Servant Evangelism

Through servant evangelism we may open the hearts of those who may be closed to the gospel otherwise.

I.      Living in a Post-Christian America

I am not a doomsday guy!  In fact I am probably one of the most optimistic individuals you will come across.  So when I say that we live in a post-Christian America I am not succumbing to pessimism and doubt.  It’s just a fact.  William McRaney says in his book The Art of Personal Evangelism, “The questions and issues for lost people have changed. I am not sure that we are listening to the questions any longer. Is it possible that in our efforts to communicate we are simply shouting our answers at a higher pitch?”[1]  I believe he is right.  In our culture we have moved beyond a time where everyone believes there is a God and just lacks the details on how to become a Christian.  This is why programs like “The Bible” on the history channel are important. Though not every detail is completely accurate, it raises the awareness of the a Scriptures to a pop culture level and allows for a dialogue with some who may have been previously closed to the Gospel.

II.    Loving as a Sign to the Unbeliever

In John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  Perhaps the greatest thing we can do for the unsaved world is to obey the Lord and begin showing extravagant love toward one another.  Of course this is true within the local church setting as is often preached by a pastor wanting to avoid long counseling hours, but this is true on an even larger scale in the church as a whole.  I am not saying that we are to throw out doctrine by any means.  Without doctrine we have no common faith.  I am not saying we are to accept sin, for the Bible clearly teaches that the church is to be holy.  What I am saying is that the world needs to see Christians that speak kindly of other Christians regardless of what church they go to, college their pastor attended or personal preference they might enjoy.

III.  Opening the Door to Evangelism

True servant evangelism is going to take you out of your comfort zone.[2] Just as Jesus had to go through Samaria to get to the woman at the well in John 4, so you may have to go out of your way to reach someone with the truth.  In Las Vegas people are jaded.  Everyday they are told lies by the casinos, banks and brokers of our city.  They assume that the church is also just another scam ready to take their money and abuse their power.  This is why servant evangelism is so needed.  Just as Jesus washed the disciples feet in John 13, we ought to serve our community to prove our love, not only for the Lord, not only for the brethren, but also for the world.  Does our city know we love them? Do they see that love  through our helping of the homeless, the poor, the single mothers and fathers who are just trying to keep their heads above water?

What are several ways we can implement Servant Evangelism in our churches?  How can I reach my co-workers, neighbors and associates through servant evangelism?  What are other ideas that we can use to allow our community to know that we are there to serve them?  Post ideas below:

_________________________________

[1] William McRaney Jr. The Art of Personal Evangelism. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2003), 128.

[2] Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010), 121-122.