Why There Shouldn't Be Lone Rangers in Evangelism

 

An alternative title could be:  Why Good Partnerships are Essential in Gospel Work.

A friend of mine approached a well-known street evangelist (who keeps getting arrested and/or moved on by the police.) She asked questions about what he was doing, where he went to church and where he referred any interested people for follow-up. He basically replied that he wasn’t particularly concerned about these things as he was an evangelist and his job was just to share the Gospel…

I’ve seen this attitude before in people who often seem very zealous for God but, on closer acquaintance, aren’t even attending a church. A recent survey of those who attended one of the "Christian" nationalist rallies found that only one third of those marching went to church regularly.

A few years ago, I was in a bit of a muddle about whether to stay in a church where I disagreed with the theology just because they were doing a lot of outreach. The advice I was given was that I needed to prioritise my own spiritual walk even if that meant there would be less outreach opportunities. Looking back, that was good advice even though it was a little unpalatable at the time as I wanted to get on with the evangelism. God is more concerned about our faithfulness to Him than our ministry for Him.

Evangelism should always start in local churches and organisations that are facilitating evangelism should always work in partnership with local churches. It’s worth asking whether we are fit to witness to others if we aren’t being obedient to God ourselves.

Here are some reasons why we should always work with others in evangelism:

1. It’s Biblical- If anyone could have operated by Himself,  it would have been Jesus, yet he chose 12 disciples and a further 72 others to work with. The disciples were sent out in twos and rarely worked alone. There were occasions when solo evangelism was necessary, but it wasn’t the norm.

2. It’s Easier- I’m sure that most of those who are forced to witness by themselves due to a lack of available partners wish that it wasn’t the case. It’s difficult enough to get motivated and encouraged when working with others, but when you’re by yourself, the temptation is always not to bother and when you do go, it’s hard going. We need others for encouragement, motivation and support.

3. Checks Pride- Naturally, we love to hear about our own success in witness, but are we as joyful when we hear about someone else’s fruit? When I hear of leaders who reject partnerships with like minded churches I wonder whether pride is at the root. Recently, I've seen Christian street preachers setting up virtually on top of other preachers and seemingly trying to compete for listeners no doubt greatly irritating passers by in the process. If our ultimate goal is the same; that people hear the Gospel, are saved and are added to Gospel preaching churches, surely we should be willing to partner with others that share that vision even if we or our churches don’t directly benefit. Are we working for God’s Kingdom or building our own castles here on Earth?

4. Gets Others Involved- There are always those that cannot go out on the streets or go door to door due to age, infirmity, lack of time or other reasons. There are some who find it virtually impossible to speak and share their faith. Yet, most can pray and many can give financially to support the work. We should all be involved in evangelism in one way or another. The church is like a body with each part having different roles and responsibilities, working together to get the job done. I’ve heard older people say that they can’t do much but they can pray. Yet, prayer is a vital part of the work and without it we won’t get very far.

5. Training Opportunities- If Paul had been a lone ranger, how would Timothy have learned how to share the Message? The role of an evangelist is not only to share the Gospel, but also to train others to do the same. If no one is trained, there will be no leaders among the younger generations and no men learning how to preach. An individual can only do so much with their gifts, time and money but if they train others they can greatly multiply the work and vastly increase the reach of the Gospel.

6. Inspires Others- Seeing a team of people from all different nationalities and backgrounds working in partnership with a common goal will inspire those outside the church as well as those already within the church who aren’t involved in evangelism. They might ask if they can join in as they realise that evangelism is not just the job of those who seem gifted for it. Everyone should be involved.

7. Reflects Diversity- The fact that people from diverse nations and backgrounds can work well together is attractive as it’s rarely seen in the world. It’s one of the reasons that ideally we shouldn’t have separate nationality churches. In Heaven we will be every tribe, tongue and nation all together worshipping God. We should start now and deal with language barriers as they arise.

8. Safety and Accountability- It’s obvious that there is safety in numbers and there are situations where it isn’t safe to work alone. A lone evangelist invited into a lonely old person’s home is putting themselves at risk of allegations. Similarly, the temptations to laziness and time wasting lessen when we are letting others down if we give in to them.

9. Friendships, Networking and Learning- We meet like minded people when working with others. We might learn new techniques or be able to ask for advice when faced with difficult questions from non-believers. We can also have rough edges knocked off as we learn to compromise on secondary issues for the sake of the work. We should always be learning as nobody knows everything and our different personalities mean that there may be someone better suited to speak to an individual non-believer. Sharing successes and failures multiplies the joys and eases the burdens.

10. Keeps the Focus on the Gospel and Avoids Error- We are all prone to wander and most of us would acknowledge that it’s easier to do so when we are by ourselves. Working with others keeps our focus on the Gospel and if we do head down a rabbit hole, usually there will be someone to pull us back and remind us of our goal.

Should we partner with everyone?

