# Reformed Perspective in Evangelism



## Joseph Scibbe (Jan 22, 2009)

My friends and I go out to an area mall on Friday nights to share the Gospel. I often find it dificult to find a balance between sharing the Gospel in a way that people will want to listen and not argue with me and also having a Reformes perspective. An example is in the doctrine of Limited Atonement. How would you stay tru to what the Bible says but when you know that most people will try and artgue it. If that made no sense then please let me know, if you can understand it please help.


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## LawrenceU (Jan 22, 2009)

Just a quick question: How is Limited Atonement coming up on a public witnessing encounter?


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## toddpedlar (Jan 22, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> Just a quick question: How is Limited Atonement coming up on a public witnessing encounter?



good question. I can't imagine any good reason for the concept to arise in any public witnessing discussion. It should rarely if ever be introduced by the witness - and if the person being witnessed to brings questions of the ones for whom Christ died, I think the discussion should be redirected back to the state of their own soul, the only one they should have any concerns about at that moment.


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## CharlieJ (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi Joseph, it's interesting. I spent about two years leading a group of students in Friday night street and mall evangelism. In that whole time, we had only one visible convert, but he was a teenage boy sunk into Satanism and witchcraft. What a blessing!

We all have struggles faithfully communicating the gospel, so I want to encourage you to keep it up. To echo my brothers, I wouldn't be teaching through TULIP or anything like that (I'm not sure that you're doing that, though.) I found that a simple, effective way to deal with that subject. At the appropriate point in the conversation, when you are ready to discuss Jesus' death, say something like this: "Jesus, who lived a perfectly sinless life, died as a substitute for everyone who would believe in him. 'For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21).'" Then, after explaining the resurrection and tying up any loose ends, go back and call on him/her to trust Christ as their righteousness instead of trying to deny their sin or establish a righteousness of themselves.

In any case, if you keep the emphasis on what Jesus DID accomplish, you avoid fights and proclaim the wonderful gospel. Keep up the faithful work.


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## Iconoclast (Jan 22, 2009)

Joseph F Scibbe said:


> My friends and I go out to an area mall on Friday nights to share the Gospel. I often find it dificult to find a balance between sharing the Gospel in a way that people will want to listen and not argue with me and also having a Reformes perspective. An example is in the doctrine of Limited Atonement. How would you stay tru to what the Bible says but when you know that most people will try and artgue it. If that made no sense then please let me know, if you can understand it please help.



You can explain the role of the High Priest in the OT. Then you can explain how Jesus Is now the only true and acceptable High Priest that the Father accepts.
Sometimes the extent of the atonement comes up with cult members , or nominal christians thinking Jesus has died for everyone, and everyone is now forgiven.
Always have the doctrinal and scriptural root of truth in your presentation, but remember that those you ar speaking to might not follow some of theological language that is used here on the PB.
Todd was right to suggest that the conversation should be re-directed to the personal sin question that must be faced.


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## jambo (Jan 22, 2009)

To the person you would be talking too, limited atonement would probably be the last thing on their mind and secondly has nothing to do with any discussion. He may be elect or he may not be, you do not know. We are commanded to preach the gospel to ALL.

The focus is upon who Christ is and what he has done whilst the responsibility lies with the person to repent. If the Holy Spirit enables him to repent then amen! The Holy Spirit may choose to water the seed you have sown and cause him to repent in a week, a month, a year, or ten years time. Again you really have no idea. 

There are unnumerable responses people make but they basically boil down to one response, namely: I am not/could not become a Christian because...

Then you have opportunity to answer his objections or correct his misconceptions.

You should not expect anything less than people not wanting to listen or wanting to argue with you. Those are the weeds growing in the fields we are sowing the seed in.

As I think of the parable of the sower; most Christians are caught up with the shallow soil, the rocky ground or the weeds and thorns. Our evangelism is done with the conviction that although a lot of seed falls on those types of soil, yet our seed also falls on good soil that yields 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown. 

I would also go forward with the conviction of Is 55

_"Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David. (v1-3)_

We have a gracious and undeserved invitation to something substantial and satisfying. The world by contrast does not satisfy for long.

_"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near; 
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (v6-7)_

The command to repent of your ways and an abundant pardon

_"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (v10-11)_

Sometimes one can go home discouraged but God's word does not return empty. It achieves exactly what God has ordained. To some it may bring life, for others they will remember your words at the judgment and be judged by them.


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## ReformedWretch (Jan 22, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> Just a quick question: How is Limited Atonement coming up on a public witnessing encounter?


