Methods of Evangelism

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The Roman Roads Romans 

Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans. (About.com 2015) It explains that we all need salvation (Romans 3:10-12, and 23), why we need it (Romans 6:23), how the Lord provides salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10, and 13), and how we receive salvation through Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). The advantages to the Romans Road method is that it is a systematic method to lead someone through the steps for salvation through Jesus. This is also a very simple method in presenting salvation. This is a good way to approach someone who is an analytical thinker. It could be used easily in a text or instant messing opportunity. There are some disadvantages to the Romans Road method. The first is that it can be very impersonal. It does not include love or personal testimony. There are people that require more than just Bible verses to understand salvation. This also would not typically be a good method for bringing young people to Christ. I know of a person who was an atheist who could quote the bible better than I could and could take bible verses out of context to counter such an approach. It was only by showing true love for others and sharing God’s message of loving one another that I was able to break through the barrier he had built around himself and bring him to the Lord.   

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Servant Evangelism 

 Servant evangelism is a simple straight forward approach to evangelizing. It is service to others in love without expecting anything in return. In the process of service when and if the moment arises the message of salvation is shared. We can see this method put to practice in the example set by Jesus when he washes the disciples’ feet (John 13: 1-5). We can also see this method in action in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In Evangelism is Earley and Wheeler say we should follow the instructions of Jesus and be a “slave to all” (Earley and Wheeler 2010). There are many advantages to this method. The first and what I feel is the most important is that is shows the love of Christ in action. This is also a very humbling what to approach evangelism. Servant evangelism reaches out to those in need improving their life in some way; sometimes is something small such as reaching out the hand of friendship to your neighbor or it could be something large such as feeding the poor. Servant evangelism is more than just a way to approach someone to bring them to the Lord it is the basic building block to our faith. It is a humble, loving approach to life that is lived out. There are some very real disadvantages. The most common is rejection, people are suspicious about your intentions. (Hahn 2015). This method also sometimes requires a long term investment in the unsaved people you are trying to reach out to. People may take some time to build up trust before you are able to share the message of salvation.   

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Door to Door Evangelism 

The Door to Door Evangelism method gets its name from the Door to Door sales approach. In this method you walk a neighborhood going from house to house knocking on doors hoping to share the message of salvation with whoever answers the door. This method is a very “in your face” approach to evangelism. This is sometimes done through pre-scripted approaches. One of the advantages to this method is what I like to call the “shotgun effect” in the fact that if you knock on enough doors there is a good chance you message will reach someone. You also get to reach people that you may not have been able to reach in any other way. While you may think that you only reached a small number of people your visit could be what starts someone on the road to salvation. This method allows God to put you where he needs you that would not have happened if you were not out knocking on doors. We can’t always rely on people to come to the church when there are special events going on. This is a true example of the great commission at work. There are a number of reasons that this method can be the most difficult of all the methods. To begin with you must be bold in your sharing of the gospel. This method does not work for shy or timid people. Because this is a confrontational method you can expect people to challenge your faith. Often, we sound as if we don’t really believe what we are saying.” Fearing that we will lose God’s favor if we don’t present the full gospel in a rigid formula every time we speak with an unbeliever, we become pushy and mechanical and thus lose the joy and intimacy of the gospel. (Markos 2014). Many times you are not the first to come knocking on someone’s door you may not even be in the top 10. With so many people out knocking on doors people can build up a knee jerk reaction and slam the door on your face as soon as you say the words “Can I have a few moments of your time?” People instantly think you are a salesman or a Bible thumper coming to interrupt their day. I have been out knocking on doors before and felt that one of the worst thinks is when you see the curtain move and you know someone is home but they ignore you. 

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Conclusion 

While there are many different methods of evangelism that we put into use at various times depending on which is best for the person we are trying to reach. Of the methods of evangelism I favor the servant method. The servant method is the best way to show the love of Jesus in action. I believe start by loving that person. We become their friend out of that love. And when, and if, God deems that we are to be the one to teach them about God’s word, that’s when we do. (Getter 2012). For me servant evangelism is more than just a method it is a way of life. I have found that servant evangelism has been very successful for me in bring those close to me to God. I have a very close friend that I have known most of my life. He used to be an atheist, but just about a year ago he found his way to God and is saved now. He told me that he went to church because of the Love he saw me showing those around me. He felt that if God could change me from a self-centered jerk to a person who cared more about others than I cared about myself that there had to be something more to Christianity and he wanted to know what it was. Before Christ came back into my life several years ago I was a very self-center, egotistical person. God put me through a process when I first came back to Him. He started by showing me love then he humbled me. About 3 years ago I woke up one morning in an extreme amount of back pain. I live in this pain every day but the pain reminds me that what I feel is nothing compared to the Pain God feels every day for the lost. This method works best for me because it reminds to live every day in service to God by serving others.   


