EVANGELISM

INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

STUDY GUIDE

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INTRODUCTION

The new century presents some great and exciting challenges to theChristian Church.

The rampage of secular humanism, the relentless march of otherreligions, especially Islam, the holocaust of the Aids virus and thenuclear threats in the Middle and Far East, place new demands on thebody of Christ.

Will we be relegated to the scrap heap of antiquity an irrelevancy or willwe rise to the occasion with renewed fortitude, revived approaches andunderstanding of the crucial role we are called to play in an hour whennew doors are opening, new facilities in technology are available andemerging evangelists are desperate to be equipped to be on the cuttingedge.

This chapter is designed to look at where we have come from and to facethe new day before us.

Cecil J Peasley

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“EVANGELISM INTO THE 21ST CENTURY”

O U T L I N E

1. LOOK BACK

Secular WorldChurch EmphasesChurch Growth in 20th CenturyChallenges facing the ChurchCondition of Church

2. FOUR TRENDS THAT POSE A CHALLENGE TOCHRISTIAN EVANGELISM

Uncontrolled urbanization Unrelenting aggressive secularism Expanding non-Christian religions Shifting Frontiers and Emerging Fields

3. UNCHANGEABLE FACTS

Our Message Our Mandate

a) A re-discovery of the Full Biblical Messageb) Mobilization of the Whole Churchc) Explore new methods and new fields Evaluationd) Total and Unconditional Dependence Upon God

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EVANGELISM INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

1. LOOK BACK

SECULAR WORLD1960’s - _____________________________1970’s - _____________________________1980’s - _______________________1990’s - _________________________________

CHURCH EMPHASES1950’s - _____________1960’s - ___________________1970’s - ___________________1980’s - _________________________________1990’s - __________________________

CHURCH GROWTH in 20th CENTURY

The good news is that from 1900 – 2000, the number of people whoprofess faith in Jesus grew from 558 million to two billion; a 358%increase. There are probably more Christians alive at the beginning of the21st century than all the Christians who lived and died from AD 33 to1900. Christianity remains the largest religion in the world, 1.6 times thatof Islam and 2.4 times larger than Hinduism. The not-so-good news is thatthe number of Christians, as a percentage of the world population, hasnot changed. In 1900 christians represented 34.4% of the population, andthat percentage has remained remarkably consistant for one hundredyears. In 2000, it was still the same, 33.4%.(Quote from: Every Nation in our Generation page 216. Author: RiceBroocks)

1995Non-western Churches - _______ millionWestern Churches remain _______ million

Challenges facing the ChurchPolitical; Social; Demographic; Economic; Philosophical

Condition of ChurchParalyzed and confused, torn by division and uncertainty; withdrawn intoecclesiastical ghettos; pre-occupied with its own internal affairs andunconcerned and irrelevant to deepest needs of those around us.However, the 21st century could be the greatest moment of the Church.

2. FOUR TRENDS THAT POSE A CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIANEVANGELISM

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A. UNCONTROLLED URBANIZATION

By 2000AD: _____________ people (about three times the number of people living

at the dawn of the 20th century. Half the world in ________ uprooted & disillusioned. 50% of world’s population under _____ years old. 22 cities with a population of over _____ million.

B. UNRELENTING AGGRESSIVE SECULARISM

Secularism Excludes God from the world and human life Live for the present, without any reference to God or divine,

moral or spiritual values, e.g. education “responsible decisionmaking” - teachers do not tell kids what is right or wrong anymore, they only teach them a process for making their owndecisions.

C. EXPANDING NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS

Due to failure of secularism, there is a religious awakeningtaking place but it is not historic Christianity.

Islam - _______ % growth per yearHinduism - _______ % growth per yearBuddhism - _______ % growth per yearChristianity - _______ % growth per year

D. SHIFTING FRONTIERS & EMERGING FIELDS

The last decade of the 20th century remembered by historians asone of the watershed periods of the modern era. The collapse ofMarxism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union has opened the

door for the Gospel to reach millions.

The 21st century presents the possibility of majorchanges e.g. “New”(New South Africa; New Age;New World Order)

____________________? viz., Turkey, Middle East& China___________________________? Liberal &Conservative; Social & Evangelical; Inter-faith &Independents; Reformed & Charismatic

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Will “______________________” abandon Christian roots for thesake of trade purposes and conformity and political correctness?

