Relational Evangelism

God has really challenged me about Relational Evengelism lately. I even presented a tutorial on it to my Mission Foundations class. Here are some fo the notes from it.

The theological basis for relational evangelism comes from a perspective on the doctrine of the incarnation. In John 1:14, we read that “...the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us”. The Greek term for flesh, here, is sarx, which is used when referring to flesh, muscles, tissue and the like. The implication is that the Jesus, who was born, was a human being through and through. The term, “incarnation” is taken from the Greek word, “in carne” or literally, “in the flesh”. Yet at the very same time Jesus was and is also fully, God. To put it another way, God, not ceasing to be God, became a human. To diminish either characteristic in our understanding of Jesus, leads us to false theology.

Relational evangelism emphasizes that the incarnation is the ultimate example of God initiating personal, intimate contact with mankind in the context of a relationship. In Christ, we have “...the visible expression of the invisible God”. (Colossians 3:15 JBP) We can “Behold the glory of the Father” because Jesus came to us “in the flesh” In John's Epistle, (I John 1) he emphasizes that they had their senses exposed to Jesus (we have heard, seen and touched Him). Through the incarnation the Infinite God became the Infinite Personal God. It is also interesting to note that the term “dwelt” in John 1:14 is an Aramaic term which is translated, “pitching one's tent.” The imagery is rich, as we have a Saviour who did not merely put in an appearance for an hour or a day, but who “pitched his tent” among the human race, consenting to “make Himself nothing." (Phil. 2:7)

This is the truth of the incarnation that gives relational evangelism its methodology for reaching the lost. As God personally brought the Good News to mankind, so we are to “incarnate” Christ to the lost, that is, to break through, (pitch our tent) significantly into the lives of the pre-Christian for the purpose of not only verbalizing the Gospel but also to live it before them. As Christ lives His life through the believer, they see the “visible expression of the invisible God” as well as hearing the Word of salvation.

Evangelism is the duty of all Christians. The great commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 28:19) is a commission for all who follow Jesus Christ: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” There are reasons as to why we must do this and do it with a joyful heart. Christ commands us to do this, the world urgently needs the Gospel and the fields are already “ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). So why have we become so complacent in this and not moving out and building relationships? God commands us to do this.
We share our faith because we cannot contain ourselves. This was true of the early church. When the religious authorities ordered the disciples to stop preaching the gospel, Peter’s answer described their burning desire: “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Evangelism is not a matter of knowing all the answers, nor does it require that we have a sophisticated theological argument. Instead, it is a natural outgrowth of a deep faith that drives Christians to share their faith. It is something good that we want others to enjoy. Something we can’t contain because we are so excited by it. That’s the Good News of Christ Jesus!
Relational evangelism is something that I am very passionate about. Not because it’s easy or less work than other forms of evangelism, but because I can relate to people more because of our common interests. Relational evangelism just makes sense to me. Its potential is huge and if done correctly can be a mighty work for the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s combining things that you love. Your love for Christ combined with your love for hobbies/activities. Your Christlikeness will just ooze out of you and as you journey with people they WILL see Christ. They will notice that something is different and the faith journey begins. How exciting! God is so good – Hallelujah!

During the tutorial discussion, some people had a bit of an issue with me using the phrase 'Evagelism is the DUTY of ALL Christians... What do you think? I'm very interested to read peoples thoughts on this.

God Bless - Miss you all!
Love, Stobielicious!