Inspiring evangelistic enthusiasm

Something out of the ordinary was going on at the camp meeting. "What's happening? asked Pastor Knap* as he hurried toward a buzzing knot of teens and young adults. "We're talking about evangelizing the Metro area," one of them replied. "This fellow asked if we wanted to, so we're planning how we can do it."

A 20-something deacon had been asking all the young people he encountered, "Who wants to evangelize this area?" Although pastors had been voicing concern about inactive youth, every one the deacons encountered responded with, "Yes! When can we start?"

"You can't do that. You can't just go out there and start evangelizing. You have to pick one of the local pastors to support you," Pastor Knap said.

As the young people recalled various inter-church rivalries and territorial disputes that had hung things up in the past, they began to express misgivings. The deacon answered, "No one church is going to sponsor this. We must do this as a united family of Seventh-day Adventist Christians, not just this or that church."

"But you can't do it that way," the pastor reiterated. "Congregations are concerned about who does what in their areas of influence, and you must be sensitive to those political realities. You have to play the game."

Several young people seemed to deflate. They'd seen much of the dividing, weakening influence of such politics, and now felt their initial surge of hope for a new united initiative ebbing away. "Play the game." With those words, the Spirit's fire was reduced to a cold icon on the playing board of the church game.

Killing evangelistic enthusiasm

There are two very effective ways to give a sleeping pill to lay evangelism.

First, control. Order, organization, rules, accountability these aren't bad. We need them to avoid excesses that bring shame to Christ's name. They can, however be carried too far, becoming micromanagement or, as Ellen White describes it a "one-idea" mindset.

We have had bad experiences with some "self-supporting ministries" whose methods are better suited to tabloids than to the Word of God. We try to avoid that by micromanaging awakened lay people. We sharply limit their work, insisting that they have to do it one particular way. They can't just go for it. Heaven forbid that an army of youth should start evangelizing without the appropriate controls of pastoral leadership.

Yes, when we allow lay persons freedom to do the work, there is a risk that someone will become a fanatic, teach false doctrine, or offend someone.

But whenever we go out and teach large numbers of unknown, uncontrollable, potentially unstable people, we run risks. We don't know who will take off into fanaticism. We don't know which ones will be offended and say slanderous things about us. We don't know how others will react. We do know that we might get hurt, insulted, mocked, or misunderstood. We also know that some souls will find Jesus. That makes the risk, the out-of-controlness of evangelism well worthwhile.

Jesus assures us that there is only one genuine control. As we enter the risky, uncontrolled world of evangelism, He says, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). Walking side-by-side with Jesus is the real control, the real safety.

Second, politics. Too often, I've heard conversations like these: "We should have a joint project." "No way. You've never supported anything we've done. So we won't work with you now."

"If we hold an evangelistic series, we'll need a building, but we can't afford to rent one."

"You have four large churches in the area. Why not use one of them?" "Because each pastor says he won't support it if it's in another pastor's building." "Can we work together on a crusade?" "No. You went out and formed another congregation instead of staying with us. Now you can just work on your own."

The real politics of the kingdom is a lot simpler. Paul asks, "Is Christ divided [by personality and territorial disputes]?" (1 Cor. 1:13). "For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"(l Cor. 3:3, NKJV).

Then, Paul gives us this model: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one. . . . For we are labourers together with God" (1 Cor. 3:6-9). We are not individual political units, we are coworkers in the kingdom of Christ. Far from being individual rulers of congregational fiefdoms, we are servants of one Ruler, who asks us to work smoothly with His other laborers; the lay persons of our congregations.

Encouraging evangelistic enthusiasm

Now, let's look at two means of supporting awakened members.

Mentoring: Paul pictured new workers learning from experienced workers, and in turn passing those things on to still newer workers in an ongoing, personal relationship. "And the things that thou hast heard of me . . . the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. 2:2).

Working side by side with experienced people is one of the most effective teaching methods the same method Jesus used with His disciples. To do that, we must be in an accepting, supportive relationship with the awakening laity.

Modeling: Paul was a model as well as a teacher. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). "For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should here after believe on him" (1 Tim. 1:16, italics supplied).

While we dream of control and territorialism, we model and perpetuate a woeful method of church activity. We have a better method to model Christ's mercy and patience. This model produces dynamic, grace-centered lay evangelists.

We can either discourage or encourage support to the newly awakened in our congregations. Either way, with us or without us, Christ will be true to His word in the end, the sleepers will wake up and evangelize the world.