Evangelism is not Cultural

Today, I read the following blog, titled, Postmodern Evangelism. While the article is well written and makes, for the most part, an accurate assessment concerning the culture in which we live, I find myself disagreeing with the conclusion. Concluding that confrontational evangelism or soul winning, no longer works, the author advocates for the development of friends that we can influence for Christ over a longer period of time. While I agree we do win our friends to Christ, experience has taught that some are friends for a longer period of time and many are friends for just a brief period. Allow me to share a few reasons for my disagreement.

First and foremost, I disagree based on the New Testament model of evangelism. The New Testament model is a confrontational model. The disciples won souls publicly and from house to house. We can find no better model to impact our culture with the gospel than the Biblical model. We must stop trying to reinvent the wheel of evangelism and start rolling down the hill.

Second, I disagree that our culture is somehow unique. The culture in which the first century church existed was not significantly different than our culture today. In fact, most church growth prognosticators declare that we are living in a culture almost exactly like the one the first century church experienced. Skepticism, persecution, state sponsored opposition, arrogance, blatant sin and outright rejection were the norm then and they are the norm now. While we need to befriend the lost we must also confront them with their sin and the salvation that Jesus so freely offers.

Third, a person simply declaring that there are no absolutes is for them ultimately to declare an absolute. We may be guilty of analysis paralysis. In our desire to understand the culture we may have become guilty of categorizing people improperly. I know people of every generational designation that fit the characteristics of a different generational identity. Personal soul winning, confrontational evangelism, is not about generations, it is about individuals. When we actively work to win souls, some people trust Christ while others reject Him. This is true of every generational group. It is also how the New Testament describes that people would respond to the gospel.

Fourth, to take a "long range" is to operate on the premise that those whom your are befriending will have a long term opportunity to respond to the gospel. The lostness of an individual demands a holy urgency of us who know Christ. James 4:14 declares, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Those we befriend may not have a long term opportunity and will spend eternity in hell if we do not with compassion confront them with the claims of Christ.

Finally, to think that cultural norms trump the power of the Gospel may well reflect our own attitude concerning the Gospel. Paul declares in Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. It is the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation, not our process, what ever our process may be.

Even in this postmodern culture Confrontational Evangelism or Personal Soul Winning still work. However, it only works when we practice it. Find someone you can lovingly, in a Christ like way, confront with the Gospel today and see what only God can do to save a soul from hell.

Attempting to Connect the Dots...

Wayne