The issue of evangelism is always a hot topic for churches; especially as it brings fear to most of our hearts. These are some of the thoughts of what God is calling each of us to do, through quotes from Vertical Church by James McDonald:
Chapter 7: Unafraid Witness
"God has done more than give us good news He wants to get out. He has given us a manner that must accompany every method and a rationale for that manner. The single term that best describes the way God wants His gospel given is boldness." - p.238
"Boldness is simply speaking the gospel plainly." - p.241
"Paul's point to the Corinthians and to all of us is that you can't have it both ways. If you are going to be used by God as a witness to the gospel, you are going to stink to some who don't see it no matter what." - p.242
"Vertical church runs past all the baseball leagues, barbecues and bake sales established for the bait-and-switch of building relationships as a long bridge to Jesus. Surely these approaches reach a few over a long period, but I challenge you to cut to the chase literally and look for the people who don't need all that. Are methods built around influencing over months and years the people we want to reach really best? More importantly, shouldn't we also be looking for the people God is reaching now?" - p.243
"If you truly embrace the countless scriptures that affirm salvation as a work only God can do, then you are freed up to ask why He is not doing it more through you. Again, the overriding question in Vertical Church is not how can we be more effective in working for God, but, how can we remove the barriers that prevent God from doing what we know He desires?" -p.245
"Vertical church is not about God sitting by and watching us convince people they need Jesus to better their horizontal world. God is the seeker, and when we proclaim Jesus boldly, it provokes Him to show up in saving power and conquer the horizontal idols that hold human hearts." - p.249
"Even where 'health wealth' has not invaded the church, we can slip into a more subtle version of this error. Jesus Christ promises us a cross to carry, a sword in place of peace, and an exacting accountability for those who claim him as Lord. Any assuring people of benefits Jesus doesn't promise or hiding the cost of following Him is a total break with the kind of gospel work revealed in the Gospels themselves." - p.251
"God uses the circumstances of life to ripen people to the gospel...Only when God Himself moves in their hearts to ripen them through a circumstance or condition that bankrupts their own ability to solve will they respond to the gospel." - p.257
"The red apples are ready to hear a perspective that differs from the one they learned in the world that is failing them...Give them a room full of passionate worshippers on fire for Jesus Christ with a powerful proclamation of God's Word applied to real life, and they will run to embrace what they have been searching for and longing for." - p.261
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