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What’s Missing From Adventist Evangelism?

What’s Missing From Adventist Evangelism?

ADVENTISTS!! That’s what’s missing from Adventist evangelism. Adventists. Everyday Adventists. Not celebrities. Not pastors. Not evangelists. Not paid bible workers. But normal, natural, balanced Adventists. Everyone I mentioned above is valuable to evangelism, but the most effective evangelists are not really “evangelists” at all.

Let me illustrate. The average life expectancy for a US citizen is 78.7 years. For men it’s 76 years. For women it’s 81 years. I would speculate about why women live longer than men, but my wife reads my blogs!

Now it is alleged that by the time most Christians come to the end of a normal life, they would have heard 5,000 sermons, sung 10,000 songs, prayed 20,000 prayers…. and led 0, no one to Christ!

That illustration has obvious flaws. There are holes in the math, differences in circumstances, and various definitions of evangelism. There will certainly be people in heaven who were influenced by our example. But it begs an important question. How many Christians can recall one person they have personally led to Christ? How about you?

Now there are a boatload of challenges to effective evangelism today:

  • Neglected prayer
  • Outdated methods
  • Distracted members
  • Hard hearts
  • Absence of Holy Spirit power

But the most glaring absence in Adventist evangelism-personal or corporate-is the local Adventist. There is not a program or plan or preacher powerful enough to do what God has designed individual Christians to do. God’s plan for outreach was surprisingly simple:

“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Witnesses! From the point of our conversion we have been given the supernatural power to witness effectively. Witness is who we are, and witness is what we do. We need witnesses more that Bible instructors. We need witnesses more than we need mission trips. We need witnesses more than we need campaigns. We need witnesses, men and woman who are simply telling what they have seen and heard.

When we witness it increases our Biblical knowledge

There is an epidemic of biblical illiteracy today. Not just in the world but in the local church. And it has serious consequences. Jesus told the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29, “You are in error because you do not know the word of God….” Same for us. We pay a price for not knowing the Bible. It weakens our witness. It shatters our confidence. It undermines our faith

When we witness it reveals our Biblical weaknesses

I am convinced that most Christians won’t realize how little they know until they are asked to explain or defend what they know. Sharing your faith is not only a great spiritual discipline, but it reveals areas that we need to improve. I Peter 3:15 says, “Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have.”

One of the most embarrassing experiences I had as a young pastor was explaining the spirit of prophecy to a Mormon couple in Franklin, Tennessee. I’ll never forget it. And I’m glad I won’t. Because the mistakes that I made and the lessons I learned serve me well to this day. I didn’t realize how confused I was or sounded until I was asked to explain my belief. That’s a benefit of sharing your faith.

Witnessing is living and sharing the good news of Jesus. It’s a lifestyle. It’s inviting someone to church. It’s praying for a co-worker. It’s attending a graduation or funeral or wedding of a non-believing friend. We should never expect a church to do what only individual church members can do. Ellen White puts it this way:

“Everywhere there is a tendency to substitute the work of organizations for effort…Christ commits to his followers an individual work—a work that cannot be done by proxy.” Ministry of Healing p.147

For many the summer is a season of outreach, mission, and evangelism.  This series will look at practical ways to expand the kingdom of God.

Question. Who was the person primarily responsible for you becoming a Christian?

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7 Things Praise Teams Should NOT Do

“7 Things Praise Teams Should NOT Do!”

You probably know by now that I love hymns. That’s right.  If I hear the number 499, my eyes glaze over and I just start singing “Sound the Battle Cry” at the top of my lungs!! (That might not be totally accurate.) I love hymns.

But I prefer my hymns in the middle of a good praise and worship set. I prefer praise and worship. And believe me, I’ve heard it all. From dark suited deacons droning through devotional songs on Sunday morning, to gifted choristers at 11 o-clock on Sabbath, to “Father Abraham” at AYS. They all take me to a happy place, but for me, there’s nothing like a good praise team with a tight band.

That said, as a pastor/professor/worshipper and shameless self-proclaimed authority on every known genre of church music and worship, let me list 7 quick things that praise teams should not do.

Don’t Neglect Your Personal Worship

Excellent corporate worship is an extension of consistent personal worship. If you wait until you arrive at the church to begin to worship, it’s already too late.

Don’t Miss Rehearsal

We can tell if rehearsal began when the praise team got up. Take a quick Old Testament glance at the importance of the Levites, psalmists and musicians and you’ll be a better steward of your gifts and opportunities.

Don’t Put Too Many Songs in the Set

Praise and worship might be a favorite part of the service but it’s not the only part of the service. Be considerate. And if you tell me the Spirit is leading you to go longer, I’ll remind you that the person who prayed too long just said the same thing!

Don’t Walk By The Mirror

Your appearance can be an attraction to the excellence of your God and worship, or a distraction that squanders a God moment. Modesty -in context- is the order of the day. Here’s a simple suggestion. When in doubt-Don’t!

Don’t Talk Too Much

Enough said.

Don’t manipulate

As a person who has led praise and worship to a bunch of statues, I feel your pain. There is nothing worse than trying to engage a lifeless church. At times, everything is working against you; their religious background, the band, the lighting, the sound man, the placement of the set, the length of the service, and on and on.

And then we’ve inadvertently trained members that corporate worship is like a trip to Burger King. They can have it their way. Not so. One of the distinctions between personal worship and corporate worship is that corporate worship is designed to be done…corporately! Together.

But manipulation doesn’t work. At least it doesn’t work for long. Folk get sick of the clichés. Church members have heard it all, “If we were at a Knicks game, we’d be on our feet ……” Well, I’m not at a Knicks game. And if I was at a Knicks game I’d be eating a hot dog and soda….and not listening to you. You get the picture.

Don’t Take It Personal, Make it Personal!

It’s hard to share a praise and worship set with a congregation that seems disconnected and uninterested. Ask any preacher who has made a passionate appeal, and no one moves a muscle. The temptation is to take it personally, but don’t.

There are a thousand and one reasons that people respond to certain sets or songs. This doesn’t eliminate the need to pursue best practices for praise and worship, but it’s rarely just about you. If we could pull back the curtain, we’d see the issues of life that preoccupy the best of us.

Here’s the thing. Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 both remind us that the congregation is a very important audience. But they are the secondary audience. God is our primary audience. Our worship begins and ends with Him. Our primary goal is to worship Him.

Praise and worship at its best is overflow. It’s sharing with the congregation what has already impacted you.  Nothing gets folk involved quite like that. It says, “We want to do this together, but He’s so good, I’ll thank Him alone.”  It’s a contagious attitude. It’s personal gratitude shared with a corporate group. When God and the congregation are placed in their proper order, something happens! Don’t take it personal, make it personal.

So, what do you think? What are some of your favorite praise and worship songs? Who are some of your favorite praise and worship leaders and singers?