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Friends don't let Friends go to
Hell
by
Cadet Michael Ramsay
Part 1:
Aggressive Christianity vs. Friendship Evangelism
"Most of the people that I have heard extol the virtues of
Friendship evangelism practice no evangelism at all".
I was speaking with Peter Unya today, a good friend of mine
that I haven't heard from in awhile. He was telling me that "a
friendship evangelist is neither [a friend nor
an evangelist]" and that they "may be Christians but they
certainly aren't Salvationists". Pete is a smart guy. I think
he made some good points in our discussion. Let me try to
communicate what he was saying in Mike language.
His argument was that the people he had come across in his
life who were opposed to open evangelism often claimed that
they preferred 'friendship evangelism'. I believe that he was
in a discussion with a 'friendship evangelist' before we
talked today and that set him off with the wonderfully
passionate quotes that opened this article.
The argument in favour of friendship evangelism goes like
this: you make a friend. They see that you are happy being a
Christian. They ask you how to be a Christian and you take
them to Church. The problem is that the friendship evangelist
is not out there intentionally seeking to serve God by
extending the Kingdom. She hopes to fulfil the great
commission by having the world come to her.
Don't misunderstand me, or my friend Pete for that matter, no
Christian can be opposed to someone who wants to lead all of
their friends to Christ. The problem is that the term
'friendship evangelist' seems to be a euphemism for someone
who doesn't care if anyone other than their friends go to hell
or not - and their friends are usually already 'Christian'.
Hell is real. I believe in it just like I believe in Jesus.
Hell is the most horrible thing there is. It is more than
separation from God; It is more than your worst fears; It is
worse than Guatanamo or Abu Garib; It is Hell! Jesus can save
you from hell. Jesus can save your friends from hell. Jesus
can save everyone from hell. All an evangelist has to do is
introduce people to Jesus! We should all be evangelists.
If you believe in Hell and you believe in Jesus, then you will
want to save everyone from Hell - not just your friends! If
you saw a shipwreck and everyone was dying, would you only
save your friends! If all you had to do was point them to the
life raft (Jesus) and everyone could be saved if they swam
there, would you only tell your friends? Would you let
everyone else drown? What kind of a person would that make
you? "In the best case scenario, that is what a friendship
evangelist is... someone who, seeing that everyone is dying,
only even tries to save his friends... and then only if he is
sure that he won't risk his personal feelings and friendships
in the process...what kind of a friend is that?" (Pete Unya).
What kind of a Christian is that? What kind of a person is
that? People are dying and Jesus can save them.
Can you imagine if William Booth was a mere 'friendship
evangelist'? Can you imagine Wesley was only a 'friendship
evangelist'? Or Paul? Or Jesus? ...Would any of us be here
now?
I spend my Sunday evenings walking around the streets here in
20 below weather offering prayer, food, shelter, help and the
love of God in the name of Jesus to any who need it. I don't
hide my light under a bushel and you know what? There are
people in the Kingdom of Heaven tonight because of it. I am
not ashamed of the gospel.
There is a parable of the sheep and the goats - both claim God
- only the sheep make it into heaven. If Christ's great
commission to us was to tell everyone that he is the life raft
out there and we don't do it, are we sheep?
So that is what I was thinking after my discussion with my
good friend Peter. If I am wrong, or have been led astray by
Pete, and 'friendship evangelism' is alive, well, and
effectively winning the world for Jesus, please let me know.
But as for me I will continue to be the best friend possible,
by being an evangelist, to everyone the Lord sends in my path.
Praise God! Hallelujah!
Friends don't let Friends go to Hell Part 2: Bullhorn Man
We watched a short film here a while ago whose central
character was a seemingly friendless, middle-aged, pudgy,
balding fellow with a bullhorn. He would print out tracts and
yell to people through his bullhorn to accept Jesus. A
slightly younger narrator was sitting on a bench telling the
Christian audience what was wrong with this. This was a
powerful anti-evangelism film. The implicit statement was that
it is not worth it to be a fool for the Kingdom of God. Of
course, this is wrong but was there another point?
Bullhorn Man was a Lone Ranger; one other point might be that
evangelism works best within the context of authentic
Christian community. When we are used by God to snatch people
from the flames of hell, it is good to be able to have a safe
place to send them so they don't fall right back in as soon as
we turn our heads. Christian support and teaching is very
important. That being said, the lone evangelist can form that
discipling relationship, himself, with the people he meets.
Bullhorn Man was annoying. One point could be that we have to
be smart when we are evangelising. This is true. I am not
saying that there is never a time for the bullhorn but maybe
there are better methods. I ask God to lead people to me who
He would like to meet when I walk the streets. I pay close
attention to the prompting of the Holy Spirit with regards to
who to approach. Much of the time I can let others open the
conversation. There are a lot of drug dealers, panhandlers,
prostitutes and other members of the underground economy here
and they have no problem approaching people with their
product. When they do, I respectfully decline and offer them
God.
At one point here when I declined the drugs and offered prayer
instead, I was invited into a hot-boxed bus-shelter full of
teenagers and was asked if I would 'rap' a prayer. They took
off their hats at the prompting of one of their number and I
rapped out the only rap prayer I think that I have ever
offered. When I left, we had all had a positive encounter with
God. I have been honoured by praying with people on the
street, been blessed when they prayed for me, and privileged
to be there when the tears of repentance flowed and they
accepted Jesus. Many times they opened the conversation by
asking for money or trying to sell me something. We don't need
a bullhorn, we just need to listen to Jesus and take the
opportunities He gives us. If that was the point of the movie
it is a good one.
Bullhorn man didn't seem to have any friends. We need to be
friendly. We need to be friends. We need to all be friendship
evangelists. Maybe there is a level of gifting involved in
following Jesus out into the streets. We do all come in
contact with people though and as we meet people we can tell
them about Jesus. I compare it to being married. I don't need
to talk to someone very long before my wife and kids come into
the conversation because they are such an important part of my
life. Jesus is the same. He has been my closest companion
forever so, reflexively, He comes into a conversation early on
and often in a friendship.
So to all of you who, in His gifting, step out of your comfort
zone and, following God, march the streets to win the world
for Jesus, praise the Lord! And for all of you who just have
your eyes and ears open in your daily life ready to tell your
friends, new and old, about Jesus, praise the Lord!
I just caution us all however not to let an opportunity go to
waste. A friend of mine told me once of how, at work, he felt
the prompting to tell a friend about Jesus. He didn't. That
night his friend died...be a friend, tell someone about Jesus.
Friends don't let friends go to Hell.
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com
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