This is a question that arises when discussing teamwork and the need to avoid operating by ourselves. The answer is obviously no because the Bible tells us to avoid unequal yokes. We should not join with those who aren’t believers. This sounds obvious but with multi-faith movements and other crazy things in the mix it needs to be said.

We also shouldn’t partner with those who are markedly different to us in theology if they are going to be focusing on things other than sharing the Gospel. An example might be healing on the streets or those who want to practice deliverance ministries or someone wanting to sell their own products or promote their own wayward church. There are many different circumstances that could mean that a partnership is unsuitable. We need wisdom in this area.

Let’s work together to share the Good News with as many people as possible believing that God is at work saving souls for eternity.

Will You Silence the Alarm or Heed the Warning?

 

Earlier this week, I returned from an Open-Air Mission team event in Oxford. It was a short 2 day mission speaking to people attending St Giles Fair.

One of the preachers, based in London, began a talk that I don’t remember having heard before. He had the heading “Ignored Warnings” on the board. As people started to stop, he put up some pictures of the Titanic, a failed NASA mission and Grenfell Tower.

Then he asked people what happens when a fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night in a hotel. He suggested that everyone would come to their doors and look out into the corridor. If there didn’t seem to be any problem and the noise had stopped, people would go back to bed. The assumption is always that it’s a false alarm.

He explained each of the pictures and the warnings that had been ignored. With the Titanic it was the fact that there were icebergs, engineers had warned the 1986 NASA launch team about mechanical problems and with Grenfell Tower there was a campaign group warning about fire risks in the building.

In fact, with most accidents of this nature, there have been multiple warnings prior to the tragedy.

By this point, a small crowd had gathered and were listening intently. The preacher then placed the word JUDGEMENT on the board and explained that God is warning us of a coming judgement. He has sent prophets and messengers and they have recorded these warnings in the Bible.

At the judgement, people’s lives will be examined and each person will be found guilty because of sin. They will be sentenced to eternity in a horrible place called Hell.

He asked the listeners how people had survived the Titanic. Someone said they had clung on to pieces of wood. The preacher pointed out that whilst that was true it was only a temporary solution as those objects would sink or the person would die of hypothermia. Someone else then said that they were rescued by lifeboats.

The preacher explained that through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, He is the lifeboat, and can save us from the coming judgement.

By this point every person, including the team members, were gripped by this message. The preacher challenged people to respond by getting into the lifeboat and being rescued before it was too late.

With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, he conveyed a sense of solemnity and urgency that isn’t always present during these talks and encouraged people to be brave and step forward to take Gospels from his hand. After an initial pause, multiple people went forward and the team had conversations with them afterwards.

I spoke to a girl who thought she was a Christian. When I asked if she was sure of Heaven she said that she wasn’t and that this was why she had gone forward to take the Gospel. She wanted to be sure and to avoid the judgement to come. We had a good conversation.

I don’t think any of those present will forget that warning of the judgement to come.

Afterwards, I realised that we all ignore warnings constantly about all manner of things: 

• we silence alarm clocks or put them on snooze
• we remove batteries from the beeping fire alarm rather than replacing them immediately
• we put pieces of tape over flashing lights on our car dashboard or just hope the light will go off
• we fail to investigate burglar or car alarms when they are sounding
• we drive past signs saying the road is closed or move the cones out of the way
• we sack or demote whistle-blowers aiming to permanently silence them
• we ignore red flags in relationships

I’ve twice heard and seen security vans with loud speakers shouting that they are being attacked and for the police to be called only for people to just carry on as normal.

Why do we do this when as a society we are supposedly more safety conscious and risk averse than ever before? Why do we do this when most people are afraid of dying?

I think it’s because we don’t really believe bad things will happen to us. We don’t really believe the warnings and we don’t want the inconvenience or cost of having to change the way we do things.

Even after the accident happens and the tragedy occurs, a few years down the line, have we not reverted back to the same patterns that caused the problem in the first place. We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes no matter how many times we are warned.

God’s warning of judgement is the most serious warning of all because it applies to all humanity and how we respond determines where we will spend eternity.

Don’t silence the alarm or put it on snooze as there’s no guarantee you will wake up. The wise thing to do is to heed the warnings in the Bible and to flee from the wrath to come.

Ask God to forgive you for the things you’ve done wrong in your life. Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross. Turn away from those wrong things (repent) and commit your life to Him.

Do it today, you might not have tomorrow.

 

10 Reasons People Will be Refused Entry to Heaven (and End Up in Hell....)

A friend of mine who is associated with the Open-Air Mission has a short talk entitled "Are you sure you aren't going to Hell?" It's not a popular subject but if there are only two destinations after this life then surely we must make sure we're heading for the right place!

During evangelism, I speak to lots of people from all walks of life and the number one answer when I ask them whether they are sure they are going to get into Heaven is, "I hope so" or "hopefully." Sadly, professing Christians often say this too.

