W.A. Criswell on how to reach the lost

This statement by Mr. Rick Warren is ridiculous and 180% from the right direction our thinking should take. The way an unbeliever thinks can never lead to anything but unbelief. The most effective manner of evangelizing our society is telling individual members of our society how they Can be saved. On the field witnessing it does little good to pound on their sinful ways. 99% of all unsaved adults know they are sinners. What they want and need to know is how can they be saved. Our job to get that message to them.

 

Just because "PaPa" Criswell said it---doesn't make what he said the Bible!!

To be successful in evangelizing---we must learn to think like Jesus!!

See--thats the whole problem with the SBC and the IFB and whoever else is interested in evangelism----too much thinking like the world---with our minds in the gutters---when our minds need to be thinking in the Heavenlies!!

 

I agree with all of you IF that's what W.A.C. meant.
However, I'm not sure that's what he meant.
It sounds to me more like a general statement, not complete by itself, that we should learn to speak about Jesus in a way that is clear to unbelievers.
For example, the Lord Himself used parables, which were short and used ordinary things as the subjects.
Paul on Mars Hill quoted from a Greek pagan poet.
And then used that to tie back to a call to worship the One True God.

Karen

 

Maybe the forward should have said, That when Christ and the Holy Spirit shine through us so intensely, unbelievers will either be curious or attracted to the difference they notice.

 

A lot of times these guys simply sign off on pre written promos and intros...I am not advocating it, but the publisher will put together a lot of fluff, send it to the endorser...and they sign off on it. I sat under Criswell and this certainly does not represent him in his best days!

J

 

Living the Christian life is like having one foot in cold water and the other in hot water. To live the Christian life one must be salt and light to nonbelievers in the world and also be heavenly minded. I pity those who are so afraid of being contaminated by the world because they have such little faith and confidence in God. Their trust in God lies in their hip pocket. They are a Calvinist and believe in the sovereighnty of God until it requires some trust and faith in the living God who is able to sustain them. They simply do not know God. They do not have the faith of a little child. At that time their faith is in their self. That kind of faith is ineffective and worthless.

 

Am I the only one who interprets Criswell's statement to mean that we need to understand non-believers? I doubt that he was advocating changing your mental paradigm to that of an unbeliever!

 

You're not the only one; although he certainly could have made it clearer. I can see how it could be taken either way.

 

It could be that what he meant was that, like Paul:

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Cor. 9:22

But, if he was speaking about that seeker friendly nonsense, he was wrong.

 

I do not know...I know he signed off on it. I am simply saying that a lot of these guys sign off on endorsements and intros and prefaces that are stock supplied by the publisher. I am not saying it is right or wrong...it simply is the way it is in the 'business' that has become Christian marketing...as far as Criswell...Dr. C said and did a lot of things that were not indicative of his overall ministry in his last days. Anyone who was around FBC or CC at this time knows this...It does not tarnish who he is and what he did in my mind...although I strongly disagree with the statement.

 

You have got to think like Jesus does about the world. They are lost and do not know it nor how to find their way. Jesus knew the hearts of men prefectly, yet, he also knew the way of eternity and so should we.

By knowing God you know men also.

If I cannot live in the world knowing that God is with me, then, my faith is in myself. One with God is a majority.

 

Quoted from Rick Warren's, "The Purpose Driven Church", p. 12.

What are your thoughts about this statement?

Joseph Botwinick [/QUOTE]

Thom Rainer wrote a book called Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them It is an indictment on the church by those who were non-believers at the time. Rainer shows that many who visited churches as non-Christians mentioned that they felt so many of the churches they attended that they had more faith than the preacher. They finally became a Christian and joined a church where the pastor had passion and conviction.

 

Joseph,

I took the statement in terms of understanding why people do what they do; having the ability to meet the needs of unbelievers because they have different needs. I didn’t take it as becoming like the world, but simply understanding their needs. Could be wrong, but just my two cents. What say you?

 

[ 99% of all unsaved adults know they are sinners. What they want and need to know is how can they be saved. Our job to get that message to them. [/QB][/QUOTE]


I disagree, If asked most people will say they are a good person and do not believe they are sinners, they must first understand that they are sinners then they realize they need to be saved and from what.

 

Good question Joseph.

I believe that Paul didn't ever compromise any of his churches by adding part 'world' and part Scripture to make the Gospel more palatable like the seeker friendly churches do.

He rather did things that wouldn't offend the people that he was with and cause them to stumble. When he was with the Jews he wouldn't eat pork, and he would refrain from working on the Sabbath. But he would never compromise Scripture in doing so to 'save some'.

He might also eat pork at a meal if he was with Gentiles if that is what it took to gain a opportunity to present the Gospel.