Everyday series evangelism earley and wheeler

Paul Williams

Forum 2 Doing The Dirty Work

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In McRaney, Chapter 2, the author states, "dealing with lost people will cause us to get our hands dirty and sweaty just like tending to yard work. Part of evangelism is to clear up misconceptions and misperceptions people have about the gospel. Dealing with people and evangelism is often messy." How does all of this connect with the essential harvest principles discussed by McRaney, also in the introductory video, and in Chapter 11 of the Everyday Series: Evangelism book?

Authors McRaney, Earley, and Wheeler agree that labor is necessary for the work of evangelism.

Jesus instructed his disciples after doing miracles,

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The word laborers is translated from the Greek (έργατης). The English transliteration ergates is a term used to mean field laborer and husbandman. Jesus was very specific in his word choice here (Matt. 9:37-38, KJV).

Field Labor was intense, grueling work; especially in the first century concept. In 21st century America, many people are far removed from work that requires dirty hands and sweaty brows. Many of us work in climate-controlled environments that have hand sanitizing stations every fifty feet. These work place luxuries translate into our perception of spiritual work as well. Unfortunately, because evangelism is not always a tidy cubicle or a spacious office with a view, but many times is a field of thorns, brambles growing through rocky ground we tend to shy away from the labor for more clean and convenient ways to “evangelize”.

As you respond, consider your own conversion experience. Explain how it may have demonstrated “the dirty work of evangelism”? From the article written by Dr. Earley, as well as Chapters 19-20 of the Everyday Series: Evangelism book, address if spiritual warfare was part of the dirty work – what part did prayer play in the process then and now, etc.?

I was born into a Christian family. I grew up as a Christian. As a high schooler living what I thought was a godly life was important to me. Unfortunately, as high school approached its end those values began to wane. Following the rules was important, but I lacked the foundation of a daily relationship with Christ in prayer.

I was exposed to pornography as a child because of family members that had it in the home I was living in. The seed of ungodly sexuality was planted in my youth and then watered in adolescence with more pornographic materials. I was deceived into believing that because I was still a virgin my lifestyle was righteous. It’s like Drs. Earley and Wheeler states, “I was ignorant of the enemy’s schemes, and the enemy took advantage of that” (Earley and Wheeler). Satan understands the agricultural principals of dirty work and sowing seed also. The sin that was growing under the soil of my heart would soon break through the surface.

All was well, or so I thought. As a freshman in college, my past brought a harvest of unbridled sexuality. Everything that was precious to me in my spiritual life went out the window. Fornication cost me a full academic scholarship, relationships with friends and with family.

My mother said, she, my great-grand mother, and the church had been praying and fasting for me. She has always been a prayer warrior. Finally, she said I had gotten so far from the Lord that the Holy Spirit told her to stop praying for me and let Satan buffet me in the hopes that it would save my soul (1 Cor. 5:5). It worked. I was the “battleground” (Early and Wheeler). I felt like a child sitting cold and alone in the snow. It was like the covering was ripped off my life. My life bottomed out and after months of trying to do things on my own strength, I began reading the Word again and praying the scripture over my life as I had been taught. Months of unemployment depending on others for food, clothing, and shelter, left me with hours to read, fast, and pray. Slowly my spirit was renewed, and the Lord restored me. I was “The prodigal who was prayed home,” and I am so grateful (Earley and Wheeler). My life has not been perfect over the 20 plus years since that dark time, but I understand the power of warring against principalities and powers for myself and others. Like Dr. Earley said, “Eternal destinies are impacted by how we fight” (Earley). Our destinies and the destinies of others will be determined by how we fight. Thank God others fought well for me!

Finally, from McRaney Chapter 1, what role does the Holy Spirit play in evangelism and in reference to the harvest?

According to McRaney, “Humphries noted that ‘the most fundamental work of the Spirit is to testify of Jesus.’" The person of the Holy Spirit gives the evangelist the power and impetus for evangelism. The Holy Spirit woos the heart of the lost, testifies of Jesus, and continues the work of sanctification in the life of the believer. (McRaney).

