Reply To: Evangelism and Follow Up Group Discussion 1

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NAME: EZEONUGO IJEOMA CHIKA
COURSE: EVANGELISM AND FOLLOW –UP 108
GROUP DICUSSION 1: One way to determine what a thing is, is to know what it is not.Are there things done by today’s contemporary church that are not evangelism? In your post state and explain at least 3 things being done today in the name of evangelism that is not true envagelism.

What is true evangelism?: It means to preach the gospel, which is the goodnews about Jesus Chirst, also God’s power to save all who believe in it. It is the way we can fulfil Chirst’s call to be his witness (Acts 1.8).
Therefore, True evanagelism is a true presentation of the saving message of the gospel that comes exclusively through Jesus Christ. Anything other than this is not biblical evangelism.
Jesus been our perfect example of a true envagelist, in John 4: 1- 26 we saw some of these in his ministry;
a. He was passionate, he cared for the lost.
b. He crossed boundaries of false religion restriction.
c. He connected with people on personal level . Etc

Below are some things done by today’s contemporary churches that are not evangelism:
1. lack of spiritual sensistivity; not letting the Holy Spirit lead.
2. False /church doctrine.
3. Condemnation
4. Wrong Target.

1. Lack of spiritual sensitivity; not letting the holy Spirt lead:
When we speak the Word of God to people, we’re speaking to their spirit man and exposing their innermost thoughts and desires, we need to let God direct us and put into our mouth the right words to say at the particular time, where to go, and to whom to minister to , so even our carefully laid out plans and speech can be change if we are submitted to the leading of the holy Spirt (Luke 12 :12).

There are at least 3 ways of describing the unseen work of the Holy Spirit in salvation:
A. He convicts the sinner, making his lost condition real to him. (John 16:8)
B. He enables the sinner to understand and accept the Gospel of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:4)
C. He regenerates the sinner’s heart (John 3:5 ).

2, False /church doctrine:
These are false gospels – heresies – that lead people away from the truth. They are lies that please man, but displease God. They are perversions of the gospel that change the message of God’s justice, grace, and glory into a message of man’s vindication, rewards, and happiness, and it tends to diminish and distort the authentic nature of the goodnews Chirst gave to us.
A believer will only speak what word he already know (Romans 10 :15} , false doctrines subtly infect the spiritual life of a person and are capable of leading to a person’s spiritual destruction. Therefore, if a believer goes out for evangelism armed with false doctrines those are what he spreads to unbelievers which makes it impossible to win that soul ( Matt 15 :14 ) blind leading the blind .
The Christian life is not meant to bring people into a life of spiritual bondage but instead when you are in Christ you are set free from bondage and you have liberty in Christ. Salvation is a free gift received by grace through faith in Christ alone and not by our own works or human effort (Galatians 2:21).

3. Condemnation /Judgemental evangelism :
Christian groups are making this error in the way they conduct their envangelism by listing all the sins the unbelievers has made and the right punshment they are to face, also telling people they are meant to speak the gospel to that they are worthy of God’s judgment and condemning them which put him in a defensive mood and will not allow the word to get through to him (Matt 7 1-5), it was the opposite of what Jesus did with the Samaritan woman whom he showed love.
Telling someone that God is going to punish sinners is not evangelism, until we have offered Christ and his death on the cross as the only way to avoid this punishment, we have not shared the goodnews.