ESG Chapter Three, Section III discussion notes

Chapter Three Section III.

What is the Motive for Evangelism

What are the 2 motives for evangelism?

    1. Love to God and concern for His glory
    2. Love to man and concern for his welfare

Contrast glory and welfare.  What does this tell us about God?  About man?

Discuss the nature of God’s glory in His attributes and contrast it with man’s creaturely status and his need of all things from the One Who needs nothing from His creation.)

1. First motive—love to God

How do we show love to God
    Keep His commandments (1 Jn 3:7 to end of chapter)
Pg 75—“If , therefore, we love God and are concerned to glorify Him, we must obey His command to evangelize.”
    
Not only out of obedience, but “also because in evangelism we tell the world what great things God has done for the salvation of sinners.”

Speaking to unbelievers about Christ and His salvation is in and of itself honoring and glorifying to God.

Discuss the importance of Biblical and doctrinal knowledge.

We must know before we can tell!  Review pages where Packer makes the point that the Gospel is to be taught and learned (Chapter 2, section 2 re: Paul’s primary task in evangelism was to teach the truth about Christ  *quotation bottom of pg 47 “It was a message of some complexity, needing to be learned before it could be lived by, and understood before it could be applied.  It needed, therefore, to be taught.”

2. 2nd motive—love to neighbor (pg 75)

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Galatians 6:10  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Who is my neighbor?  Discuss The Good Samaritan passage (Luke 10)  Discuss our realm of influence?  What (who) determines this realm?  How we answer this question reveals the depths of our understanding of who is our neighbor)

Pg 76:  convicting words to be contrasted:

    “Naturally and spontaneously and tragic and ugly”

Read last paragraph on page 76 that continues on top of pg 77.

Discuss sharing good news with friends and family—how natural and spontaneous it is to want to share our temporal good news with our friends and family; how much more so should our desire to share our eternal good news!

Beginning on the bottom of pg 77 “If we find ourselves shrinking forom this responsibility. . .Ought these things stop us from loving our neighbors?”

Discuss the admonition in the above paragraph (bridging 77-78) There is no wiggle room.  What is the root of this?  (Pride and unbelief)

What is the remedy?
Ask for grace to be ashamed and to repent! (remorse and regret is not the same as repentance!)

    Pray

There is one command to evangelise, but different “opportunities”
    “We are not all called to be preachers; we are not all given equal opportunities or comparable abilities for personal dealing with men and women who need Christ.  But we all have some evangelistic responsibility which we cannot shirk without failing in love both to God and to our neighbor.  NO EXCUSES, equal responsibility

What must we do to fulfill this command to evangelize? (pg 78)
    Pray four ourselves to overflow with love
    Pray for the unconverted
    Look for opportunities
    Be enterprising.  

    DO GOOD!!! (Galatians 6:10)

Caution:  (bottom pg 79)
    “It must never be forgotten that the enterprise required of us in evangelism is the enterprise of love:  and enterprise that springs from genuine interest in those whom we seek to win, and a genuine care for their well-being and expresses itself in a genuine friendliness toward them.”  (discuss genuineness. . .)

“If we truly care for them, and if our heart truly loves and fears God, then we shall seek to present Christ to them in a way that is both honoring to God and respectful to them.”

Discuss HC Trumbull quote: (implications of justified in choosing my subject)

“Whenever I am justified in choosing my subject of conversation with another, the theme of themes shall have prominence between us, so that I may learn of his need, and, if possible, meet it.”
    We must establish a relationship, show ourselves friendly, show interest, show respect before we can “choose or subject of conversation.”  (No drive by evangelism, or as Packer names it “impersonal evangelism.”)