"The sheep will know the Master's voice."
I am not a good evangelist. I am a strong Christian, and believe emphatically in the Christian story and worldview. But I don't think the tactics I've seen in protestant evangelical churches all of my life are particularly effective or valuable.
Sure, if you scare the crap out of a bunch of kids by telling them how terrible hell will be and that they are gonna go there if they don't say the magic words and do what you tell them to, you're gonna get a few that submit.
In generations past, many were bullied into Christianity because of the political or military power of the Church. But I question whether any of those 'blessed converts' actually benefited from that experience, or were changed in any positive way.
The fancy words and car salesman promises of today's mega-churches are just about as bad. They get attention, and people flock to the message (and give lots of money). But are they really changed? Or are they just being manipulated in the same way that they are manipulated by politicians, marketing campaigns and a biased news media?
So, for the consideration and contemplation of those who are evangelists, I have a thought to share:
Evangelism by definition is leading people to Christ. My contention is that the difference between the manipulative types of evangelism referenced above and genuine, life changing evangelism is that the real thing understands the concept of leading people to Christ from wherever they are in life.
Manipulative evangelism doesn't really care. It just needs to achieve a certain outcome; A conversion, a donation, etc.
Genuine evangelism is more concerned with where someone is in life today, sharing how Christ can make a difference in their circumstances now, and introducing them to His life changing power in a way that is relevant, effective and tangible. If God is involved in the event, people will perceive it and God will do His own magic. It may never make headlines, or be counted in the Sunday School report, but a new creation will take place, and a life will be changed forever.
A couple of days ago, I read a few posts on a blog that asserted that God has been replaced in our churches by Tolerance. That Tolerance is our new God. Shaking my head, I read one opinion that dogmatic intolerance and non-negotiable, take-it-or-leave-it proclamation of the traditional gospel is the only way the church in America will survive.
I think just the opposite is true. Until the Church is willing to come down from the pulpit, embrace people where they are in life without dissecting and judging them to death, and show them how Christ can make a difference in their lives, I think that Church will become less and less relevant.
I wish I was better at doing that. I wish my efforts in that area had been more effective in the past.
If I could figure out how to do that right, I'd probably be a pretty good evangelist.