Impulse Evangelism
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 NASB
Follow – When the Church reflects the culture, watch out! The methods, practices and principles of the Church are to be devoted to God’s instruction and direction. But too often what seems to work so well in the world is simply adopted by the Church in the name of the Kingdom, and no one dares raise an objection. After all, it’s so successful!
Let’s consider, as an example, the amazing results of the science and art of impulse buying. Everyone knows that successful marketing must create a need in the buyer’s mind and then offer need fulfillment. This form of advertising plays on some emotion, manipulating the prospective buyer toward immediate emotional gratification. Et voilà, the impulse buy! Only after you leave the store do you occasionally ask yourself, “Did I really need that?” But the deed is done, the sale made. We decry this kind of exploitation. In fact, there are laws on the books that prohibit subliminal suggestive advertising (like popcorn at a movie). We realize that impulse buying affects other areas of our lives so that we steadily lose discipline over important life skills. We don’t like the “fast food” culture. We attempt to resist.
But doesn’t the Church employ the same technique in some of its evangelistic efforts? First the music sets the “mood.” The idea is to get the crowd into the proper state of mind (read “emotional condition”). Then the message focuses on your “eternal destiny.” If you don’t make a decision right now for God, you might die before you have another opportunity. Don’t you feel the Spirit of the Lord pressing in on you. You need to decide. Just slip up your hand. God will see it and you will be saved.
Charles Finney was a master of this technique. In fact, he instituted what he called “the anxious chair” in his tent revival meetings. Someone under duress would sit in the chair indicating that they were emotionally distraught about life. Prayers were offered. Hands laid on the person. Then a breakthrough, an emotional catharsis, and a conversion experience. In many Christian circles today we continue Finney’s approach, without the “chair,” of course. We use modern techniques to bring about the same emotional strain in order to achieve the same moment of impulsive decision.
You may object that many who have gone through such a time show themselves to be dedicated followers. And you are right. But if even 10% of the people who went through impulse evangelism at the Billy Graham crusades or the Luis Palau festivals were actually transformed individuals, America and the world would not be what it is today. Impulse decisions usually don’t last. Buyer’s remorse sets in as soon as the music stops. Perhaps Yeshua had a better method. Counting the cost. Slowly. Over a long time. Before you decide to adopt His way of living.
Topical Index: follow, discipleship, evangelism, Matthew 4:19
I’m writing an Exam in about two and a half hours. Here are one or two quotes that I think fits with today’s message:
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance… Cheap grace is grace without discipleship.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“…the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship…
So far as the visible Christian institutions of our day are concerned, discipleship clearly is optional…
But in place of Christ’s plan, historical drift has substituted: “Make converts (to a particular faith and practice) and baptize them into church membership”… we start by omitting the making of disciples or enrolling people as Christ’s students, when we should let all else wait for that…
Not having made converts disciples, it is impossible for us to teach them how to live as Christ lived and taught. That was not part of the package, not what they converted to.” – Dallas Willard
The second quote sounds like Dallas, too. Good author.
Today, when I hear someone “got saved” I think, time will tell the whole story. You are right Skip, it is the course taken over time. Those who endure to the end shall be saved.
Salvation is a crisis (being born) followed by a process (this is sanctification or “being saved”- set apart). Growth is a crisis, followed by a process. First a seed must die and be planted, then growth (another miraculous process) follows. A baby is born (in itself a miracle) then it grows to maturity.
So it is in the life of a Christian. And how shall they hear without someone to proclaim? Will it be Billy Graham? Will it be Charles Finney? Will it be Moody? or will it be Mohammed? or other “false” prophets? Do false prophets (with a false message of course..) exist? Even today, in our “enlightened” society? By the hundreds. Iniquity (twistedness) shall abound, (according to the scriptures..) Ah, but who cares what the Bible has to say anymore.. that Book is so “yesterday..” Or is it?
I will say this about that.. I do love it when I hear “anyone” proclaim, “The Bible says..” Yes, I know that’s right…”what He said,” – “it is written.” – Any questions? Adam, “Has God said?” why Yes, Mr. silvery Snake, God did say that.. – and thank you for reminding me..
Amen, Skip!
My first thought after reading today’s word was “eeoowwwoowwwouch!!” lol
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result…insanity…for years I sat in a “charismatic” mega-church and watched literally thousands of people answer the altar call and then a month or so later never see them again (but it helped us earn the distinction of being one of the fastest growing churches in America)…you’d think more people would figure it out…it doesn’t work!
Shooting down one of “charismania’s” golden boys, Charles Finney…wow, the truth hurts all the time 🙂
I’m not picking on you, but I’m troubled by what you wrote. If by answering the altar call you mean they came forward to commit to following Yeshua, it depends on how you view the doctrine of salvation, particularly once saved/always saved which many Baptists hold to. So that’s one aspect.
The other is their leaving your church after a month or so.
The leadership question is this: whose responsibility was it to follow up? The professionals? How about those in the pew like yourself? Was anyone trained to follow up? Were there small groups or new classes new could be suggested to move into where there could be some structure and follow up that way?
