In the new/next issue of HM, I wrote a message titled: "I Haven't Led Anyone To Christ In The Last 20 Years." In it I talked about the last two people that I had the privilege of leading to Christ. Without splitting theological hairs, what I mean by that is praying with them to ask for and receive God's forgiveness -- in essence getting saved, born again, and converting to Christianity.
Now, during the last 20 years, I probably prayed this prayer with a couple of other people, but these "don't count" in the same way, as they were when my band played a concert or when I volunteered to help out at a ministry event of some sort. Those were "real" events, of course, but that privilege of praying with someone was different than another person that I was able to talk with and persuade to some degree to go forward with this spiritual "transaction." Every one is by the grace of God, but one is far more exciting than the other. This is the one that you have some sort of relationship with, where you get to see the results and rejoice with them, etc.
The last two people that this happened with were Jerry the hitchhiker and the anonymous magazine salesman. One of the factors that was consistent with both of those events was that I asked the question, "Would you like to pray to receive Christ/forgiveness right now?" This is an important element to some degree.
I remember applying for a job as manager of a Radio Shack in Highland Mall in Austin, Texas shortly after my college graduation. During the interview, the regional manager asked me, "Do you have a stereo? Sell it to me. Let me hear you sell it to me." I told him the brand name and model number, the amount of watts per channel it featured, blah blah blah. He asked me if I was done. He pointed out, "You never asked me if I wanted to buy it." I kinda walked out of that interview with my tail between my legs (I am so glad I didn't get that job or the prison guard job I applied for...), but I never forgot the lesson. The lesson is: "You have to close the sale." If you bring someone to the point of decision but never ask them if they'd like to make a decision, you're not finalizing the thing, closing the deal, concluding the matter, or reaching the goal."
Now, of course, salvation is not something we buy. It's not a business deal. It's not a formula. It's a relationship with the living God. I want my evangelism to be real and a natural outgrowth of my own relationship with God. He gives me fulfillment, gratitude, and joy. I would like to share this with others. I don't really want to "share" it out of obligation, vomiting the Gospel on them to meet my "quota." I want it to be real and relational. Beyond how I want it to be, however, I want to be obedient to God. When His Holy Spirit talks to me or prompts me, I want to be immediately obedient. That is what I want to see.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at September 14, 2006 09:13 AM