The ART of Evangelising.

Before u read this one you should read After the Beat Stops if you have not done so already.

The ART of Evangelising.

If we really get it straight nowhere that I know of in the bible is a story related that the apostles used the ARTS to evangelize. I am open to correction..... (please if you find any let me know. thanks)

So if it is not seen as being done by someone in the bible where do we get the whole notion that the arts can be used to evangelize the lost?....... hmmmmmmm

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Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 

Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 

Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 

Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

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Here see gifts clearly defined as spiritual gifts. Where do natural gifts come in? where is the dance? where is the drama? the artistry? the music?????..........lol

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1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

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|GREEK MOMENT|

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Lets look at the word "GIFT"... you know what it is translated to?

charisma

char'-is-mah

From G5483; a (divine) gratuity, that is, deliverance (from danger or passion); (specifically) a (spiritual) endowment, that is, (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty: - (free) gift.

funny that the word gift translated to CHARISMA huh?... lol

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So we have been given charisma (not pride, but natural personalities) to minister to one another as good stewards... the what????....... the what????  ...... MANIFOLD GRACE OF GOD!

And the grace of god... is what saves us.... cuz it is by GRACE you are saved.

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1Pe 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

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LET HIM DO IT AS OF THE ABLITY WHICH GOD GIVETH.

Peter when he was writing surely did not know all these kind's of 'talents' would be in the world today... but he surely did not limit them. God kinda knew what he was telling him to write not so (sarcasm implied).

So yes God does give ability.

So we have the talents and what not.... .make no mistake about it....... THEY ARE NOT THERE TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND SMILE.

it is to minster to one another the manifold GRACE of God.

Now the primary goal of God is that all men come to the knowledge of his saving GRACE...

Grace is applied to Christians in many instances... but that is nothing in comparison to the Grace given to a sinner to come to repentance.

So now that we see what our talent is supposed to do, how do we get that done?

Some talents are geared towards doing this easily and some aren't.

How does faith in Jesus Christ come about? ........ yeah you probably just said it in your head.

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Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

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Ah boy, we have come to the word of God.........

If your talent does not explicitly place the word of God before the people it is ministering to YOU ARE FAILING AT USING YOUR TALENT FOR THE MANIFORD GRACE OF GOD.

So we can go into all different kinds of talents and nit pick. But we can all do it for ourselves. 

At the end of your dance, after they watch your painting, after you play football, after you sing your song, after your dj set ....... do the "people that were ministered to" have something to hold on to that is from the word of God.

Now we could go down to the line of do we have to give them the scripture with verse and chapter?

As I said..... different talents are inclinded to send messages in different ways..... so some may hold the verse and chapter easily and some may not..... but the goal is to maximise the talent as much a possible to get that word of God in them so that the FAITH CAN COME.....

oh yeah.....faith cometh by hearing..... so it has to be said? no.... when someone reads they 'hear' in their 'head' too.

Ah mean is not rocket science... if the Goal is to reach ppl for God.... then you have to give them GOD.... not the talent. God through the talent is what people NEED and what God WANTS.

Evange-LIES?

Probably one of the greatest issues that young believers face is evangelism. Young believers go through all the works of the church and what not, determining purpose, spiritual gifts marriage but they never get schooled on evangelism or going out in the field.

I think this is partly because:

1. The elders don't really teach the younger ones

2. The methods that are used are not relevant to the times

3. The young people are just afraid

Now when I say young people I don't mean young believers eh. I am talking about those "on fire" youths that dig in to their word, can encourage other young believers in a heartbeat! and have the ability to apply a mature understanding to the scriptures.

Yes... you might be one of them.

What stops them from evangelizing?

I think the concept of evangelism has been skewed because of the precident that has been set by the church in terms of it's showmanship. The showtime stigma of the modern day church may have skewed what are the fruits of evangelism in our eyes

If we think first of all that evangelism is going out and handing out tracts and praying for people at the side of the road asking them to give their lives to Christ...... we only have part of it. 

This part what we are fed..... but we are never fed the fact that we are living epistles known and read by all men.

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2Co 3:2  Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 

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Now why would Paul tell the Corinthian Church this for?

In chapters 1 and 2 Paul was explaining to them why he was writing, because he was far aways but he heard of what was going on.

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2Co 2:3  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 

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He was writing it after he had planted the church. I am not sure how long he stayed with them when he helped plant it but he had a connection to them that's why it seems to be one of his more passionate and instructional letters.

So he tell them that you are our epistle....meaning you are a testimony of what God had done through us. In essence you are a testimony of GOD. 

He says read of all men cuz, Corininth was huge mannnnn..... and to be the biggest church in Corinth and everyboy watching you, it's hard not to be seen.

A city that is set on a hill comes to mind. (Matt 5:14)

So back to evangelism by speaking/preaching. Our life is evangelism... to a point. We sometimes use this as an excuse not to talk to ppl about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are so scared to tell people about the gospel because we are scared. Why because we will be:

1. Ridiculed (WHICH IS NORMAL)

2. Will not live up to expectations of showtime evangelism

BEING RIDICULED

This is the most normal part of declaring Jesus' name, even believers may ridicule you sometimes. That's nothing new and that will never stop. I can draw among the many references the time God was telling Ezekiel what he had to face when he had to talk to the Israelites that were neck deep in idolatry after they were exiled to Babylon.

