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 Carl Medearis with Sheikh Nabil Qawouk Hezbollah’s number two leader.
July 24th, 2011
01:00 AM ET
My Take: Why evangelicals should stop evangelizing
By Carl Medearis, Special to CNN Let’s do an exercise. I want you to fill in the blank on what you think you know about me based on what I’m about to tell you. Here goes: Twenty years ago, I became a missionary. My wife and I left our home in Colorado Springs, Colorado to move to Beirut, Lebanon. Our job description was to plant churches and evangelize to Muslims. Based on what I just said, Carl Medearis is a ______________ . Depending on your background, the blank may look something like this: Carl Medearis is a... hero of the Christian faith, a saintly super-man willing to sacrifice the comforts of home in order to share the love of Jesus Christ with those who have never heard the gospel. Or this: Carl Medearis is a... right-wing extremist who destroys cultures, tears apart families and paves the way for neo-colonialist crusaders to invade, occupy and plunder the resources of local populations.
Quite a range, isn’t it? For one group of people, the words “evangelist” and “missionary” bring to mind pious heroes performing good deeds that are unattainable for the average Christian. For another group, those same words represent just about everything that’s wrong with the world. I understand the confusion. Based on my experiences of living and traveling around the world, I know that religion is often an identity marker that determines people’s access to jobs, resources, civil liberties and political power. When I lived in Lebanon I saw firsthand how destructive an obsession with religious identity could be. Because of the sectarian nature of Lebanese politics, modern Lebanese history is rife with coups, invasions, civil wars and government shutdowns. When I tell my Christian friends in America that some of the fiercest militias were (and are) Christian, most are shocked. It doesn’t fit the us-versus-them mentality that evangelism fosters, in which we are always the innocent victims and they are always the aggressors. This us-versus-them thinking is odd, given that Jesus was constantly breaking down walls between Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, men and women, sinners and saints. That’s why we have the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jews in Jesus’ day thought of the Samaritans as the violent heretics, much the same way that Christians think of Muslims today. The idea that a Samaritan could be good was scandalous to first century Jews. Jesus was the master of challenging religious prejudice and breaking down sectarian walls. Why do so many Christians want to rebuild those walls? Even the Apostle Paul insisted that it’s faith in Jesus that matters, not converting to a new religion or a new socio-religious identity. What if evangelicals today, instead of focusing on “evangelizing” and “converting” people, were to begin to think of Jesus not as starting a new religion, but as the central figure of a movement that transcends religious distinctions and identities? Jesus the uniter of humanity, not Jesus the divider. How might that change the way we look at others? This is more than just a semantic difference. When I used to think of myself as a missionary, I was obsessed with converting Muslims (or anybody for that matter) to what I thought of as “Christianity.” I had a set of doctrinal litmus tests that the potential convert had to pass before I would consider them “in” or one of “us.” Funny thing is, Jesus never said, “Go into the world and convert people to Christianity.” What he said was, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Encouraging anyone and everyone to become an apprentice of Jesus, without manipulation, is a more open, dynamic and relational way of helping people who want to become more like Jesus — regardless of their religious identity. Just because I believe that evangelicals should stop evangelizing doesn’t mean that they should to stop speaking of Jesus. I speak of Jesus everywhere I go and with everyone I meet. As founder and president of a company called International Initiatives, my work is aimed at building relationships among Christian leaders in the West and among Muslim leaders in the Middle East. It may come as a surprise to many Christians that Muslims are generally open to studying the life of Jesus as a model for leadership because they revere him as a prophet. But now that I’m no longer obsessed with converting people to Christianity, I’ve found that talking about Jesus is much easier and far more compelling. I believe that doctrine is important, but it’s not more important than following Jesus. Jesus met people where they were. Instead of trying to figure out who’s “in” and who’s “out,” why don’t we simply invite people to follow Jesus — and let Jesus run his kingdom? Inviting people to love, trust, and follow Jesus is something the world can live with. And since evangelicals like to say that it’s not about religion, but rather a personal relationship with Jesus, perhaps we should practice what we preach. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Carl Medearis. soundoff (3,792 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 Next »
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Editor's Note: 
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So what are we supposed to do exactly? The message of what to do is hidden behind a bunch of what not to do. So here's what I got...don't tell people about Jesus because its divisive. Didn't Jesus say I do not bring peace but a sword and that whoever loves his brother or mother more is not worthy of him? I don't really understand what this author thinks Christianity is, liking Jesus maybe? But how do they know who Jesus is without hearing and how do they hear without someone telling them. I think that is exactly where "evangelism" comes into play. people aren't saved by feeling good, they are saved by knowing the only one true God Jesus Christ, and that just might probably be divisive.
