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Mar 20
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Are church leaders afraid to share their faith? posted by jwatson on Mar 20, 2013



John Piper apparently struggles with personal evangelism.

In this video, Dr. Piper addresses common concerns that many pastors have, which can be summed up like this:  “I can preach to hundreds in my congregation about the Gospel, but I cannot bring myself to open my mouth to an individual.”  Here are some common reasons:

  • I’m afraid I might manipulate. 
  • I’m afraid I might say it wrong. 
  • I’m afraid of losing the relationship. 
  • I’m afraid of being rejected. 
  • I’m afraid of failure…

The question Dr. Piper is answering is this:  “How do we ‘rest in the Gospel’ as we pursue these things for God’s glory?”

Here are some thoughts I had after viewing the video:

  • The honest humility Dr. Piper displays is admirable and, quite honestly, shared by many church leaders and lay people.
  • Personal evangelism is a struggle for everyone, regardless of theological education or experience.
  • If church leaders are reticent about personal evangelism, it naturally follows that their congregations will be also.
  • With all of the issues today’s church faces, there isn’t one of them more important than helping Christians be able to simply and clearly articulate what they believe and why.

The founder of Evangelism Explosion, Dr. D. James Kennedy, was a self-admitted coward until he himself was equipped to share his faith.  Through disciplined prayer, practice and exercising faith, God not only helped him overcome this fear but also give birth to this effective training method which continues today.

EE exists to provide the follower of Christ with an increased confidence in their ability to successfully share the Gospel with family, friends, and acquaintances, firmly relying on the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and other means of grace.

If you struggle with your confidence and ability to share your faith, you are in good company!  But please don’t stay there…

Contact us today to help your church become involved with personal evangelism training by clicking here:  www.eeworks.org/training.

You can download audio or video of the entire session here, courtesy of our colleagues at Desiring God Ministries.



Category: Videos   |  

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