This is a short series of Wednesday postings taking us through Luther's Small Catechism.
LSC WEDNESDAY #3:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
As the Head of the Family Should Teach It in the Simplest Way to His Household
Our Father who art in heaven.
What does this mean? Answer: By these words God would tenderly encourage us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that we may ask Him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.
THE FIRST PETITION
Hallowed be Thy name.
What does this mean? Answer: God’s name is indeed holy in itself. But we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also.
How is this done? Answer: When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and we as the children of God also lead holy lives in accordance with it. To this end help us, dear Father in heaven. But anyone who teaches and lives other than by what God’s Word teaches profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, heavenly Father.
THE SECOND PETITION
Thy kingdom come.
What does this mean? Answer: The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself. But we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.
How is this done? Answer: When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here in time and there in eternity.
THE THIRD PETITION
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
What does this mean? Answer: The good and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer. But we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.
How is this done? Answer: When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will that would not let us hallow the name of God nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh. Instead, He strengthens and keeps us steadfast in His Word and in faith until we die. This is His gracious and good will.
THE FOURTH PETITION
Give us this day our daily bread.
What does this mean? Answer: God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all wicked people; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread? Answer: Everything that belongs to the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
THE FIFTH PETITION
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What does this mean? Answer: We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins nor deny such petitions on account of them. We are not worthy of any of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them. But we pray that He would grant them all to us by grace. For we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we truly, on our part, also heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us.
THE SIXTH PETITION
And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean? Answer: God indeed tempts no one. But we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us nor seduce us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Though we are attacked by these things, we pray that still we may finally overcome them and gain the victory.
THE SEVENTH PETITION
But deliver us from evil.
What does this mean? Answer: We pray in this petition, as in a summary, that our Father in heaven would deliver us from all kinds of evil, of body and soul, property and honor. And finally, when our last hour shall come, we pray that He would grant us a blessed end and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself into heaven.
Amen.
What does this mean? Answer: I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven and are heard by Him. For He Himself has commanded us to pray this way and has promised that He will hear us. Amen, Amen; that is, “Yes, yes, it shall be so.”
[Note: “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever” did not appear in Luther’s Small Catechism.]
Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. Edited by Paul Timothy McCain. St. Louis, MO : Concordia Publishing House, 2005, S. 330
Issues Etc. Episodes on The Lord's Prayer
1. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father Who Art in Heaven
2. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name
3. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Thy Will be Done
4. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
5. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us
6. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation
7. Issues Etc: The Lord’s Prayer: Conclusion
Be sure to check out these great episodes from Issues Etc. Good Stuff.
Jesu Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Importance of Counseling: Evangelism, Part The Third
In part one of the Evangelism series we shed some light on the concept of "decision." In part two we talked about that when engaging in what we call Evangelism we are not salesmen, but rather news announcers or proclaimers of the Gospel. In part three we are going to discuss what I consider a very important part of Evangelism. Counseling.
You've seen it on TV, at your county fair, the local park and even a friend's (though hopefully not your own) church. The "revival" service. But to clarify, only God can bring revival, so this is actually an evangelistic meeting where, hopefully, the attenders are presented with the sternness of the Law that they might receive the sweetness of the Gospel.
Towards the end of this "service" the "altar call" is given. In many cases the "evangelist" has people show him by raising their hands that they know that they need to "get right with God/make a decision for God/get their life back on track/etc." (Now, the hand raising isn't necessarily a bad thing, if used properly.) Those people who raised their hands are then instructed to come forward or go to some predesignated spot where many times they pray a sinners prayer. (Once again, this separation and time of prayer isn't necessarily a bad thing, if used properly.) They are then told that they are all saved and now their lives should be different and that people should see a change. (We'll expand on the "people should see a change" concept in a later posting.) But what happened here? What do these people who came forward believe? Did coming forward save them? Did saying this prayer save them? What do they believe about sin? What do they believe about the person and work of Christ? Do they have any questions, anything they need explained? This is why within this type of setting, as well as others, we need to have counseling. Here's a way, not necessarily THE way, but a way that this can be done.
If you are one of the counselors you can start off asking a question like "Why did you come to talk to me?" or "Why do you need the Lord Jesus Christ?" The question you ask will depend on the setting. (Outreach event, personal evangelism, etc.) This first question sets the pace of things and lets you know what's going on with this person. In many cases with children their response to "Why did you come to talk to me?" is "Because you told me to."
The second set of questions is going to be about sin, and provided the "evangelist" has done his job, the person being counselled should have a good idea of what the answers are. Here are four questions about sin that the person should really have the answers to:
1. What is sin? (anything we think, say or do that breaks God's Laws and makes Him angry with us.)
2. Who has sinned? (Everyone. Romans 3:23. We were sinful at conception.)
3. What is God's punishment for sin? (Hell. Eternal separation from God's Love where we will only receive God's wrath, His anger times a million infinity squared)
4. Have you sinned? (Yes. Romans 3:23)
5. Is there anything that you can do to get rid of your sin? (No.)
If a person can't explain the gist of these questions, then they don't really understand the fallenness of man. And if they don't get question 4 right, we've got a major problem. A person without sin doesn't need a saviour, but we are all sinners and all need a saviour.
The third set of questions is about the person and work of Christ. Here are three questions about the person and work of Christ that the person should really have the answers to:
1. What did Christ do for you? (He willingly took my punishment for sin, shedding his blood on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin.)
2. Why is Christ the only one who could die for your sins? (Christ is the perfect, one and only son of God. He knew no sin. Everyone else is sinful. If someone else would have tried saving us by dieing on the cross, they would have only been getting what they deserved. Christ was blameless and didn't deserve this death. That's why it had to by Christ.)
3. What happened after Christ died? (He didn't stay dead. He rose again 3 days later. I Corinthians 15:3-4)
If a person can't explain the gist of these questions, then they don't really understand the work of Christ. If they don't get question 2, we've got a problem, because that would mean there are other ways that we can have our sins forgiven, and that's a serious biblical issue Skippy....)
The fourth set of questions is about salvation. We're going to use a verse that some call a "condition/promise" verse to explain about salvation. Some verses you could use would be John 1:12 (be sure to check out verse 13 ahead of time as well though) John 3:16 or Acts 16:31. I personally like using John 1:12 when working with Children. For this example I'll use Acts 16:31 due to how concise it is. Using a "condition/promise" verse that we will explain to the person, we will ask the following questions:
1. What does God promise He will do? (If I believe, He will save me. Acts 16:31)
2. When does that happen? (The moment I believe He saves me)
3. Do you believe that Jesus died, taking the punishment for your sins so that you don't have to be separated from God? (If the answer is "yes" because they were given faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17) then Christ has saved them.)
4. Would you like to pray to thank Christ for what he's done for you? (Now it's very important that they understand that this prayer does not save them. This is a prayer of thanksgiving BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE. Remind them that Christ saved them the very second that they believe, which was a gift from God.)
If the person has no idea how to pray, here's a prayer of thankgiving that can be used to thank Christ for what He has done for this person:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for saving me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me, taking the punishment for my sin, for forgiving me of sins, so that I wouldn't have to be separated from you. Please lead me in all things. Amen.
Note: is is VERY important that they understand that praying did not save them. Only Christ can do that.
There are three final things that we want to share with this person.
1. Christ will never leave them (Hebrews 13:5b)
2. Christ will help them do what's right. (Hebrews 13:6b) We can not live a pleasing life to God by pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying really really hard on our own. If we rely on ourselves, we will fail. The ability to live a pleasing life to God comes not from ourselves, but only from Christ. When we try on our own, we will always fail. A "victorious life" is only from Christ.
3. Christ continues to forgive us when we confess our sin to Him. (1 John 1:9) But what if I'm a really bad person? God's promise is that when we confess our sins, He forgives it. Does this mean we can do whatever we want? By no means.
Final thoughts on Evangelism...
In "evangelism" counseling is vital. If we have a Finney approach to it where we are concerned only about "doing great things for God" where the measure of "our success" of "winning souls" is based upon numbers, then by all means, please contribute to the ever increasing numbers of false converts. Statistics show that many people who have experienced Finney's Evangelism, prayed a mass prayer, never really were saved. But man those numbers of people that "we saved" sure looks good. We can really pat ourselves on the back for the great things "we're doing for God."
