Monday, January 20, 2020

The Antioch Effect: Building Blocks For Evangelism

The Antioch Effect written by Ken Hemphill gives good insight on the chapter "Passion for the Lost" and developing a solid theological foundation for evangelism in the local church.  I want to look at all 8 of them as the review will be good for me too....so here it goes:

Point #1:  We must understand the condition of the lost. 
Hemphill writes:   "Without Christ there is neither life, nor hope."  In most evangelical circles, we hear of the saved and the lost, believer or unbeliever, etc. to be able to identify what group you are part of when you are presented the gospel.  Preachers wind it up during the worship service so that with the invitation at the end of the service, you are challenged to identify what group you're in so that you can respond according to the invitation instructions.   If you're lost, you're invited to place your faith in Jesus Christ.  If you are saved, you should invite the Holy Spirit to revive/renew you or challenge you as the Scripture leads.  There are other invitation instructions, but what I speak of are the basic ones.  Because, without Christ there is neither life, nor hope. 

Hemphill writes about having a biblical understanding of the condition of the lost.  Do we truly know what Scripture says about rejecting Christ and the consequences of that rejection?  The best place for this is Romans 1-3, where it is very descriptive of the practice of one who rejects Christ.  Hemphill states the need for this understanding for the believer to be "moved" to do something about lostness because we have the message to share.  (2 Cor. 5 - the ministry of reconciliation)  Rejecting Christ is a crisis in our community, so then, how will God's people respond to this crisis? 

Will we stand by and let lost people, who don't know Jesus, die without the opportunity to hear the gospel?  Have we gotten too comfortable in our buildings with padded pews that our holy huddle has become what Christianity is all about?  Does this lost condition in our community/city cause us grief and anguish to be moved to do something?  Hemphill suggests that since the lost are not seeking God based upon what we read in Romans 3:11, we must become the seekers.

What will you/I do?               

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