Blog

Monday, May 02, 2005

9. We must be open to the possibility that God has something significant to teach through the person(s) with whom we are sharing the good news.
If God has already begun to work in the life of the seeker-after-truth, then that person will bring insights, questions, and challenges that will cause the evangelist to reexamine his or her own lifestyle, depth of spirituality, ability to explain the good news of Jesus Christ, and demonstrate its relevance in meeting their needs and in reordering their priorities. Authentic evangelism requires the one communicating the message of Christ to be open to change. The encounter will deepen our own understanding of the wonder and depth of the gospel message and renew our confidence in the power of the message to transform the lives of those among whom we are privileged to share it. I often ask my students, when the apostle Peter shared the gospel with the Roman centurion Cornelius and his house full of invited guests, who was converted? Peter was changed, as Luke makes clear in his recounting of the incident to the Jerusalem church leaders (Acts 10, 11).

Authentic evangelism requires the one communicating the message of Christ to be open to change.

Labels: mission, reinventing evangelism