Bibliography 
About.com. What is Romans Road to Salvation. April 20, 2015. http://christianity.about.com/od/conversion/qt/romansroad.htm.
 Barker, Kenneth, and undefined Zondervan. Zonderervan NIV Study Bible. United States: Zondervan, 2002.
 Earley, Dave, and David Wheeler. Evangelasm is... Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2010. Getter, Forest. A Daily Walk to Understanding God. Charleston: Loving Church Online, 2012. 
Hahn, Dustin. FAQs About Servant Evangelism. 2015. http://www.servantevangelism.com/about-servant-evangelism/faq-about-servant-evangelism/#.VTjs_SFVhBc (accessed April 23, 2015). Markos, Louis. The Dangers of Door to Door Evangelism. December 16, 2014. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/december-web-only/dangers-of-door-to-door-evangelism.html (accessed April 23, 2015).

The Three Kings: Saul, David, and Solomon

This is a paper I wrote for one of my classes recently 

SECTION 1

We Want a King

In the book of Samuel in chapter 8 the elders begin to go to Samuel and tell him that they wanted a king. Samuel told them by wanting a king they were rejecting God (Hindson 2012, 165) . God through Samuel warned the people of all the things a king would do. “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."” (NIV) 1Sa 8:19-20. The Elders of Israel wanted a king like the other nations (Hindson 2012, 165). Even though what they wanted was not the king, they needed the Lord gave them what they wanted in Saul. Sometimes we want something so badly that we convince ourselves that it is a need not a want. The Israelites looked around at the nations around them and saw that they all had kings and thought that the reason they suffered so much in the past was because they didn't have a king. They surely felt this was the reason for their suffering in the hands of their enemies. In truth, by asking for a king they were rejecting the One True King that they already had “GOD”.

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The King They Received

The Lord told Samuel to anoint Saul as the king of Israel and so the people got the king they wanted. Saul was a great warrior. Saul saw victories over the enemies of the Israelites was a good start, but he began to stop listening to God Saul’s desire for vengeance against the Philistines, coupled with insensitivity to the physical needs of his men caused him to make a rash vow that almost cost him the life of his own son. (Hindson 2012, 167). The continued disobedience of Saul to the commands of God, let to the Lord rejecting him as king. This cause the rapid deterioration of the kingdom. (Hindson 2012, 167). This leads to the people in the end rejecting the king they had wanted so badly. This shows us that sometimes because of our own stubbornness the Lord will give us what we want even though he know it will end badly. We will learn more from defeat that we might have in victory. Now the People were open and more excepting when the Lord provided them with the king they needed in David.

SECTION 3

The King That Israel Needed

David was always the king that God had planned for Israel to have. “The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."” (NIV) 1Sa 16:1 David was only around 16 with this occurred. David even at a young age was a man after God’s own heart. We see the evidence of this early in his life when he fights Goliath. Because David was a man of God, chosen by God for God’s people. He was kept safe during the entire reign of Saul, despite Saul’s effort to kill him. David was a godly ruler and was able to accomplish great things for the nation of Israel. David passed the monarchy on to his son Solomon.  

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The Reign of Solomon

Solomon followed in the footsteps of David. In First Kings 3: 4-9 we see that the Lord is pleased with Solomon and tell Solomon to ask for whatever he wants. Instead of asking for wealth or power Solomon asked for wisdom. The lord was pleased with Solomon’s we see the Lord’s response in 1Kings 3:13 (NIV) “Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.” Unfortunately, it was that very wisdom that caused the eventually led to the downfall of Solomon. Solomon chose to marry the daughters of the kings of other nations to avoid wars and establish peace with them. His many wives were of different religious faiths. This caused him to turn away from serving God wholeheartedly. (Hindson 2012, 181). Because of Solomon’s covenant disobedience a rebellion that eventually led to the division of the kingdom of Israel (The Northern Tribes and Judah).

CONCLUSION

It is easy for us to take away a lot of insight from what was we see occurring in the lives of these three kings. One of the lessons I saw that I have seen in my own life occur that I now have a better understanding of is that sometimes the Lord may give us what we want even if it is not the right thing for us. Later when the Lord gives us what we really needed, we value the Lord’s gift and hopefully learn that it is better to wait for the Lord to give us what we need rather than plead for what we want.

Bibliography

Barker, Kenneth, and undefined Zondervan. Zonderervan NIV Study Bible. United States: Zondervan, 2002.

Hindson, Ed: Yates, Gary. The Essence of the Old Testamnet: A Survey. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2012.