Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News about Jesus More Believable

by Sam Chan, D. A. Carson (Foreword by)

Overview

Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310534716
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	03/13/2018
Edition description:	Special ed.
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	211,998
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Sam Chan (Ph D, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; MBBS, University of Sydney) is a public evangelist with City Bible Forum in Sydney, Australia, where he regularly shares the gospel with high school students, city workers, doctors, and lawyers. He is the author of the award-winning book Evangelism in a Skeptical World and regularly speaks at conferences around the world on the practice of evangelism in a post-Christian culture. Sam blogs at espressotheology.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why would anyone believe what we say? A non-believing friend once asked me what Christians believe happens to our bodies and souls after we die. As I explained to him that many Christians believe that our bodies will actually rise from the grave to meet Jesus when he returns, it hit me how unbelievable our message is. Especially to what we might call a post-Christian, postchurched, post-reached audience. Yet most of our evangelism methods were developed in an age when most non-believers at least had a churched upbringing. If Christians today are to tell their friends about Jesus they must understand how the world has changed in the last 30 years and be equipped with new models to tell their friends about Jesus. This book will show you how. Chapter 1: What must I do for my friend to be saved? Theology of Evangelism This chapter begins with the story of Anne, who was invited to speak evangelistically to a playgroup, which was run by her church. The non-Christians loved how Anne’s talk spoke so clearly to their hearts. But the Christians complained that Anne never really told the Gospel because she didn’t use Four Spiritual Laws or mention the words “sin,” “repent” and the “blood of Christ”. There is much confusion as to what we exactly mean by “evangelism.” Christians will differ in their methods, models and message. What we need is a clear Theology of Evangelism. Chapter 2: Scratch where they itch How to Craft a Gospel Presentation This chapter begins with the story of Jim, who became a Christian in 1975 because he loved the news about Jesus dying for him and taking away his guilt. But when Jim tries to tell this message to his teenage daughter she finds it cold and oppressive. Many Christians are stuck with only one chief Gospel metaphor—guilt and forgiveness. But the Bible gives us many other metaphors. We can use these to craft a compelling Gospel presentation that speaks to the needs and wants of today’s audience. Chapter 3: “I’m happy that you’ve found Jesus but he’s not for me” The Challenge and Skills of Evangelism to Postmoderns This chapter begins with the story of Amanda, who grew up in a small-town, with Christian parents who took her to church every Sunday. But when Amanda left home and went to college, she was exposed for the first time to Derrida and deconstructionism. When she tries to tell her friends about Jesus, they respond by telling Amanda that she’s a Christian because she was born in the USA, but had she been born in India she would’ve been a Hindu. They also tell Amanda that her version of the Gospel is merely a social construct that was imposed upon her by her parents. Postmodernism is both a friend and foe to Christianity. It is a friend because it allows us to talk about spiritual beliefs. But it is a foe because it won’t allow the Christian story to be a universal story. As a result, evangelism today will require a whole different set of models and methods to capture the imagination of our audience. Chapter 4: If Jesus Came Today Would He be a White Man? Contextualization for Evangelism This chapter begins with the story of Jane, who is an Asian-American high school student. She is a high achiever and her mother is a true Asian tiger mom. Jane studies for hours each day and dreams of going to Harvard. One day, Jane’s local youth pastor tells her that study has become her “idol.” If Jane’s serious about following Jesus she needs to stop studying so hard and give up her dreams of going to Harvard. But has the youth pastor given the Gospel to Jane, or has he imposed his non-Asian culture as “Gospel” upon Jane? That is, is he converting Jane to the Gospel of Jesus, or is he converting Jane to his own cultural norms? Many Christians can not see the syncretism of their own culture with the Gospel. As a result, when they evangelize, they impose their culture upon the convert. What they should do instead is to contextualize the Gospel. Chapter 5: The Force Became Flesh Gospel-

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

If you are looking for an evangelism textbook with biblical foundations, strong theology, real-life illustrations, passion for the heart of God, and tools to move people out into a skeptical world with the good news of Jesus, look no further. Sam has done a masterful job of taking evangelism from concept and theory to practice and action. — Kevin G. Harney, author, Organic Outreach trilogy; founder and visionary leader, Organic Outreach International

This practical guide not only provides a biblical description of evangelism but also includes helpful strategies for gospel sharing in everyday situations. This book will be helpful for all who desire to see those who are hostile to God become followers of Jesus. — Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair, Wheaton College

This is an important book. In it, one of Christianity's smartest voices, Sam Chan, shows us how to bring our secular neighbors into a lifegiving encounter with the gospel. Highly recommended for use in universities, seminaries, and churches. — Bruce Riley Ashford, Provost and Professor of Theology and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Every Christian has an implicit theology: a set of beliefs about God and about what God was doing in Jesus Christ. To communicate this good news—the gospel—to others is every believer's privilege and responsibility. Sam Chan's book helpfully shows how to do this in a way that fits our twenty-first-century multicultural contexts. — Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Editorial Reviews

Every Christian has an implicit theology: a set of beliefs about God and about what God was doing in Jesus Christ. To communicate this good news—the gospel—to others is every believer’s privilege and responsibility. Sam Chan’s book helpfully shows how to do this in a way that fits our twenty-first-century multicultural contexts.

KEVIN J. VANHOOZER

This book provides readers a comprehensive theological overview of evangelism, challenges outdated high-profile models, and offers new models centered in Scripture and applicable to multiple contexts. A masterful contribution.

TOM STEFFEN

Sam Chan has written the evangelism manual we’ve needed. Evangelism in a Skeptical World combines cultural understanding, theological acumen, and practical apologetics to equip the church to bear witness to the gospel in a secular age. It is lucidly written and full of real-world wisdom. I expect it to be a featured text for ministry students for many years to come.

JOSHUA D. CHATRAW

This book is a brilliant and practical explanation of how to show the beauty of Jesus’ gospel to a world that thinks it has “moved on.” From understanding the many aspects of the gospel’s engagement with a dying world to the practicalities of “shaping a gospel talk,” this book will help the pastor, the evangelist, and any Christian to speak about Jesus in a way that can be heard by people who have become deaf to a message they consider irrelevant.

AL STEWART

How do we express a transcultural gospel to an enculturated audience in postmodernity? Chan provides a biblical foundation with more than forty different means to engage communities, contexts, and common grounds. This is a superb work, undergirded by Scripture, rich in relevant methods, and impressive in contextual scope of audiences. Finally, we have a go-to resource in the twenty-first century.

REV. SAMUEL E. CHIANG

This practical guide not only provides a biblical description of evangelism but also includes helpful strategies for gospel sharing in everyday situations. This book will be helpful for all who desire to see those who are hostile to God become followers of Jesus.

ED STETZER

This is an important book. In it, one of Christianity’s smartest voices, Sam Chan, shows us how to bring our secular neighbors into a lifegiving encounter with the gospel. Highly recommended for use in universities, seminaries, and churches.

BRUCE RILEY ASHFORD

Chan has written a helpful resource for sharing the gospel in our world. He helps students of evangelism think through ways to present the good news, as well as means to handle skeptics’ objections. His stories and insights show that his words are more than theory; he has practiced this! I recommend this contribution to the literature on evangelism which every serious student should read.

DAVID M. GUSTAFSON

If you are looking for an evangelism textbook with biblical foundations, strong theology, real-life illustrations, passion for the heart of God, and tools to move people out into a skeptical world with the good news of Jesus, look no further. Sam has done a masterful job of taking evangelism from concept and theory to practice and action.

REV. DR. KEVIN G. HARNEY

This is one of the most thoughtful books on evangelism I’ve read. It is both theologically sound and informed by practice. Chan avoids oversimplifying the gospel. At the same time, he never makes evangelism feel complex and cumber- some. His approach is balanced and flexible. If I could recommend just one book on evangelism, this would be it.

JACKSON WU