Where does evangelism take place?

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I know that it makes sense to you for non-believers to simply go to church on Sunday and hear the gospel. And Romans 10 isn't a silver bullet argument against Christians telling others about Christ.

I do indeed think it makes sense for non-believers to simply go to church on Sunday and hear the gospel. Have seen the results of such, though not quite as many as those who profess to believe and do not attend church, and we both know how many of those people are merely professors and not believers . Also I never said we laypersons may not tell people about Jesus. :) Romans 10 in my opinion is a "silver bullet" question (yes or no answer) to how people are saved.
 
I never said we laypersons may not tell people about Jesus. :) Romans 10 in my opinion is a "silver bullet" question (yes or no answer) to how people are saved.

I honestly have never heard the view that a person cannot be regenerated apart from the preaching ministry.

My belief has been that we are saved by hearing the word which can come in the form of reading scripture or hearing the gospel from a parent or friend for example.

When Paul asks how they can believe if they don't hear, I think this applies to my question. How can lost people believe if they don't hear the message? The Romans didn't have radio or internet, so unless someone physically walked to where the lost were they cannot hear the message of the gospel. It's incumbent on the hearing of the message, not on the one that delivers it.
 
I honestly have never heard the view that a person cannot be regenerated apart from the preaching ministry..

Well now you have heard how people are saved and Romans 10 describes who and how it is done. PS. I used to incorrectly assume as you do, and many reformed believe as you do.


My belief has been that we are saved by hearing the word which can come in the form of reading scripture or hearing the gospel from a parent or friend for example.

Romans 10 is a silver bullet that can cure such.

When Paul asks how they can believe if they don't hear, I think this applies to my question. How can lost people believe if they don't hear the message? The Romans didn't have radio or internet, so unless someone physically walks to where the lost were they cannot hear the message of the gospel. It's incumbent on the hearing of the message, not on the one that delivers it.

Romans 10 once again says who is "sent", and this is backed up by The Great Commission, which shows who is "sent" forth (ordained officers) to make disciples and baptize. You and I have duties and those duties do not include making disciples and baptizing.
 
Well now you have heard how people are saved and Romans 10 describes who and how it is done. PS. I used to incorrectly assume as you do, and many reformed believe as you do.

Romans 10 once again says who is "sent", and this is backed up by The Great Commission, which shows who is "sent" forth (ordained officers) to make disciples and baptize. You and I have duties and those duties do not include making disciples and baptizing.

To be accurate, Rom's 10 describes how men are converted. Conversion is not regeneration and regeneration is not conversion. Regeneration is the monergistic work of God that occurs at God's timing, apart from nothing. It is a work of God alone and happens like a blowing wind-almost randomly. See John 3 and how Jesus equates it with the wind and how nobody knows where it comes from or where it blows. This is considered the inward call of God.

Earls 2nd quote is accurate. The preacher administering the means of grace is the outward call and causes the inward call to be effectual in that the data the regenerated person now has and has assented to these biblical facts to rise to the place where the person is now given faith and repentance and that person agrees with, accepts, receives these truths.

* I will offer one caveat: God does, according to His good pleasure, regenerate people at the same time the outward call of God is given to regenerate men at that time, often. But He is not bound to that rule, per se. It does happen indiscriminately, earlier, at times as well.

Wisdom does not save (or does it?)
http://www.semperreformanda.com/2015/03/4398/
 
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I honestly have never heard the view that a person cannot be regenerated apart from the preaching ministry.

My belief has been that we are saved by hearing the word which can come in the form of reading scripture or hearing the gospel from a parent or friend for example.

God is free to work as He chooses, as WCF 5.3 affirms: "God, in his ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at his pleasure."

Since in His ordinary providence, however, he makes use of means, it is proper to ask by what means does he usually convert, i.e., work faith and repentance in those that He is pleased to work? And the answer is the preaching of the Word (WCF 14.1).

I would urge you to look most closely at WLC 155-160, which clearly addresses much of this discussion. WLC 155 teaches that the Spirit makes the reading, "but especially the preaching," of the Word effectual in the conversion of God's elect. WLC 160 even speaks of receiving the truth preached as the Word of God, with the proof text being I Thessalonians 2:13.

Since God has appointed preaching for this purpose, we should always endeavor to bring all that we can under such means. My point in all of my replies is that laymen may do more than bring others under the preaching if they are so gifted and led: they may speak to them directly of the gospel, even as you purpose to do with the gas station attendant. However, they may never do less than this. Inviting to church is a minimum, not an addition.

Speak of Christ all that you are able to and as the Lord leads you: that never replaces preaching. We do need to be urging interested auditors to attend upon the means of grace. Maybe it starts with an outreach Bible study that the church is holding, but, yes, the goal is to get them into church and under the ministry of the Word, without which there is little long-term hope for any such persons.

Again, do more than invite to church if opportunity presents, but never do less than that.

Peace,
Alan
 
Thank you all for your time and thoughtful responses. I will take all of them to heart. You are all an encouragement to me, even the ones I disagree with.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Hebrews 10:24-25
 
Jesse, there is a school of thought that in addition to the spirits work of regeneration to prepare a heart to receive the gospel, there is a work of the spirit in the proclamation of the gospel, and unless both works are present, conversion does not occur. Having now worked in a multi-denomination setting, I see that that school is the smallest in Christianity today. A larger school would simply say that the spirits work is in regeneration, but the seed delivered even by a neighbor simply giving a testimony of what the Lord has done, can take root and conversion occur. The still larger school is arminian, sadly, and it can look like chaotic unfettered seed scattering willy nilly by everyone everywhere with no thought to the work of the spirit. It is against that larger school, and its influence on the confessing church particularly in the 70's and 80's, that many within confessional life have pulled back into that first school of thought. I personally have no issue with the second, as in it conversion is still the Lord's work, and not the work of man.
 
Jesse, there is a school of thought that in addition to the spirits work of regeneration to prepare a heart to receive the gospel, there is a work of the spirit in the proclamation of the gospel, and unless both works are present, conversion does not occur. Having now worked in a multi-denomination setting, I see that that school is the smallest in Christianity today. A larger school would simply say that the spirits work is in regeneration, but the seed delivered even by a neighbor simply giving a testimony of what the Lord has done, can take root and conversion occur. The still larger school is arminian, sadly, and it can look like chaotic unfettered seed scattering willy nilly by everyone everywhere with no thought to the work of the spirit. It is against that larger school, and its influence on the confessing church particularly in the 70's and 80's, that many within confessional life have pulled back into that first school of thought. I personally have no issue with the second, as in it conversion is still the Lord's work, and not the work of man.
Heard it stated that in real conversion, there are always 3 parts present. The scriptures, the person giving them forth, and the Holy Spirit enabling/quickening the sinner to now receive Jesus and get saved.
 
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