So called “Christian” nations are now becoming new targets of__________________________ for proselytizing.

3. UNCHANGEABLE FACTS

(a) __________________

God loves and communicates Mankind has rebelled and is alienated from God God has taken the initiative to bridge the gap Hope for the future - Christ is risen; He will

reign; God has not changed, nor the Gospel, nor has the heartof man

The 7 recorded messages in Acts all called for a verdict

(b) __________________ (Mark 16:15) The disciples obeyed thiscommand and their ministry shook the Roman Empire. Theevangelistic imperative remains unchanged.

________________ ________________ ________________

(i) A __________________ of Full Biblical Message

(ii) ____________________ of the Whole Church

Professor Michael Green“Whenever Christianity has been at its most healthy,evangelism has stemmed from the local church and has had anoticeable impact on the surrounding area. I do not believethat the re-Christianization of the West can take place withoutthe renewal of the local churches in this whole area ofevangelism.”

I Thessalonians 1:8 “Your faith in God has become knowneverywhere”.

Professor George Hunter“Western Christianity needs a multitude of internationalmissionary congregations — churches that will abandon theold decrepit Christian models of ministry and whose prime

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mission will be to reach and disciple people who do not yetbelieve"

Encourage gift of ___________________

(iii) Evaluate ___________________ and explore _____________Be creative. Paul was “all things to all men.” Methods areonly a means to an end.

(iv) Depend _______________ & _________________ upon God

Archbishop George Carey at his enthronement in April1991 stated, “It will be more woe to us if we preach religioninstead of the Gospel … woe to us if we preach a message thatlooks only towards inner piety and does not relate our faith tothe world around. Woe to us if we fail to hand on to futuregenerations and the unsearchable rules of Christ, which arethe very heartbeat of the Church and its mission.”

Charles Colson in the chapter on Healthy Believing in his book“Dangerous Grace”, states that when film director MartinScorsese updated the 1992 thriller CAPE FEAR, he made onesignificant change: “He turned the crazed villain into a Biblequoting Pentecostal Christian, with a cross tattooed across hisback. In a scene where he tries to rape a woman, he shouts: “Areyou ready to be born again?”

The message is clear: People who believe the Bible are derangedand even dangerous. The belief that religion is harmful to mentalhealth is common in secular media and academia today: The ideagoes back to Sigmund Freud, who regarded belief in God asneurosis.

But, in Christianity Today, Christian Psychiatrist David Larsonexposes that assumption as mere myth. When he examined theimperial data, Larson says he found exactly the opposite. Religiouspeople are actually healthier than the general population, bothmentally and physically.

For example, in a literature review, Larson discovered that 19 outof 20 studies showed religion plays a positive role in preventingalcoholism. 16 out of 17 studies showed a positive role in reducingsuicide. Religious commitment was associated with lower rates ofmental disorder, drug use and pre-marital sex. People whoattended church regularly even show much lower blood pressurelevels.

The standard view that associates religion with psychologicalproblems does have one kernel of truth, however. Larson foundthat people, who believe in Christianity but don’t practice it, do

People whobelieve theBible are

deranged —and even

dangerous.

" peoplewho

believe inChristianity

but don’tpractice

it, doexperience

greaterstress"

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experience greater stress. People who believe in God, but who neglect churchattendance and Bible reading; those who are divorced, or abuse alcohol, showhigher rates of anxiety than the general population. In short, the inconsistentChristian suffers greater stress than the consistent atheist.

The committed Christian is happier and suffers less mental illness than thegeneral population.

The most miserable person of all is the one who knows the truthand yet does not obey it

“A Dangerous Grace” – page 90, Author: Charles Colson, WordPublishing.

Suggested addition reading on Contemporary Approaches toEvangelistic Ministry:

The Purpose Driven Church by Rick WarrenA Contemporary Approach to Church Growth

Praying Without Ceasing by Calvin MillerA Contemporary Approach to Spirituality

The Visionary Leader by William M PinsonContemporary Approaches to Christian Leadership

The Power of Praise by Don McMinnContemporary Worship and Evangelism

Finishing the Task byContemporary Approaches to World Missions