What’s Wrong With Modern Evangelism?

If modern “Evangelism” be weighed in the balances of Holy Writ, it will be found wanting-lacking that which is vital to a genuine conversion, lacking what is essential if sinners are to be shown their need of a Savior, lacking that which will produce the transfigured lives of new creatures in Christ Jesus.

The “evangelism” of the day is not only superficial to the last degree, but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath), but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of “bright singing,” humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes, but there is a studied omission of the dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectually shine forth.

Those who really receive the “message” which is now being given out from most of the “orthodox” pulpits and platforms today, are being fatally deceived. It is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but unless God sovereignly intervenes by a miracle of grace, all who follow it will surely find that the ends thereof are the ways of death. Tens of thousands who confidently imagine they are bound for Heaven, will get a terrible disillusionment when they awake in Hell.

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The most extreme man in the church today is the man is the one who stands on God’s Word alone.

He is the “voice crying in the wilderness” of modern churchanity.

It is he who dares to ask not, ”Is this okay? Can we “get away with it”?”, but “Is this honoring to God Almighty?”

Here is one who refuses to engage in frivolity while the world slides to hell.

Here is the man who isn’t afraid to stand before men and be laughed at; he is afraid only of standing before God and being condemned.

He stands for truth in a time of compromise.

He constantly searches out the Word of God and demands a “thus saith the Lord” in a time of me-centered, watered-down, cotton candy teachings.

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What is a Christian? We are burdened and not alone in our belief that the modern church, in its eagerness to bring in the masses during a time of increasing godlessness and secularism (certainly a worthy motive), has weakened its influence in the world by not giving a careful, scriptural answer to the most basic Bible question of all: “What is a true Christian?” John the Baptist’s message of  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1), was also the message of Jesus (Matt. 4:17), and also of the Apostles, who insisted to their hearers  “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20).

One of the most significant characteristics of our Savior’s earthly ministry — a theme found in nearly all of His parables — was His continual challenge for His hearers to examine their hearts to be sure their devotion to God was genuine. This was nothing new, for centuries earlier, Jeremiah had pressed that same theme when he said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.  Who can know it?”  Perhaps Jesus’ most sober warning is found in Matthew 7:22-23:  “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

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A message given by Art Katz to a group of pastors and lay leaders in Phoenix, Arizona on Dec. 9^th, 2000. It is a message given principally to those who have the task of bringing the word of God to their fellowships. But because of the generally worldly nature of church life, pastors are often compromised to bring biblically correct messages that appeal to their audiences instead of a word that brings requirement—and therefore lose the very means by which maturity can be gained.

I believe that God wants to make a statement concerning the phenomenon of the preached word, not only for those who are responsible for bringing the word of God, but also for the whole church at large. In my observation, we do not adequately esteem the spoken word as being the word of God. We do not understand what ‘preaching the word’ means or the condition of the vessel that brings it. It is the responsibility of the church to provide the environment and atmosphere conducive to bringing the word of God. When I say ‘word of God,’ I am not speaking about a biblical message. It is better understood as the appointed and express word that God Himself gives.

I have therefore entitled this essay, Preachers of Righteousness. The thing that makes any preacher righteous is that he is not speaking his own word. The word is not his own; it is God’s, and that alone is what makes it righteous – in the refusal to speak out of his own capability and savvy. It is a phenomenon that has been so little addressed by the church. There is hardly any understanding of the dynamic and great weight of the divine things between God and man involved in true proclamation.

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Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned that the last days would be characterized by widespread deception and a multitude of false prophets (Matt.24:3-5,11,24; 1 Tim.4:1) – and we have seen plenty of them in the last few decades.

Why are millions of Christians deceived by these false prophets and these counterfeit “revivals”? And why are so many preachers falling prey to immorality and greed?

Here are what I see to be some of the main causes:

1. Most Christians today are not aware of what the New Testament teaches, because they have not studied it carefully; and so they follow the teachings of their leaders and not the teachings of the New Testament.

2. Miracles (supernatural gifts) have become more important to them than their character (a supernatural life).

3. Material wealth has become more important to them than spiritual wealth.

4. They are unable to distinguish between soulish frenzy or psychological manipulation, and the genuine moving of the Holy Spirit; the cause again is ignorance of the New Testament.

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If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

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