What is the best way to evangelize? Where do we start? What is the goal? What does the Bible have to say? Do we bring the gospel to the world or do we bring the world to the gospel? In the famous words of Admiral Ackbar of Star Wars fame; “it’s a trap.”

We all hear what we want to hear.

Some hear what they don’t want to hear but in a way it is still what they want/expect to hear. We all approach what enters our brain through our own lens/filter regardless of whether communication takes on the form of a conversation, text, email, letter or through a medium created to be consumed but not interacted with. The latter for me can lead to me talking back but does not lend itself to meaningful interaction. For instance, I often find myself yelling at my TV or radio in disgust or anger which leads to nothing, but I do feel better!

All input is filtered through my lens.

I hear it and process it based on what I think is being said. I hear but I really don’t listen to the person communicating as much as I listen to my inner voice that tells me what is meant rather than what is being said. I then respond based not on understanding the intent but on what I think is meant by the words and the level of offence I think should be taken.

Bring the gospel to the world or the world to the gospel?

What do you hear? Do you hear two sides of the same evangelism coin? The gospel is central, the gospel is the coin. The process of presenting the gospel referred to often as evangelism are the two sides of the coin. Either we bring the gospel to the world or bring the world to the gospel. As North Americans either by birth or by influence we are apt to hear two ways of presenting our faith to others. Might I suggest that your/my lens, our filter, does not hear the true question that when answered, is foundational to how we view what it is to be a Christian. Bring the gospel to the world or the world to the gospel, I have grown to understand as not two sides of the same coin but rather two very different coins.

Bring the gospel to the world.

This is the call for all who believe given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I do not want to overcomplicate this very simple command, but I think it is important to point out something that may be missed because of the lens through which we see this command and the filter through which we understand it.

Go: there is a leaving where you are, the safety of the group context in which this must be read.

Make Disciples: Once you go, bring to the nations a different way of living, a different master to follow and invite them to leave behind what they once were.

Bring the world to the gospel.

At first glance this isn’t that bad. As a matter of fact, the attraction model of church that was and, in some cases, still is the formula for evangelism in Western Christian culture could be summed up in this statement. Put on a show or create a program so the world will want to come and check it out. While this has been wildly successful in moving people from small churches to bigger, high budget, slick and attractive versions of worship, we have seen the total decline in those who consider themselves followers of Christ and a weakening of what defines a life lived in service of God.

Even more troubling…

… when we bring the world to the gospel, we must do something that will make the world show up. What does the world want? What ways can we take a message that is at its root offensive to the nonbeliever and make it more palatable? When we go into the world and preach the gospel making disciples, we present an alternative to the sinful, self-centered life. When we bring the world to the gospel, we appeal to the sinful, self-centered life.

Forget the attraction model of doing church. It can be argued that some have succeeded in presenting the truth without compromise in a way that is attractive. Let’s look at the rest. Let’s look at those who bring the world to the gospel. These are people who marry money, politics, power, greed, lust and all manner of sinful behaviours that are part of our nature into their message. The world shows up because it becomes part of the gospel creating disciples of our own desires. Matthew 28:18-20 has been rewritten through the lens of our culture. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (insert you name). Therefore stay the same make disciples of all nations, indoctrinating them in the name of money, power and self promotion, teaching them to obey every whim they have. And surely I am always right.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)