King to enter the world He created. Jesus was not

only a king, but a spotless lamb ready to give His life for a universal sin sacrifice.

Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. He had to be both God and man to fulfill our need

for a Messiah. It took a being incapable of sin to deliver us from sin. Jesus was

tempted but never sinned. Because of this we can have victory over sin. The Great

Commission is not just a matter of going out and "witnessing" in order to get people

to say a "sinner's prayer." Jesus did not simply command us to make new Christians,

He commanded us to make new disciples (i.e. Christians who will do what the Bible

says), teaching them to continue His evangelism and healing ministry until He

returns (Matthew 28:18-20). I believe that having a good understanding of basic

Christological knowledge is critical to our success as witnesses in addition to the

fullness of the Holy Spirit.

The crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ is now indwelling the spirits of His

people [Rom. 8:16] as the Spirit of life [Rom. 8:2], making Christ real to them. This

indwelling Spirit of Christ [Rom. 8:9] is both the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God.

The main function of the divine Spirit is to impart the divine life into God’s people

[John 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6], regenerating them [John 3:6], anointing them [1 John 2:20,

27], sanctifying [2 Thes. 2:13] and transforming [2 Cor. 3:18] them by saturating

them with the very element of God. Watchman Nee ministered on this matter

extensively.

Jesus lived a lifestyle of doing good and sharing the Good News and

demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, and the apostles and early Christians

followed His example as they continued His ministry. Doing good and sharing the

Gospel and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit are all meant to be part of our

lifestyle as well! Richard Foster: "In some ways we would prefer to hear Jesus' call to

deny father and mother, houses and land for the sake of the gospel than his word to

wash feet. Radical self-denial gives the feel of adventure. If we forsake all, we even

have the chance at glorious martyrdom. But in service we must experience the many

little deaths of going beyond ourselves. Service banishes us to the mundane, the

ordinary, and the trivial.

Works Cited

1. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel – Zondervan ©1998

2. The Case for Faith – Lee Strobel – Zondervan ©1998

3. Many Infallible Proofs – Henry Morris, Ph.D Master Books ©1974

4. Charts of Christian Theology – H. Wayne House – Zondervan ©1977

5. The Handbook of Bible Application – Tyndale - ©2000

6. Nelsons New illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson - ©1986

7. The Ministry of God’s Word – Watchman Nee – Christian Fellowship Publishers

8. The Spiritual Man – Watchman Nee – Christian Fellowship Publishers

9. The Collected works of C.S. Lewis – Christian Fellowship Publishers