Evangelism
Who is responsible to fulfill the Great Commission?
9Marks
All Christians. In John 20:21, Jesus says to all his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Jesus was sent into the world to become the savior of those who would believe. We are sent into the world to proclaim what Christ has done and call people to faith in him. Therefore, every Christian should evangelize locally and, if possible, support the work of bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth.
What does the Great Commission require of local churches?
9MarksIn order to fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19), churches must:
How can a preacher explicitly address non-Christians in his sermons?
9Marks
Be sensitive to the worldview and emotional wiring of non-Christians. Think in advance about how your sermon will sound to them.
When you arrive at a point in your sermon that you think would be particularly interesting or offensive to non-Christians, pause and explain it in greater detail.
When you do so, explicitly address non-Christians. You can say something like, “If you’re not a Christian, I wonder what you think about that last point…”
How can expositional preaching be evangelistic?
9Marks
It is evangelistic. God’s Word is what converts sinners (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet 1:23). Faithfully preaching God’s Word week after week exposes dead sinners to the only source of spiritual life: God’s Word. So expositional preaching is inherently evangelistic.
Can you give several examples of bad evangelistic practices that result from a bad understanding of conversion?
9Marks
Altar calls, decision cards. Altar calls and decision cards result from an overemphasis on the human’s role in conversion, as if conversion results whenever someone is persuaded to walk an aisle. (Never mind the movement of God’s Spirit!) Also, signing a card isn’t the same thing as repenting and believing. The Bible calls us to repent and believe.
What content is necessary in order to share the gospel?
9MarksIn order to share the gospel you must tell someone the truth about
Should church services primarily be for evangelizing non-Christians or building up Christians?
9MarksFirst Corinthians 14 provides us with some of the most detailed instruction about the corporate gatherings of Christians in all of the New Testament. In this chapter, Paul explains that church services should primarily be for building up Christians.
What are some weaknesses in current missional thinking?
9Marks
Historical revisionism. Many missional authors make a far bigger deal out of our culture’s move to postmodernity than a sober biblical assessment warrants.
What are some strengths in current missional thinking?
9Marks
Corporate witness. Some missional authors rightly emphasize that the church’s corporate witness hugely impacts its faithfulness and success in carrying out the mission God has given it.
Missional living. Missional writers rightly urge evangelical Christians to adopt a missional posture, gearing all of their lives around fulfilling the Great Commission.
What is the local church’s mission according to the Bible?
9MarksAccording to Scripture, the local church’s mission is to proclaim, preserve, and display the gospel.
What is the missional church?
9Marks
The basic premise of the missional church is that mission is the very essence of the church. This is a larger claim than saying that every individual member of the church is a missionary: it is a claim that the church itself is a sign, a foretaste, an instrument, and an agent of God’s kingdom reign on earth.
Why are so many church leaders today talking about contextualization?
9Marks
A lot of people today are talking about contextualization because it’s a fancy way to justify targeting the subset of the population they like best.
Some people argue that we have to “contextualize” the gospel and the church into punk rock culture, or elite urban culture, or artsy hipster culture, or rich suburban culture in order to reach such groups of people.
How can a pastor develop a church’s corporate evangelistic witness?
9Marks
Preach expositionally. As your people hear God’s word every week they will increasingly reflect his glory to the world. Week by week their lives will become a more focused picture of their savior, Jesus Christ.
Preach the gospel every week. As your people hear the gospel every week they will grow in their appreciation for it, their understanding of it, and their ability to share it with others.