When I explain the Gospel to these people sometimes it's like a light goes on as they understand for the first time. Others walk away stating that they will continue trying their best. A few are offended by the suggestion that they are on the wrong path. 

So, what are the things that will cause us to be turned away from Heaven on Judgement Day?

1. Unforgiven sin. If we stand before the God of the Universe on Judgement Day carrying the huge burden of the sins we have all committed during our lives, we can't really expect anything other than to be condemned. If we entered Heaven with our sin it would be spoiled. Remember that this is how the Garden of Eden was ruined in the first place. Adam and Eve were given a perfect life in a perfect Creation and would have lived forever with God but their rebellion led to destruction and death. God cannot have anything to do with sin because of His holiness and perfection.

2. Not believing in God (Atheism). Perhaps this is obvious but it's worth saying that a person who doesn't believe in or acknowledge God cannot enter Heaven. The Bible says that for someone to come to God they "must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11 vs 6) Part of this reward is eternal life in Heaven which is not for an unbeliever. There will be no Atheists on Judgement Day. The Bible actually says that there are none now, in Romans 1, it refers to Creation and evidences of God all around us leaving people without excuse if they deny Him.

3. Sitting on the fence (Agnosticism). A label that I'm hearing more and more frequently these days. There comes a time when we need to make up our minds and decide what we believe. We begin on the broad road that leads to destruction so really there is no sitting on the fence. We are either children of God or of the devil. We have either passed from darkness to light or we are still in darkness. This is why the Gospel message is urgent. If people fail to respond to Jesus before they die, there is no hope for them. There is no purgatory or crossing over from Hell to Heaven. If we die as Christians we go to Heaven, if not, it's Hell, forever. What a terrible thought.

4. Rejecting Jesus. I meet people who say that they believe in God but they aren't into Jesus. Some believe He was just a good man or a prophet. Others don't understand His significance at all. This despite the fact that our calendar is dated from His time on Earth. People who reject Jesus as both God and God's Son won't enter Heaven. They have rejected the only Person through Whom they can be saved. "Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me". (John 14 vs 6)

5. Trusting in good works/trying to earn salvation. As mentioned above, this is probably the biggest reason people will be refused entry to Heaven. One small sin (a lie, thinking a bad thought, not loving God fully all of the time) is enough to keep someone out of Heaven no matter what good things they have tried to do. The Bible says that all have sinned therefore all die. There are no scales on Judgement Day weighing up our good and our bad deeds. The standard to reach Heaven is perfection all of the time for our whole lives....clearly this isn't the way to get there as it's impossible for us who are born in sin.

6. Failing to repent. There are people who carry the Christian label but who don't see the need to repent. Repentance is a complete change of mind and direction. We should stop going our way and doing what we want to do and should instead go God's way and do what He wants us to do. This doesn't mean we will be able to obey Him perfectly, but our lives should change when we become Christians and we should be recognised by the way that we behave afterwards. A lack of repentance is usually to do with pride and a failure to accept that we are sinners in the first place. Jesus' instructions were clear; we must repent and believe to get to Heaven. 

7. Choosing a sinful lifestyle/living for this life. Although similar to the previous point, this is more deliberate and isn't usually found in professing Christians. There are people who know what they are doing and choose the pleasures of this life over the life to come. They make a conscious choice to revel in sin and often the excesses of it. They aren't concerned about the consequences and their consciences become dull over time. This is not the same as a person who changes when they become a Christian (like the prodigal son,) this is someone who arrives at Judgement Day having chased after sin and worldly things their whole lives. They cannot enter Heaven.

8. Following a false religion/prophet. Many Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others are sincere in what they believe but they are on the wrong path. Their prophets and leaders are false as are the books that they follow. The Bible warns us to be on guard against these traps of the enemy. It also says that "even if an angel or anyone else proclaims something contrary to the Gospel that has been received, they should be under a curse" (Galatians 1 vs 8) How many people have been led astray by these false visions and appearances? People who are following a false religion cannot enter Heaven as they are still carrying their sin.

9. Refusing to be rescued. The Bible makes it clear that God desires all to come to repentance and be saved. It says that people are without excuse if they reject Him. It states that "all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved". There's an illustration of a drowning man waiting for God to save him. He rejects the various rescues that are attempted failing to recognise that God is behind them. Some people for reasons of their own won't accept the hand that God is holding out to them. These people won't reach Heaven as they have stubbornly refused to be helped into the lifeboat.

10. Doing nothing/feigning ignorance. Because we begin on the broad path heading for Hell, doing nothing just means that we continue on that path and reach the final destination. Exercising faith in Jesus is a conscious decision that takes us off the path to destruction and places us on the path to eternal life in Heaven. Likewise pretending there is no decision to be made or claiming ignorance about spiritual things doesn't give a person a free pass as God sees everything and He knows our hearts. He has put eternity in our hearts so we know that there is a life to come. We won't enter Heaven if we do nothing or claim to be ignorant.

