Although we strive to obey the bible in it's teachings, as we all know different views of what the church is, what the passages teach ,lead different churches to much different conclusions on this topic. this can even be influenced by our eschatholgical position.
Noah moved with fear preparing an ark to the saving of His household, and yet we read this also..
5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
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Was Noah an ordained seminary man? Was it only His life and moving with fear that was a
preacher of righteousness...or did he also verbally warn those around him?
The padeo view of Mt 28/make disciples baptising infants as the primary means of God adding to His church might effect your view of the great commision.
That is to say... attend church services , home school ,christian school, seperation from the world that some times leads to an insulation and isolation from the evil dark world leading to many raising the charge of being guilty of
world flight
If the ordained person alone is the only person capable of evangelism,what is left for the
"lay-person". A silent witness? waiting for someone to ask us the reason for the hope that is within us? God can use this type of ...witness in His providence as he sometimes does.
Is this the only model however?
Here is a bit of David Engelsma from a book he wrote dealing with His amillennial view of the world ,reacting against in part.Gary Demar and other postmillenial views,theonomists etc.
The future is not bright with the prospect of mass conversions, much less the conversion to Christ of a majority of mankind, as is the dream of postmillennialism. On the contrary, the future is dark with the certainty of departure from Christ on the part of many who once professed Him
[Other postmillennialists, particularly the "Christian Reconstructionists," urge an unbiblical activity. They call the church to "Christianize" the world, a task that Holy Scripture nowhere assigns either to the church or to the believer. Christ calls His church to guard against becoming worldly; He does not call her to make the world Christian.
These first two quotes come from his writings jewish dreams, here is a link to his defense of amillenialism
A Defense of (Reformed) Amillennialism
I am not saying that Prof.Engelsma would speak on behalf of all amillennial brethren but I enjoyed reading through his writings on this . I contrast it by reading the postmill men he mentions as well.
As Bill and others have noted there are many credo churches who rush off to the other extreme views, chick tracts, 4 spiritual laws, romans road, raise the hand, walk the aisle.
Radical lone ranger type of self appointed "evangelists". Do we have to go to the extremes however? Can lay evangelism be correctly done under the oversight of the church?
You also have the fundementalists who are so seperated they are one step away from being amish/mennonites... world flight would not begin to describe them.
I would be glad, even more than glad to be approached in public by an ordained minister of the word. This has never happened to me. If I were waiting to be approached by an ordained minister, i would still be waiting.
Has anyone here on the PB been approached out in a public place...randomly...ie,{not at a bible conference} by an ordained minister and evangelized?
I believe or would like to believe that most all of the ordained men here on the PB are actively serving the Lord, visiting the sick, and perhaps have a system of how they conduct evangelism. Some have and do write books, articles, blogs that can be useful in this way.
But how does your face to face evangelism look during the week?
I have only been approached publicly by lay persons,and that not nearly enough. I have been approached by cults,[jw] more than by believers.
When I pray for my unsaved family members, friends , and work associates who are not church attenders I am praying that God will have them come across other believers who might be used of God to bring up the condition of their soul before our holy God.
That the believer will plant the seed of the word, or remove obstacles to them being saved.
Are you praying for the same thing? If an unsaved friend or relative of yours goes to shop for groceries and bumps into a solid believing christian...what would you like to see happen?
A silent witness saying it is a nice day,and it might rain tommorow, or a believer who can engage your friend or relative in conversation that gets to gospel conversation,and maybe an invitation to church or bible study?