It is easy to be unfair, but it does not appear obvious to many evangelicals today that the message and the methods of modern evangelism are somewhat removed from what we find in the book of Acts. A comparison between the two is therefore quite in order. We will look at the modern approach, and compare and contrast it with that recorded in Acts 2 (to those familiar with the Old Testament) and Acts 17 (to Gentiles who were unfamiliar with the Old Testament).
The modern evangelist usually begins with “God loves you” but the Bible begins with “You are accountable”.
I was once preaching at a Christian schools’ conference in a church where the banner outside the church declared to the world, Jesus Loves You, while the banner inside the church declared, Jesus is Lord. I told them that the banners should have been switched – but failed to convince them. It is true that God has a love for all, even His enemies (see Matt.5:43-45). It is also true that there is love behind God’s offer of salvation to all mankind (John 3:16). But this is not necessarily a saving love, and it is not brought to the fore when the gospel is presented in the book of Acts.
In Acts 2 Peter presents the gospel to Jews and proselytes (Gentiles who had been circumcised). After explaining the phenomenon of speaking of tongues (from Joel 2), he seeks to establish the credentials of Jesus: He did miracles (v.22); He died at the hands of sinners but according to the will of God (v.23); He rose from the dead and, indeed, had to rise from the dead as the Old Testament makes plain (vv.24-32); and He now reigns at the right hand of God, again as the Old Testament itself testifies (vv.33-35). All of this is leading to the initial conclusion that the man Jesus of Nazareth – despite His crucifixion – is both Lord and Christ (v.36). The man Jesus is no ordinary man – He is divine, He has the very name of God, He is the anointed One, anointed not with oil as the prophets, priests and kings in the Old Testament but with the Holy Spirit. Having established this point, Peter shows that the Jews and proselytes had sinned against the one to whom they are accountable.
In Acts 17:16-34 Paul preaches to Gentiles at Athens. The first point that he seeks to make is that God is Spirit, the creator who looks after His world in a providential way and who has made human beings to be like Him (vv.24-29). Because God is the creator of the world, He is also its judge (v.30-1). The first time Paul mentions Jesus (without actually naming Him), he declares that He is risen from the dead. This establishes His credentials as Lord and Judge, the one to whom Gentiles are accountable.
In the book of Acts we find Jesus referred to as Lord 92 times, but only twice is He referred to as Saviour. The clear message is that unbelievers must recognise Jesus as Lord before they receive Him as Saviour. John Murray maintained that “One of the most appalling defects of much present-day evangelism is the absence of any consistent and sustained emphasis upon the holiness, justice and authority of God.” In the book of Acts the first emphasis is not on the atonement but on God as the creator if this needs to be established (see Acts 14, 17) and the resurrection of Christ. This establishes His Lordship, and shows our accountability to Him (see Acts 2:24, 25-35,36; 3:12,15-16; 4:10; 5:31; 10:39-42; 13:30-39; 23:5-8; 24:15, 21, 25; 25:19; 26: 8, 23).
The modern evangelist then asserts that “Jesus died for you” but the Bible says “You need to repent”.
By establishing the culpability of his hearers to the Christ they had crucified, Peter had laid a platform for true repentance (hence Acts 2:36-37). We live in a ‘feel good’ society. If someone goes to church, it is expected that he or she will want to feel good about themselves by the time they leave. ‘Seeker sensitive’ services are designed to woo the unbeliever, almost imperceptibly, into the kingdom. The Christian is not to be delighted if people feel awful, but a crucial step in the Christian life is a conviction of one’s own sinfulness, and this leads to repentance. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter’s hearers were “cut to the heart”.
Essentially the same message is presented to the Gentiles at Athens. Because of judgment through the resurrected Christ, it is imperative that all men everywhere repent (Acts 17:30-31). To repent is to turn from all sin to embrace Christ by faith. Francis Schaeffer said that if he had an hour with someone, he would spend 45-50 minutes on the negative, showing the person to be morally dead. The sinner has to admit not only to having made some mistakes in life but that he or she has offended God. Augustine declared: “The conscience is not to be healed, if it be not wounded.”
The modern evangelist then says that “You must believe that Jesus died personally for your sins”, but the Bible says “You need to commit yourself in faith to Christ”.
Christ is the Lord of heaven who has stooped down to become the Saviour of sinners, the one who satisfied the justice of God the Father by bearing His wrath in our place. We tend to work from Christ as Saviour to Christ as Lord; Acts works the other way around. We tend to explain the death first, then the resurrection; Acts works the other way around.
The message is not Jesus died for you all but Jesus died for sinners. Nowhere does the New Testament tell the unbeliever that Jesus died personally for him or her. The Christian works back to this truth (Gal.2:20) after he or she has come in faith to Christ. The message is not that Christ has done everything for you, and you must do your part. The message is Christ died for sinners. You are a sinner. Repent and commit yourself to Christ as the Lord who is the Saviour.
True faith necessarily includes discipleship. Everybody knows that most ‘decisions for Christ’ do not last – over 90% are spurious. Some evangelicals blame the lack of follow-up but the main problem is that the Holy Spirit has had nothing to do with many of the decisions in the first place. Christ is to be believed in as Prophet, Priest and King. Professing Christ is not always the same as possessing Christ (Matt.7:21-23; 13:1-23; Acts 8:9-24; John 2:23-25).
As John Flavel put it: “The gospel offer of Christ includes all his offices, and gospel faith just so receives him … It must be an entire receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
With warmest regards in Christ,
Peter Barnes