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Worthy of note: "evangelize" is the exact Greek word (euaggelion) the New Testament uses of what Jesus did. It is the word translated "Gospel" or "Good News."
That is a foundational misconception in this article. Jesus evangelized (Mt.4:23; 9:35; 11:45; etc). And commanded it (Mt.28:19-20; Acts 1:8).
As a Christian, one can attempt to clarify what Jesus did versus what is done today by so-called "evangelicals", but one cannot say Jesus did not evangelize.
I feel bad for thiis man. His delusion on what is evangelism and his doctrine is very sad. You can't follow Christ except you become a Christian the scriptures are clear. Christian means small christs. He is also confused about Muslim doctrine and what is acceptable as far as following any other God but Allah....sad...very sad
Very good, Russ. I agree completely. Honestly, Carl Medearis concerns me very often.
I agree with your definition of euaggelion, however I think the fundamental difference is that Jesus did not evangelize in the way contemporary Christians have come to understand evangelism in the 21st century. Jesus said I am the way, and the truth and the life, so if we acknowledge that the gospel is Jesus the person, not a system of doctrine, or a church, then Jesus only "evangelized" inasmuch as he told people to follow him. Carl Medaris is simply stating that if we talk about Jesus the person, it removes the controversy that comes with associating Christianity as an aggressive religion of the West that represents war, hate, and greed to many in the Muslim world. Jesus in appearance and likeness was a lot more like people in the modern Middle East; he wasn't a white guy from Colorado like me.
Your aricle sounds good but it is not at all accurate of the Christian faith. The Christian faith hinges that Jesus is the Son of God like he claimed to be. He was born of a virgin and he was crucified, died, rose from the dead, and He rose again on the third day. Muslims do accept Jesus a a good and moral teacher, as well as Mormons, Jehovas Witness but they all refute His claim to be the Son of God. If you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God then you are not a Christian. CS Lewis put it best,
He writes: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -‑ on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg ‑- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse."
Then Lewis adds: "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
There is only one way to God and it is only by the Life, Death, and Ressurection of Jesus the Christ. There is no compromising with this belief system and anybody that does compromise this must really look at their faith very seriously. I say this in love for all who will believe. We must not and never separate Jesus from His Deity, for if we do then we are not saved and our sins are not forgiven. If Jesus is not the Son of God then how can our sins be forgiven? Only God can forgive sins. Now, this causes a huge delema because peopel will say Jesus never claimed to be God. This is further from the truth. Now you must go back and ask, if Jesus never claimed to be God then how can He forgive my sin? You shall only worship God and God alone. Jesus accepted worship. His disciples were convinced that He was God and they gave their lives for that belief, all of them. If Jesus did not make these claims then why did they have Him crucified?
I hear people say that you can't trust the Old Testament. How do we know that the Old Testament is true? Because Jesus said it was. Now, how can Jesus be a good and moral teacher and a prophet and He lies? Jesus Christ is the Jewish Law fulfilled. No man that has ever walked this planet has ever and will ever keep the whole Law of God. Jesus said that the scriptures testify of Him. By his sacrafice on the Cross are we all forgiven. Islam and Chirstianity cannot and will not ever coexist. Osama Bin Laden himself said that Jihad is a war against Christianity. Let God be true and every man a lie.
I agree with you, except one point. Jehovah's Witnesses most certainly do believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Nick, you are correct. I didn't clarify that enough. JWs deny Jesus is God in the flesh. They deny His Deity. They say that Jesus never claimed to be God. This goes directly against the Word of God.
The Word of God (Bible) does not say that Jesus said He was the Son of God. He asked the disciples Who do they say I am.
AMEN!!
