Gospel Prism

I found this really great article on “Selling Jesus” on InterVaristy’s website by Shawn Young who is on IV staff in Vegas. It’s good to know that someone like him is ministering to students there. If you read my essay on election and effective atonement, you’ll probably notice some similarities. Here is a quote from Mr. Young:

Is it my job to “sell� Jesus? Is an evangelist basically a used-car salesman for the Lord?

Jesus made it clear that people can’t come to him unless the Father draws them to him (John 6:44, 65). He said that his job was to speak the words of life (John 6:63), keep all those whom the Father had given him (John 6:39), and give them eternal life. Did Jesus use language and images that were pertinent, meaningful and relevant? Absolutely. But he wasn’t trying to conjure up a spiritual interest that wasn’t already there. He spoke about the living bread from heaven because he wanted to bring forth those whom God had given him, those with a genuine hunger for life in union with God. He was looking for vital signs—for a spiritual pulse. In the process of keeping those people God had given him, Jesus also caused those who had no spiritual hunger to move on. That’s what the Father sent him to do.

I find this news liberating. Jesus wasn’t a slick salesman—he wasn’t selling himself, or the kingdom, or God. He was locating those who already belonged to him. He was giving substance to the indescribable hunger that true seekers have. He was putting words to their deep thirst. He was explaining why they felt strangely drawn to him. As an evangelist, I do not have the responsibility to create a hunger for eternal life. That’s not my job. I am only sent to point people to Jesus, let them hear his words of life, see him as he is, and check for signs of spiritual life. The whole endeavor of “converting� someone is a mistake. God converts people; I merely locate them and help them understand and trust what they are already experiencing. There is much explaining to do, much to clarify, some areas to challenge, and a great deal of listening to do. But there is no burden to create a spiritual interest that isn’t there.

How would I approach evangelism differently with this new paradigm? First, I would stop worrying about how people respond to me. Either they are being drawn to Jesus or they aren’t—and I can’t do anything to change that. I can only help the person determine whether they are spiritually alive or not, and what to do next.

Second, I would focus much less on persuading and more on the signs of spiritual hunger and thirst. I would ask direct and honest questions like, “Do you ever think about God?� “What do you like or not like about God?� “Do you ever wonder what he thinks of you?�

Third, I might actually give up on the whole “closing the deal� thing. Or maybe I’ll only suggest it when it is truly necessary for the person to continue their journey with Jesus. We think if we can get someone to regurgitate our canned “Sinner’s Prayer,� then we have undeniable proof that they have crossed over from death to everlasting life. We are obsessed with getting people to say The Prayer. The way we use it is wrong. We use The Prayer as a rite of passage, an admission ticket. Most of us evangelicals won’t even consider a person saved unless they can pinpoint the day, hour and very minute they invited Jesus into their heart. This just isn’t scriptural. A person doesn’t belong to God because they said The Prayer—they belong to God because God drew them to Jesus, and they believed in him, so they have his life in them. People don’t have to say The Prayer to clinch the deal, although it may be one of the steps they take as they trust more of themselves to Jesus. But by no means is The Prayer the pinnacle of their spiritual journey. They need to be taught and even challenged to trust, follow, surrender, obey and remain in Jesus. Isn’t that the same for any believer? Isn’t that what we do for the rest of our lives on earth? Jesus offers us a life in union with God, not an admission pass. Evangelists don’t sell admission tickets to heaven; they point to Jesus, the source of immediate, abundant and eternal life.