It's been quite depressing writing this list but I do so in the hope that some reading this might recognise themselves within it and change course before it's too late. 

As an aside, all the time you are still living and breathing it's never too late to change direction, no matter what you have done. God promises to forgive us and place us on a path to eternity in Heaven if we turn away from our sin (repent) and believe Jesus died for us on the cross. Then, we need to commit our lives to following Him as Saviour and Lord.

Let's make sure we won't be refused entry to Heaven on Judgement Day but will instead be welcomed in because of Jesus' perfect life, death and resurrection for us.

The Bible's Big Story: God's Plan to Rescue Humanity

Ask people on the street what Christians believe and you'll often hear the same answers: "Be a good person," "Love your neighbour," or "Treat others how you'd like to be treated." Many also believe that living a good life is enough to get into Heaven.

But that's not the Bible's main message.

The Bible tells one extraordinary story—how a holy God rescues sinful people through Jesus Christ.

God

Everything begins with God. He has always existed and is eternal. The Bible reveals one God in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

God is perfectly holy, righteous and good. He is the Creator of everything that exists and loves His creation, especially humanity.

God is not just a bigger version of us. He is outside time and space and far above us in every way.

Creation

God created the universe, the earth, and the first humans, Adam and Eve. His creation was perfect. There was no suffering, death, disease or evil. Humanity enjoyed a perfect relationship with God which would have lasted forever.

What Went Wrong?

God gave Adam and Eve freedom but also one command—not to eat from a particular tree. He warned them that disobedience would bring death.

When they chose to disobey, they were doing far more than eating fruit—they were rejecting God's rule and choosing to live life on their own terms.

This rebellion is what the Bible calls sin.

The Consequences of Sin

Sin broke humanity's relationship with God and the effects were devastating:

• Humanity became separated from God.
• Every person inherited a sinful nature.
• Suffering, disease and death entered the world.
• The whole of creation was affected.

The evidence is all around us. Every person dies because sin has brought death into God's once-perfect creation. In simple terms; we die because we sin. 

But physical death is not the end. The Bible teaches that every person will one day stand before God and give an account of their life.

Our Problem

God gave His law, including the Ten Commandments, to show us His perfect standard:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour your father and your mother. 
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8.  You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. You shall not covet.

None of us has kept God's law perfectly. 

Jesus went even further, teaching that hatred is the root of murder and lust is the root of adultery.

The Bible's verdict is clear:

We are not good people.

We have all sinned against a holy God and cannot save ourselves. We cannot enter Heaven with our unforgiven sin.

Because God is perfectly just, He cannot simply ignore our wrongdoing. The Bible warns that every one of us will one day stand before Him in judgement. Left to ourselves, we face God's righteous wrath and His punishment in Hell.

God's Rescue Plan

Although humanity rebelled against Him, God never stopped loving His creation.

From the very beginning, He promised to send a Saviour who would restore the relationship between God and mankind.

Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His rescue plan through His prophets, hundreds of years before it happened.

Jesus

God's rescue plan was not simply to send a prophet or a good teacher.

God the Son entered His own creation and became a man.

Jesus lived the perfect life that Adam, Eve and every one of us failed to live. He never sinned—not once. He always obeyed His Father completely.

This is crucial.

The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus had no sin of His own to pay for. He was the only person who did not deserve God's judgement.

The Cross

Thousands of people have been crucified throughout history.

Jesus' death was different.

Because He was completely innocent, He could take the place of guilty people.

On the cross, God placed upon Jesus the punishment that our sins deserved. Jesus willingly bore God's righteous wrath in our place, satisfying His justice completely.

This is sometimes called the great exchange.

Our past, present and future sin was placed on Jesus.

His perfect righteousness is credited to everyone who repents and trusts in Him.

God now treats the believer as though they had lived Jesus' perfect life because Jesus has already borne the punishment they deserved.

Justice is satisfied.

Mercy is offered.

That is why the cross is the centre of the Christian message.

The Resurrection

Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead.

Death could not hold Him because He had committed no sin of His own.

By rising again, Jesus defeated death itself, overthrowing the curse given to Adam and Eve and proving that His sacrifice had been accepted by God. 

The Choice

Jesus has made a way back to God.

Anyone who repents—turns from living their own way—and trusts in Jesus Christ can be completely forgiven.

Our sin is placed on Jesus, and His perfect righteousness is credited to us.

God no longer sees our guilt but Jesus' perfect obedience.

Those who trust in Jesus receive eternal life and will live with Him forever in Heaven.

Those who reject Him remain under God's judgement and will face eternity in Hell. The Bible calls us to "flee from the wrath to come" by turning to Jesus while there is still time.

The Most Important Question

The Bible is not simply a collection of moral lessons.

Its big story is that:

Through the cross of Jesus Christ,

God

Offers

Sinful

People

Eternal 

Life

His invitation is open today, but it will not remain open forever.

The big question is:

How will YOU respond?

12 Things God Promises Christians and 12 Things He Doesn’t

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what we say when we share the Gospel and whether we are misleading people, either deliberately or with good intentions, about what to expect if they become Christians.

I’ve been reading books like, Hell’s Best Kept Secret and God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life (The Myth of the Modern Message) by Ray Comfort. What many don’t realise is that Ray Comfort was also using the modern message but after seeing vast numbers of people falling away post conversion, he started to examine what was going on by taking a closer look at what the Bible actually says.

If we are going to share our faith both biblically and effectively, I thought it would be good to take a look at exactly what God does promise Christians and also what is not promised so that we can be sure we are communicating the truth.

God Promises:

1. Forgiveness of sin (1 John 1 vs 9)

This is one of the best things that we are promised but it is conditional upon repentance. We are only forgiven when we repent (stop going our way and decide to go God’s way) and believe Jesus died for our sins. Then we receive full and complete forgiveness for all of our past, present and future sins.

2. Peace with God (Romans 5 vs 1) and Inner Peace (John 14 vs 27)

This forgiveness makes it possible for us to be at peace with our Maker. Before this transaction takes place, we are at war with God and He is angry with us because of our sin. When our sin in forgiven, the consequence of death is removed and that most important relationship with our Creator is restored.

Jesus also promised a personal peace to guard us against worldly anxiety in John 14 “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” This is based on reconciliation with God not the absence of external conflict.

3. Eternity in Heaven (Revelation 21 vs 4 and 22 vs 5) (2 Corinthians 5 vs 1) (John 14 vs 1-3)

The Bible tells us that we can’t even imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him. In Heaven there will be no more crying, pain, suffering or death because there is no more sin. The Bible tells us that Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven and that we will be there with God and all other believers forever. The other side to the coin is that we will also avoid eternity in Hell which is a terrible place of punishment where people will want to die but won’t be able to. God promises that Christians will avoid judgement and the wrath to come.

4. His Presence (Ephesians 1 vs 13) (1 Corinthians 3 vs 16) (Hebrews 13 vs 5)

All true believers have God’s Holy Spirit living within them. This means that when trials and difficulties come our way, we are not alone even if everyone earthly abandons us. God is with us in the struggles and will remain with us throughout. He promises never to leave us or forsake us.

5. Way Out of Temptation (1 Corinthians 10 vs 13)

This is different to saying that we won’t be tempted. We will face ongoing temptations as we are still living in the world and the devil will also try to bring us down. However, we are promised that we won’t be tempted beyond what we can bear and that a way of escape will be opened to us in these situations allowing us to resist.

6. To Supply our Basic Needs (Philippians 4 vs 19) (Matthew 6 vs 33)

Notice the promise is to supply our needs not the things we might think we need. We need food, clothing and shelter. God cares about us far more than the sparrows who rely on Him for their everyday supplies. There are stories of dramatic things happening when Christians in great need pray to God for help.

7. To Love us (Romans 5 vs 8) (Romans 8 vs 35-39)

God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sins and get us safely to Heaven. He makes us His children and we become part of His Kingdom here on Earth. He loves us as His children in a special way that is different to the way He loves all of humanity.

8. To Hear and Answer our Prayers and to Pray for us. (Philippians 4 vs 6-7) (1 Peter 3 vs 12)

The Bible tells us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. None of us are righteous apart from Jesus so we know that this is referring to believers. God always hears every prayer uttered by a believer and He will answer although it won’t always be in the way we hope. Sometimes, He says no. Once we are saved, Jesus also prays for us! (John 17)

9. To Discipline and Sanctify us (Hebrews 12 vs 6)

As Christians, we often go astray and God wants to keep us on track. As we grow spiritually, He refines and cleanses us so that we begin to look more like Jesus, not perfect but different. We call this process sanctification. Sometimes, this involves discipline which is for our own good and is evidence of God’s love. In Ezekiel 36 vs 26 He promises to give us a new heart and a new spirit and to bring us to maturity as believers.

10. To Use us in Evangelism (Matthew 13 vs 8 and 23) (Acts 1 vs 8) (Luke 12 vs 11-12)

Christians have a part to play in reaching lost souls by sharing the Gospel with them. God promises He will bring people to faith through this method of evangelism. In the Parable of the Sower, the Bible tells us to expect 30, 60 or even 100 fold growth. When the Gospel is preached or spoken one to one, people will hear and believe. God doesn’t want people to perish and He delights in saving them using us as His messengers.

11. The Bible as our Guide-Book (Psalm 119 vs 105) (2 Timothy 3 vs 16-17)

I hesitated with this one as not every Christian has access to the Bible in their language. However, we are told that God’s law is written on our hearts and revealed through our conscience. Most Christians reading this will have access to a Bible. God promises to use His Word to guide us in our lives and speaks to us through it.

