Does the Gospel Message Hang on Theatrics or Theology?

As Evangelists, are we called to be "Producers of Creative Theatrical Gimmicks" or "Proclaimers of Clear Gospel Theology"?  In other words, is the eternal destiny of the lost world hinging on how creative and ingenious you and I can be in our presentation of the gospel.  Is it really our role, as Evangelists, to "soup-up" the gospel with sensational and tantalizing presentations in order to manipulate people into the Kingdom.  And furthermore, is it really possible to manipulate someones heart to believe in Christ?   The way you answer these questions reveals your own understanding of the nature of God as revealed in His Word.  Theology is by definition the Study of God, and evangelism is by definition the proclamation of the biblical gospel from the foundation of solid theology.  Therefore, true evangelism is evangelism that springs forth from solid biblical theology.  It is an evangelism that is squarely seated on the solid foundation of the Spirit of God Himself, and in no way emanating from the spirit of any man.  The words and ways of men are just that: the words and ways of men.  The Word and Way of God are Truth and Power and Salvation to the totally depraved, blind and helpless heart of each sinner whom God chooses to awaken from the dead through the simple preaching of the gospel through simple Evangelists like you and me.  Only God can open the eyes of lost humanity.  He does not need our gimmicks.  Moreover, it is God alone who is the Star in all of this...and not you or me.  We are simply humble servants - Stewards called to serve the Greatest King:  King Jesus!

Am I saying that creativity and ingenuity have no place in the presentation of the gospel?  God forbid!  By no means!  Those who know me best, know that I love using "right-brained" creativity as a tool for sharing Christ.  In fact, I have a website:  http://www.writebrainer.org/ that catalogs various creative productions that I use for sharing Christ.  Creativity is a gift from God.  "In the beginning, God created".  We are given the joy of "taking dominion over and subduing the earth" and using everything we can to point to salvation in Jesus Christ.  Here is what I am saying:  God is the only one who can save a soul and awaken the sinner from being dead in sins and trespasses.  If we believe this, then we will no longer trust in our own selves to save souls.  Rather we will trust in God alone to do what only He can do in the first place.  He is mighty to save and He alone is the Savior of the world.

In I Corinthians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul put it this way:  "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

Here, Beloved, are some practical exhortations: 

• Be a Theologian-Evangelist!  Give yourselves first to understanding and knowing Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself in His Word.  Study hard!  Study long!  Study to understand for yourself first.  Dig deep roots down into the rich soil of Holy Writ.  Study Greek and Hebrew if you are at all linguistic.  The deeper you go in your knowledge of God's Word, the more agile in battle you will be for wielding the Sword of the Lord!  Romans 1:16 says that the gospel itself has the power of God to save.  That is why we must study it and know it...so that we can accurately proclaim it.  God's Spirit takes God's Word and He applies it to the lost soul by means of the message of the Evangelist.  Listen to C.H. Spurgeon's thoughts on the importance of an Evangelist knowing solid theology:  "It cannot do any hurt to the most lively evangelist to be also a sound theologian, and it may often be the means of saving him from gross blunders.  Nowdays, we hear men (evangelists) tear a single sentence of Scripture from its connection, and cry, 'Eureka! Eureka!'  as if they had found a new truth; and yet they have not discovered a diamond, but a piece of broken glass." 
• Be a Spirit-filled Evangelist!  As opposed to being a manipulator of men.  Be Spirit-filled so that God-given avenues of creativity may flow through your evangelism (Eph.5:18).  To be Spirit-filled is to be a man controlled by the Spirit of God, rather than to be one who depends on his own, impotent skills and abilities.  Jesus said that without Him, we can do nothing (Keyword: NOTHING!).  

I will close this blog entry with a quote from J.I. Packer's classic book, Knowing God:  "It is not for us to imagine that we can prove the truth of Christianity by our own arguments; nobody can prove the truth of Christianity except the Holy Spirit, by His own almighty work of renewing the blind heart.  It is the sovereign prerogative of Christ's Spirit to convince men's consciences of the truth of Christ's gospel; and Christ's human witnesses must learn to ground their hopes of success not on clever presentation of the truth by man, but on powerful demonstration of truth by the Spirit".

Lord, teach us to depend on You alone for the salvation of lost souls.  Forgive us for being so arrogant as to think that we can manipulate anyone into the Kingdom of God by our own slick presentations.  Help us to learn your Word thoroughly and to depend on your Spirit completely.  In the name of Christ.  Amen.