Faces Like Flint

A new evangelism blog. Looks like some hard-hitting stuff.

http://www.faceslikeflint.com/

Eight Reasons I Don't Share My Faith

Way of the Master Radio has a really fun little video on their website called "Eight Reasons I Don't Share My Faith". It looks like it was made by two goofy college guys with a great sense of humor and a real passion for the lost. The video is 6 minutes long. Check it out.

Adventures of a Chicken: Street Preaching!

Tonight I was in downtown Minneapolis witnessing with some friends (first time in two months, shame on me). It was hot and muggy but we had a great time. Six of us showed up, we passed out tracts and struck up a few spiritual conversations. I try to speak in respectful, friendly-but-concerned tones. Rather than judge them I let them judge themselves as I ask questions, quote some Scripture, and let the Holy Spirit do the work in their hearts. The results are never boring!

Mike, our leader, did some street preaching. Afterwards a young lady came up to him and said she had a divinity degree from Yale, and that God doesn't like preachers talking about sin and judgment. She even took his Bible to try and find a verse to support her claim. After thumbing some pages she declared, "This isn't a real Bible!", and gave it back.

I also talked with two twenty-somethings with spiked hair and tattoos. We had a good, friendly conversation but ultimately they said they refused to believe that God holds us to the moral standards of the Bible. Then I talked with a rickshaw-bike driver who said he was a Christian but believed in karma and thought he would get to heaven because he was such a good person (he claimed that he hadn't lied even once in the past year.) We also talked with a woman who said she was a "Mormon-Christian". She basically said, "Jesus died to forgive everyone, so we are all going to heaven, so I can drink and smoke and do whatever and it doesn't matter". Another young man told me that Jesus' words about God's judgment were "just an interpretation".

It blows me away sometimes that so many people know so little about what the Bible really says.

Our team handed out over 300 cartoon gospel tracts. A few wound up on the sidewalk and one was even torn to shreds, but most people held on to them and a couple people actually read them right there in front of me. So that was pretty cool.

But there was one big highlight for me. Call me crazy but...I finally worked up the courage to try some street preaching (gulp!)

I've listened to Ray Comfort and Todd Friel do street preaching, and I've studied up on how to do it. There are a lot of wrong ways to street preach, but as Ray Comfort says, "A good street preacher can reach more people in one night than most churches reach in an entire year". So I finally worked up enough guts to take the plunge.

Public speaking is scary enough, public speaking about Jesus is even worse. So my stomach was doing sumersaults. But my friends were very supportive, and before speaking I prayed that God would use my weak, sinful tongue for His glory. When the time came to raise my voice I found myself remarkably calm. Just taking the step to lay myself on the line like that felt great, like I was getting a small glimpse of what it really means to take up my cross and follow Him.

I wanted to be careful not to shout like a weird Christian wingnut, but I didn't want to sound mamby-pamby either. So I started out holding up some bills and announcing that I was giving away money for trivia questions. I asked a few questions and gave $1 for each right answer, and that drew a small crowd of 10-12 people. Then I offered $20 to a volunteer if she could pass the "Good Person Test". I asked her if she had ever lied, stolen, used God's name in vain, etc. and after the third question she laughed and said, "I'm not going to get the $20 am I?". So far so good, she was getting the point.

Then I began talking about how we are all sinners and that we need a Savior. As soon as I mentioned Jesus, the crowd just scattered. It was like cockroaches when the light is turned on. Within less than a minute there was almost no one listening except passers-by and one woman leaning up against a nearby wall. She seemed intent on what I was saying, so I wrapped it up with a final plea and thanked everyone for their time.

I only spoke for maybe 5 minutes total, and I lost most of my crowd. But for a first-timer I think I did ok. I gave God a small offering of myself and the rest is up to Him. Even if no one listened, I felt like I took a huge step of faith and as a result I grew a little. My palms were sweaty and my knees were knocking, but that's a small price to pay for the One who bled and died for me.

Old Evangelism Started With 'Bad News' First

Some powerful quotes from great evangelists of centuries past (taken from OldTruth.com):

"It's got to be at least 75 percent law and judgment, and 25 percent grace and forgiveness". Those are the words of John MacArthur, echoing the "old truth" way to present the Gospel message. MacArthur's reasoning goes like this: "God's grace cannot be faithfully preached to unbelievers until the Law is preached and man's corrupt nature is exposed. It is impossible for a person to fully realize his need for God's grace until he sees how terribly he has failed the standards of God's Law".

But more and more today, Gospel presentations are based on a "half truth" message that emphasizes only the good news, with little or no mention of any bad news. And as the saying goes: A half truth, presented as though it were the whole truth, is an untruth. The modern evangelistic half-message contains only 'positive' things, and is often based on a man-centered theme of lifestyle improvement.

To contrast modern methods, let's go back in time and see how the Gospel was preached, by a few noteworthy representatives of previous centuries:


J. C. Ryle:

People will never set their faces decidedly towards heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of hell . . . Let us expound and beat out the Ten Commandments, and show the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of their requirements. This is the way of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. We cannot do better than follow His plan. We may depend on it, men will never come to Jesus, and stay with Jesus, and live for Jesus, unless they really know why they are to come, and what is their need. Those whom the Spirit draws to Jesus are those whom the Spirit has convinced of sin. Without thorough conviction of sin, men may seem to come to Jesus and follow Him for a season, but they will soon fall away and return to the world.

George Whitefield:

That is the reason we have so many 'mushroom' converts, because their stony ground is not plowed up; they have not got a conviction of the Law; they are stony-ground hearers.
First, then, before peace can be spoken to your hearts, you must be made to see, made to feel, made to weep over, made to bewail, your actual transgressions against the Law of God.


D. L. Moody:

It is a great mistake to give a man who has not been convicted of sin certain passages that were never meant for him. The Law is what he needs . . . Do not offer the consolation of the gospel until he sees and knows he is guilty before God. We must give enough of the Law to take away all self-righteousness. I pity the man who preaches only one side of the truth-always the gospel, and never the Law.

Charles Spurgeon:

I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. Lower the Law and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt; this is a very serious loss to the sinner rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and conversion. I say you have deprived the gospel of its [its most powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster that is to bring men to Christ. . . They will never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore the Law serves a most necessary purpose, and it must not be removed from its place.

God [has] appointed a Day in which He will judge the world, and we sigh and cry until it shall end the reign of wickedness, and give rest to the oppressed. Brethren, we must preach the coming of the Lord, and preach it somewhat more than we have done; because it is the driving power of the gospel. Too many have kept back these truths, and thus the bone has been taken out of the arm of the gospel. Its point has been broken; its edge has been blunted. The doctrine of judgment to come is the power by which men are to be aroused. There is another life; the Lord will come a second time; judgment will arrive; the wrath of God will be revealed. Where this is not preached, I am bold to say the gospel is not preached. It is absolutely necessary to the preaching of the gospel of Christ that men be warned as to what will happen if they continue in their sins.


A.W. Pink:

The unsaved are in no condition today for the gospel till the Law be applied to their hearts, for "by the Law is the knowledge of sin." It is a waste of time to sow seed on ground which has never been ploughed or spaded. To present the vicarious sacrifice of Christ to those whose dominant passion is to take fill of sin, is to give that which is holy to the dogs.

Jonathan Edwards:

In 1741, Edwards preached one of the most famous sermons in American History. It was called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", and it prepared the way for the good news, by first presenting the bad news. The sermon sparked revival in Enfield Connecticut, an area that had been largely untouched by the Great Awakening up to that point.

Read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" online at:
http://www.jonathanedwards.com/sermons/Warnings/sinners.htm

Or listen to this sermon online (audio):
http://sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=770213541

The Lost Key To Gospel Relevancy

From OldTruth.com:

"Today's evangelism is striving after new and innovative ways to make the Gospel seem more relevant to unbelievers. Churches invest endless effort, creativity, and dollars in new ways of packaging an age-old message, so that it will seem more useful to unchurched Harry and Mary. But is it possible that contemporary Christianity is missing a key biblical component that brings into focus the true relevancy of the Gospel? The answer to that question, is found in this 300+ year old illustration of a broom, some water, and a bunch of dust.... (Click to read more.)

You Can Do It! Just Realize You Can't.

Lately I've been listening to the podcast of Way of the Master Radio, where they often broadcast people doing evangelism live. It's funny, when listening I often feel encouraged and discouraged at the same time. It's very encouraging to hear the gospel being preached so effectively, and by listening I pick up lots of great insights and tidbits that I can file away mentally for use in my own evangelism efforts. But then as I listen to these professional evangelists I feel discouraged, and I am tempted to think, "I could never do that!"

I have to remind myself, these people in full-time ministry did not hone their skills overnight. It took lots of practice, and even some big failures and screw-ups, to get where they are. They've had to study, practice, and make mistakes. And (surprise!) they still get scared when they go out to witness. Even Paul got nervous when he preached. He told the Christians at Corinth "I came to you in weakness and fear, with much trembling" (1 Corinthians 2:3).

Yes, evangelism can be intmidating. But the only way to get better at it is to do it. You can't learn and grow by staying on the sidelines. Besides, fear and nervousness keep us humble, and humility is something God delights to use. Fear also keeps us praying and leaning on God for courage and strength. Besides, ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that does the converting. We are simply tools that God uses. So while training and study are important, remember that our true comptence comes not from ourselves but from God (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

So rather than letting your fears hold you back, let them push you to move forward while leaning on Christ with all your might. You may be amazed at what God does through you.

French Fries. French Toast. French Tract?

The cartoon gospel tract I illustrated back in January has now been translated into French for by Living Waters Canada. You can pre-order the French version here. Also in the works are translations in Spanish and Tagalog (Philippines). Wow, super-cool!

Foxe's Book of Martyrs: Modern American Edition

The Sacred Sandwich is promoting a "modern American" version of the great Christian classic. They make their point well.

Eight Great Witnessing Tips

Stand to Reason lists some really good witnessing tips.

10 Reasons to Use Gospel Tracts

If you are like me, the thought of sharing the gospel is kinda scary. OK, downright terrifying. That's one reason why I like to use good, creative gospel tracts. They make sharing the gospel a lot easier by doing the work for us. Here's ten more reasons to use tracts (from ShareYourFaith.org):


WHY GOSPEL TRACTS?
Why should you give out tracts? Here are 10 reasons:
1. They are a very economical form of evangelism.
2. They work while we sleep.
3. They have the ability to get into a house and stay there.
4. They are never afraid or show cowardice.
5. They are never tempted to compromise their message.
6. They never get tired, discouraged or give up.
7. They stick to what they have to say and never argue.
8. They can present the message when we don't have time.
9. They can go to places where we cannot go.
10. They get people in the mood – they only speak when they are read. (www.transfired.org)
As you offer a tract don’t say: “Would you like a Gospel tract?” Just ask, “Did you get one?”