Human Persuasion Final, with Scripture
Posted by James MacDonald on July 16, 2007 12:11 PM | Comments (10)Hey, I'm really ready to move on to a new topic, like our exciting 10-city bus tour that begins tomorrow, but I will finish this up with some Scripture. The fact that the role of the messenger and his method has taken precedence over the power of the message during our time is not a refutable point. It is a conscious or in some instances, subconscious resurgence of Arminianism. Following then are some Scriptures to show why I believe this overemphasis on the role of human persuasion in evangelism is unbiblical. First, three reminders as to why we should care.
1) Overemphasizing the role of human persuasion in evangelism distorts the message.
What thinking person could argue that the gospel has not been diluted and distorted in our day? Efforts to get the Word to more people have resulted in a gospel that is void of repentance, reduced to a formula, and is dispensed with the speed and value of a drive-thru window.
2) Overemphasizing the role of human persuasion in evangelism breeds arrogance in the messenger.
This is what Paul said would happen. " . . . faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:5). What we have today is a plethora of cavalier spokesmen for the gospel who seem only mildly interested in whether or not their message conforms to the written Word of God. Methods, market analysis, cultural awareness--these are the stock and trade of those who believe evangelism is in the hands of the messenger.
3) Overemphasizing the role of human persuasion in evangelism distorts the church.
The watering down of the gospel has led to a "church growth" emphasis that fills our churches with tares: people who don't tithe, don't obey the Scripture, don't love God and lost people as their first priority. Bottom line--people who are still lost in their sins because they have not heard the whole gospel where Jesus is the pearl of great price, for whom we give up everything and gladly so, to find in Him the only source of soul satisfaction and eternal life.
OK, here's some Scripture I find very instructive in this regard. Scripture that tells us HOW to share the gospel:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Ephesians 6:19-20
And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Acts 4:18-20
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:2-6
You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Mark 8:31-32
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.
Comments
Posted by: David | July 16, 2007 08:56 PM
Thank you, James for quoting the most life transforming words ever: God's Word.
Tracking these blogs and posts over the past months has been used by the Lord to help our family with a crucial decision on whether to change churches or not.
While on our way to Ontario a few weeks ago, I picked up a book at Harvest's Bookstore titled "Preaching that Changes Lives" by Michael Fabarez. I absorbed it in a week! What hit me most, as just a guy in the pew, was the section on the difference between People-Centered Sermons and God-Centered Sermons. The book was so good I bought four more to give to pastor-friends of mine! So much preaching,as you James have described is man-centered; more about God making my life better. It's not that what they say isn't true; it's just they don't tell the whole story. What results is a message that may not lead people to the cross.
God-centered churches deal with MY broken relationship with God, that I caused because of my sin, and the wonderful work of Grace God gives us in his son, Jesus!
Our home church is becoming increasingly man-centered in its focus, and my family, among others are becoming starving saints. Through some conversations with the pastoral staff, the Lord made it very clear that it's time to move on to another fellowship; where the focus is vertical. We so love the church we've been at, but our heart grieves that the leadership seems to be content with emphasizing human persuasion over the work of God.
We are so glad God is completely sovereign and is going before us. Thank you, James for being a godly voice of wisdom to our family. We continue to pray Hosea 6:1-3 for our church. I am realizing that sometimes God needs to let a train-wreck happen so he can get our attention and heal us.
Pray for us as we seek a new church home that preaches the Word of God without apology.
Posted by: Matt | July 16, 2007 10:35 PM
Praise God for the fruits that have been and continue to be born by His all-powerful Word that divides bone and marrow. Thank you, David, for your testimony. And thank you, Pastor James, for keeping the main thing the main thing. Blessings to you as you travel, that God will work in you and then through you (and in spite of you, if He has to) to bring about growth in both the number and maturity of disciples in His Kingdom.
Posted by: Don | July 17, 2007 03:07 PM
David,
Your testimony has both caused me to rejoice and to shed tears. The rejoicing comes from the Good Shepherd's promises to us in EZEKIEL 34:11-16. But the tears come from the famine in the land and the shepherd's who have failed to feed the Word of God to their people.The shepherd's have trusted in "the new cart of the Phillistines" rather then listen to the instructions of the Lord; which was to carry the Ark upon the shoulders of the Levites(Kohathites). 1 Chr. 13, 15.
David, continue to listen to the leading of the Good Shepherd.
AMOS 8:11-12
EZEKIEL 1:1-4
THE PROMISES OF THE GOOD SHEPARD
EZEKIEL 34:11-16 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
*I myself will search for my shep and look after them
*I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.
*I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.
*I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land
*I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
*I myself will ten my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.
*I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.
*I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.
*I will shepard the flock with justice.
Posted by: David | July 19, 2007 04:52 PM
Don:
Someday when we both get to heaven, I'll look you up and give you a big Christ-filled hug! Thanks for your words of encouragement!
I visited another church last Sunday and to my pleasant surprise they announced a "radical change" in how they will do K-6 SS in the Fall; shifting from a man-centered curriculum to a God-centered one. It was music to my ears! They even contrasted for us the difference between the two. It encouraged me to know that God is at work in others around me over this very same issue. Our son would be impacted by this change.
Posted by: Myron | July 20, 2007 07:22 PM
I feel the WORD says we can only plant a seed or provide support but only GOD can cause the increase. 1Co 3:6.
Doesn't this mean that no matter how effective or ineffective we are in our witness that it is still GOD that calls the sinner to repentance. I think HE sees us as the pearl and gave HIS all to purchuse us.
Posted by: Don | July 21, 2007 08:13 AM
MYRON: A COMMENT ON...
I think HE sees us as the pearl
CNN reported the yellowed underpants, worn by Kennedy during his stint in the U.S. navy during World War II, were bought at a recent auction in New York by an Irish fan for $5,000. The president was proud of his Irish roots and visited Ireland weeks before his assassination in 1963. The name "Jack Kennedy" is sewn into waistband of Navy-issue boxers.
Brand new these boxer shorts can be bought at a surplus store for $5.95 and if they were used - at a garage sale they might go for 25 cents. They only reason they have worth is because of who wore them, not the underware itself.
This reminds me of the fact that the only reason that we have value is because of Christ in you, the hope of glory. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (broken jars of clay), that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves (2 Cort 4:6,7)
Posted by: Matt | July 22, 2007 01:10 PM
If only we heard more sermon illustrations concerning underwear, the world would be a better place.
;-)
Posted by: Don | July 23, 2007 12:57 PM
Yeah, your right Matt! It probably was too much contextualization :)
Posted by: Myron | July 23, 2007 02:14 PM
DON: A reply to your guidance.
Thanks for your response. I didn't mean to imply that I am of any value or elevate humanity above the things of God. I meant to suggest Gods great love for us and failed to make it clear. I think the correction you offer shows the value of human persuastion. Thanks again.
Posted by: Kirt and Jean | August 6, 2007 05:15 PM
Just wanted to thank OUR JOURNEY for sending out each months WITW well before the end of the month and the revised size beginning AUGUST 2007. Also, the internal format is very nice. Jean and I start each day with WITW devotions...each one talks to us where we are and helps us continue.
Thanks, Kirt and Jean