In Total Church, Tim Chester writes "They [the words of Jesus in Matthews Gospel] make it clear that it is Jesus and his word that are the very heart of mission. He is the one to whom authority has been given; he is the one who commands his disciples to go; his name is among those into which people are baptised; it is his teaching that people are to obey; he is the one who will be with them as they go. At the heart of world mission is Jesus and the gospel word." [pg99]
At the heart of mission and world mission is Jesus and His word. You cannot separate them. You cant have the Gospel without Jesus and Jesus without His word.
This should help us to focus not on ourselves but to the heart of our evangelism - Jesus and the lost. And if at the heart is Jesus then it must be relational and therefore our evangelism is relational. Its about relationships. Its not about just quick fixes of the Gospel in forms of megaphones or free tea and coffee. Our evangelism and our mission has to be deeper then that or we are no better then the loveless adverts that pop up on our TV screens - offering paradise but not the warmth of a relationship or community, which we actually really need.
"Rethinking evangelism as relationships rather than events radically changes this. Evangelism is not an activity to be squeezed into our busy schedules" [Total Church, Tim Chester, pg 63]
1 comment:
I am also reading that book at the moment, I actually love it!
The chapter on social involvement is great, and so is the one on evangelism, and the whole focus on how being a community is God's plan and witnesses to the world... there's much here which I don't think many Christians have got and yet I want them to be part of this.
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