Mission and Evangelism

A young mother chose to do her washing in the local laundromat because it was a useful meeting point for developing links with other local mothers. In her scale of values, deepening of relationships with neighbors was more important than the convenience of doing her washing at home, even though she possessed her own washing machine.

Shopping times provided natural and useful opportunities for
developing contacts with people.

In her scale of values effective evangelism was more important than efficient shopping. For her it was preferable to make her purchases from two shops even though she could have obtained all the items from one. Her approach to personal evangelism was determined by a matter of simple arithmetic. It is
better to witness to two shopkeepers than it is to one!

Do you have a sanctified imagination?  How do you use it?

David Watson

The most common forms of Church Planting and the most common forms of evangelism have a common element – extraction. In extraction evangelism an individual is won to the Lord without serious regard for the family, community or nation. The individual “win” is more important than the possible “win” of the family/community/nation. Extraction evangelism is the result of poor theology and an evangelism strategy that does not understand family/community/ nation structures, or chooses to ignore these structures.

Recently, Josh Reeves wrote several great articles with simple ideas and ways you can be missional in your workplace, as well as simple ways to engage your neighbors. And although the word “missional” has become quite a buzzword recently, it really just means that we live every day as missionaries. Jesus said that “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). That word “sent” is where we get the word “missional.” It simply means that we live as Jesus lived – as sent people who live everyday life with gospel intentionality.

In fact, most of the simple ideas you’ll find below are very much in the context of your everyday life, but when looked at with a lens of gospel intentionality – when viewed through the eyes of a missionary – become not just ordinary tasks, but eternally significant rhythms of your life that are teeming with gospel opportunity:

1. Participate in the local festivals, parades and celebrations of your city.

2. Find a park where you will consistently spend time with your community.

3. Pick a few restaurants to frequent getting to know the staff and regulars.

4. Go to the same coffee shop when you can.

The church is the extension of the “missio Dei.”  As Jesus was God in flesh, the church is to be the presence of Christ Jesus on earth.  The mission of Jesus is now the mission of the Church.   Peter Wagner points out that, “The mission of the church is so to incarnate itself in the world that the gospel of Christ is effectively communicated by word and deed…”¹

SOCIAL LEPROSY
In the book of John, Jesus prays for those who would follow his teachings after he ascended into heaven. What I find fascinating is that Jesus began by praying for what he didn't want to pray. Yeah, it sounds strange, doesn't it?

Why would anyone ever start praying by asking God for what they were not asking? Maybe the clue is in what it was that Jesus didn't pray. He says, "I pray not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the Evil One" (John 17:15).

Why did Jesus pray this?

BELIEVE, BELONG, BECOME
Someone once told me that every single human being has a desire to believe something, to become something and to belong to something. As we enter into relationship with others we need to listen for the clues to where people are at in this process.

Ask people questions about what they believe, find out what they are searching to belong to, help them to come to grips with what they want to become.

In the closing words of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leaves us with what has become known as "The Great Commission". In it, Jesus charges his disciples with a set of tasks until he returns. Here's what Jesus commands us to do:
1) Go out into the world and make disciples.
2) Baptize these disciples in the name of the Trinity.
3) Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded us.

If we take a moment to evaluate how we, the Church, have done in accomplishing these tasks, I think we'll see where we've missed the mark, and hopefully where we need to get back on track.

There's a great scene at the end of the film, "The Big Kahuna" where Danny DeVito's character counsels a young co-worker about his overt mode of evangelism.

He says, "It doesn't matter whether you're selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or 'How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.' That doesn't make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are - just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore; it's a pitch. And you're not a human being; you're a marketing rep."

I was recently asked by a Christian Magazine why Organic Church has an advantage to more conventional church expressions in reaching lost people. Here is my answer.

When we teach about organic church (OC), it is not the kind of church (organic, seeker sensitive, purpose-driven...whatever) that is attractive to lost people, it is Christ, and Christ alone.

In my normal time with the Lord one morning, Jesus spoke to me--not an audible voice, just that thought from nowhere that I've learned is often the way he speaks to me.

"Walk Oltorf Street," was what he seemed to say.

I would like to tell you that I immediately obeyed him, but that would not be true. It took me about two months, and it was only because a Texan summer was fast approaching that I finally obeyed what I had sensed him say.