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Eze 2:3  And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 

Eze 2:4  The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' 

Eze 2:5  And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 

Eze 2:6  And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 

Eze 2:7  And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. 

Eze 2:8  "But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." 

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God was telling Ezekiel what he was going to have to go up and speak to.......... Man Ezekiel had gonads!!!........ here are some of the words used, rebellious, impudent and stubborn. yet he says be not dismayed.

Verse 6 is where we sometimes fail to apply. God says, be not afraid of them.

vs 7 YOU SHALL SPEAK MY WORDS TO THEM....... wait for it, wait for it........ WETHER THEY HEAR OR REFUSE TO!!

SHOWTIME GOSPEL

Showtime gospel has thought us that ppl need to fall down, beat up on the ground, start to bawl and/or start to cry to show that God is touching them..... lol......

But we don't have to care if God is touching them or not, That's up to them and God, it's the spirit that does the touching. All we have to do is tell them heartily..... but anytime we think that or ferverent sharing of the gospel is not producing fruits we are in danger of expecting a result that God may not have planned or the fact that the hard heart of someone is resisting..

When you go and try your best and preach the gospel from your heart to someone. Smile and LET GOD WORK.

Evangalism is not converstion...... evangeslism is spreakind the message of Jesus Christ with passion.

The spirit of God does the work of drawing men to God.

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Joh 12:32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 

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You can't draw them. You CAN EVANGELIZE TO THEM....in many ways might I add......but i'm talikng about going boldly like the apostles in acts.

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Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 

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so Go... but don't go with the expectation that they will change and ask to be baptized.

Go with the expectatoin that they would be opened up to God and he will draw them.

I'll talk about the expectations in MUSIC AND ARTS MINISTRY next week.

AFTER THE BEAT DROPS

AFTER THE BEAT DROPS

Lecrae has a song called "After the music Stops" that may put this whole blog in perspective after you read it, but I want to go into a lot more.

ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MINISTERING TO PEOPLE IS AFTER THE MUSIC STOPS. (or dance or drama or ... you know what I mean)

You see all these vehicles that we use are gifts and talents that are given to us by the almighty God for THE SOLE PURPOSE OF.........................wait for it........................................ BRINGING PEOPLE TO SALVATION!

There I said it... so we might wonder what about edification, upliftment encouragement and what not. Well all these things are part of the goal of bringing people to salvation.

When u edify believers (those already saved) you bring them to a greater understanding of the things of God and this is not for them to just take and bury like the wicked servant did in Luke 19: 11-22.

If someone is truly edified and focused on the right things everything they do is purposely done to lead to SALVATION OF THE LOST. There are no two ways about it. If this is not the sole purpose of anyone ministering, then what are they ministering for?

If our goal as saints is the furthering of God's kingdom.... who is God's kingdom... the saints....and what is a saint..... a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. So there is no problem with an 'uplifting' 'inspirational' 'educational' song (dance... etc)..... but the question that must asked is.

WHAT IS THE FRIUT OF IT?

aka.... WHAT DAT PRODUCING?

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Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 

Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

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Careful analysis of the producing fruit scripture would reveal that. In verse 15 he said to beware of false prophets. Of course he does not mean the person that is predicting the future in the purest sense. He means those that come in his name.

You shall know them by their friuts.

Realistically now... a FIG TREE CANNOT BEAR ORANGES...... it can't. If it does.... it's not a fig tree.

The fruit of your ministry should always be..................... the apparent desire for those who were ministered to, TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES. There is no if but of maybee about it.

Change their lives how...? What is the measuring stick?..... Here we go with one of those tough questions.......

cuz somebody who is ministered to may change their life by occasionally listening to you again or watching you dance again..... they most probably have not been changed... they have been attacted by something.... which is good.... but not the goal.. that's a sub goal.

Jesus did many things that woudl have benefited people. He made things that were bad in their life better by healing, feeding, encouraging and teaching. These are the same things that we do but I am dealing specifically with the Gospel Music industry that I am in. We do the same things, which is meet peoples needs with music and arts and what not.... but Jesus did not just do it and leave them... he got them to follow him .... and from that followership.... HE MADE DISCIPLES.....he established the new Kingdom..

I will apply it to myself for the sake of clarity. 

If the music i play is bearing people who like sounds for liking them sake and just want to hear them for enjoying themselves.... I AM FAILING AT BEARING THE RIGHT FRUIT.... 

something is wrong with my tree.....

If the way DJ is coupled with OTHER things that fit into the whole scheme of the Goal...(which is salvation)... is causing people to see God in a different light and serve him more diligently and in turn purposely do things that ULTIMATELY are geared toward the salvation of the lost.... then I WOULD BE BEARING THE RIGHT FRUIT.

This is why after the beat stops is soooooooooo important. Many ppl see ministry as one thing... dancing, singing, preaching, deejaying, sports.

But simply put.... MINISTRY IS LIFE. 

Talent is one of the COMPONENTS OF LIFE that we seems to exalt as the be all and end all of ministry.

I'll put it this way... talent is the part of our life that draws people to the rest. The question is what is the rest like? The the rest firmly rooted in the soil of the Word Of God? and the trunk solid so that it does not blow to and fro? If so, then the fruit that is beared will be the desired fruit of God.

After the beat stops is the true test of any ministry to see if it is producing more change in an effort to produce mature believers...... or if it is just entertaining the masses.

Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible:

"People do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit."