₦airaland Forum

A Reflection on Christian Evangelism

By: Deji Yesufu

Two totally independent events informed this piece. A few days ago, a colleague approached me and requested that I share thoughts with her on the subject of evangelism. Just about the time we had that conversation, I saw this update on Facebook by Dr. Olatunde Olayinka Ayinde. He is a Psychiatrist with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and he wrote this piece on the 12th of February, 2019:

“One Nigerian nurse in the UK was busy preaching to her patients who wasn’t interested in her religious message and said as much. The nurse continued to try to ‘win her patients soul’. The patient reported her to her superiors and after several warnings and continued refusal to mend her way, she was fired… Healthcare workers need to be trained to separate their own personal opinion or religious philosophy from scientifically sound medical care of patients. It is a matter of ethics and professionalism. ‘Winning souls’ of patients at their weakest and most vulnerable moments is an abuse of professional powers and privileges. That is the job of chaplains and Imams, and there are provisions for inviting such professionals trained in working with sick persons to assist the physicians in his work.”

Dr. Ayinde is a known critic of Christianity. Thus his submission in that update was clearly clouded by that mind-set. Nonetheless one cannot refuse to see the force of sense in that piece. What struck me the most was his stating that healthcare professionals should not take advantage of their patient’s vulnerability to preach to them.

Having said that, I now refer us to a statement by the great 20th century evangelical Pastor, Dr. D. M. Lloyd-Jones, on the subject of evangelism. Lloyd-Jones, himself once a medical doctor but turned preacher, said in a series of lectures published in a book “Preaching and Preachers”:

“Every Christian should be able to give an account of why he is a Christian; but that does not mean that every Christian is meant to preach. This distinction is brought out in a most interesting way in Acts 8:4,5. There we are told in the first verse that a great persecution of the Church arose in Jerusalem, and that all the members of the Church were scattered abroad except the Apostles. Then we are told in verse 4 and 5, ‘Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.’ That is the KJV translation, and in both cases you have the word ‘preached’. But in the original the same word was not used in the two verses; and this is the vital distinction. What the ‘the people’ who went everywhere did was, as someone has suggested it might be translated, ‘to gossip’ the Word, to talk about it in conversation. Philip on the other hand did something different; he was ‘heralding’ the Gospel. This is, strictly speaking, what is meant by preaching in the sense that I have been using it…”

Lloyd-Jones made this point as he drummed out a fact that there is a difference between preaching by ordained ministers and the kind of preaching that the laity do. He was saying that preaching, in the real sense of the word, is something that persons who are called and trained are meant to do. On the other hand, while the laity may give a reason for their hope in Christ as stated in 1 Peter 3:15, most of what untrained people do as far as gospel preaching is concerned is to witness the gospel either by their lifestyle or by the testimony of their mouths. A kind of witnessing that comes as an overflow of a life filled with the work of Christ. A testimony that would usually follow a fellow worker asking about one’s hope in Christ, all because they have seen a clear difference in our lives in comparison to others around them.

This is the distinction that I think Dr. Ayinde clearly recognized when he said that professionals should face their work. And if ministers of religion are needed in the hospital, they would be invited by the hospital authorities to minister to patients that need those or that ask for them.

Let me make this point here: there is something distasteful about modern Christian practices that have continually attracted reproaching criticism from many quarters. From the matter of churches collecting monies from poor church goers, to pastors abusing their ministerial privileges at oppressing people, up to Church people unable to make clear cut distinctions between what is meant for church and what is meant for professional life, the stories are quite unending. The testimony of Hebrew 11:2 was that God’s people always brought a good report to wherever they find themselves. There is something essentially wrong with a kind of Christianity that attracts reproachful criticism from the world. Christian may be made fun of and so on but it is not in keeping with our religion, for such reproachful reports be made on us.

To round up this discussion, I will therefore state what I think Christian evangelism is.

In the days of yore, Christianity came to many countries not by direct missionary endeavours but by people who had been influenced towards the Christian faith in other places that they went to. History has it that Christianity was taken to new lands by soldiers, traders and travellers who had encountered the gospel in their journeys. When they returned to their home lands, there was often a clear difference in whom these people were and what they had now become. They were usually asked: what happened to you? In response, the individual who had encountered the gospel responded by saying he had met the Christ of the Bible. He then went on to enumerate his experience. This is what happened in Acts 8:4. These testimonies may convert the listeners but most of the time it does not. Rather, a seed of the gospel is sown in the hearts of these men.

Then, by God’s kind providence, a missionary may come to town. Whose job, as stated in Acts 8:5, is to proclaim the gospel in all its ramifications. This is what brings people to lasting faith in Christ Jesus.

This essay is not asking people not to preach in their private lives. Rather, I am saying that Christians should face the business of work when they are at their work places. It is not our duty to convert people at work. However, we may give an account of our lives if we are asked by either a fellow worker or someone we are attending to. And this would usually happen if we are genuinely living out the Christian tenets at our places of work.

Secondly, Churches need to pay careful attention to the matter of gospel preaching. Ministers need to be reminded that preaching the gospel, that saves sinners, is their primary calling. They need to know that unbelievers come to church and many of them are there to find out whether or not this Jesus is worth following. It is a sad testimony that many churches today have turned the house of God to a place for raising money, rather than a place for the careful enunciation of the Christian message.

In the final analysis, no one can win anybody’s soul to Christ. It is God the Holy Spirit alone that converts men from being dead in sin to becoming alive in Christ. The false notion that people can win other people to Christ, is usually at the foundation of this work place preaching that Dr. Ayinde criticized. The Christian worker commends the gospel to others the most by his manner of work. This sows a testimony of Christ in the hearts of those who see him. In God’s own time and way, he may send a minister to complement that witness with the gospel. Which, if understood, can bring the hearer to faith in Christ. Thus the Holy Spirit wins a soul to God in the process.

Deji Yesufu is the author of the book Victor Banjo. He can be reached on newdejix@gmail.com

Source: http://mouthpiece.com.ng/a-reflection-on-christian-evangelism/

VBCampaign:
A Reflection on Christian Evangelism

By: Deji Yesufu

Two totally independent events informed this piece. A few days ago, a colleague approached me and requested that I share thoughts with her on the subject of evangelism. Just about the time we had that conversation, I saw this update on Facebook by Dr. Olatunde Olayinka Ayinde. He is a Psychiatrist with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and he wrote this piece on the 12th of February, 2019:

“One Nigerian nurse in the UK was busy preaching to her patients who wasn’t interested in her religious message and said as much. The nurse continued to try to ‘win her patients soul’. The patient reported her to her superiors and after several warnings and continued refusal to mend her way, she was fired… Healthcare workers need to be trained to separate their own personal opinion or religious philosophy from scientifically sound medical care of patients. It is a matter of ethics and professionalism. ‘Winning souls’ of patients at their weakest and most vulnerable moments is an abuse of professional powers and privileges. That is the job of chaplains and Imams, and there are provisions for inviting such professionals trained in working with sick persons to assist the physicians in his work.”

Dr. Ayinde is a known critic of Christianity. Thus his submission in that update was clearly clouded by that mind-set. Nonetheless one cannot refuse to see the force of sense in that piece. What struck me the most was his stating that healthcare professionals should not take advantage of their patient’s vulnerability to preach to them.

Having said that, I now refer us to a statement by the great 20th century evangelical Pastor, Dr. D. M. Lloyd-Jones, on the subject of evangelism. Lloyd-Jones, himself once a medical doctor but turned preacher, said in a series of lectures published in a book “Preaching and Preachers”:

“Every Christian should be able to give an account of why he is a Christian; but that does not mean that every Christian is meant to preach. This distinction is brought out in a most interesting way in Acts 8:4,5. There we are told in the first verse that a great persecution of the Church arose in Jerusalem, and that all the members of the Church were scattered abroad except the Apostles. Then we are told in verse 4 and 5, ‘Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.’ That is the KJV translation, and in both cases you have the word ‘preached’. But in the original the same word was not used in the two verses; and this is the vital distinction. What the ‘the people’ who went everywhere did was, as someone has suggested it might be translated, ‘to gossip’ the Word, to talk about it in conversation. Philip on the other hand did something different; he was ‘heralding’ the Gospel. This is, strictly speaking, what is meant by preaching in the sense that I have been using it…”

Lloyd-Jones made this point as he drummed out a fact that there is a difference between preaching by ordained ministers and the kind of preaching that the laity do. He was saying that preaching, in the real sense of the word, is something that persons who are called and trained are meant to do. On the other hand, while the laity may give a reason for their hope in Christ as stated in 1 Peter 3:15, most of what untrained people do as far as gospel preaching is concerned is to witness the gospel either by their lifestyle or by the testimony of their mouths. A kind of witnessing that comes as an overflow of a life filled with the work of Christ. A testimony that would usually follow a fellow worker asking about one’s hope in Christ, all because they have seen a clear difference in our lives in comparison to others around them.

