Preaching the "Good News of the Kingdom" - Have we completely missed the meaning of evangelism?
Is it just me or are we really confused about what "preaching" the gospel really means?
I've always wondered why mainstream Christianity thinks that the Good News is a set of doctrines that one needs to intellectually agree with in order to be "saved". The message and method of "preaching" this Good News in many (but certainly not with all) churches and Christians has become distilled to an attempt to persuade the other person to agree about some Gospel Truths. These exchanges are called "evangelism" and though a lot may very well be infused with the power of the Spirit in terms of what is said and how it is said, there are two very significant differences between how Jesus preached the Good News and how its done today.
Jesus proclaimed "the Good News of the Kingdom"! It was Good News! And the funny thing that seems to escape many people who adopt this language, is that Jesus had not yet died on the Cross and yet He was preaching Good News! To most today, they would be at a loss to preach this Good News without rambling into a theological discussion about "justification, sanctification, sin separating you from God" and countless other concepts (some true, some not, and some that don't even make sense).
The Good News was that God was willing and able to heal, deliver and rescue people from sickness, spiritual oppression and more. His Good News was "Hey, stop believing that God is the author of evil and darkness and believe and rest in the Truth that He is willing to save, heal, restore and deliver you. He wants to bless you with Life and Abundant Life. He wants you to be in fellowship with Him as He seeks those to drink deeply from the Fountain of Life, in Spirit and Truth (to worship). He loves you so much He has offered up His One and Only Son! So repent, let go of your self-sufficiency, turn from your sinful lifestyles, yield to God, yield to the Kingdom of Heaven (all these are the same)! And here I am, come to Me and I will give you Rest. Let Me heal you!"
And that's exactly what Jesus did. Today we go with pamphlets and are all timid about how we'll look like to them. We're ready with our verses memorized and puny apologetic parables memorized to counteract the FAQ's that we are trained to answer. This is NOT evangelism!
Let's learn from Jesus who proclaimed the Kingdom with signs and wonders to PROVE beyond a doubt God's endless and conditional love for all people. Is this how you want to "witness" and "evangelize" and influence those whom you care about and the world around you?
If so, then SEEK FIRST the Kingdom and His Righteous. Hunger for this power and love. Ask for it everyday. This is why Jesus taught us to pray "Your Kingdom Come and Your Will Be Done on Earth as it in the Heavens". Our Father can't wait to answer your prayers for His Kingdom to come and for His Holy Spirit and Wisdom and Power and Love to be manifested ever-increasingly in you. I'm running with this and I hope so will you.
Peace and Grace to you.
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I've always wondered why mainstream Christianity thinks that the Good News is a set of doctrines that one needs to intellectually agree with in order to be "saved". The message and method of "preaching" this Good News in many (but certainly not with all) churches and Christians has become distilled to an attempt to persuade the other person to agree about some Gospel Truths. These exchanges are called "evangelism" and though a lot may very well be infused with the power of the Spirit in terms of what is said and how it is said, there are two very significant differences between how Jesus preached the Good News and how its done today.
Jesus proclaimed "the Good News of the Kingdom"! It was Good News! And the funny thing that seems to escape many people who adopt this language, is that Jesus had not yet died on the Cross and yet He was preaching Good News! To most today, they would be at a loss to preach this Good News without rambling into a theological discussion about "justification, sanctification, sin separating you from God" and countless other concepts (some true, some not, and some that don't even make sense).
The Good News was that God was willing and able to heal, deliver and rescue people from sickness, spiritual oppression and more. His Good News was "Hey, stop believing that God is the author of evil and darkness and believe and rest in the Truth that He is willing to save, heal, restore and deliver you. He wants to bless you with Life and Abundant Life. He wants you to be in fellowship with Him as He seeks those to drink deeply from the Fountain of Life, in Spirit and Truth (to worship). He loves you so much He has offered up His One and Only Son! So repent, let go of your self-sufficiency, turn from your sinful lifestyles, yield to God, yield to the Kingdom of Heaven (all these are the same)! And here I am, come to Me and I will give you Rest. Let Me heal you!"
And that's exactly what Jesus did. Today we go with pamphlets and are all timid about how we'll look like to them. We're ready with our verses memorized and puny apologetic parables memorized to counteract the FAQ's that we are trained to answer. This is NOT evangelism!
Let's learn from Jesus who proclaimed the Kingdom with signs and wonders to PROVE beyond a doubt God's endless and conditional love for all people. Is this how you want to "witness" and "evangelize" and influence those whom you care about and the world around you?
If so, then SEEK FIRST the Kingdom and His Righteous. Hunger for this power and love. Ask for it everyday. This is why Jesus taught us to pray "Your Kingdom Come and Your Will Be Done on Earth as it in the Heavens". Our Father can't wait to answer your prayers for His Kingdom to come and for His Holy Spirit and Wisdom and Power and Love to be manifested ever-increasingly in you. I'm running with this and I hope so will you.
Peace and Grace to you.
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