How to Have a Soul Winning Church

Gene Edwards

• Publisher: Barakaldo Books
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781839744914
• Topic: Teología y religión
• Subtopic: Religión

"This book is for Christians whose hearts are on fire. This is for the visionary, the idealist. It is for the man who is not satisfied with the status quo in Christianity, and who believes that there is something big that can be done about it. This is for the Christian who believes the church and its people can be everything He wanted them to be—to fulfil the purpose for which he ordained them. This is for the spiritual optimist in a dark age." (From the Author's Introduction)

PART I—THE CASE FOR PERSONAL EVANGELISM

CHAPTER 1—A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVANGELISM

It would be interesting to pay a visit to a church of the 1st century, and study their program of evangelism. They could quickly tell us how to have a soul winning church. If we could make such a journey back to those churches, we would probably be amazed at our discoveries.

Stopping off at the Church of Ephesus, our visit might begin something like this.

“Good evening, Aquila! We understand you’re a member of the church here. Could we come in and visit a while?”

“Certainly, come in.”

“If you don’t mind, we would like for you to tell us about the way the churches here in Asia Minor carry on their evangelistic program. We read that you have been a member of a church in Corinth and Rome, as well as now, the one here in Ephesus. So you should be very well qualified to tell us about evangelism in a New Testament church. If you don’t mind, we’d also like to visit the church while we’re here.”

“Sit down. And as for as that goes, you’re already in the church. It meets in my home.”

“You don’t have a church building?”

“What’s a church building? No, I guess we don’t.”

“Tell me, Aquila, what is your church doing to evangelize Ephesus? What are you doing to reach the city with the Gospel?”

“Oh, we’ve already evangelized Ephesus. Every person in the city clearly understands the Gospel.”

“What?!!”

“Yes...is that unusual?”

“How did the church do it? You certainly don’t have any radios or televisions. Did you have a lot of evangelistic campaigns?”

“No. As you have probably heard, we tried mass meetings in this area, but most of the time we would end up in jail!”

“Then how?”

“Oh, don’t you know? We just visited every home in the city. That’s the way the church in Jerusalem first evangelized that city.{1} The disciples there evangelized the entire city of Jerusalem in a very short time. All the other churches in Asia Minor have followed that example.”

“Is it effective everywhere?”

“Yes, it is. There are so many converts that some of the pagan religious leaders fear their own religions will die. When Brother Paul left Ephesus for the last time, he reminded us to keep on following this same procedure.”{2}

“Aquila, this is amazing! Why, at this rate, there is no telling how many people are going to hear the Gospel and respond.”

“Oh, haven’t you heard? We’ve already taken the Gospel to every person in Asia Minor—both Jews and Greeks.”{3}

“Why, that’s impossible. You don’t mean everyone!”

“Yes, everyone.”

“But that would include Damascus, Ephesus, dozens of large cities. And then towns and villages—and what about the nomadic tribes on the desert? How long did it take the churches to reach all these people?”

“Not long—24 months to be exact.{4} The same thing is happening in North Africa and Southern Europe. The Gospel has reached Spain too. We’ve heard of a land called England, and several Christians may have reached there. We hope to have fulfilled the Great Commission of Jesus by the close of the century.”

“Aquila, what you’re telling us is incredible. You have done more in a generation than we have done in a thousand years.”

“That’s strange. It’s been rather simple for us to do. It’s hard to realize things have moved so slowly for you. Maybe you’re going at it in the wrong way.”

THE DEATH AND REBIRTH OF EVANGELISM

How did 1st century Christianity do so much in evangelism? Why has 20th century Christianity done so little in comparison?

After 1900 years—we have not yet rediscovered the way to perform such remarkable accomplishments. We would do well to recall why the situation exists as it does.

The Death of Evangelism

In the 2nd century, Christianity became entangled in theological controversy. The 3rd century saw a strong growth of apostasy. The 4th century made the apostasy complete. Christianity was then plunged into 1,000 years of darkness.

This 1,000 years is what completely separates us from any direct contact with New Testament Christianity. We often fail to remember this fact, and sometimes feel that our present day methods are all New Testament in origin. A close examination of the New Testament, and a historical study of the origin of our present day methods, quickly dispel this idea.

The Reformation

Under the leadership of Martin Luther, Christianity began to move out of this 1,000 years of darkness. But the Reformation of the 15- and 1600’s was limited in its scope. This was primarily a theological reformation—a return to the examination of the Word of God.