Ultimately, referring to McRaney, Chapter 2, make sure that you address how your emerging biblical theology of evangelism and practical experience of faith can assist people in addressing their misconceptions/misperceptions regarding the gospel

McRaney states, “I would suggest that evangelists, while playing to their strength in terms of style, must choose the evangelistic style that best fits the person they are trying to lead to Christ.” I agree. The apostle Paul wrote, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings (1 Cor. 9:22b – 23). It is more effective to become what the person needs than to try to conform others to our preferences (McRaney); this is what Jesus did for us when he took on flesh and became like us (Phil. 2:6-8).

Earley, Dave, This is War.

Earley, Dave & Wheeler, David (2016). Everyday Evangelism. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com .

McRaney, Will (2009). The Art of Personal Evangelism. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com.

Robert Helm

Dealing with Lost People

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At present, I've been witnessing to a co-worker of mine and the majority of our conversations to date have been wading through his misconceptions and preconceived notions regarding Christianity. Unfortunately, some of the misconceptions have been passed to him from other Christians. These are the more difficult ones to overcome. This is the messiness of it all. However, as McRaney notes in the book, "Many times in witnessing encounters, our role is to plant seeds of the gospel. We cannot share the entire gospel message and expect a response every time we encounter a lost person."1 Undoubtedly, it is necessary to get our hands and, maybe our faces, dirty, but as is true with the harvesting of crops, it "is a process, not an event."2 It is often not a matter of simply going through the "Share Jesus Questions" to the scriptures then reaching a decision. I've found that, in these witness encounters, it has been necessary not only for me to communicate and clarify the gospel message, but to actually know the Word of God because he's aware of enough of the Bible to question specific portions. Yet, I've come to realize I have to be persistent. What if those who prayed for me weren't persistent? When I look at my own situation regarding true conversion, it was messy. I was undoubtedly in the midst of spiritual warfare. Although I considered myself a Christian, I was convinced my wife, whom God gave me, was somehow hindering my freedom and perhaps marriage wasn't working out for me. At the least, I believed that perhaps it was what God wanted for me too. Ultimately, I thought that, if I was wrong, God would forgive me for any wrongdoing because "that's what he does." Right? Fortunately, the Holy Spirit working in the seeds of laborers delivered me from the messiness. First, a former pastor of mine planted a seed regarding those things we know to be wrong in God's eyes, yet we continue to convince ourselves we're fine in our beliefs. Second, it was prayer. My wife told me several months later she never stopped believing God brought us together and she was praying for God to change my heart. I believe it was the combination of her prayer and the pastor's message that turned my life around and I shudder to imagine my life without the intervention of those laborers. As Jesus himself related to us, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." The lack of laborers is indicative of any task that's difficult and messy. Yet, this course has really challenged me to fully understand that many of us are the result of the harvest process. How can we who were brought from darkness into the marvelous light decide lost people aren't worth our time and effort? How can they hear unless we preach the gospel?

Moreover, it is wonderful to know we're not alone in evangelism. Essentially, in addition to my making lost people a priority in my life, the fact we're not alone at any point in the witnessing process was a revelation that transformed my biblical theology of evangelism. As noted by McRaney, "With regard to evangelism, the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of the witness, in the life of the lost person, at the point of regeneration, and after conversion."3 When we look at the picture as a whole, we're simply the vessels carrying the message and the Holy Spirit leads all other aspects of it. It's reminiscent of scripture being the inspired Word of God and, as noted in 2 Peter 1:21, the prophets "spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Yet, we cannot ignore the evangelistic fundamentals of prayer, obedience, understanding the message, living a life in Christ, making ourselves available, and being willing to deal with lost people. Yes, I know lost people are messy, but so was I.

1. Will McRaney, The Art of Evangelism, (B&H Publishing: Nashville, 2003), Chapter 2, under the "Agricultural Understand of Our Role" section. iPad.

2. Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Everyday Evangelism: Sharing the Christian Faith, (B&H Academic: Nashville, 2016), Chapter 11, under the "Spiritual Farming" section, iPad.

3. McRaney, Chapter 1, under the "Person of the Holy Spirit" section.

Earley, David and David Wheeler. Everyday Series: Evangelism. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016, iPad.

McRaney, Will. The Art of Personal Evangelism, Nashville: B and H Publishing Group, 2003, iPad.