FREE Evangelism

I just started my new job at Texas Wesleyan University as a regional transfer recruiter. I spend most of my time at one of the Dallas County Colleges representing the University and communicating important information to students looking to transfer. Recently I shared a space with an investment company who spent 4 hours standing in the middle of the student center asking students "Do you want a free Starbucks gift-card?" I was amazed at how many students blatantly lied over and over again.

Who doesn't want a free gift card?

Even if you hate coffee, I don't, so sign up for the dang card people, my birthday is a month away!

The catch is that we are set up in the student center where everyone who ever sets up anything is stationed. This monotony creates an impossible task of trying to win the attention of students who are forced to walk through this building numerous times a day while always being hounded to give blood, vote, sign a prospect card, or fill out our survey for "a chance to win a free gift card".

The point is, you sound like a hound. If you don't immediately get annoyed at this thought, imagine a full grown blood hound, fully capable of reaching painfully high decibels, barking at a squirrel in a tree that has no desire, need or intention to come anywhere near the ground where even then a clumsy old dog would never catch it.

How different do you sound when your youth group is standing on a Sundance Square street corner asking people "where will you go when you die"?

How different do you sound when you attempt to argue a person into submission all the while only communicating that they are damned?

How different do you sound when instead of living the gospel you are campaigning blind conservative morality?

Mark Driscoll refers to this as shotgun wedding evangelism, where the goal is converts who in turn have very little if any foundation to understand the gospel. For some reason we fail to carry out the full command Jesus gave to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. I thank God and give Him all glory for my baptism both in the water and spirit, but we have become far too pleased with getting people wet.

Without teaching the gospel and scriptures we have failed the great commission.

I was recently challenged and convicted with how my life, actions and conversations live out the gospel. Why   does the gospel not penetrate into my relationships and conversations. Why do I not read scripture with my faith family?

If our lives are gospel centered then we will not have to win the attention of the world. Christ has already done the work we must simply allow it to overwhelm us in our own lives as well as in community.

Acts 2:42-44

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the  breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common."