Jesus charged his apostles – and by extension, his church – with the great commission. The mission he gave us involves both the proclaiming of the gospel as well as the discipling of those who put their trust in Jesus.
If we are honest with ourselves, the American church is not great at either proclaiming or discipling, but we are doing worse on the proclaiming end, and it’s only getting worse. As our culture becomes increasing secular and as Christians increasingly buy into the notion that our faith is to be kept private, we are becoming increasingly reluctant to proclaim Jesus. There are a host of reasons for this, but I am not concerned to analyze them at this point. Instead, I want to focus on the type of evangelism we are opting for in its place. Some have called it “lifestyle evangelism.” Lifestyle evangelism entails the notion that the way we live our life is the best witness of Jesus. Our lives are a living gospel. This form of evangelism is summed up in the apocryphal quote attributed to Francis Assisi: “Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.”
There can be no question that the way we conduct our lives is a testimony to the truth of the gospel and can attract the unbeliever to follow Jesus. We are told that people will know we are Christians because of the love we have for one another. Indeed, a theology lived is always more persuasive that just a theology proclaimed. But is lifestyle evangelism in itself sufficient? Does lifestyle evangelism, in itself, fulfill the great commission? No. We need to both proclaim and live out the gospel. Neither is sufficient in itself. But it’s so easy to assuage our conscience for a lack of evangelism by subscribing to a mere lifestyle version of evangelism. It doesn’t take much courage, doesn’t require one to explain the gospel, doesn’t entail feeling awkward, etc. The problem is that it doesn’t fulfill Jesus’ command to proclaim the gospel. It’s also very ineffective. For every person one could point to that converted to Christianity as a result of someone’s lifestyle evangelism, there will be hundreds who were converted through the actual preaching of the Word of God.
We should continue to evangelize through the way we live (and do a better job at it), but we can never forego the actual public proclamation of the gospel. Lifestyle evangelism is good, but it must be coupled with proclamation as well.
Thinking to Believe 
May 8, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Jason, you raise an excellent point. This has always been paramount in God’s relationship with humanity. We are to proclaim His Name and His Word throughout the entire Earth [Exodus 9:16]. Indeed Yahweh Himself proclaimed His name, character and attributes before Moses as he stood in the cleft of the rock [Exodus 33:17-23]. It holds great significance in the mind of God to be known by one’s name. If we are to live in the example set by our Messiah; i.e., follow Him then truly we are to proclaim the name of the LORD (YHWH/Yahweh) and the message of His Word. Anyone doubting this only has to read Messiah’s own words in John 17: Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” (John 17:1-6) “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me;…Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth….I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;…I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me….O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:11-26)
Yahshua told us, “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD. [Isaiah 54:13]’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (John 6:45)
Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh.
Know God and make Him known.
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May 10, 2015 at 12:23 am
Jason:
“Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of your character”
Leo
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May 10, 2015 at 7:55 am
Of children it is said:
And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”…
There is no one closer to Children than Women: Honor Women and you honor Children AND by that honor, you worship in Spirit and in Truth.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain;(Mount Gerizim) and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
“We need to both proclaim and live out the gospel.”?
Maybe but not necessarily.
The worshipping in spirit and truth may be demonstrated how one fulfills the proclamation in both word and deed; indeed, to turn the phrase “Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.” might be “Fulfill the gospel. If necessary use words”.
On the other hand the parable shows that the person worshipping in spirit and in truth can do so by silent proclamation (by “Deed”) without necessarily knowing anything about the story, whether it should be proclaimed by word, fulfilled by practice or both. Discretion is key, not doctrine.
BUT I think an argument can be made regarding worshipping in spirit and in truth without proclaiming it verbally, as verse 23/24 suggests.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Mt Gerizim backgrounder: Mount Gerizim, or Jebel et-Tor, is the sacred mountain of the Samaritans and has been so for thousands of years. It consists of three peaks, the main summit, the wide flat western hill and Tell er-Ras to the north. It has been traditionally identified with the sacred mountain upon which the Blessing was delivered by Divine decree, a claim which, in Samaritan belief, overrides that of the rival Temple of Jerusalem. On the summit is a rock which the Samaritans believe was the place where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac. The Samaritans on Mount Gerizim represent the smallest, most ancient, living ethnic community in the world, bound together by a profound and rigid religious belief. Central to it is the sanctity of a particular mountain as decreed by Moses and on which, nearly four thousand years ago, Abraham may have nearly sacrificed Isaac. The Samaritans believe that, since more than 3600 years ago, they came to live on Mount Gerizim because Moses, in his tenth commandment, ordered them to protect it as a sacred mountain and worship on it by making pilgrimages to it three times a year. These beliefs and traditions have been kept alive by Samaritans since then. This sanctity and longevity, through to the present day, make this sacred mountain a place of outstanding universal value going far beyond the beliefs of a few hundred people.
