I was talking with a lady the other day about her strategy to lead others to Christ and she was adamant that she would not call herself a Christian or mention Jesus during the process of initially trying to convince a pre-believer to become a believer. Additionally she would not proclaim the gospel.
Huh?
She went on to add that God Himself told her about this strategy. She said He told her to simply demonstrate her love for others and people would pick up on the fact that she was different and eventually after the person had ample time to observe her love she would be provided an opportunity to share Jesus. She went on to explain that there is a negative perception of Christians out there of hypocrisy, condemnation, and judgment, and if we mention Christianity and/or Jesus we will never get to first base; it is only by demonstrating love do we have a chance with today’s society.
As further proof she told me that it took several years of showing pure love to a friend, but she eventually led her to the Lord.
Wow! I do not ever dispute anyone’s revelations from God. I can only attest to what I’ve seen and experienced. I’ve led thousands to the Lord and I ALWAYS talk about Jesus and proclaim the gospel.
I asked her about God telling her this and whether or not He spoke out loud to her, or if His words entered her mind in a small still voice, or what. She said she just knew.
Hmmm . . . It has been my experience that God speaks through His Bible most of the time. I certainly cannot find this strategy in the Bible; albeit it does state that our light should shine so as others will want what we enjoy as Christians; namely the peace, love, and joy of Christ.
This lady is not alone in her mantra. Francis of Assisi was attributed with saying something that has grown in popularity in our modern culture: “Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary.”
Ed Stetzer wrote about this as follows: “Mark Galli has pointed out that there is no record of Francis, a member of a preaching order, uttering anything close to this. In fact, everything we know about the man suggests he would not have agreed with his supposed quote. He was well known for his preaching and often preached up to five times a day.
The idea may not have resonated with Francis, but for many today, wordless ministry is a compelling approach. “Words are cheap,” we like to say, and “Actions speak louder than words.” Galli explains that the sentiment complements our culture rather well:
“Preach the gospel; use words if necessary” goes hand in hand with a postmodern assumption that words are finally empty of meaning. It subtly denigrates the high value that the prophets, Jesus, and Paul put on preaching. Of course, we want our actions to match our words as much as possible. But the gospel is a message, news about an event and a person upon which the history of the planet turns.
And this is the real problem — not from whom the quote originally came, but just how it can give us an incomplete understanding of the gospel and how God saves sinners. Christians are quick to encourage each other to “live out the gospel,” to “be the gospel” to our neighbors, and to even “gospel each other.” The missional impulse here is helpful, yet the gospel isn’t anything the Christian can live out, practice, or become.
The Apostle Paul summarized the gospel as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom sin is atoned for, sinners are reconciled to God, and the hope of the resurrection awaits all who believe. The gospel is not habit, but history. The gospel is the declaration of something that actually happened. And since the gospel is the saving work of Jesus, it isn’t something we can do, but it is something we must announce. We do live out its implications, but if we are to make the gospel known, we will do so through words.
It appears that the emphasis on proclamation is waning even in many churches that identify themselves as evangelical. Yet proclamation is the central task of the church. No, it is not the only task God has given us, but it is central. While the process of making disciples involves more than verbal communication, and obviously the life of a disciple is proved counterfeit when it amounts to words alone, the most critical work God has given the church is to “proclaim the excellences” of our Savior.
A godly life should serve as a witness for the message we proclaim. But without words, what can our actions point to but ourselves? A godly life cannot communicate the incarnation, Jesus’ substitution for sinners, or the hope of redemption by grace alone through faith alone. We can’t be good news, but we can herald it, sing it, speak it, and preach it to all who listen. In fact, verbal communication of the gospel is the only means by which people are brought into a right relationship with God. The Apostle Paul made this point to the church in Rome when he said:
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
If we are to make disciples of all nations, we must use words. Preaching necessitates the use of language. So, let me encourage us to preach the gospel, and use words, since it’s necessary.
This lady was not convinced. She went on to tell me she was like a spy. She would sneak in undercover and do her groundwork, sometimes for years, and then when the time was right and the pre-believer had observed all of her loving kindness she would talk to them about Jesus.
Egad! What if that lady to whom she was demonstrating her love had died in the interim and gone to hell? I don’t understand covert when it comes to witnessing. The Bible speaks of going forth boldly and allowing the Holy Spirit the opportunity to convince. I’m an overt man! I go forth with my love of Christ unconcealed. I can personally attest that even hardened criminals react to the highest name in all of creation, Jesus Christ. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.
The Apostle Paul was the greatest evangelist the world has ever known. Here is his strategy:
Acts 29:31
Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!