Methods Of Evangelism

2 Corinthians 5:11

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." The object of evangelism is the conversion of chosen, redeemed sinners for the glory of God. Knowing that all Adam's fallen race is under the wrath of God and must soon stand before the bar of God's justice in judgment, we persuade sinners to flee from the wrath of God and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. What is the method of our persuasion? How do we persuade men to come to Christ?

Some use the PITY JESUS METHOD. When I was a boy, preachers used to try to get everybody feeling so sorry for poor Jesus who suffered so horribly because men rejected him and would not let him be their king. Out of sheer pity for poor Jesus, they got large numbers of people to take sides with him. The pity is that the Jesus they preached was not the Christ of God and their faith was a false faith. The Christ os God did not die as a helpless victim of circumstances!

Others use the SCARE WITH JUDGMENT METHOD. Shortly after I came to Danville, all the "evangelical churches" in town got together to show a movie called "The Burning Hell". My name was mud because I refused to have anything to do with their religious scam. But the fact is, while the fear of judgment gets many to profess faith, none are converted by it (Rev. 16:9). It is not the fear of God's wrath, but the revelation and exercise of his goodness that brings sinners to repentance (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 2:4).

Many use these and other methods too numerous to mention without real regard to the glory of God. In the eyes of men, who count noses, they appear very successful. But no sinner has ever been saved by them, only deceived. The only method of persuasion, either in personal witnessing or in public preaching, that is effectual in producing true repentance and faith is the TALK ABOUT GRACE METHOD. All conversions that are the results of pity, emotionalism, and fear will in time prove to be sham conversions. True repentance and faith are the result of gospel persuasion,and that persuasion is based upon the accomplishment of redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. Read II Corinthians 5:14-21 and you will see that this was Paul's method.

Don Fortner