Building Bridges For Evangelism

Building bridges for the “un-churched” – Every person deserves the chance to either accept or reject the gospel of Christ Holding the gospel with partiality is sin (James 2:1) There is a tendency to overuse the “casting my pearls before swine” reasoning (Matt 7:6) The power in evangelism is the gospel, not my ability to choose or judge (Rom 1:16-17) Do we see people as being suspects or prospects? – Try to start where they are at (Acts 17:22-31) Paul began with Genesis 1:1 – God made the world and everything in it! Why? Polytheistic people See what they know & believe and start where their lack of understanding or faith begins

Building bridges for the “un-churched” – We must remain focused on the greater need of salvation & not be sidetracked by symptoms Why didn’t Jesus point out the marriage problem first? She had a deeper need! (John 4:10, 16) In the world, many people’s lives are a mess… Often we want to fix the mess before the real problem When we help them fix the greater problem, the symptoms will begin to heal with learning – Remember the importance of relationships… Acting in a self-righteous manner will do nothing but destroy the building process

Building bridges for those in religious error – It’s very important to start building from common ground (Acts 17:22-23) Some feel compelled to start attacking all of the differences – Bouncing from one to the next Paul finds commonality – The importance they placed on being religious then taught them about God It’s not just about making the truth palatable, but establishing a foundation from which to work Consider the common ground that exists between us & many in error regarding becoming a Christian

What Must I Do To Be Saved? Denominational Picture Hear the gospel Believe the gospel, believe in Jesus, believe in God Repent of your sins Confess Jesus Say sinner’s prayer… Accept Jesus as your personal Savior Be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit as an outward sign of the inward man The New Testament Picture Hear the gospel Believe the gospel, believe in Jesus, believe in God Repent of your sins Confess Jesus Be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins

Building bridges for those in religious error – It’s very important to start building from common ground (Acts 17:22-23) Some feel compelled to start attacking all of the differences – Bouncing from one to the next Paul finds commonality – The importance they placed on being religious then taught them about God It’s not just about making the truth palatable, but establishing a foundation from which to work Consider the common ground that exists between us & many in error regarding becoming a Christian – A language barrier often exists (Prov 16:20-24) What we mean and what they hear may differ greatly Some phrases we often use are foreign to their ears… Don’t assume they understand… Listen carefully!

Building bridges for those in religious error – Don’t feel compelled to be a “Fast And Super Bridge Builder” (Matthew 23:23-24) Some issues are weightier matters of the law and some issues are not weightier matters of the law Weightier matters are foundational principles on which everything else is built and operated When trying to build a bridge, don’t get bogged down in the specifics until the weightier is established – Don’t hide the truth, but be tactful (Col 4:4-6) Tough questions arise: “Are only members of the church of Christ going to Heaven?” – Etc. Often the truth is painful and costly enough without my making it more abrasive by my approach Show humility, a desire to learn, & be open to change

Building bridges for those looking to leave behind institutionalism… – During the 1950’s and 1960’s there was a terrible division over several issues: Church involvement in widow’s & orphan homes, benevolence for the world, social meals, etc Basic Point: Does the church have the right to do anything that an individual Christian can do? During this “split” there were some very unchristian behavior on both sides – Left 2 separate groups – Since this those on the “institutional” side have seen a digression from the NT pattern: It didn’t end with the social meals & orphan homes Entertainment has become a major focus, modernism reigns, man-centered worship & programs

Building bridges for those looking to leave behind institutionalism… – An opportunity exists as some are looking to turn away from the problems they now see – Christian attitudes must be maintained: Personality problems were a major factor when the division was taking place (Gal 5:22-24) Change is a growth process and everyone must allow everyone else room for growing & understanding Part of our attitude is to not be content with the division that exists (John 17:21; 1 Cor 1:10-11) – Church autonomy must be kept (I Pet 5:2) In the 50’s & 60’s too much influence and control was exercised by some men over other churches Can’t approach this bridge building as a denomination

Building bridges for those looking to leave behind institutionalism… – Everyone must go back to the NT and regain a strong respect for authority (Matt 7:21-23) Authority is a subject that is often overlooked today and many are ignorant of it as a result Unless there is a mutual desire to pursue 1 st Century Christianity there’s no foundation to build upon! This presents a great challenge – We cannot be accepting of practices that contradict the New Testament pattern – As people look to change practices, we need to lend them our support & our prayers… Change is not easy! (2 Cor 13:11-14)