This is the distinction that I think Dr. Ayinde clearly recognized when he said that professionals should face their work. And if ministers of religion are needed in the hospital, they would be invited by the hospital authorities to minister to patients that need those or that ask for them.

Let me make this point here: there is something distasteful about modern Christian practices that have continually attracted reproaching criticism from many quarters. From the matter of churches collecting monies from poor church goers, to pastors abusing their ministerial privileges at oppressing people, up to Church people unable to make clear cut distinctions between what is meant for church and what is meant for professional life, the stories are quite unending. The testimony of Hebrew 11:2 was that God’s people always brought a good report to wherever they find themselves. There is something essentially wrong with a kind of Christianity that attracts reproachful criticism from the world. Christian may be made fun of and so on but it is not in keeping with our religion, for such reproachful reports be made on us.

To round up this discussion, I will therefore state what I think Christian evangelism is.

In the days of yore, Christianity came to many countries not by direct missionary endeavours but by people who had been influenced towards the Christian faith in other places that they went to. History has it that Christianity was taken to new lands by soldiers, traders and travellers who had encountered the gospel in their journeys. When they returned to their home lands, there was often a clear difference in whom these people were and what they had now become. They were usually asked: what happened to you? In response, the individual who had encountered the gospel responded by saying he had met the Christ of the Bible. He then went on to enumerate his experience. This is what happened in Acts 8:4. These testimonies may convert the listeners but most of the time it does not. Rather, a seed of the gospel is sown in the hearts of these men.

Then, by God’s kind providence, a missionary may come to town. Whose job, as stated in Acts 8:5, is to proclaim the gospel in all its ramifications. This is what brings people to lasting faith in Christ Jesus.

This essay is not asking people not to preach in their private lives. Rather, I am saying that Christians should face the business of work when they are at their work places. It is not our duty to convert people at work. However, we may give an account of our lives if we are asked by either a fellow worker or someone we are attending to. And this would usually happen if we are genuinely living out the Christian tenets at our places of work.

Secondly, Churches need to pay careful attention to the matter of gospel preaching. Ministers need to be reminded that preaching the gospel, that saves sinners, is their primary calling. They need to know that unbelievers come to church and many of them are there to find out whether or not this Jesus is worth following. It is a sad testimony that many churches today have turned the house of God to a place for raising money, rather than a place for the careful enunciation of the Christian message.

In the final analysis, no one can win anybody’s soul to Christ. It is God the Holy Spirit alone that converts men from being dead in sin to becoming alive in Christ. The false notion that people can win other people to Christ, is usually at the foundation of this work place preaching that Dr. Ayinde criticized. The Christian worker commends the gospel to others the most by his manner of work. This sows a testimony of Christ in the hearts of those who see him. In God’s own time and way, he may send a minister to complement that witness with the gospel. Which, if understood, can bring the hearer to faith in Christ. Thus the Holy Spirit wins a soul to God in the process.

Deji Yesufu is the author of the book Victor Banjo

Namaste! Namaste! Namaste! One thousand times namaste! You are a god for writing this very beautiful post. Jesus never forced Himself on people or anybody nor forced fed the gospel. Believers should learn not to give others information after they have expressed a will against it

MuttleyLaff:
Namaste! Namaste! Namaste! One thousand times namaste! You are a god for writing this very beautiful post. Jesus never forced Himself on people or anybody nor forced fed the gospel. Believers should learn not to give others information after they have expressed a will against it

Thank you

VBCampaign:
Thank you

You're welcome and I trust you, your household, sphere of influences and entire network followed a clean clear and right conscience yesterday at the polling unit