Demonstration Over Proclamation
With the changing culture, the methodology that Christians use to spread the gospel must adapt. With this adaptation, there are boundaries, but if one believes in the inspiration of the Gospel, the new methodology is authorized in the text. For instance, years ago people would ride into an America town with a tent and preach the gospel. People would response to the gospel through obedience and the church would be established. People would response to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. The preaching had the authoritative power to convert. It still does, but there is another step that is before proclamation. This is demonstration. Demonstration is important in today’s world because of the confusion of religion from the past. People have been hurt from error in America. There is negative sentiments concerning the Christian religion. All of this baggage has made evangelism more difficult. Therefore, if you were to ride into town and throw up a tent, you would ride out of town with little accomplished. You could say that you planted seeds, but in Castle Rock, no one would be there in the tent. I believe it was in ages past proclamation before demonstration. You would teach someone the gospel than model the gospel to them. Today you must model the gospel than teach them the gospel. It is always both. To reach people, you must ask “how can we demonstrate the light of the gospel through out good works?” Once you gain a hearing, you must preach or teach them the gospel. But you are going to have to earn a hearing.
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This is more in line with missional thinking.
Good, concise thoughts, Matthew. Not exactly the same situation you’re describing, but I think of it as, “Before you can step on people’s toes, they have to agree to dance with you.”
Big game this weekend…
I agree, and I am looking forward to the big upset.
I hear an echoe of St. Francis Assisi’s idium “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
Grace and peace,
Rex
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Used this post in Bible class last night. Our topic was “the gospel.” We have homecoming this Sunday and it will be like every year, a few shows up and nothing happens. I talked about how we have never really tried to meet the needs of our neighborhood. We have worked hard in trying to reach them but we have not meet “many” needs. I certainly need to work on my attitude about the work where I preach but we need to adapt to our neighborhood. I agree with Demonstration then Proclamation. And I agree that there must be both.
I set up a tent and 375 people attended and 120 responded to the gospel message that was preached with unction and power. I beleive that their is power in the word! However, I also beleive that both proclaimation and demonstration work hand in hand. 1000′s have come to the Lord through my ministry.