Evangelism

This should not be news to anybody, myself included, considering that I am here to be trained as a missionary, but there is a big push for evangelism. We have to 'evangelize' to someone at least three times per week. We are in class all day (which the classes by the way are great!) and then in the evenings I've been able to focus on digging into the Word, praying, and of course playing some basketball/frisbee/soccer. Because most of us stay on campus Monday through Friday, they allow us to evangelize to other people that are here for training. It's kind of funny in and of itself to be sharing the Gospel with those who are called to go out and share the Gospel full time, but it's for the purpose of allowing thoughts to move from the brain into words out of the mouth. Anywho, Saturday we had an opportunity to go out and share the Word. We went to a Caribbean music festival downtown. Armed with Bible tracts and partners we walked around looking for people to talk to. My partner and I quickly split up thinking that it would be best to cover more ground. For me personally I'd rather engage in conversation by myself rather than having someone else looming over my shoulder... a little less aggressive I'd say.

In the hour and a half I was there I talked to three people in particular. One guy I talked to was named Donny. He and his family were Christians and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes. I told them about what I was soon to be doing in Brazil and they told me they'd be praying for me, then they told me all about their involvement in their church and how they share the Gospel in their workplaces. It was a real good conversation. The next man I talked to was named Charles. He and his wife run one of the little shops there in the town square where the music festival was being held at. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes- mainly about the history of the city and all the sights to see before I leave. To try and make things a bit more spiritual, I asked him if he attended church anywhere in the area. He told me that he attended a Baptist church on the west end of town, but then he stumbled over his words trying to remember the name of the church. He said that he doesn't know the name of the church because he has been going for so long that he just doesn't bother to look at the signs anymore! I took it to mean that he seldom goes, so I told him that I'd be going to Brazil and emphasized the fact that I was going to be teaching that Jesus is the only way to the Father and therefore the only way into heaven. He knodded his head, then started talking more about historic downtown. Having had a nice conversation I wished the man and his wife well and proceeded to walk around for a couple minutes. Then I met Lawrence, a city worker. Lawrence informed me that he grew up Baptist, but he hated how they made you put money in the offering plate. And he especially did not like the fact that most Baptist preachers drive nicer cars and own nicer clothes than the people in their congregation. I tried convincing him that that was not always the case, but then we moved onto more serious things. When he was 16 he became a Jehovah's Witness. Not really knowing too much about Jehovah's Witnesses, I asked him a few questions about his beliefs - about salvation, about heaven, about Jesus. Unfortunately I couldn't talk to him for too long because we were meeting to leave at a certain time. I feel like we made some progress, and I left him with a tract explaining salvation and eternity.

Now why do I tell you about this? First off, pray for Lawrence. He needs to know about Jesus. He needs to believe in the God of this universe and Jesus as his Son, who paid the sacrifice to forgive us of our sins. But I also tell you this because it's made me step back and think. Three weeks ago, if you would have asked me how to measure spiritual maturity in a person, I think it would largely have been based on Biblical knowledge. Criteria would have been quiet time length and how many times said person has read through the Bible. A good prayer life would have worked its way into the equation, as would theological perspective and backing. I probably never even would have asked about evangelism practices. But as I look through the pages of Scripture this is so opposite of what the Christian faith is all about. So many passages tell of God's love for the nations and His desire to see them be saved. Look at the very life of Jesus. Time with His Heavenly Father was very, very important to Him. I don't in any way intend to undermine quiet times. They are important and essential in becoming more Christlike. However, the New Testament is full of stories in which Jesus was telling others about the Kingdom of God. He was telling people about being born again, about the living water from which you will never thirst again, and about the need to give all you can for the sake of the Gospel. Once again, I'm not saying that evangelism is more important than daily time with God. Jesus spent long periods of time by himself in prayer. I'm saying that personal time with God and evangelism are two aspects of spiritual maturity that shouldn't be separated. Praying and meditating on Scripture is just as important as telling others the Good News of the saving grace of JesusChrist. The sad thing is that for so long I have overlooked this dimension of being a disciple of Jesus. I mean, what were Jesus' last statements? The last thing Jesus says in Matthew is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." And in Acts we find Jesus' words to be somewhat similar, "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." As I look at these two passages that record some of the last words of Jesus I wonder how I could have lived so much of my life as a follower of the man who said these words with relatively no practice in these words.

So, I ask that you would pray that I may have boldness. I ask that you would pray that God would give me a heart for the lost people in Brazil as well as the lost people all around me. The church in Acts was marked by their boldness and they kept praying that they would be more and more bold. Pray that I may deny my flesh and walk in the Spirit. That I may do things out of my comfort zone for the sake of the One who sacrificed all.

Someone told us today a pretty good little saying. Paul knew only two days. He knew today. And he knew 'the day.' He knew the present, and he knew eternity. I pray that my today's would be lived in light of the end day, that God would welcome me into heaven saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant."