“I don't see a clerical class in the New Testament to which evangelism has been delegated. Preaching is not the only way to evangelize; it can happen in everyday conversations too. And you don't need a special gift to witness to the Lord in these situations.” WayNeedsHas BeensHappensSituationLordClassSpecialConversationEverydayWitnessPreachingTestamentNew TestamentEvangelismSpecial Gifts Author:Mark Dever
“I think that there are many things in the New Testament that show us that the godliness of our conversation plays an important evangelistic role. The apostles are clear that we mustn't limit the explicit sharing of the gospel to formal preaching. It can also happen in ordinary conversations.” ThinkingImportantPlayShowsHappensRolesClearConversationLimitsOrdinaryPreachingFormalTestamentNew TestamentApostlesGodlinessExplicit Author:Mark Dever
“I heard about a pastor in a church of 5,000 people who employed two seminary students whose main responsibility was to get four new people baptized each week. When asked, "What happens if they can't meet the quota?", his response was, "Then I'll find two students who can". This man wasn't even remotely interested in true gospel preaching. He was results-driven.” PeopleIfsMenTwoHappensChurchResultsResponsibilityFourHeardWeekStudentsResponseDrivenPreachingPastorEmployedBaptizedQuotaSeminary Author:Mark Dever
“Too often preachers want to deal with people simply at the level of publicly accessible reason. We participate with them in their own epistemology. But this is not New Testament preaching. We have a message that is not from this world; it is from God. We don't know it by our own cleverness; we know it because God has revealed it.” PeopleKnowsWorldWantReasonLevelsDealsThis WorldMessagesPreacherPreachingTestamentNew TestamentClevernessEpistemology Author:Mark Dever
“If you say that the gospel lays a claim upon people, then you are invading their personal space, and they feel as though you have no right to be there. Now we don't even begin preaching the gospel until we get into their personal space and they feel the demands of God upon them.” PeopleIfsFeelsSpaceDemandClaimsLaysPreachingInvadingPersonal SpacePreaching The Gospel Author:Mark Dever
“I do want to pray for the Lord to glorify himself and, yes, I also will pray for an outpouring of his Spirit, but I also will rejoice in what he is doing now, and I will try to be a faithful steward of the gospel by preaching it "in season and out of season", as Paul reminds us. So I want to be careful not to make an idol out of revival, or to rely upon it to the point where I don't plan for evangelism.” WantTryingSpiritLordPlansPrayingSeasonsCarefulFaithfulRelyBe CarefulRejoiceIdolsPreachingRevivalEvangelismGlorifyStewardsRely Upon Author:Mark Dever
“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a place, but for a people.” PeopleGivingSaidSpiritualChristChurchBloodBuildingPreachingCovenantProvidersService Providers Author:Mark Dever