Or maybe, we should look at the "great commission", if that's what we want to call it, and actually read what it says. Matthew 28:19-20. Teach. Yes, it says go, but it says to go and teach and baptize. Notice that "teach" is stated twice. So you see, this isn't a numbers game. It isn't about us devising plans to "win" as many souls as we can for Christ. We can't save people. Only Christ can. It's about properly using Law and Gospel, teaching them what the Word says that they might have faith and believe. (Romans 10:17) Look at the questions listed above. These aren't the only questions and I know that there are other valid ones as well. Can those people we are sharing the Word of God with answer those questions? Do they understand? Did we teach them what the Word says? Counseling helps show us if they know what they need to know and lets us know what else they need to know. Can we get them to believe and have faith? No. Only the Word can do that. (Romans 10:17)
Remember, "evangelism" isn't about numbers. It's about teaching what the Word of God says that they might believe. (Romans 10:17) I know, I've used that verse a lot now, but I want you to understand that the pressure is not on us, it's on the Word. And the Word of God is powerful. It gives us faith. Thanks be to God!
Jesus Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
You've seen it on TV, at your county fair, the local park and even a friend's (though hopefully not your own) church. The "revival" service. But to clarify, only God can bring revival, so this is actually an evangelistic meeting where, hopefully, the attenders are presented with the sternness of the Law that they might receive the sweetness of the Gospel.
Towards the end of this "service" the "altar call" is given. In many cases the "evangelist" has people show him by raising their hands that they know that they need to "get right with God/make a decision for God/get their life back on track/etc." (Now, the hand raising isn't necessarily a bad thing, if used properly.) Those people who raised their hands are then instructed to come forward or go to some predesignated spot where many times they pray a sinners prayer. (Once again, this separation and time of prayer isn't necessarily a bad thing, if used properly.) They are then told that they are all saved and now their lives should be different and that people should see a change. (We'll expand on the "people should see a change" concept in a later posting.) But what happened here? What do these people who came forward believe? Did coming forward save them? Did saying this prayer save them? What do they believe about sin? What do they believe about the person and work of Christ? Do they have any questions, anything they need explained? This is why within this type of setting, as well as others, we need to have counseling. Here's a way, not necessarily THE way, but a way that this can be done.
If you are one of the counselors you can start off asking a question like "Why did you come to talk to me?" or "Why do you need the Lord Jesus Christ?" The question you ask will depend on the setting. (Outreach event, personal evangelism, etc.) This first question sets the pace of things and lets you know what's going on with this person. In many cases with children their response to "Why did you come to talk to me?" is "Because you told me to."
The second set of questions is going to be about sin, and provided the "evangelist" has done his job, the person being counselled should have a good idea of what the answers are. Here are four questions about sin that the person should really have the answers to:
1. What is sin? (anything we think, say or do that breaks God's Laws and makes Him angry with us.)
2. Who has sinned? (Everyone. Romans 3:23. We were sinful at conception.)
3. What is God's punishment for sin? (Hell. Eternal separation from God's Love where we will only receive God's wrath, His anger times a million infinity squared)
4. Have you sinned? (Yes. Romans 3:23)
5. Is there anything that you can do to get rid of your sin? (No.)
If a person can't explain the gist of these questions, then they don't really understand the fallenness of man. And if they don't get question 4 right, we've got a major problem. A person without sin doesn't need a saviour, but we are all sinners and all need a saviour.
The third set of questions is about the person and work of Christ. Here are three questions about the person and work of Christ that the person should really have the answers to:
1. What did Christ do for you? (He willingly took my punishment for sin, shedding his blood on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin.)
2. Why is Christ the only one who could die for your sins? (Christ is the perfect, one and only son of God. He knew no sin. Everyone else is sinful. If someone else would have tried saving us by dieing on the cross, they would have only been getting what they deserved. Christ was blameless and didn't deserve this death. That's why it had to by Christ.)
3. What happened after Christ died? (He didn't stay dead. He rose again 3 days later. I Corinthians 15:3-4)
If a person can't explain the gist of these questions, then they don't really understand the work of Christ. If they don't get question 2, we've got a problem, because that would mean there are other ways that we can have our sins forgiven, and that's a serious biblical issue Skippy....)
The fourth set of questions is about salvation. We're going to use a verse that some call a "condition/promise" verse to explain about salvation. Some verses you could use would be John 1:12 (be sure to check out verse 13 ahead of time as well though) John 3:16 or Acts 16:31. I personally like using John 1:12 when working with Children. For this example I'll use Acts 16:31 due to how concise it is. Using a "condition/promise" verse that we will explain to the person, we will ask the following questions:
1. What does God promise He will do? (If I believe, He will save me. Acts 16:31)
2. When does that happen? (The moment I believe He saves me)
3. Do you believe that Jesus died, taking the punishment for your sins so that you don't have to be separated from God? (If the answer is "yes" because they were given faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17) then Christ has saved them.)
4. Would you like to pray to thank Christ for what he's done for you? (Now it's very important that they understand that this prayer does not save them. This is a prayer of thanksgiving BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE. Remind them that Christ saved them the very second that they believe, which was a gift from God.)
If the person has no idea how to pray, here's a prayer of thankgiving that can be used to thank Christ for what He has done for this person:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for saving me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me, taking the punishment for my sin, for forgiving me of sins, so that I wouldn't have to be separated from you. Please lead me in all things. Amen.
Note: is is VERY important that they understand that praying did not save them. Only Christ can do that.
There are three final things that we want to share with this person.
1. Christ will never leave them (Hebrews 13:5b)
2. Christ will help them do what's right. (Hebrews 13:6b) We can not live a pleasing life to God by pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying really really hard on our own. If we rely on ourselves, we will fail. The ability to live a pleasing life to God comes not from ourselves, but only from Christ. When we try on our own, we will always fail. A "victorious life" is only from Christ.
3. Christ continues to forgive us when we confess our sin to Him. (1 John 1:9) But what if I'm a really bad person? God's promise is that when we confess our sins, He forgives it. Does this mean we can do whatever we want? By no means.
Final thoughts on Evangelism...
In "evangelism" counseling is vital. If we have a Finney approach to it where we are concerned only about "doing great things for God" where the measure of "our success" of "winning souls" is based upon numbers, then by all means, please contribute to the ever increasing numbers of false converts. Statistics show that many people who have experienced Finney's Evangelism, prayed a mass prayer, never really were saved. But man those numbers of people that "we saved" sure looks good. We can really pat ourselves on the back for the great things "we're doing for God."
Or maybe, we should look at the "great commission", if that's what we want to call it, and actually read what it says. Matthew 28:19-20. Teach. Yes, it says go, but it says to go and teach and baptize. Notice that "teach" is stated twice. So you see, this isn't a numbers game. It isn't about us devising plans to "win" as many souls as we can for Christ. We can't save people. Only Christ can. It's about properly using Law and Gospel, teaching them what the Word says that they might have faith and believe. (Romans 10:17) Look at the questions listed above. These aren't the only questions and I know that there are other valid ones as well. Can those people we are sharing the Word of God with answer those questions? Do they understand? Did we teach them what the Word says? Counseling helps show us if they know what they need to know and lets us know what else they need to know. Can we get them to believe and have faith? No. Only the Word can do that. (Romans 10:17)
Remember, "evangelism" isn't about numbers. It's about teaching what the Word of God says that they might believe. (Romans 10:17) I know, I've used that verse a lot now, but I want you to understand that the pressure is not on us, it's on the Word. And the Word of God is powerful. It gives us faith. Thanks be to God!
Jesus Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
Monday, August 8, 2011
Hymn Monday - "Lord, When We Bend Before Thy Throne"
Today's hymn, "Lord, When We Bend Before Thy Throne" (#22) is from "The Lutheran Hymnal", (c) 1941 by Concordia Publishing House.
"Lord, when we bend before Thy throne And our confessions pour,
Teach us to feel the sins we own And hate what we deplore.