Many Things Left Unsettled

The writings of Luther drew the battle lines of the Reformation. The subjects he wrote about and discussed pretty well set the boundaries of Biblical exploration for a very long time. But Luther left many aspects of Christianity untouched.

For instance, he said little about eschatology. It was 300 years after Luther before this subject came under prominent study.

He said little or nothing about missions, and the evangelization of the world. It was left to William Carey, in the 1790’s, to bring this New Testament concept back to the forefront.

The Holy Spirit received little attention in the Reformation. It has been only in this century that the doctrine and the place of the Holy Spirit has found worthy consideration.

The period since the Reformation has been a “groping back” to New Testament concepts. We have not yet bridged the gap. There are many New Testament ideas, concepts and doctrines that we have yet to rediscover.

The Rise of Traditional Concepts

Most of the programs, ideas, terminology, and organizations that we have in our churches today have evolved through tradition, and have no real, clear cut New Testament basis for their existence.

For instance, it is usually shocking, and often very humorous, when we realize that the church building falls in this category. The Reformation leaders took the idea of the church building from the Catholics, without thought. But the church building is a 3rd century idea, and has no New Testament precedent.

Even such sacred terms as “the pulpit”, “missionary”, and “Sunday School”, have no clear cut Biblical origin.

The list is endless.

THE ORIGIN OF MODERN EVANGELISM

In the New Testament, there were two very definite, predominant types of evangelization—mass evangelism, and personal evangelism.

By the 3rd century, both were very largely lost. Nor was there any significant revival of evangelism during the Reformation. Incredible as it seems, there was no significant return to evangelism until just 200 years ago. At that time, one kind of New Testament evangelism made its reappearance. It made its first strong re-entrance after a 1600 year absence, through the ministry of John Wesley. We can be thankful that he gave back to us the concept of mass evangelism.

Unfortunately, the other form of New Testament evangelism has not yet made its re-entry into Christian history. It waits in the wing, perhaps hoping soon to command the center of the stage once more. We can only guess how dramatic the entrance will be. Mass evangelism made a dramatic reappearance with John Wesley. Perhaps we can hope for as much again!

What About Personal Evangelism?

Personal evangelism is talked about. People write books about it. Men preach fervent messages about the need of it. And in isolated cases, you find a few people who do it.

But no great, sweeping return to personal evangelism has come. There has not been a time in the last 1800 years, when a great movement of personal witnessing has gripped a large portion of Christian people. Open your history books and turn back through nearly two millenniums. You will discover not even a mention. After 1800 years, the church has not repossessed personal evangelism. It lies, until this very hour, in a musty stack, labelled: “Undiscovered Truths of the New Testament”.

What has been the end result of going this long without a vibrant repossession of such a cardinal truth? Is it nothing really? It is just that the most powerful and necessary concept of Christianity is still dead! Just that we have a car without a motor; a plane without wings; a message—the Message—and no really efficient way to get it out to the whole world.

A revival—a rediscovery—of personal evangelism will, in truth, be the rediscovery of the spirit of New Testament Christianity.

The Evolution Of Mass Evangelism

Before we trace the origin of other kinds of evangelism that have arisen, let’s go back a moment and trace the evolution of “mass evangelism” for the 200 years since its rediscovery.

Under men like George Whitfield, America was introduced to mass evangelism. It found fertile soil in this frontier country. Actually, mass evangelism has gone through several “slumps” and “revivals” since that time. There have been about four high points in the history of mass evangelism. One under Wesley, another under Finney, then Moody, and in our own day, through the God-impelled leadership of Billy Graham.

In the middle 1700’s, there came the “camp meeting”. Later, in the 1800’s, there developed the “protracted meeting” and the “brush arbor”. In the late 1800’s, when there was a revived interest in mass evangelism, the term which was often used was “revival”. The terms “revival” and “mass evangelism” began to get intertwined in our thinking, as well as in our terminology. Today, we have the very highly organized “evangelistic campaign”, either church-centered or city wide.

There are certain unalterable spiritual principles in mass evangelism that are eternal, and that do not change. These laws have come to be recognized and understood in our day. Consequently mass evangelism has become a highly organized and exacting...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• INTRODUCTION-THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK
• PART I-THE CASE FOR PERSONAL EVANGELISM
• PART II-PROBLEMS AND PRINCIPLES OF A SOUL WINNING CHURCH
• PART III-THE PLAN
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR