Reviews for Word in deed

The average rating for Word in deed based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2007-07-31 00:00:00 Jamie Jonasson The idea of evangelism evokes numerous ideological and visceral reactions in everyone who has ever darkened the doorway of a church. Images of door-to-door-salesmen in white shirts and ties or sweaty, ranting, middle-aged men with expensive suits and comb-overs come most immediately to mind. Deep feelings of guilt, nausea and dread follow not long after. We all care deeply that people come to know God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and most of us would own up to the fact that this is perhaps our greatest calling: to share Christ with friends and family and even [gasp!] strangers. Unfortunately, most of the people in our lives have little interest in spiritual things, God, and especially the church. and most conversations we try to steer towards Jesus crash and burn, often before they even get going. And so if you are like me, you feel caught, stuck between the desire to tell others and a world that could care less. Graham Tomlin, in The Provocative Church, makes an interesting observation. He notes that 1 Peter instructs Christians to be "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." The problem, according to Tomlin, is that no one is asking the question. Good point. And this is, he says, where the church needs to be provocative. A FEW MAIN IDEAS: Evangelism is the invitation to live under the rule of a new kingdom. Tomlin argues that the mission of Jesus was not to provide a path to heaven, but rather a larger view of inviting people into the kingdom of God. Certainly heaven is included as part of the kingdom, but to limit it to this is to sell short what God intends for us: namely, a rich life under his rule that begins [or can begin] immediately, not just after we die. And God's kingdom is wholly different than any kingdom before or since: greatness comes to those who serve, those who are poor in spirit inherit the kingdom, and the meek will own the earth. The church becomes provocative [and therefore evangelistic] when we live communally, as if under the rule of Christ. Evangelism, if it is an invitation to live under the rule of Christ, can be nothing other than a communal process. It is not possible to demonstrate humility or love or devotion or forgiveness in isolation. Life under the rule of Christ demands that we live in community according to the rules of this new kingdom which Christ ushered in. The church is meant to offer a taste of life in the kingdom that leads to a life lived under the rule of Christ. Christ offered two distinctives, rules of the kingdom of God: it is a community that loves God and secondly loves others. Jesus said that all the law and prophets was summed in these two commandments. Tomlin argues that these precepts create a culture that is highly provocative and open to those outside the kingdom. and the church, being open, offers a taste of what that life can and will be like for those who accept the invitation to life under the rule of Christ. of course, this depends upon the community's ability to really love God and others. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? I think what has been most helpful to me in the reading of this book is the broadening of my view of evangelism to an invitation to live under the rule of Christ. I realize that many would want to dissect the good news into two parts: a prayer to get you into heaven and the part where you become more like Jesus, living more under the rule of Christ. I have a hard time separating the two I am not at all suggesting that in order to come into the kingdom one has to fully, completely, totally live under the rule of Christ. John [and others] tell us that belief is all that is necessary to come into God's family and kingdom, but it is a kingdom, a way of life, into which we are coming. This is a much larger and comprehensive view of evangelism and the gospel. Second, I am convinced [and greatly relieved] that evangelism is a shared activity, one that requires a community, even though I participate as an individual within the church. Evangelism requires explanation, but it first requires a community living as a taste of the kingdom. It is the life of the church, as a body, that provokes the question, why are you the way you are? The answer is good news: the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-03-28 00:00:00 Jeffrie Webster Tomlin contends that traditional methods of evangelism are likely not to be terribly effective for post-modern generations, who are suspicious of authority, rationality, absolute claims, and inauthenticity. Moreover, the New Testament doesn't seem to support the traditional gospel-presentation, alter-call, sinner's-prayer style of evangelism. Rather, Tomlin suggests that the New Testament calls Christians, as a community, to live in such provocative obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ (primarily in terms of unity, love, and service) that the world will want to know the source of such a life. (And it is then that the gospel is made explicit.) Tomlin's message is on point, and will come as a relief to those who feel "guilty" about evangelism, since in Tomlin's model, evangelism isn't about going out to "sell" the gospel (to people who often seem not to want what's being sold), but rather living out the gospel before neighbors by placing one's life under the rule of Christ. While I agree with the message of the book, unfortunately, I can't say that the text inspired me, particularly. It will serve, nevertheless, as a good launching point for a congregational discussion about evangelism, as our pastor intends. The discussion questions in the Study Guide at the end of the book are also actually rather good.