Power Evangelism. Tim Attaway. Page i

Transcription

1 Tim Attaway Page i

2 Copyright 1998 by Tim Attaway, Unless otherwise stated, the Bible translation used in this commentary is taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1978 by the New York International Bible Society. Page ii

3 Power Evangelism Suppose that you died tonight and found yourself standing before God. If he asked you, Why should I let you into my heaven, how would you answer? This is one of the leading questions of an Evangelism Explosion presentation. The 1980s saw a great emphasis in the United States on evangelism through programs such as Evangelism Explosion (EE). It is a good thing. Many people have been brought into the Kingdom of God through methods such as this. The EE type approach begins by getting people s attention by asking one or two leading questions such as the one above. They are designed to make people think, to see if they understand the plan of salvation, and to get them to consider whether or not they have indeed been saved. If the person does not provide a suitable answer to the question, then the presentation proceeds with a canned (i.e. memorized) speech, designed to lead a person through the concepts of sin, salvation, and the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus. These sorts of programs have equipped a large number of people with tools to lead others to Christ. It has helped to formulate an understanding of the salvation process and to put it into clear, concise language. Funny that we never see such an approach in Scripture. That is not to suggest that this sort of approach is contrary to Scripture. It is simply to state that it has no Scriptural precedent. We know from passages such as John 3:5 6 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit." and John 16:8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin and that he is the agent of spiritual rebirth. The EE approach understands that and seeks to work with the Holy Spirit to bring people to conviction and salvation. Their approach, however relies upon the intellect. The expectation is that leading a person through a rational, logical presentation of the salvation message will open the door for the Holy Spirit to convict and save. Often it does. There is nothing wrong with this method. It is not the method used by Jesus, however. It is not the method used the apostles. It is not the method of the early church. The Scriptural precedent is not Program Evangelism, but what we call Power Evangelism. There is a significant shift in paradigm. With Program Evangelism, we use the intellect as a tool to open the door for the Holy Spirit to convict and save.. With Power Evangelism, we use the power of the Holy Spirit as a tool to open the door for the Holy Spirit to convict and save. Consider the following example of Power Evangelism in the early ministry of Jesus. Luke 4:31 37 says: Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 1998, Tim Attaway Page 3

4 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. Jesus taught the people about the Kingdom of God. He proclaimed to them the truth. Then he demonstrated the power of the Kingdom by casting an evil spirit out of a young man. The PROCLAMATION coupled with the DEMONSTRATION was a powerful combination. It had a great impact on the people. It showed them an authority that they had never seen before. As a result of this, news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. This is what Power Evangelism is proclaiming the Kingdom of God and demonstrating its power. If you read the gospel accounts, you see this pattern displayed over and over again in the life of Jesus. When he said, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, he meant NOW. The Kingdom of God is not some future possibility; it is a now reality. It is not just a ticket to heaven when you die; it is a life changing force that should make a difference in our lives today. That is why Power Evangelism is such an effective tool. People need help in their lives now. They need something that can get them through the day. The promise of heaven is wonderful, but if you have no hope to get you through today then heaven is just too far away. That is why God gave us the Holy Spirit to bring us the power of the Kingdom now. We can face the trials of today as citizens of the Kingdom of God, exercising all the power and the rights that go along with that citizenship. When people see a demonstration of that power, they will want to be citizens of that same Kingdom. The power of the Kingdom becomes the tool for evangelism; thus the term Power Evangelism. We see the same method in the lives of the apostles after the resurrection. Acts 3:1 11 says: One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. Peter demonstrated the power of the Kingdom of God over the beggar s disability. He invaded the kingdom of Satan and won a battle. He made a life changing difference in this man s life now. As a result, the beggar and many other people who were in the proximity came running to hear the message that Peter preached in the following verses. They were not mildly interested; they listened in awe and wonder. Many people believed because a proclamation of the gospel was accompanied by a demonstration of its power. We see the same thing in the ministry of Paul. Acts 19:11 20 takes place during Paul s time in Ephesus. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Page , Tim Attaway

5 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. The people considered Paul to have great authority because of the miracles that God worked through him. It is interesting that some who were not believers tried to work miracles by invoking the name of Jesus and discovered that the power of the Kingdom of God can only be invoked by those who have become citizens of that kingdom. Because Paul allowed the Holy Spirit to minister through him in that place, a great number of people turned from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God. The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. The power of the Holy Spirit was a tool to open the door for the Holy Spirit to convict and to save. People have been taught to believe that life is compartmentalized. Science governs the physical aspect. Religion governs the spiritual aspect. Somehow an invisible wall exists between the physical and the spiritual and one cannot invade the other. People live in despair because they believe that they are trapped in the physical and do not know how to cross over into the spiritual. Such teaching is consistent with the western mindset, but it is not true. Power Evangelism is proof of that. In Power Evangelism, the power of the Holy Spirit invades our physical world. It heals diseases, casts out demons, works miracles, brings words of wisdom and knowledge, prophesies, encourages, gives faith, etc. It touches our physical lives and gives release to our spirits. The true goal of evangelism is to make disciples. A disciple emulates his master. Our master went around healing, casting out demons, working miracles, etc. All of this accompanied his teaching and preaching. If we would all be disciples ourselves, emulating our master, then we would discover the most effective form of evangelism Power Evangelism. Other forms of evangelism have their place. Crusades, tract distribution, programs such as Evangelism Explosion, and other methods all win people to Christ with varying degrees of success. By all means, if you really feel that the Holy Spirit prompts you to stand on a street corner and hand out tracts then do it. If he tells you to do it then he has a purpose in it. Remember, however that Acts 1:8 says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." God gave us the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us to be witnesses. Power Evangelism was his idea. 1998, Tim Attaway Page 5