Discipleship - Part 6

Introduction

Jesus said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
 
In our sixth post on Christian discipleship we come to the subject of evangelism, which could be thought of as the task of current disciples making new disciples. As throughout we are using David Watson's book Discipleship as our starting off point and guide for our thoughts on this subject. Watson's insights on evangelism form chapter 9 of the book and his insights are particularly valid as he was a skilled evangelist in his ministry.

Evangelism

Watson begins his chapter with a characteristic thought-provoking opening line: "Christ's call to discipleship is not primarily for the benefit of the disciple." I know what Watson is driving at here. His thought is similar in spirit to Archbishop William Temple's famous quip that the church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members. It would perhaps be more accurate to say that Christ's call is equally about benefiting the disciple and working through the disciple to make more disciple and benefit others. Yet the point is well-taken that the disciple's focus is to be outward looking, aiming at bringing others into the Kingdom and fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ. As Watson also puts it, Christ's disciples "are called and sent out." In between they were trained by Christ so they could be sent. The same pattern is vital for anyone seeking to do the work of evangelism.

Ghetto Mentality

The first thing Watson addresses is the church's need to break free from a ghetto mentality. If this was true of Britain in 1980 how much more true it is of the church 30 years later in the present day! His point is that so much of the time we spend our time as Christians with other Christians. We attend worship with each other, we pray and do Bible studies together, we socialise with each other, go to events organised for Christians together, and so on. For many of us, apart from the workplace and perhaps one or two other social activities like sports and hobbies, we don't meet non-Christians very much.

Now, I don't personally think that's wrong. The New Testament pattern is that believers spent a lot of time together (Acts 2). The danger is though if we end up spending any real time with non-Christians. In that case, how can we hope to share our lives with people, far less earn the right to share the gospel with them?

We need to find ways to break out of our Christian ghettos back into the world to have much hope of reaching many non-Christians. The solution Watson suggests is for Christians to be better trained to make the most of opportunities in our everyday lives at home, at work and socially. The sad fact is that whereas in 1980 it might have been acceptable to discuss the gospel in the workplace, now there are many workplaces where to mention your Christian faith would be a disciplinary matter. Even with this caveat however, Watson's point is valid.

Witnesses

In the next part of the chapter Watson draws the distinction between being an evangelist and being a Christian witness. The difference being that the evangelist is a particular, specialist role within the church, and not every Christian has been given the gifts or received the calling to be an evangelist. On the other hand, every Christian is called and gifted to be a witness to Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

He goes on to discuss a number of different marks of a witness. First, a witness has to have first-hand experience of Christ. A person who has never met or known Jesus Christ for themselves cannot speak to others of what he has done for them. Second, a witness must be able to express their testimony in words. Although we can communicate much through our lives, in the end we need to be able to speak about it at least at some basic level. Third, a witness will have confidence in the power of God, realising that the potential for his or her witness to bring another person into the kingdom comes not from themselves but from God. Fourth, a witness must have genuine compassion for those to whom they are speaking. If a person gets even a whiff that you don't care about them, why should they listen to what you are saying?

The marks of an evangelist go beyond what is required for a good witness, but they are never any less. They include first, the ability to speak with clarity in explaining the gospel to others; second, the ability to appeal not just to a person's mind, but to a person's will and even a person's heart, to lay down their arms of rebellion against God and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour; and third, having a strong faith that God will work through his or her work to bring people to salvation.

Motivation, Message and Method (The Three Ms)

Watson identifies lack of motivation as a serious problem that hinders evangelistic efforts. He cites Philip the Evangelist as an example of a godly man who was strongly motivated in his work because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he had seen God at work, and he was spurred on by the suffering of believers.

He quotes this definition of evangelism with approval: "Evangelism is the presentation of the claims of Christ in the power of the Spirit to a world in need by a church in love."

The focus needs to be on the claims of Christ as rightful Lord and Saviour of the world. The gospel is about more, much more, than making people feel better. It is in many respects a difficult message to take, but it is a life saving one. Much like a doctor having to deliver the news that a person is very ill and needs radical surgery to save their lives.

If our motivations and message are right, this still leaves the method we use. It is possible to have a heart in the right place, and have the doctrines all sorted and still be hopeless at reaching people if we cannot speak in a way that actually communicates with people. Watson summarises this as speaking to the right person, at the right time, using the right words. We need to look out for people who may be open to hearing the gospel, but even when someone is the right person it also needs to be a suitable time when we speak to them, and finally we need to use the right words for them. The New Testament contains many rich themes to explain the work of Christ and salvation. Some people may respond to the idea of being set free, others to being reconciled to God, others to being saved from hell, etc.

Ultimately though, it is not through our eloquence or cleverness that people come to faith, but by encountering the living Christ through what we say, not so much in what we say.

Watson concludes the chapter with a good, simple way to lead a person to faith in Christ if they are open to the gospel and want to respond. It's known as the ABCD method and considers four things the person needs to do. First, there is something to Admit: that they are a sinner in need of Christ. Second, something to Believe: that Christ will save them when they come to him. Third, something to Consider: the Bible is plain that becoming a Christian has certain costs in terms of our need to live as Christ wants and in terms of the opposition we will face from the world if we do. Fourth, something to Do: making the choice to surrender to Christ, accept him as our Lord and Saviour and commit our lives to him in faith and obedience. We might conclude with a prayer that the person might say with us taking them through the ABCDs.

Next time we will look at the very practical matter of living a simple lifestyle day-to-day as a Christian disciple.