12. Persecution and Trouble (John 15 vs 17-20) (John 16 vs 33)

You might be thinking this is in the wrong place or on the wrong list. However, the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3 vs 12 that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” We are told that in this life we will have trouble as believers but we are advised to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Paul faced much persecution and trouble the minute he became a Christian, all of the disciples, except John, were martyred for their faith.

Christians today face terrible things in different parts of the world. Here in the West, we can be ostracised, rejected, shunned, mocked, excluded and hated for our beliefs. We can lose our jobs, friends, money and even family members. We are beginning to see arrests, fines and imprisonment for speaking the truth. We cannot throw up our hands in horror as we have been warned in the Bible to expect these things as the norm.

God Does NOT Promise:

Now to the list that I’m guessing will be more controversial:

1. Health and Healing (James 5 vs 14-16)

If a Christian is ill we are told to gather the elders of the church around them to pray and to anoint them with oil. We know, however, that this is not a guarantee that they will be healed. God teaches people many things through sickness and in the Bible, not everyone is healed. In 1 Timothy 5 vs 23, Timothy was told to take wine for his stomach problems and frequent illnesses. In 2 Corinthians 12 vs 7-9, Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Others, like Epaphroditus in Philippians 2 vs 25-27, was ill and almost died. Various remedies were offered apart from the miraculous.

Illness and disease are a consequence of sin so God doesn’t promise perfect health. We can pray and hope but blaming the sick person for a lack of faith if they aren’t healed is cruel. Likewise refusing doctors and medical care is foolish when God has allowed medical knowledge to advance so people can be treated. Faith healers are often presumptuous and at risk of incurring God’s anger if they proclaim healing in His Name when He hasn’t spoken. Many get rich at the expense of people who are desperate for a cure. It’s a horrible business and nothing to do with true Christianity.

2. Wealth (Matthew 19 vs 16-30) (Luke 12 vs 13-21) (Matthew 6 vs 19-21)

I don’t really understand why people get this one wrong as there are terrible consequences for people in the Bible that chase riches. The rich young man was told to give away everything he owned and he went away sad, presumably to a lost eternity as Jesus comments that “it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s Kingdom.” The rich fool who tore down barns and built bigger ones had his life taken from him and was called foolish because he wasn’t rich towards God. We are told not to store up wealth which can be stolen and destroyed here on Earth but instead to store treasures in Heaven.

Why would the Bible say these things if we are promised wealth in the here and now. We aren’t promised wealth, only that our needs will be supplied. Those that are wealthy often find that their riches become a snare.

3. Happiness and Satisfaction (Mark 8 vs 34) (Luke 9 vs 23) (Romans 6 vs 6-7)

Christians often tell people that the only way they can be happy and satisfied is if they fill the God-shaped hole in their lives. Recently, it’s been called the missing piece; the idea that people are like jigsaws with a gap that needs to be filled to make their lives complete. But anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time will tell you that they aren’t always happy or satisfied because this world is broken by sin and its consequences. God does want us to be happy but not at any cost. The Bible does tell us to "delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts." Generally, this is taken to mean that as we get closer to God our desires will become His desires rather than that He will give us everything we want.

The pursuit of happiness is not a theme of the New Testament. Instead there are commands to take up our cross, deny self and consider oneself dead to sin. We won’t experience true happiness or satisfaction until we reach Heaven where there is no sin and suffering. When our joy and hope are based on things that cannot be taken away we have found true happiness and God is pleased.

4. Fulfilment, Purpose and Success (Ecclesiastes 9 vs 11) (Luke 9 vs 58) (James 4 vs 13-15)

More and more people are attaching themselves to Christianity or Jesus because they are lacking purpose in their lives. They are seeking fulfilment and are being told that the only way to be fully fulfilled is in the Christian faith. Is this right, though?

What if the person still can’t get a job or is still stuck on benefits? What if their circumstances don’t change at all when they become a Christian? The only thing that will definitely change when someone is truly converted, is their attitude to their situation and perhaps, how they deal with things as a Christian. God doesn’t promise fulfilment or purpose, if we find these things as a by-product of our faith that’s great, but they aren’t guaranteed. We might find fulfilment and purpose in evangelism but most people who are seeking these things are thinking of earthly fulfilment and purpose or success in personal ambitions. The Bible encourages hard work and faithfulness but it doesn’t guarantee earthly success or fulfilment. It teaches that life will involve hardship and that God’s focus is primarily on spiritual growth and endurance rather than worldly achievements.

5. Long Life

Similarly to health, God doesn’t promise that Christians will have long or longer lives than other people. There is general advice to honour our parents if we want to live in God's favour but this can't be applied across the board. God knows the date of our death, so we know that we cannot be taken earlier than He intends but Christians die young. Many of you know that my brother, James, died at 18 in a car accident, he was a believer but died young. We’ve all lost people at various stages and being a Christian doesn’t provide protection from death. The only benefit it might bring in this area is that Christians are less likely to drink too much or smoke so there may be a few extra years but in the big scheme of things it doesn’t make much difference.

