We Are Not A Used Car Salesman! (Part 4 of 7)

I have long appreciated understanding evangelism in the realm of a news announcer and a used car salesman comparison.  Seeing evangelism through the lens of a used car salesman we: bring the gospel out, let people test drive it, kick the tires, tell them of all the benefit & perks and then see if we can get them to sign off on the dotted line.  Once they have signed on the dotted line then we hand over the keys to the kingdom!  This is a very man-centered way of viewing evangelism because the emphasis and pressure is on us to close the deal, whereas the idea of a news announcer captures the original intent of evangelism.  Seeing evangelism through the lens of a news announcer we: simply report what happened, what occurred and what took place in an event such as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  The original Greek word euaggelizomai was used of an announcer/herald who traveled from city to city announcing the good news that a war was over, that victory had been achieved.  The news announcer view of evangelism is not only biblical but it sees our calling as heralds!  "Christ finished it all on the cross!"  That is the good news.  It is good news that has already happened.  It is good news that is finished.  As evangelists we announce to people that their war with death, God’s wrath towards their sin and the power of the devil have been won and finished by Jesus.  No kicking the tires, no having to use slick sales techniques, simply reporting what God has done in His mission towards fallen humanity through Christ, so that people may receive the good news by faith.[1]  Michael Green in his book titled “Evangelism in the Early Church” supports this idea of a news announcer saying, “The early preachers did not enter into dialogue with the world, except to understand it and to present their life-changing message in terms comprehensible to their contemporaries.”[2]

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[1] Romans 10:17 ~ The reason why we can hold to the new announcer view of evangelism is because we believe the Word is powerful and effectual.  In other words, we believe and confess that the Holy Spirit Works through the announced Word of Law to bring sinners to know their lost condition and that through the announced Word of the Gospel God brings sinners to faith in the Gospel.  In other words, the Word is effectual. (Paraphrase of CLBA Statement of Faith, Paragraph G)

[2] Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (Eerdmans Publishing, 2003), 208.