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## Jimmy the Greek (Jan 22, 2009)

"God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus loves you and has paid for your sins. He is now waiting for you to invite him into your heart so that you may have eternal life and experience victory in this life as well as the next. Just pray this prayer. . . repeat after me. Halleluiah! Welcome to God's family. Go in peace brother."

"OK, that's one. Now let's go talk to that guy over there."


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## turmeric (Jan 22, 2009)

Gomarus said:


> "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus loves you and has paid for your sins. He is now waiting for you to invite him into your heart so that you may have eternal life and experience victory in this life as well as the next. Just pray this prayer. . . repeat after me. Halleluiah! Welcome to God's family. Go in peace brother."
> 
> "OK, that's one. Now let's go talk to that guy over there."


 
STOP! You're giving me flashbacks! Now I'll be in therapy for years!


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## Nebrexan (Jan 22, 2009)

"Share Jesus Without Fear" (PDF) is a simple evangelism method I discovered a few years ago. It uses the "how do you read it?" approach as you take the person through several scriptures (basically, the Roman Road). It was developed by Bill Fay who used to be a Mafia boss. I'd be interested in hearing opinions of the method.


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## steven-nemes (Jan 22, 2009)

The apostles were Reformed (I use the term loosely here) and I don't think they went into theological discussions when preaching the word (except for Paul whose habit it was to reason with the Jewish religious leaders in the temple). I don't see why limited atonement or unconditional election (for example) need to be brought up at all in evangelism; why not just, "Repent of your sins"? Surely in teaching doctrine and theology, yes, but not in evangelizing.


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## Michael Doyle (Jan 22, 2009)

CharlieJ said:


> Hi Joseph, it's interesting. I spent about two years leading a group of students in Friday night street and mall evangelism. In that whole time, we had only one visible convert, but he was a teenage boy sunk into Satanism and witchcraft. What a blessing!
> 
> We all have struggles faithfully communicating the gospel, so I want to encourage you to keep it up. To echo my brothers, I wouldn't be teaching through TULIP or anything like that (I'm not sure that you're doing that, though.) I found that a simple, effective way to deal with that subject. At the appropriate point in the conversation, when you are ready to discuss Jesus' death, say something like this: "Jesus, who lived a perfectly sinless life, died as a substitute for everyone who would believe in him. 'For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21).'" Then, after explaining the resurrection and tying up any loose ends, go back and call on him/her to trust Christ as their righteousness instead of trying to deny their sin or establish a righteousness of themselves.
> 
> In any case, if you keep the emphasis on what Jesus DID accomplish, you avoid fights and proclaim the wonderful gospel. Keep up the faithful work.





-----Added 1/22/2009 at 06:38:25 EST-----




Gomarus said:


> "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus loves you and has paid for your sins. He is now waiting for you to invite him into your heart so that you may have eternal life and experience victory in this life as well as the next. Just pray this prayer. . . repeat after me. Halleluiah! Welcome to God's family. Go in peace brother."
> 
> "OK, that's one. Now let's go talk to that guy over there."



Yikes!!!! I know your kidding...right?


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## cih1355 (Jan 22, 2009)

Joseph F Scibbe said:


> My friends and I go out to an area mall on Friday nights to share the Gospel. I often find it dificult to find a balance between sharing the Gospel in a way that people will want to listen and not argue with me and also having a Reformes perspective. An example is in the doctrine of Limited Atonement. How would you stay tru to what the Bible says but when you know that most people will try and artgue it. If that made no sense then please let me know, if you can understand it please help.



You don't have to discuss the doctrine of the limited atonement. You could say that Jesus died on the cross for all kinds of people or Jesus died on the cross for other people. 

When I share the gospel with non-Christians, no one ever asks me about whether or not Jesus died for every single person on this earth. They never ask me about predestination or unconditional election. They never ask me about Calvinism. When you share the gospel with people, you are more likely to hear the question, "Why should I believe in your religion instead of some other religion?", than the question, "Did Jesus die for every single person on earth?".


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## Iconoclast (Jan 22, 2009)

Any one of the 5 points , or all 5 can easily come up in an evangelistic encounter. As they are revealed truths there is no need to back off, shrink back from, disguise, or look to avoid them. Jesus did not avoid them.
As a matter of fact, he primarily spoke of them. Lie here in Jn 10


> 24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
> 
> 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
> 
> ...


 and obviously this in Jn 6


> 30They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
> 
> 31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
> 
> ...


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