Mike Mellor with some motivation for evangelism
It was pioneer missionary C.T. Studd who asked in exasperated disbelief: ‘How can a man believe in Hell unless he throws away his life to rescue others from its torment?’
If he is right, then surely our greatest need is not so much to have evangelism and mission on our church agendas, but rather, have the desire to reach the unsaved multitudes burned into our very hearts and souls.
However, we have a crafty enemy who is ever seeking to drive God’s people to extremes in every part of the Christian life, and no doubt evangelism – alongside prayer – will be at the top of the list. This is simply because he is jealously and venomously active in ensuring the safety of his kingdom and captives. This is a time in our nation, when there is mounting pressure to put us on the back foot, to exercise caution.
We are being caught up in a devilish pincer grip. Firstly, we are called to live out and share our faith in a smug postmodern humanistic atmosphere, where a simple faith in Christ for salvation is considered an extremely simplistic message – one which any intelligent person could never seriously be expected to embrace. We are embarrassed into silence.
Secondly, Britain is a multicultural society and there is increasing pressure upon us to ‘tread softly’, carefully avoiding any accusation of being labelled ‘extremist’. We are bullied into silence.
Right message, wrong attitude
Zeal for Christ is not only a great thing, it is a quality required of each and every believer and can be expressed in a multitude of ways, from sharing the gospel verbally to ‘giving a cup of cold water’ in our Saviour’s name. But, as the Apostle Paul reminds us: ‘How shall they hear without someone preaching to them?’ (Romans 10.14). As one who is totally committed to preaching outside as well as inside church buildings, I have to confess to being deeply concerned by those engaged in open-air preaching who may well be ‘sound as a pound’ theologically, but whose approach and manner are lacking in the grace and winsomeness that is essential for such a delicate and difficult ministry. It is not hard to be arrested in today’s climate, but we need to ensure that it is for righteousness and not foolishness! It is the aim of the open-air preacher to connect with his hearers. This is difficult enough in a pulpit over a period of 40 minutes, but it takes twice the effort to achieve it in a street setting. It is undoubtedly a challenge (and will not be helped by having a video camera strapped to the chest), but it can and must be done.
Manner matters
We convey the gospel in words, but by much more than words. Even before our message is considered, hearers look at a man and make judgments. Preachers have to convey credibility. This is true whether preaching in a pulpit or in a street setting. But, for street preachers, people must be able to take one look at us from a distance and think: ‘I don’t know what that guy’s saying, but he seems pretty sane – a normal, reasonable person.’
It is helpful for the preacher to think to himself: ‘How would I speak if my unconverted cousin/mum/mate at work was passing by?’ To be sure, the dynamics of public preaching are different to a one-to-one setting, but we must beware of creating an unnecessary gulf between us and our audience. If our words do not come from a heart that overflows with love to our hearers, then it is best we remain silent.
We must always seek to cultivate love for those who are unlovely and for some who are ensnared in lifestyles we may well be repelled by. But then what is grace all about? What did God see in us but filth and failure?
Forward!
This is not a time for drawing back and conceding ground, but for breaking out in a daring overflow of love and truth. I’m sure many Christians have been deeply exercised of late by the sheer number of Jehovah’s Witnesses with their open-air stands. They seem to be taking our town and city centres by storm with their Christ-denying message. Of course, they are works-driven people, but should not we who love Jesus and worship him as Lord be, like Paul in Athens, ‘greatly distressed’? I truly praise God for the excellent and effective evangelistic courses on offer today. I am also deeply thankful for the new initiatives and innovative forms of evangelism the church is embracing in our day. I rejoice too that believers are being encouraged to meet with unconverted friends to study the Scriptures together.
But my burden is that, when we have done all these things and hopefully many other evangelistic initiatives, there are still thousands who may never hear the good news. We need to do more. The ‘more’ I have in mind is to be regularly in our town and city centres making Christ known in a winsome and visible display of true grace and godliness. Even if it means being accused, like the first believers, of ‘filling (our) Jerusalem with this teaching’ (Acts 5.28)
The marketplace
May I plead for the pastors and leaders of local churches, in their evangelistic considerations to think of setting apart a group of their best Christians: warm, Spirit-filled men and women who overflow with love, grace, compassion and humility, willing to venture out into those pedestrian town centres where vast numbers of people pass by each day.
Book tables can be laid out with a wide variety of attractive literature. Warm, winsome open-air preaching would go hand in hand with this beautifully. It was my privilege to join with a Christian Answer team in Bournemouth, ably led by Professor Andy McIntosh. What an absolute joy it was to witness the impact this team of ‘all sorts’ made daily, by making Christ accessible and desirable.
Among those enquiring were many from countries where following Jesus Christ is forbidden and who would never enter a church. Let us not be deterred by the bad examples we all have witnessed in the streets at various times. (We have all suffered from bad preaching inside churches, but still hold firmly to the primacy of preaching!) Yes, there is a cost involved standing for Christ publicly, but so often, a Holy Spirit empowering joy also.
I am convinced that being involved in this sort of outreach work has a personal reviving effect. And what could be more thrilling than seeing large groups of warm-hearted gospel people on our streets showing by their humble boldness that there is real hope in this increasingly dark world and that Jesus really is alive and willing to save?
