I just finished Randy Newman’s Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did. The book’s title isn’t a question, as if Newman is somehow questioning whether followers of Jesus should take part in evangelism. It’s, in a sense, a type of evangelism or a kind of way to engage people in spiritual conversations. And I think it is an excellent treatment of the subject. I think I appreciated it so much because it’s my hope to grow in my ability to ask the kinds of probing questions Jesus did. He was a master at asking great questions and I want to become like that.
If there are issues that cause greater frustration, guilt, and shame for the Jesus follower than evangelism I’d love to know what they are. How many well meaning Jesus followers have been put to shame because they know they aren’t doing all they could to introduce people to the One whom they follow? I know I’m in that group. In some ways reading this book was painful because I become more aware of how often I fail in this area.
And in my experience even that last sentence often brings many well intentioned believers to my side with comforting words about not being too hard on myself. Or I hear things about how we need to focus on the heart and not the behavior and that’s to be a comfort for my failing behavior in this area, as if Jesus isn’t all that concerned if I’m doing anything to make disciples. Or I hear how some people just don’t have the gift of evangelism. But evangelism is also a calling for all believers, not just some.
And so here I sit, book in hand, guilt in mind, looking for something to help Jesus followers step out and with humble confidence speak the gospel to their friends who are far from God.
It must be said that this book, in many ways, assumes something big. It assumes that you, as the reader, are engaging those who are far from God. This is a big assumption, because my experience is many are not. In fact I wonder how many believers do not ever talk to people who are far from God about Jesus. Maybe the question for us as readers is this, “When was the last time you took the initiative to share the gospel with someone?”
It’s scary isn’t it? I mean be honest. There’s a lot at stake when I share my faith.
But what else is going on that’s keeping me from sharing my faith? Will we ever be able to fully answer that question? Something is happening behind the scenes though if a follower of Jesus isn’t developing relationships with those far from God. There has to be some reason that isn’t happening in a life, doesn’t there?
Questioning Evangelism does a lot to help overcome these obstacles. In my estimation the approach described in the book is culturally sensitive, biblically grounded, and outwardly focused. It allows one to step away from the defensive posture to relationally engage people about spiritual issues. Just reading the example dialogues, most of which come from Newman’s real life experiences, is helpful. It’s like you have an opportunity to see what this sort of conversation can look like, and that’s valuable.
I can’t go into every detail of the book but I think the questions he raises as he concludes his book are worth repeating.
Will we be ready to address this next generation’s questions with compelling answers?
Will we approach them any differently than we have approached the Woodstock or the Pearl Harbor generations?
Will we design new methods of evangelism or rely on the successes of the past routines?
Will we adjust to the reality that some people belong (to a church or fellowship) before they believe?
Will we be theologically learned enough to counter the ever-changing spiritual smorgasbord around us, or will we put our food on the buffet as simply another entree option?
Will we present our message as the all-encompassing gospel that it is, or will we keep presenting the gospel as a simplistic intellectual proposition to be merely agreed with or rejected?
Will we keep responding to questions with answers, or will we answer them with questions?
Will we announce our message as Jesus the rabbi would? Or will we continue to follow the model of Murray, the used car salesman? (261-262)
Great questions that I need to consider in my own life, how about you? If I’m going to truly live for Jesus in my world and make disciples it means I am going to have to invest in the lives of those far from God and secondly I must verbalize the gospel of Jesus in a culturally relevant way to that individual.
No more hiding behind, “they’ll know by my lifestyle.” No more hiding behind, “Christians are to be separate from the world.” No more hiding behind feigned righteous indignation. No, if we’re going to make a difference in our world we our lives radically changed by Jesus’ values and vision for his world.