“When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ’Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:35-39 NIV)
When you hear the word “evangelism,” what images come to mind? A man on a street corner yelling about sinners going to hell? A group on a sidewalk holding signs saying, “Jesus Loves You”? A person passing by your table at a restaurant and laying down a “salvation booklet”?
A common view of evangelism is one that is negative. We view it as pushy, insensitive, and, sometimes, downright mean. At the very least, it is uncomfortable and not something we are excited to participate in.
In this account, Jesus has just done something extraordinary for a man. Possessed by a myriad of demons, the man had been exiled to a remote place to keep him from harming and frightening others. Literally, he was out of his mind. Then Jesus expelled the demons and set the man free from his torment. So grateful was the man that he begged Jesus to let him join the disciples, but Jesus refused saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” And as the man did exactly as Jesus instructed, he became an evangelist.
Evangelism literally means the spreading of good news. And the good news is what Jesus has done for you. It is simply telling that to others.
Our enemy is very clever. He takes something so great and so simple and twists it into something totally unrecognizable. Relating a personal story of transformation is turned into impersonal rantings of judgment on a street corner, or the holding of a sign for distant passersby to see. We are right to dislike and be uncomfortable with evangelism, if that is what it is. But that is a skewed version.
The true version is what the demon-possessed man did once Jesus set him free—he told people about the transformation Jesus had brought about in his life. This is true evangelism.
What has Jesus done to transform your life? What has He done for you? Today, be an evangelist and go tell someone.
© Jim Musser 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment