In this series of texts from the book? Deliberately Church? (Faithful Editor), we will take a closer look at what evangelization is and what it is not:
Have many churches in the United States used methods of entertainment-based evangelization?Some called it “theotretainment” to share the gospel with adults and children. In the case of adults, does the method usually involve a means of seeking the target audience and creating a service of evangelization in which everything from music to sermon is structured to do good to people?To ‘sit back and enjoy the show’. For children, the method takes the form of Sunday groups or schools that spend most of their time thinking about fun activities that will disguise the gospel.
- There is no reason to object to communicating the gospel in an understandable.
- Creative.
- And provocative way.
- But evangelism in the form of entertainment has dangerous consequences.
- Remember: what you get people is what you get them.
- If you win them with the entertainment.
- They will be won by the show.
- Not the message; and this increases the probability of false conversions.
- However.
- Even if they are not obtained by show.
- Entertainment-based evangelism methods make repentance almost impossible.
- We are not challenged to let go of our sin when our feelings are caressed and our preferences are stimulated.
- The Gospel is intrinsically and irreducibly conflictive.
- It attacks our own righteousness and self-reliance.
- Requiring that we let go of the sin we love and believe in someone else to justify us.
- So is entertainment a problematic instrument for communicating the gospel.
- Since it almost always obscures the more difficult aspects of the gospel? the price of repentance.
- The cross of discipleship.
- The narrowness of the way.
- Some will disagree.
- Arguing that role play can give unbelievers a visual image of the gospel.
- But we already have these images.
- These are the ordinances of the Lord’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper and lives transformed by brothers and sisters in Christ.
This does not mean that we must suppress creativity in evangelization efforts. We want to foster creativity to find ways to share the gospel. This means that we must be careful with the use of entertainment for ‘efficiency’. Evangelization, especially when evangelization takes place. at our weekly worship meetings.
Churches are healthier when the gospel is presented more clearly; and the gospel is most clearly presented when our methods of evangelization are clearer.
Text of the book Church Deliberately, Chapter 3 “Evangelism with Responsibility”, excerpt “Avoiding Entertainment?(Pg. 67 and 68).
Authors: Mark Dever and Paul Alexander
From the original:? The deliberate Church? (p. 54-57).
Translation: Francisco Wellington Ferreira