Then there’s the reality of The Parable of the Sower – 3 out of 4 fall away. Luke tells us that 3000 were added to the ekklesia on the day of Pentecost but he never reports how many “stuck” and who fell away (had the Word snatched from them).
Then there’s the reality that on Pentecost, people were there for a visit and later left. To this day, we don’t know the names of the brave souls who separate from the ekklesia in Jerusalem started a new ekklesia in Antioch and Rome as it wasn’t the original 11 plus Matthias.
It took Yeshua 3.5 years or so to produce the 11 and 3 separately with Paul. How many years and how much staff does it take to produce a dozen of that quality who will change the world they’re so committed?
Peter,
My first thought after reading your comments was that you might not be from America?
It’s all about the show…dim the lights during “worship” to set the mood, give a heartfelt plea for money (gotta pay for the million $ a year preacher salary and the multi-million $ building), hear a message about how much God loves you and wants you to succeed in life (pain?, sacrifice?, accountablity?…who wants that?), give an altar call, have ’em say the prayer, give ’em a bible, tell ’em to start reading in the book of John (rejoice with me brothers and sisters for these that were lost are now saved), suggest they attend the new believers class for the next 4 weeks, and shove ’em out the door. Consumer christianity at its finest. Discipleship means I would have to involve myself in other peoples lives. I don’t have time for that, I’m too busy living the American dream, pursuing my own wants and desires. God wants that for me because I am an American!!!
This senerio is played out to varing degrees Sunday after Sunday in 80-90 % of churches all across America.
The enemy of our soul doesn’t have to work very hard. All he has to do is tempt us with our own selfishness.
For some answering an altar call is a real divine moment in their life. My personal experience has been the longer I pursue God the more “saved” I am. Yes, true discipleship is of utmost importance!!! After running the gambit of big church, little church, and no church in my life, the small home group I am a part of is best for discipleship to really be effective.
Trying to appeal to impulses,… the result of which being a short lasting relationship. It may sound harsh, but doesn’t a prostitute do the same?
So what does the ‘great prostitute’ in Revelation 17 represent? She’s wearing all the colors of the priestly robes, ….. minus one.
A friend in a foreign country where it is not legal to convert people to Christianity were invited by a local family to dine with them.
The father of the family welcomed my friend and at the dining table told my friend how refreshing it was to have a foreigner in the area who is not a missionary. The father continued to say how laughable it was to see all these “born-again” Christians in his country trying to convince the locals to be born-again when he really could not see what the difference in their lifestyle was to that of the locals. It did not seem to him like anything changed when you become born-again, so why do it.
The local family had a lot of laughs around the table as they related the foreigners’ attempts at “reaching them with the gospel”.
The father then asked my friend’s opinion on being “born-again”. My friend started relating how you need to first die and then start a new life, but also that, in my friend’s case, it was a continual process. My friend related specific incidents how HaShem keeps on insisting on the removal of things that is hindering the relationship between my friend and HaShem.
My friend continued into the early hours relating how HaShem practically dealt with issues in my friend’s life.
My friend is still not considered a “born-again” Christian by the locals, but continues to receive invitations by locals and the discussions is about HaShem and His ways. And because my friend has a real job and is going through the “regular” struggles and joys of surviving in the foreign country with the locals, there is a reality that is first seen and then explained in words.
And to the “unconverted” that seems to be attractive.
It’s very attractive to me too! This is, to me, what the witness is all about…Challenge me with what is important today, so I can live each day to it’s fullest. Share your struggles with me, tell me how difficult, yet do-able holiness is through Christ and His Word.
“If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord’s will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.”
– Charles Haddon Spurgeon
I have never seen so many “Bishops”, “Apostles”,”Prophets”,Prophetess”as I have today, but I have yet to hear anyone call themselves “Disciple”
An expanded translation of the NAS says, “Come now and I will build you into fishers of men.”
Jesus’ asks for commitment (come now) and then tells them the benefit (I will build you into fishers of men.”
The Steps: De 6:6-9
The Method: Mt 28: 18-20 – Here, make and teaching, when brought back into Hebrew becomes lamad.
https://skipmoen.com/2010/04/09/process-education/
To lamad someone, you have to walk at their side at their pace. And the reason the ekklesia is woefully ineffective is that our concept of teaching and acquiring knowledge is strictly academic, talking head instruction. We’re too busy to walk with anyone so we “disciple” by handing them a new book, a CD, a DVD, an MP3, etc.
Disciple is Mathetes and it simply means learner or pupil. A mathetes is someone who adopts the lifestyle of the one teaching. Said Paul, “when you imitated us you imitated Christ.”
Mt 28: In your going lamad the ethnoi. Lamad them to obey everything I commanded you.
This is Kingdom methodology. When we do it, we get results. When we don’t we beget ineffectiveness. On a secular note, this is how Special Forces training goes. The Army begets warriors while the church with its modern methodology begets…
Forgot this: https://skipmoen.com/tag/mathetes/