6. Security and Freedom from Crime

Christians aren’t promised security in this life. Our heavenly home is secure but that’s about it. We can still lose our jobs, face financial ruin,  have our houses repossessed or face unexpected circumstances that lead to chaos. We can be victims of crime, even terrible crimes like sexual violence and murder. The difference is in how we deal with the things that come into our lives as believers. Do we get angry with God and ask “why me?” or do we accept the difficulties as God’s providence and look for the lessons we can learn. Sometimes, terrible tragedy can be a great opportunity to witness to someone else enduring the same things with no faith to lean on.

7. Justice (1 Samuel 2 vs 30)

We aren’t promised justice. When I was in the police I was so angry and upset about people seemingly getting away with crime but when I became a Christian, I realised that they would face the perfect justice of Almighty God on Judgement Day. No one really gets away with anything. But, often we won’t see justice in the here and now. We might even have to suffer injustice for our faith or taking a stand on a moral issue. We can’t expect justice from a society that rejects everything we stand for and generally hates the God we serve. The Bible does promise that those who honour God will be honoured in return but the reward might not appear until eternity.

8. Community and Family

Lots of people join the church because they are lonely and are seeking community. It’s true that the church can help in this area and that true believers find a family in their local church. But, not every church operates biblically and there won’t always be a church community for people to join. In parts of the world there are no open meetings and individual believers can be very isolated with no one to meet with. God doesn’t promise us community. If we have access to fellow believers, we should be grateful and take advantage of these blessings, but they aren’t promised. Likewise, we aren’t promised we will find a spouse and/or have children. These are blessings given to some but not all.

9. Freedom from Sin Struggles (1 John 2 vs 1) (1 John 1 vs 8)

Christians may think that they will immediately and miraculously be freed from their addictions or other problems in their lives. There are some that do find this is their experience, but many more that continue to struggle sometimes for years. We will not be perfect until Jesus returns and we are in Heaven. Paul said that he did the things he didn’t want to do and often didn’t do the things he should (Romans 7 vs 15-19). We aren’t promised freedom from sin’s power until we reach Heaven.

10.  Peace and Rest on Earth (Matthew 10 vs 34-36)

We give out a leaflet which asks, “How can I find peace?” It is one of those elusive things that most people seek. We have already looked at the kind of peace God does promise but it’s not a freedom from external conflict. Jesus said in Matthew 10 that He “did not come to bring peace but a sword.” He warns that families will be divided over their allegiance to Him. Christians can struggle with the inner conflict of doubt, fear and uncertainty. Mental health professionals advise that the Christmas holidays, the time of “peace on earth” is one of the most stressful times of the year. There is interpersonal conflict and international conflict with wars and rumours of wars and Christians aren’t immune from these difficulties. Real peace and rest will only be found when Jesus returns.

What about the passage in Matthew 11 vs 28-30 when Jesus tells people to “Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”? This passage is frequently quoted today to urge people to accept Jesus so that they can be free of life’s burdens. The context is that the religious leaders had been laying down impossible numbers of rules for the people to keep, there was also persecution of Christians. Jesus is offering freedom from the burden of sin and the rest that comes when we cease striving to reach God via our own efforts. In the same passage he talks about finding rest for our souls rather than just a break from life’s burdens. We won’t have true rest until we reach Heaven.

11. Answers or Explanations from God (Job)

We are promised that God hears and answers prayer. However, we aren’t promised that we will be given explanations from God for the things that happen in our lives. Sometimes, we can look back and see how God has guided us through a particular circumstance but often we don’t get answers that satisfy us. In the Bible, Job had everything taken away from him and no explanation was given. We must learn to trust God. Romans 8 vs 28 is a popular verse that tells us that things are working for our good as believers. We also know that God’s ways are perfect and higher than ours. We can’t promise people that they will always know what God is doing or why He is doing it.

12. The Salvation of our Loved Ones (2 Peter 3 vs 9)

Perhaps the most heart breaking. God doesn’t promise to save our loved ones who have freedom to make their own decisions. The vast majority of people are loved by someone and broad is the road that leads to destruction and narrow the path that leads to life. However, we can pray persistently and urgently for those we care about. We know that God answers prayer and that He doesn’t want anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Let’s be careful not to make promises on God’s behalf unless we are sure that He has spoken. Rather than focusing on promises and blessings in this life, let's point people to eternal blessings in the life to come in Heaven.

People Won't Respond to Irrelevant News

A few decades ago there was a British sitcom called The Office. In one of the episodes, the office manager, David Brent, gathers all his employees and announces that he has good news and bad news. They ask for the bad news first and he tells them that some of them will be losing their jobs. Then, they hopefully ask for the good news and he tells them that he is being promoted. The classic response from one of the by now very annoyed employees is “that’s not good news, that’s bad news and irrelevant news!”

