Letting Theology Dictate Methodology

William C. Nichols has carefully and concisely collected and edited some of the great evangelistic sermons of Jonathan Edwards, in a book titled, “Seeking God: Jonathan Edwards’ Evangelism Contrasted with Modern Methodologies.” Prior to the text of each sermon, Nichols gives a brief synopsis of the sermon, along with observations that contrast the preaching of Edwards with modern-day evangelism strategies. Nichols wrote the following in his introduction to the book:

“What should dictate how we do evangelism? Should tradition or the Word of God be our guide? Should we do things the way they always have been done in our lifetime, because it seems to produce outward results? Shouldn’t our theology dictate our evangelistic methodology? Yes, it should, but does it? If you really believe in total depravity, that man is dead in trespasses and sins, then why do you do evangelism that is dependent upon the one who is dead raising himself from the dead? If you really believe in divine election, then why do you do evangelism which elevates the free will of man above the will of the sovereign God? If you really believe in sovereign grace, then why do you teach that God is under obligation to save every vile rebel who prays the sinner’s prayer or asks Jesus into their heart? Is tradition the most influential factor in the way you do evangelism, or the Word of God?”

Evangelism methods that can be found in Scripture include the proclamation of the Law and the gospel through one-to-one conversations and open-air preaching. While these may not be the only evangelism methods that can be drawn from the pages of Scripture, they are certainly the predominant methods, with the greatest scriptural support.[i]

On Friday evening, 09-01-06, I joined a group of about twenty-five other like-minded Christians to engage strangers in one-to-one evangelism conversations, and to gather crowds of unsaved people to hear the preaching of the Law and the gospel, in the public square—thus doing what we could to make sure that our methodology was supported by our theology.

We spent the evening at the Burbank (CA) Town Center. More than two hundred people, in two sessions, heard the preaching of the Law and the gospel. Many other unsaved people would find themselves talking to Christians in one-to-one conversations about how they have violated the Law of God and were worthy of His righteous judgment, and about salvation from the wrath of God to come through repentance and genuine faith in Jesus Christ. Still other conversations took place with professing Christians who never heard the combination of the Law and the gospel preached before, or who never heard it preached in the open air of the public square.

The hecklers were few that night, but they were interesting, to say the least. During the first session a lady announced that she was from New York City and believed that Burbank was heaven. She went on to insist that she was a christ because the love of God was in her. I explained to the lady that she was not the Christ. When she tried to argue the point, I explained to her that when Jesus Christ returns He will be surrounded by His glory (Luke 9:26; see also I Thessalonians 4:16-18). I looked at her and said, “I do not see any glory around you!” She eventually walked away in disgust saying that she was going to get some ice cream.

The crowd was even larger for the second session. The “christ” lady was nothing by way of distraction compared to the emotionally disturbed (and possibly demon-possessed) woman who quickly made her presence known during the second session. As soon as I chose someone (not her) to take the “Good Person Test,” she jumped in front of me and shoved a crucifix in my face. “See! I’m good! I have this!” Every muscle in her body tensed and her eyes opened wide.

For the next ten minutes she continually ran back and forth in front of me, yelling, often incoherently. When I could understand her, she was yelling things such as, “I love God. I love you.” She bounced back and forth in front of me. She would lunge toward me and then crouch low like a wild animal ready to pounce. At one point, she through her arms around my waist. (I was standing elevated slightly above her on a box.) I grabbed her arms, broke free from her grasp, and pushed her away. I pushed her hard enough to move her, but I was careful not to push her in such a way as to cause her to fall to the ground.

I could tell that the woman was distracting the crowd, many of whom were stunned by what they were seeing. I watched the eyes of the people in the crowd as they tracked the movements of the woman. I was losing them. So, I yelled louder and explained to the crowd that there was a spiritual reason why the woman was being such a distraction. There were spiritual forces at work that didn’t want them to hear what I was saying. I pleaded with the people to ignore the woman and pay attention to what I was saying. Their lives could depend on it. They listened.

When I stepped off my stool many in the crowd moved closer. What ensued were several great conversations with people who were sensing various levels of conviction and concern for their eternal well being. The entire team was actively engaged in these important conversations. The distracting woman continued to try to interrupt. At one point, I had to ask Jeff, one of our team members, to keep the woman away from me, which he quickly and gently did.

One conversation in particular was very special—a conversation I had with a young couple by the names of Colin and Brianna. Brianna left the conversation unsure if she had ever truly repented, while Colin walked away still unrepentant, but concerned and in deep thought about his eternal destiny. Both were appreciative of the conversation, and I was blessed and thanking God for the opportunity.

It looks like we will be returning to the Burbank Town Center as many Friday nights as the Lord permits. I was told by other teammates that people were asking, with anticipation, if we would return next week. As I preached to the crowds, my heart went out to them. Certainly there were those present who were simply curious and found the preaching humorous—even weird. Some were there to see what the “crazy lady” was going to do next. But there were others in the crowd who had looks of deep concern in their eyes. I could tell that they were hearing the preaching of the Law and the gospel and that the Lord and His Holy Spirit were at work.

Pray with me that those who heard the preaching of the Law and the gospel would be brought low under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Pray with me that even now, several days later, that people are wrestling with their conscience. Pray that the Lord, as part of His sovereign will, would draw many of the unsaved that were there that night to genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation. And may He, and He alone, receive all honor, praise, and glory due His name.

[i] See passages such as: John 3:1-21; 4:7-38; Acts 3-5; Acts 6:8-7:60; 8:25-40; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:22-34; Acts 17:10-12; 17:22-34; Acts 22; Acts 24-26.

(C) 2006