As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I refute your point that Mormons do not believe that Jesus is the son of God. In fact it is the center of all of our doctrine and lives. We fully and unequivocally place our faith in the saving power and grace of Jesus Christ and believe he is the only perfect man to walk the earth and the only begotten Son of the Father. I think you have missed the point of the article. The Author was stating that instead of hiding behind dogma, we should practice the spirit of Jesus's words and do good to others, bringing people to Christ and by deed, and not by force of intellectual persuasion. Following Jesus is too personal to ever convince another man through your words that he is the Christ. They must be led to the water through love and persuasion and drink the living water for themselves. Other religions have truth, but it is presented in an unorthodox fashion to what we are used to so respect is another very important aspect of helping others to come to Jesus. I thank you for your devotion and willingness to testify of the goodness of the savior Jesus Christ.
And I suppose you think the bible was dictated in English by God and Jesus was a white man.
Of all the responses I have read, yours is the most insightful.
Of all the responses I have read, Bernard's narrative, is so far the best!
Well said fella, you're a vastly better communicator than I am 🙂
TALLULAH13 BABY I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT IT SOUNDS CRAZY HONEY...........ANYWAY I AM A SINNER OFCOURSE WE ALL ARE...........HOWEVER DAILY WE REPENT AND CHANGE OR TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS, THATS IS WHY JESUS CAME SO WE COULD HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE, ...............TAKE MY ADVICE HOW EVER YOU WANT TO DOLL.............WE ALL HAVE CHOICE AND FREE WILL....................JUST DONT BE RUDE OR ARROGANT , HAVE A FABULOUS DAY AND ALWAYS REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU............EVEN IF YOU WOULD NOT EXCEPT HIM OR BELIEVE HE HAS HIS HANDS ON YOU
May God Bless and Keep each and everyone of you.
GOD BLESS YOU TOO WOLFY4661 HAVE A BLESSED DAY FILLED WITH LOVE AND BLESSINGS
I think "evangelating" would be a better word than "evangelizing", but that's just my opinion.
Here is Jesus, alone down in the ghetto, waiting for someone to show up to help teach these families, how they have been damaged by the lack of unconditional love they grew up in, and how they are damaging their children by their inability to pass that on to them. Where are his deciples when he needs them? We're are all up on the hills in our temples and cathedrals wosrhiping a god who needs no worship to know where he stands. The bottom line reason is to enhance our own expected reward in heaven. Our answer to Christ who's grieving over the lack of help for his lost souls? "I don't care about them. We tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. Now they can burn in hell. I don't care. I'm going to spend my life in worship and go to heaven. I'll be looking down on them while they burn. Poor Christ. All he sees are our selfish backs. It must be a shock to face judgement when we thought we spent our lives supporting god, when in truth we spent our lives turning away from him to concentrate on our own selfish goal. The reason selfishness is so powerful is that It is invisible to us. We always feel we are being honest and fair. The only way to percieve our own selfishness is to make a change in ourselves, then look back after a period of time. It will show like a sore thumb. If I wanted to define Satan, I would say he is the substance of selfishness. If I wanted to define selfishness, I'd say it is the substance of Satan
JESUS CHRIST IS ALL POWERFUL, YOU FOOLISH GENERATION.........I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU BLINDED PEOPLE, JESUS CHRIST CREATED THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT.HE ALSO CREATED YOU EVIL DWARKS,COLD HEARTED FOOLISH PEOPLE...........HE MADE US , HE GAVE US THIS WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT................GOD IS ALLOWING CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN...............BUT OH MY LORD ONE DAY VERY VERY SOON ALL YOU PEOPLE CRITICISING THE HOLY ONE JESUS, IS GOING TO PAY BITTERLY BY THE WRATH OF JESUS...........REPENT AND BE BAPTISED IN JESUS NAME.BEFORE ITS TOO LATE...................I CANT WAIT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARROGNANT, FOOLISH GENERATION IS GOING TO DO WHEN JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF AND CAST THE NON-BELIEVERS IN HELL...............I AM GOING TO PRAY FOR YOU ALL THAT JESUS HAS MERCY ON YOUR SOULS....................GOD BLESS YOU SHEKINAH
http://theoatmeal.com/pl/minor_differences/capslock
Good stuff, LinCA.