I’ve been thinking about whether we are doing the same thing in evangelism when we start with the Good News of the Gospel or tell people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives.

Christians often comment that “people just don’t seem to see their need.”

Does our Good News become irrelevant news in the minds of the people because we haven’t started with the sin problem and shown them they need rescuing?

I’ve noticed a trend in Gospel preaching both in the open air and in churches, to major on Jesus and the cross (a good thing) but not to give much context. Sometimes, preachers miss out essential truths like what we need saving from (sin, death, judgement, Hell) and even what we are being saved to (Heaven).

The Message is often, “Come to Jesus, come as you are, especially if you are weary and heavy laden, He will give you peace and rest.” or “Make Jesus king of your life, you won’t regret it.” Many of these preachers make Jesus Himself the end goal rather than Heaven. Does this make any sense to a non-believer, or even a believer?

These messages are often focused on the here and now rather than the eternity that awaits. Listening to some Christians, it’s not clear that there is anything to look forward to in Heaven as they are so invested in the things of the world. But the world is passing away and we are only here for a short time, then we will be in Heaven or Hell, forever.

Ray Comfort (an evangelist) has written a lot about this subject and how we share the Gospel. He favours the Good Person Test where God’s moral law (the 10 commandments) are used to show people their sinfulness. He asks them if they’ve ever told a lie, stolen anything or looked at someone with lust etc….

When they have admitted guilt, he asks them if they were to die would they go to Heaven or Hell. Only when they are well and truly humbled and aware of their dangerous position does he offer the Good News of God’s rescue plan for sinners in Jesus.

I was reading in Nehemiah 8 last week about what happened when Ezra read from the book of the Law. It says he was “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.” Their response was to weep in repentance as they listened to the words.

Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministries by declaring “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

In Acts 2, Peter confronts the Pentecost crowd with their sin of crucifying Jesus. They were cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?”

When Stephen speaks about the prophets having been killed and the law not being kept in Acts 7, the religious leaders are cut to the heart but they gnash their teeth and stone him to death.

Later in Acts, Paul explains the historical context and his own story to the governor, Felix, resulting in him becoming afraid when Paul deals with righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come.

It’s clear from these passages that confronting sin produces a reaction one way or the other. Some people will be afraid and respond in repentance and faith. Others may get angry and reject the message or simply just stop their ears and walk away. There is a division between those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  

Last week in Cambridge in the sweltering heat we met an extremely proud man who was unfortunately acting as a hospital chaplain for the area. He told us that he would never talk to people who were dying about sin or judgement because it was cruel and that instead he would seek to offer them peace and comfort in their final moments. There was no reasoning with him as he thought he knew better than Jesus. What a tragedy that this man, who is in a position to help people find eternal security, is more concerned with earthly provision and being culturally appropriate.

When I share the Gospel, I usually start with Heaven and ask people how they think God decides who gets in. This leads on to something similar to the Good Person Test. Having established that the person isn’t good in God’s eyes. I usually go back to Creation and the Fall of man. Only then does God’s redemption plan for humanity (Jesus on the cross) really make sense. Towards the end of the discussion, I urge the person not to stand before God on Judgement Day with all their unforgiven sin because God will send them to Hell. Then I return to the Good News of Jesus.

In Cambridge last week, after I’d shared the Gospel, three different people in three separate conversations, told me they would go away and read books that I had given them that very night! This doesn’t always happen and it’s not a reflection of my skill as an evangelist. But these individuals had obviously sensed the urgency of their situation and realised that this was something they needed to look into immediately.

We can’t convert people, only God can change a person’s heart, but we can certainly ensure they understand their situation and try to convey the importance of these matters. It’s almost impossible to do this without talking about sin, judgement, death and Hell.

In the parables of the pearl of great price and the hidden treasure, when the characters find what they are seeking, they sell all they have to buy it. In John 6, when Jesus asks his disciples whether they are going to leave as everyone else has done, Peter responds, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

I asked Ray Comfort recently through a Zoom Q and A if we should be including counting the cost in our Gospel presentations. His answer was no for an interesting reason. He said that if we are sharing the Gospel properly and biblically, we shouldn’t need to.

He was right. None of the people in the Bible stories above needed to be advised to count the cost. They understood what was on offer and they were all in.

If people are made aware of their perilous situation, then we can offer true hope in the Gospel as a remedy for their alarm. Instead, we are often putting the cart before the horse, offering comfort and peace or other life enhancements when the person is teetering on a cliff edge. We must warn people of the judgement that is coming and urge them to repent before it’s too late.

We need to remember that Jesus came into the world on a rescue mission. He came to die on a cross for the sins of the world. He bridged the gap between God and man making a way for us to be saved from the wrath to come, and enter Heaven.

Let’s make sure our news isn’t irrelevant by starting with the bad news which ensures people understand their situation and can joyfully respond to the Good News!