Friday, February 02, 2018

Bronnert: successful evangelism?

Friday, February 2, 2018
    THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
    —John 5:36-40 (NIV)
Quotation:
    It belongs to the very nature of the gospel that the Church is built across cultural, social, and racial barriers. There are siren voices (as well as gut reactions) telling Christians that the way to success in evangelism is to follow the natural divisions, and to try to build churches along cultural, social and racial divisions. In doing so, they ignore the “success” in the New Testament in crossing these lines; more importantly, they are in fact stressing success more highly than the truth of the gospel. To buy success at the price of treating the fundamental nature of the gospel as dispensable is to follow a false gospel.
    ... David Bronnert, “The Gospel and Culture”, in The Changing World, Bruce Kaye, ed., vol. 3 of Obeying Christ in a Changing World, John Stott, gen. ed., 3 vol., London: Fountain, 1977, p. 125 (see the book)
    See also John 5:36-40,46; Matt. 22:29; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 2:10; 16:27-31; Rom. 1:16; 3:29-30; 10:12-15; Gal. 3:28; 5:6; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 3:11; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, keep me from favoritism.
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