Why evangelize? Well, there’s where someone might be - eventually. Then there’s the world in the here and now. In the here and now, there is pain, suffering, natural disasters, etc. They need relief, hospitals, food kitchens, etc. I once asked an Anglican priest the difference between Anglicism and the Eastern Orthodox. He said the Eastern Orthodox is more focused on eternity and Anglicism is more focused on the here and now. I’m not sure I agree with that. Actually, you need both.
I almost forgot to mention this. God must have reminded me.
It says in one form or another “Do not be afraid” in the bible 389 times.
So if God has to keep saying to people “Do not be afraid” that means fear is a sin…you ought to google how many types of fear there are.
Fear of man is one you run into a lot.
Anyways if fear is a sin then,why are so many Christians making people fearful with the eternal torment doctrine?
They have been caught in the devil’s lie…the devil likes to send us false prophets and he’s been sending them as John recounts in the bible since right after the Resurrection.
Is God going to approve of us being fearful…so why don’t we stop teaching fear doctrines and try, really try living up to God?
Fear will keep you paralyzed sitting up in a church…Instead of hitting the road, following the Great Commission and delivering the Gospel
Study Theology…God’s love is enabling and when we step out fearlessly that is exactly when we discover that He is right beside us.
Music in my opinion is one of the greatest evangelism tools because so many praise songs are like prayers.
So we are praying and elated at the same time…Don’t you always feel better when you are praising God…why wait for church and limit that feeling?
Do it 24/7 and tap into His joy…He does enjoy His children you know…
Sometimes He even pretends to let us win…remember when little child Jacob wrestled with God and won?
How does anyone win a wrestling match with God?
He allowed it the way an adult father plays with his children and pretends they won…Does a 2 year old really beat his father at anything?
Come on…we all know better…LOL
Let’s Praise God!
Give God The Glory
Read the Book of Joshua…Joshua won all his battles.
So why did he step on his enemies necks?
I feel like a whirling dervish full of God’s praise today.
So here are a few more praise songs…because what woukd evangelism be without praising God?
He Didn’t Just Carry A Cross, the Hoppers
m.youtube.com/watch?v=l6PITt5oOHc
Sovereign Over Us
m.youtube.com/watch?v=4x8TZiwPGa0
God got personal with me, Thank God!
The best evangelical messages always get personal with us.
Because we do need God to show up at the fight and fight our battles and teach us how to fight our battles so we can teach others.
The world is anxiously awaiting a personal experience with God so you make sure you lay it all out on the table and share every bit of experience you have got.
If they laugh …If,they sneer…so what?
That is exactly when God’s glory rests on you.
Let the Luciferans sneer…the joke in the end is on then.
But you get serious for God and you help Him save them if you can. You have God with you and you can do it.
Because eternal destinies do depend on this…and so does the present…just not the way the eternal tormentists doctrine presents it.
The key doctrines you really need to have a basic working man’s knowledge to be able to present the Gospel are: justification, consecration/dedication, adoption, sanctification and glorification.
Start reading up on those.
Eschatology ( the prophecies ) and eternal destinies come later.
At some point people have to be responsible for themselves to investigate and learn things. Don’t people move around a lot?
We aren’t totally responsible for people but we should be in part our brothers keepers. God and the individual himself is…We are just a tool or conduit of knowledge in God’s hand.
God won’t force anyone to study about Him…He already provided the Cross…We have to have some self motivation…all He does is remind and warn us…We have to be willing to draw close on our own to learn everything and be able to teach everything.
So if anybody refuses to listen then leave…the book of Titus says to only try twice…
We don’t control the timing of people’s receptiveness…God does and to a certain degree impossible for us to know the person does.
I prefer evangelizing to providing charity not that feeding the hungry isn’t important. It is. When you do unto a poor person you did onto Jesus.
It’s just that evangelizing brings spiritual enrichment and empowerment and spiritual enrichment leads to the physical betterment of mankind.
And if you help God change a person’s outlook the person can and probably will change his own circumstances because you have given them hope and a sense of purpose.
Look at the Fruit of the Spirit. It includes patience and perseverance and self control among others.
That is the description of a winning attitude and teaching someone to fish is better than making them wait on a handout.
It enables them to do things for themselves and others.
The original question is why should universalists evangelize - which I gave a possible answer. Since I am an inclusivist - not a universalist (i.e. perhaps a potential one), there are many reasons for me to evangelize.
As far as the how, there are many ways. Logical arguments, good Christian stories (i.e. J. R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis), discussing scientific, mind boggling stuff, discussions, music, etc. The ways are endless.
Even finding common ground before talking about Christianity - like common food tastes:
Just think how receptive a Klingon might be to hearing about Christianity, if you like their food delicacies!
I think I see your point partially. The devil likes to sow disunity among people by making us focus on differences like they are insurmountable.
But everyone is made in the image of God and needs help from Jesus in restoring that image.
I was recently evangelizing at a major crossroads where I got to meet all ethnic and religious groups.
I stayed in a very well run hotel and took a lot of taxis to get between places where I could distribute Gospel flyers.
And I noticed everyone working in the hotel and almost all of the taxi drivers had servant hearts like Jesus…so I gave them the handouts and I let them know they were like Jesus at heart…
We all need to learn to identify with Jesus at the most fundamental and important place and that is the human heart…The heart in the bible includes the mind, the will, the heart, the conscience and the emotions.
When you can start to identify in your heart with Jesus wholly then you can start to throw out the doctrinal seeds of disunity that the world likes to sow on us.