27/04/2024
How not to Evangelize! Pastor AIT writes...
A man cannot be born again unless he understands the gospel message, and this understanding cannot come to anyone outside a careful explanation of the facts of the gospel. The Apostles didn’t understand the scriptures in the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection till after three and half years - after He rose again! (Luke 24:25-46). There’s no hard and fast rule about this, but understanding takes some time. You can’t just tell people to believe without teaching and explaining till they grasp the message!
The Greek word translated 'believe' as used in many places in the New Testament is the word 'pisteuo', which means to think to be true. This agrees with the word translated 'repent'; 'metanoeo' which means to 'change one's mind or 'think differently' (a necessary change which then changes one’s actions). Believing is how we think differently towards God. It’s the outcome of observing or contemplating knowledge or facts received. The receiver isn’t meant to supply faith, rather he’s meant to listen till faith comes!
In fact, FAITH is PERSUASION. This is why another definition of the Greek word, 'pisteuo' translated 'believe' is 'to be persuaded'. Such that when a man says, 'I BELIEVE', what he's saying in essence is 'I AM PERSUADED!' This is why there's no point rushing sinners to say the 'prayer of salvation'. They need to be persuaded by the gospel via teaching! Until a man is persuaded by the gospel, he cannot respond accordingly. And this persuasion does not come from the hearer; it comes from the message preached.
After Paul had shared the gospel in the form of a defence before King Agrippa, as though caught off guard, he said, 'You almost persuade me to become a Christian'. (Acts 26:28). That word 'persuade' as used by Agrippa is the Greek word, 'peitho' which also means 'to induce one by words to believe'.
This word is used most times to describe the act of the speaker seeking to influence another to believe something. The persuasion can either be for the truth (Acts 13:43; Acts 18:4) or against the truth. For instance, the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and crucify Jesus (Matthew 27:20). At Acts 14:19, the unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium persuaded the multitudes to stone Paul. In all of these instances, the persuasion was through words.
So, in order to lead men to Christ, the focus of the preacher is on persuading them. Your task is to persuade them from the scriptures in Christ’s stead. This was what Paul did in many places, hence this accusation - Acts 19:26; "Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not God's which are made with hands." They understood that the reason why men were turning to God was as a result of Paul’s influence via preaching. He was inducing them with words till conviction was formed.
At 2 Corinthians 5:11 Paul says, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade (peitho) men..." There's no believing outside persuasion. We don't force men to believe; it's an impossibility. We also don't just expect men to believe without hearing. We expect them to open their hearts to receive the persuasion that comes from the gospel! This is why bible says, 'Faith comes by hearing'. Romans 10:17; "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
The word 'faith' as used here is the Greek word, 'pistis' which also means 'persuasion' or 'conviction'. If you look at the context very well, this persuasion comes from the preaching of the gospel via the preacher. A man cannot just believe; he has to hear! See this...
Romans 10:14; "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Did you see that? How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? Faith is not from the hearer; it's from the message preached. So, if we expect people to have faith in Christ; we must be ready to preach till persuasion arises in their hearts.
The only hindrance to being persuaded is a man's attitude to receiving the word. Some don’t listen at all. Some listen to respond. Some listen and oppose. This is something unbelievers were rebuked for at different times in the ministry of Christ and His Apostles. Let's see an example from Stephen's rebuke of the Jews: "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." (Acts 7:51). To be stiffnecked means to be obstinate and stubborn. Hence he says they always resisted the Spirit.
The word 'resist' as used here is the Greek word, 'antipipto' which means to 'oppose', 'strive against', 'run against'. This wasn't just a passive rejection of the gospel, but an attack even on the bearer of the message hence the next thing Stephen said: "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now become the betrayers and murderers..." (Acts 7:52). In the same spirit of opposition, they murdered Stephen by stoning him to death (verses 57-60).
The preacher is not to seek that men believe hurriedly; he is to bring persuasion from the word of God. This can go on for days, weeks, months, and even years! This is the crux of my writing: WE MUST BE PATIENT TO SEE REAL CONVERSIONS. It can last a year or more for some! Once upon a time as recorded in Acts, Paul reasoned in the Synagogue with the Jews for three Sabbaths, yet some were not persuaded (Acts 17:1-5). At another time, he reasoned with them for three months but some were still hardened (Acts 19:8-9). Today, some would have classed him as an Apostle that lacks the grace to bring in a massive harvest. However, the truth remains that persuasion cannot be forced on people. You are not doing a bad job if people aren’t believing instantly. You are in good company as long as you’re preaching the word of faith and power, even the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Anything short of this is the making of false converts who may join the church, attend membership class, give offerings, join the workforce, yet remain unsaved. This is very grave. Selah.
This is Truth!
