Real Evangelism

By Bailey E. Smith

Book Overview

Real Evangelism shows how aspects of church culture actually dampen the evangelistic task entrusted to it. Smith exposes what he calls "subtle substitutes" to evangelism. While there is nothing wrong with ministries that help established Christians, Bailey Smith impresses upon the church that these types of ministries must not take place of reaching out to the lost.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849937787
• ISBN13: 9780849937781
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Real Evangelism

Real Evangelism by Bailey Smith tackles a list of false assumptions about evangelism and how to correct nonproductive methods and approaches to witnessing and leading people to Christ. This is beyond prosyletiztion to the bottomline of "how to" evangelize, and how costly the mistakes in attitudes, methods, and hypocrisy are in the reality of souls that may otherwise accept Christ but are hindered by believers' ignorance. The only issue I have, and since I cannot see the man's heart, but God only, is the seemingly "performance oriented" witnessing and the "compulsion" to do it "right". There seems also to be a sense of coercion in the witnessing schemas, which cannot allow for choice in faith to enter the schema. Belief and faith cannot be coerced, as then the person is not "saved" but believing and "accepting" due to coercive tactics. Belief and faith must be of a free will. While some people have a pre-knowledge and frame of reference for Christian thinking, and may readily accept Christ based on a conviction, others do not have a frame of reference, may be "compliant" to authority, and not at all internally interested in being "saved". It reminds me of the Scripture stating that seeds fall on stoney ground: 18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Matthew 13:18-23. Quick "sales" approaches may actually lead some to Christ; other people need more time to understand what they are hearing and allow it to enter both the mind and heart. Results-oriented approaches can have a devastating negative impact on people; they may later wonder if they really believed and accepted because they "chose" to accept, or whether they were "coerced" to accept. Preach the Word, and let the Holy Spirit convict, then let God save the sinner's soul. Humans cannot save anyone, just share the message and lead the soul to Christ.

Outstanding

This book by famous evangelist and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Bailey Smith is an excellent worldview primer on what makes people evangelistic or not. Smith deals with a number of subtly deceptive "evangelism substitutes" which seem to have some merit on their own, but ultimately stand in the way of spreading the gospel. This book would be excellent for a group study on reaching the lost, and more generally as a fire in the hearts of pastors who want to win them. It is not a guide on "how to" reach the lost, but rather a guide on why we must make every effort to reach them now and every way the enemy tries to prevent us, both individually and corporately.

Remeber Evangelism?

This book review is written by John Rock on 1/20/00and was/is published 03/01/00 in MFM Magazine at mfm.faithweb.comMy wife showed me this book while we were at the family bookstore because she knows that I'm eager to start evangelism efforts in our community. I had just finished 3 other books and wasn't looking for another one to read for a while, but I sat down and looked through it. What I saw though were refreshing comments like: "If you find yourself in a group interested in discipleship but you never get outside the church to live out your faith then you are more interested in being together than making a difference for Jesus." "Disciples would much rather be discussing some theological issue than really getting about what they know to do." and "Jesus is not impressed with our words. He wants our life. He wants us to go his way, not for him to be dragged along behind us as we go our way."I really enjoyed this book because Smith puts into print that which the average parishioner would fear exiles for. He steps on the toes of the religious institutions that we have today and makes claims like "If the church that you are in is not actively seeking to save souls by getting outside the church to soul win then your church has no business to be in existence." He offers, I don't think intentionally, a thought that we can use to grade if our church is for God or for us by asking a simple question; "How many souls in the last 12 months has our church won to God through salvation in through Jesus Christ our Lord?"This book has helped shape me to want to focus on God and His love for the lost. I am praying that God will help me to overcome my fears about telling strangers about Him. Although I'm not exactly there yet I am totally focussed. From reading Real Evangelism I see now that our churches are jokes to most non-Christians because one of the greatest hypocrisies that we rarely reach our communities the way Christ intended us to. Now that I've read Real Evangelism I have every desire to not only let the community surrounding my church know that we're there but to become a force that the gates of Hell won't prevail against.