This is also supported by the Romans 2 acknowledgement of “fulfilling” without proclaiming or in the absence of proclaiming regarding Atheists (Gentiles) 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when (Atheists) Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,…
This coin has two sides and I would not rule out one or the other in every instance nor would I argue for including both words and style in every instance. Sometimes the moral of the story needs no further explanation than the deed; sometimes the baseline may be deemed relevant.
I submit that discretion would be the better part of valor in making a decision when, which; or if, to use both.
Son: Can I go hang gliding with my friends? Father: No. Son: But they’ll say I’m chicken if I don’t go! Father: Discretion is the better part of valor, and I’d rather have them call you a chicken than a dead duck. Who puts their life in peril, shall perish.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:47 pm
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord…….” Can any Christian accept the challenge? Any?
Everybody who claims to follow Christianity often quote scriptures to support their belief but when asked a simple question about two apparent contradictory scriptures; which is true and which is false, there’s not a peep from the religious community. So if you cannot answer the question about the following two contradictory statements why would you expect anybody to believe that you understand all or any of the quotes you do quote unendingly?
So, all ye Christian scholars WHO profess to be, which of the apparent contradictory scriptures is true and which is false?
Hint: Only one can be true.
EXODUS 34:7
He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” True or False?
AND
EZEKIEL 18:20 (KJV) The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: True or False?
Or are they both true or both false when language no longer really means anything?
HOWEVER: I, the Existentialist, will provide the answer, the CORRECT answer if, after three days no Christian will or can step up to the plate and answer which scripture is true and which scripture is false. And then surely ye shall know that Jesus and I are one.
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May 13, 2015 at 6:44 pm
I totally agree with you, Jason. Christians must live a Christ-like life, one that will reflect His gospel. We must also declare boldly the truths He taught and invite all to come unto Him. We must not remain silent. Satan influences people to loudly declare positions that are contrary to Christ’s doctrines, and such people will be heard and followed. Only Christians living righteously and boldly preaching the truth can counteract Satan’s heavy influence on this world in these last days.
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May 13, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Wade:
Move the alpha letters slightly in “Satan” and you get “Santa”; both are invented caricature concepts that do not exist in reality.
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May 13, 2015 at 8:04 pm
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.
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May 13, 2015 at 8:07 pm
FA:
Asleep with belief: the sleeper never knows he is asleep; only in waking does he become conscious of that simple fact.
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May 14, 2015 at 8:55 am
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:13, 15-17)
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May 14, 2015 at 9:28 am
The driver never realizes he is asleep until he ends up in the ditch or worst, never wakes up at all.
Don’t be faithful to stupidity.
When I get on board a plane and fly, my faith does nothing for the pilot, nothing for the airline, nothing for ground crew, nothing for radar; my faith simply lets all the resources of that airline, including the pilot, be mobilized on my behalf to get me from one place to another place. My faith lets somebody else get into action.
That’s why, never congratulate a man on his faith, that’s sheer stupidity. Faith never made a man great. Faith is simply that disposition that allows Good to be as big as Good is, in a man, that’s all. Congratulate Him. The one who’s BE-ing.
Faith is like the clutch on a gear shift continental sports car. You could put your foot on the gas, rev the engine until every last window in the district is vibrating with the noise and the whole city lost in a cloud of dust. But if you don’t let the clutch out where will you be when you take your foot off the gas and the dust has settled? Exactly where you started! Because all the clutch does is relate the engine and the power under the hood to the wheels on the road. But the clutch doesn’t drive the car. Can you imagine a kid with his friend, open sports car, zooming down the road, nobody looking, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 miles an hour, wind streaming through his hair and he turns to his friend and says man….man..he says, what a clutch! Well you’d say don’t be so stupid. You’d say Man…what an engine!. All the clutch is doing is letting the engine be an engine.
And all that faith does in terms of your relationship to Jesus Christ is to allow him to move redemptively into your experience and reconcile you to Good. If you don’t put your trust in Christ, he’s still the redeemer but you won’t know it.
That doesn’t prove you’re smart. That just exposes your ignorance.
Faith.
And of course the more confident you are in the object of your faith, not in your Faith but in the OBJECT of your Faith, the more unconscious you are of the faith you are exercising in that object. That’s why you didn’t examine the chair before you sat in it. You’ve become confident and therefore you’re unconscious. And if you’re worried about your faith there’s one cure: get acquainted. Faith brings you to knowledge so you can know. It comes by giving knowledge time enough, to talk to you long enough, until at last you know enough and that’s the only cure for ignorance…understanding …..”
The simplicity of Faith:
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May 14, 2015 at 3:51 pm
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:18-21)
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