Christ’s Communication Strategy

A. Proclamational Evangelism: (i.e. John the Baptist; platform evangelists etc.)

Matthew 3:1-7

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, (they went to him)

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

John the Baptist was a proclamational evangelist and people went to him. He preached in the wilderness and stood apart from the norm of that day.

B. Confrontational/Intrusive Evangelism: (i.e. the person sitting next to you in an airplane)

Sometimes we are led by the Holy Spirit to “confront” or “intrude” into the life of someone who has come into our sphere of influence, for example the person sitting next to us on a bus or airplane, the mother standing next to us in line at the grocery store, or the man carrying out the groceries to our car. Have you ever experienced times when the leading to speak to someone about the Lord was so strong you knew you must say something? At opportune moments such as this, time is of the essence and we must depend upon the Spirit to direct us.

C. Relational Evangelism: (Jesus is our example)

John 1:14-18

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Jesus is our example of relational evangelism. Paul is another, as well as most of the early Christians. That is why they evangelized the entire known world at that time so quickly! Let me explain relational evangelism and why we must all be as Jesus was inside His sphere of influence. In Luke 7:33-34, we see two different styles of communication between Jesus and John.

In John 1:14-18, Christ became flesh and dwelt among men. Jesus was a “relationship” evangelist. He dwelt among and with men! He got inside of people’s business and their lives. He became their friend and, in turn, they fell in love with Him. He revealed the Father to them. We, as God's sons, are also called to dwell among men and reveal the Father inside our relationships. John came neither eating or drinking with men and men said he had a devil. Jesus came eating and drinking with men and they also said He had a devil. Well saints, you can’t please everyone! We must learn to become “balanced communicators”, as we attempt to identify with non-Christians. Jesus knew how to communicate. He knew how to relate to all different kinds of people. Did not the Lord keep us in a fleshy body in order for us to be able to identify with mankind?

Of course, caution must be taken that we do not compromise the Word or end up totally immersed inside of the worldly culture. We are to identify with non-Christians and the lost. We identify with their infirmities because we are still in these earthen vessels, but we are not identical creatures! “Identification” amongst the unsaved takes maturity and learning “how- to” balance our radical difference (new creature-real identity) with our fleshy vessel. This is radical identification! The Pharisees, religious clergy and many even today in the Body of Christ would consider this sinful or weak. Many will call us winebibbers and sinners.

Matthew 12:2

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

Didn't they say that Jesus came drinking and eating and was a friend of sinners? He seemed to run with the wrong crowd according to the legalists and religious clergy of His day.

Matthew 9:9-13

9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Our mission is to make visible the invisible God to people in our lives, following the pattern of Christ. We are called living epistles, wise fishermen, shining stars, salt, light and a good seed. It is time for non-Christians to see Jesus in us and experience Jesus by touching our lives. The more a Christian is like Jesus, the more effective he or she is in evangelism. Jesus was radical and so are we! We are radically different beings. We have this great treasure inside of us. Are we not radically different from the natural man? Are we not “aliens” and “pilgrims?” Jesus said His lifestyle would not fit in old wineskins and neither will ours. Jesus was persecuted by unbelievers and so will we be persecuted.

Luke 14:27

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Jesus was a friend to sinners.

He mixed and mingled with the lost. Many in the Body of Christ have misinterpreted the “doctrine of separation” and have separated themselves from the ones who need them the most! We must penetrate unbelieving communities because Christ called us to a radical lifestyle. We must be led by the Spirit and learn to avoid evil, but not avoid Evangelism! This takes maturity and learning to become balanced communicators! We must learn “how to” use our freedom effectively in order to win the lost. The mark of true maturity is not separation from the non-christian community! Maturity takes “radical identification” and penetration into the lives of those who are hurting and lost. We must penetrate the world with the good news and God's message of Faith and Salvation. The only way to survive this penetration and not be touched by the enemy is by “becoming the good news.” Identifying with the world is not the same as being identical with it.