Our broken spirit pitying see, True penitence impart;
Then let a kindling glance from Thee Beam hope upon the heart.
When we disclose our wants in prayer, May we our wills resign
And not a thought our bosom share That is not wholly Thine
May faith each meek petition fill And waft it to the skies;
And teach our hearts 'tis goodness still That grants it or denies."
Jesus Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
"Lord, when we bend before Thy throne And our confessions pour,
Teach us to feel the sins we own And hate what we deplore.
Our broken spirit pitying see, True penitence impart;
Then let a kindling glance from Thee Beam hope upon the heart.
When we disclose our wants in prayer, May we our wills resign
And not a thought our bosom share That is not wholly Thine
May faith each meek petition fill And waft it to the skies;
And teach our hearts 'tis goodness still That grants it or denies."
Jesus Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
LSC Wednesday #2: The Apostles' Creed
This is a short series of Wednesday postings taking us through Luther's Small Catechism.
LSC WEDNESDAY #2:
THE APOSTLES' CREED
As the Head of the Family Should Teach It in the Simplest Way to His Household
THE FIRST ARTICLE
Creation
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?Answer: I believe that God has made me and all creatures. He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them. In addition, He has given me clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods. He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life. He protects me from all danger and guards me and preserves me from all evil. He does all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this I ought to thank Him, praise Him, serve Him, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
THE SECOND ARTICLE
Redemption
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean? Answer: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. He did this not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
THE THIRD ARTICLE
Sanctification
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
What does this mean? Answer: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise up me and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and to all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. Edited by Paul Timothy McCain. St. Louis, MO : Concordia Publishing House, 2005, S. 328
Jesu Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
LSC WEDNESDAY #2:
THE APOSTLES' CREED
As the Head of the Family Should Teach It in the Simplest Way to His Household
THE FIRST ARTICLE
Creation
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?Answer: I believe that God has made me and all creatures. He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them. In addition, He has given me clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods. He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life. He protects me from all danger and guards me and preserves me from all evil. He does all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this I ought to thank Him, praise Him, serve Him, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
THE SECOND ARTICLE
Redemption
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean? Answer: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. He did this not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
THE THIRD ARTICLE
Sanctification
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
What does this mean? Answer: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise up me and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and to all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. Edited by Paul Timothy McCain. St. Louis, MO : Concordia Publishing House, 2005, S. 328
Jesu Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
We Don't Sell The Gospel, We Proclaim It: Evangelism, Part the Second
Tommorrow we start Fair Ministry. We'll face paint children using the colors of the Wordless Book (gold, black, red, white, green) to bring them Law and Gospel. The problem of many types of what many call evangelism is the focus of "how it's done." There are really two ways that this is done.
The first is the salesman approach (in which we are basically "pedlars" of Christ and Fine Spirituality) where the pressure is all on us to make the sale. "This was my life before Christ. This was my life after Christ. You really need Christ as you'll get left behind otherwise and go to Hell. I'd really like to get you behind the seat of this Christianity thing, you can see it comes fully loaded. What would keep you from signing the dotted line today?" At first glance it might not seem as though this is what we are trying to do, until you get to the end and say something like "Are you ready to make a decision for Christ today?" Did you catch it that time?
The second is a news announcer approach. A news announcer doesn't sell anything. He reports (or proclaims) the news, in this case, the Good News by using both Law and Gospel. "We're born sinful, are dead to sin and the punishement for that sin is eternal separation from God's love, which is Hell. There is absolutely nothing we can in any way do anything to get rid of that sin or to eleviate the punishment for it. (Law) But God is gracious and provided a way that our sins could be forgiven through his Son, Christ, who willing took our place, shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins, died and rose again, that we might believe and be saved through Him alone that we might be His own and be with Him. (Gospel)" Who's the pressure on in this approach? The Word. (Romans 10:17) It gives us faith. With the news announcer approach, the question we ask then is not "Are you ready to make a decision for Christ today?" (John 1:12-13, see post: "The Candle Sheds Light on Decision") but instead "Do you believe?" (Acts 16:31)
In what is being called evangelism, you're job isn't to make a sale, it's to tell them the Good News of what Christ did for them. There is no pressure on you, for you can't give people faith. People can't give faith to themselves. But the Word through Christ can. Our question at the end should be "Do you believe?" After having heard the Gospel, the Word of God, they'll either believe or they won't. And when they say "yes", they can only say it because they had faith from having heard the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) So remember, we're news announcers, proclaimers of the Gospel, not salesman. Man cannot save man. Only the Good News of Christ for us, the power of God, can do that. (Romans 1:16)
Jesu Juva,
Sole Deo Gloria
The first is the salesman approach (in which we are basically "pedlars" of Christ and Fine Spirituality) where the pressure is all on us to make the sale. "This was my life before Christ. This was my life after Christ. You really need Christ as you'll get left behind otherwise and go to Hell. I'd really like to get you behind the seat of this Christianity thing, you can see it comes fully loaded. What would keep you from signing the dotted line today?" At first glance it might not seem as though this is what we are trying to do, until you get to the end and say something like "Are you ready to make a decision for Christ today?" Did you catch it that time?
The second is a news announcer approach. A news announcer doesn't sell anything. He reports (or proclaims) the news, in this case, the Good News by using both Law and Gospel. "We're born sinful, are dead to sin and the punishement for that sin is eternal separation from God's love, which is Hell. There is absolutely nothing we can in any way do anything to get rid of that sin or to eleviate the punishment for it. (Law) But God is gracious and provided a way that our sins could be forgiven through his Son, Christ, who willing took our place, shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins, died and rose again, that we might believe and be saved through Him alone that we might be His own and be with Him. (Gospel)" Who's the pressure on in this approach? The Word. (Romans 10:17) It gives us faith. With the news announcer approach, the question we ask then is not "Are you ready to make a decision for Christ today?" (John 1:12-13, see post: "The Candle Sheds Light on Decision") but instead "Do you believe?" (Acts 16:31)
In what is being called evangelism, you're job isn't to make a sale, it's to tell them the Good News of what Christ did for them. There is no pressure on you, for you can't give people faith. People can't give faith to themselves. But the Word through Christ can. Our question at the end should be "Do you believe?" After having heard the Gospel, the Word of God, they'll either believe or they won't. And when they say "yes", they can only say it because they had faith from having heard the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) So remember, we're news announcers, proclaimers of the Gospel, not salesman. Man cannot save man. Only the Good News of Christ for us, the power of God, can do that. (Romans 1:16)
Jesu Juva,
Sole Deo Gloria
Monday, August 1, 2011
Hymn Monday
Here's the start of Hymn Monday! Today's is taken from Laache's "Book of Family Prayer", which was used by my family before they immigrated from Norway to the United States. My copy, with the current translation by Rev. Mark DeGarmeaux, was given to me by my father.
"O Lord, our God, You give to us
Your gifts and favor brightly;
Your Holy Ghost enlighten us
That we may use them rightly;
As stewards true may we be known
With truth's sweet friendship as our own,
And never in corruption.
Arouse in us true diligence,
Refresh our zeal so that we
May use our time with faithfulness
Whate'er our calling may be;
O make us worthy to be know
Children of light and heaven's own,
And to Your heart embrace us."
Landstad: Hvor ilde dog af Synds Begjaer L 499:5-6 tr. DeGarmeaus; tune: Ach Gott vom Himmel
Translation: Copyright (c) 2000 Mark DeGarmeaux. Used with permission.
Jesu Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
"O Lord, our God, You give to us
Your gifts and favor brightly;
Your Holy Ghost enlighten us
That we may use them rightly;
As stewards true may we be known
With truth's sweet friendship as our own,
And never in corruption.
Arouse in us true diligence,
Refresh our zeal so that we
May use our time with faithfulness
Whate'er our calling may be;
O make us worthy to be know
Children of light and heaven's own,
And to Your heart embrace us."
Landstad: Hvor ilde dog af Synds Begjaer L 499:5-6 tr. DeGarmeaus; tune: Ach Gott vom Himmel
Translation: Copyright (c) 2000 Mark DeGarmeaux. Used with permission.
Jesu Juva,
Soli Deo Gloria
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)