Saturday, September 20, 2014

#FriendshipEvangelism

I am an unashamed and unapologetic critic of "Friendship Evangelism," as it is most commonly advocated, taught, and practiced.

I believe Christians should befriend unbelievers. I am not against that in the least. But if the goal of developing relationships with lost people bound for hell is anything less than seeking every opportunity to proclaim the gospel to them, then the development of such relationships are acts of selfishness, at best.

Today, I had a few (well, many) things to say about "Friendship Evangelism," in 140 characters or less. I have cleaned up grammar and spelling of the tweets, for the purpose of this blog post.

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The American Evangelical notion that the Christian has to "earn the right" to share the gospel with the lost is both traitorous & blasphemous.

Show me the verse that says the Christian must have the permission of God's enemies to plead with them to obey God's command to repent and believe.

The primary reason more American Evangelicals do not share the gospel is because they love themselves more than they love Jesus & the lost.

Most American Evangelical evangelism strategies are designed to protect the Christian, not to reach the lost with the gospel.

If you have been taught that spiritually dead and spiritually blind lost people who hate God can see Jesus in you, then u have been deceived.

Unless you verbally (or in written form) proclaim the gospel, you look no different than a nice Mormon or Muslim or Atheist to a lost person.

Most American Evangelical evangelism strategies are arrogant examples of the sinful notion that the gospel is not enough and God needs our help.

Wanna know why more Christians weren't sharing the gospel in #Ferguson? Because in #FriendshipEvangelism you only share with people you like.

#FrienshipEvangelism is not loving your neighbor as yourself. It's loving yourself among the neighbors you like.

#FriendshipEvangelism assumes Jesus isn't coming back anytime, soon.

Don't like to shove the gospel down people's throats? #FriendshipEvangelism is shoving YOU down people's throats.

Many proponents of #FriendshipEvangelism, if they're honest, will admit they disdain street evangelism because it is done among "those" people.

Proponents of #FriendshipEvangelism hate street evangelism because there's no time to develop relationships with people they'd never bring into their homes, [anyways].

Build houses, feed the hungry, clothe the destitute, and don't share the gospel: you're just making people more comfortable on their way to hell.

You know what missionary proponents of #FriendshipEvangelism look like when I see them on the streets while I'm preaching? Tourists.

Proponents of #FriendshipEvangelism say open-air preaching turns people away from Jesus, showing how little power they believe Jesus has to save.

When a proponent of #FriendshipEvangelism confronts me on the street, the conversation goes south the moment I ask them when they last shared the gospel.

Most young, short-term missionaries committed to #FriendshipEvangelism usually come home with wonderful pictures of their trip. #Vacation

#FriendshipEvangelism is American Evangelicalism's way to justify systematic discrimination among "the least of these."

#FriendshipEvangelism has one thing in common with Hinduism. It's a "sacred cow."

Biblical #FriendshipEvangelism BEGINS with the gospel. Build the relationship on the rock of Christ, not the sand of your personality.

NOT ONE passage of Scripture supports the idea that Jesus practiced #FriendshipEvangelism the way it is practiced today. NOT ONE.

#FriendshipEvangelism is neither friendship nor evangelism, because the friendship becomes more important than the soul of the friend.

#FriendshipEvangelism is an unfortunate byproduct of the false American Evangelical teaching that says, "You are the gospel."

Look what #FriendshipEvangelism has produced, in part: mega-churches filled with middle-to-upper-middle class white people where the gospel is a byword.

#FriendshipEvangelism has produced college and university ministries that are void of holiness, but have plenty of pizza and Foosball.

#FriendshipEvangelism doesn't produce evangelists. It produces "life coaches."

Sadly, the selfish joy in the hearts of Christians because of practicing #FriendshipEvangelism, can produce...THIS



Many proponents of #FriendshipEvangelism be like, "Yo! Dats da Jesus I know!" Read This.

We can thank youth ministries that focus on #FriendshipEvangelism, in part, for the high false conversion rate on university campuses.

And please take the time to listen to this sermon excerpt:

3 comments:

  1. These are the keystone(s), in my opinion.

    "If you have been taught that spiritually dead and spiritually blind lost people who hate God can see Jesus in you, then u have been deceived."

    "Most American Evangelical evangelism strategies are arrogant examples of the sinful notion that the gospel is not enough and God needs our help."

    Each of these is an example of someone directly opposing Scripture, intentionally.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mark 16:15. It says all , not just "friends" . ALL!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree. I've given up inviting folks out to witness with me.

    ReplyDelete

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