(I feel kind of dirty when I read "Jesus is Coming". Isn't that personal?)
I thought God created the Earth, not Jesus...
collosians "all things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" Jesus- Also according to James(as I recall) Jesus led the Israelites through the desert.
America started on god, it should end on God..... no wonder America's government is so bad right now..... because we do not beleive in God to rule our country
Religion is a private matter. You are free to believe as you choose. You are not free to impose your religious beliefs on others.
THATS RIGHT IRINA AND WE ARE GOING TO SEE MUCH MORE DEVASTATION FROM THE WRATH OFF JESUS ON THIS EVIL FOOLISH GENERATION
J.I.C.
Did you ever consider that people might take you more seriously if you had an ounce of proof that your god, or any god for that matter, actually existed?
"RELIGION IS LIKE A PENIS...it is fine to have one...it is fine to be proud of it..But PLEASE, Do Not whip it out in public and and start waving it around...AND PLEASE Do Not try to it shove down my children's throats!
EXACTLY.
YOU JUSTATHOUGHT ARE GOING TO DEFNITELY REAP-WHAT-YOU HAVE SOWN.............KEEP PLAYING WITH JESUS, HE CREATED YOU..................YOU UNGRATEFUL FOOLISH PERSON...........YOU OUGHT TO BEG JESUS CHRIST FOR FORGIVENESS HE LOVES YOU, HE KEEPS YOU AND TAKE CARES OFF YOU................ARE YOU THAT BLINDED
JIC, you are going to be so sorry when you die and the first being you meet is Anubis. When he weighs your heart against the feather of Ma'at, will your heart be lighter? Or will your heart be full of sin and be eaten by Ammit the destroyer?
I think if you spend your time teaching your children the many uses of a word that was not long ago only spoken of in private they will be model citizens. Put those Christians to shame before your children every day so they can have a healthy balanced mind when they grow up.
Leo could be their #1 go to guy. God forbid your children learn anything that formed our foundation over the last 4,000 years.
Oh, have your children take a good look at England they succeeded in getting Jesus tossed out of the country. They are on a down hill slide just like America. Best yet is Alla has filled the void left behind by Christ. That should work out much better.
For every Coin Two Sides;
Origen (185–254) refuted Celsus's view of the Antichrist. Origen utilized Scriptural citations from Daniel, Paul, and the Gospels. He argued:
Where is the absurdity, then, in holding that there exist among men, so to speak, two extremes– the one of virtue, and the other of its opposite; so that the perfection of virtue dwells in the man who realizes the ideal given in Jesus, from whom there flowed to the human race so great a conversion, and healing, and amelioration, while the opposite extreme is in the man who embodies the notion of him that is named Antichrist?... one of these extremes, and the best of the two, should be styled the Son of God, on account of His pre-eminence; and the other, who is diametrically opposite, be termed the son of the wicked demon, and of Satan, and of the devil. And, in the next place, since evil is specially characterized by its diffusion, and attains its greatest height when it simulates the appearance of the good, for that reason are signs, and marvels, and lying miracles found to accompany evil, through the cooperation of its father the devil.[38]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist
Yep Evangelists are dangerous creating trouble in the middle east and should stop evangelizing;
Quote;
Christians of Iraq Caught Between the Islamists and the Evangelists;
Even when Christian churches in Iraq have to contend with crime and anti Christian violence from the Moslem extremist they are under siege by the Evangelists of the west who are there to steal away their parishioners by bribing them with badly needed $25 dollars food basket to establish new competing churches. The Evangelists seem to be more interested in profiting from these people's miseries rather than helping them unselfishly at an hour of need.
Unquote:
Link to read further ;
http://www.christiansofiraq.com/nohelp.html
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Evangelists want to start another crusade in Iraq
http://temple-news.com/2003/05/01/evangelists-want-to-start-another-crusade-in-iraq/
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Quote;
Yemeni Researcher Dr. Abdul Qawi Al-Tab'ee warned of the growing organized Christian movement in Yemen, hinting the missionary work of foreign agencies focus on young youth to build its movement and spread Christianity in Yemen.
This news comes in shock to a country known to be free from Christians as only very few Christian Yemenis exist in Aden, which officials say that they are not of Yemeni root.
Meanwhile, the Islamic World League in its report warned of growing missionary work in Yemen and indicated that the missionary agencies have managed so far to turn over 120 Yemenis in Hadramout into Christianity. It also hinted these agencies are also active in Eritrean and Somali refugees' camps located in southern part of Yemen.
The league attributed the success of Christianity campaign in Yemen to the absence of attention by Muslims together with the spread of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, wars, racial and tribal discrimination.
Unquote:
http://www.yemenpost.net/17/LocalNews/1.htm
I appreciate this man's words and understand what he is saying. The funny thing is the "evangelicals" that provide commentary for cnn are very respectful and are very sincere in their writings. The people who comment on them are much more in your face and vitriolic than the guest opinions...
finally....a Ch.ristian who understands....
RE: Doc Vestibule and Wayne317: God can do anything; He is omnipotent. But, HE has CHOSEN throughout human history, from the start, to give us Free Will.
What is done, or what is left undone, in the world that God created for us, is up to US. God wills it that way.
I hate to bring up conspiracy theories, but if the boot fits…!
When will you gullible sheep realize that throughout history, NO god has ever been shown to exist. All the modern myth has done is taken the "Everything has its god" and turned it into "There's one god for everything". You've taken the god of peanut butter, combined it with the god of chocolate, and now it's called "Reese's" same rhetoric, new packaging. You like to play the "free will" card. let's see ..... according to this "god" of yours .. if you do what he says you'll be rewarded ... if you don't, he'll punish you forever. That's not free will, that's fear. Free will would actually involve making a choice without the fear of reprisals. "Should I wear the red tie or the blue one tosday" .. that's a free will choice. According to you thumpers, if you worship "god" you'll be reward him, if you don't eternal suffering is dealt. If this "god" of yours needs almost 7 billion people to tell "him" how great "he" is, offer praise and everything short of human sacrifice, then your "god" needs serious therapy because it is suffering from a MASSIVE inferiority complex. By your own logic, you are condemning 6 out of the 7 billion on this planet who are NOT X-tian. Rather judgemental .. or would that be just "mental"?
Doctrine is important because Christianity is based on assent to specific beliefs: that Jesus is the Son of God, the Creator of all creation, and has a Plan of Salvation for us, that we are made in the image of God with a soul. It is not a question of believing in the bible, for the bible is only a book written by man, inspired by God, but still men with the defects that all men have. The bible, nor its words, will save anyone. It is assent to the teachings of Jesus that will. Unfortunately, the bible is less than clear on many aspects of Jesus' teachings. Human intervention, missionaries, are often necessary to bring Jesus' message to the world.
"Human intervention, missionaries, are often necessary to bring Jesus' message to the world."
Is Jesus too lazy to do this himself?
Just not powerfull enough. He has to combat Satan. Whom he created but cant control. Makes sense to me!
If God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, why does He need missionaries to make Himself known?
God does not NEED anyone to go for Him and preach the Gospel. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. And if He wants to, He can easily do it, just as He easily created the whole world. However, I believe Christians are commanded to reach out to the lost as a test of their loyalty and obedience to the One who called them. Furthermore, when one becomes a believer, he suddenly feels the urge to share what he experienced with other people for these many reasons. One is that he begins to feel compassionate toward those who are lost. He knows what lies ahead of them and he does not want them to go that way. And because he knows the cure, because he knows that he could do something to prevent them from suffering the terrible wrath of God, he feels the burden to share this to them. Therefore, he operates on the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind... and love your neighbor as yourself." Out of his love for God comes a heart that loves his neighbor. And as a result, he shares the Good News to him. I hope this helps.
What does god need with a starship?
as is the case with Jesus' miracles(e.g. lazarus from the dead-"take off his wrappings") Jesus allows us to be a part of what he is doing on earth. It is not from lack, but as a gracious gift for us to be participants in his miracles, especially in the ultimate miracle, the new birth and gift of eternal life. These feeble kindergarten comments which supposedly make God an impossibility are part of the tension placed intentionally in the Bible to help us understand this being who is beyond our comprehension. Thank God for his Grace.