Sane evangelism

Front matter

^M Wl^TARBAHilJi

Class __JilA75iL_

Book . H 0^

Prefatory Note

The compiler of these addresses wishes, on behalf of our pastors and evangelists, to thank the speakers whose services have been so cheerfully given, and who, by furnishing their manuscripts, have made this volume possible. We are living in a time of great activity, and are perhaps witnessing a more widespread spirit of evangelism than our country or the world has ever known before. History is making fast, and to the compiler all of these addresses (save one) were so epoch-making that it seemed to him they should be given again to those who were permitted to hear them, and should be handed on to those who were not so favored.

So many are the inquiries which come from pastors and evangelists and other Christian workers as to methods, that it seemed wise to add at the close some few suggestions which have been used here and there. Even before the volume appears, there are many other little things which develop and which would be helpful. It must be here, however, as Dr. John A. Broadus said to his classes in homiletics, " Genius must work out a way of its own." Often the best method is to have no method

IPretatotg iWote at all. Every one of us should inform himself as to what God is doing through others and with others, and asking the Lord for wisdom and grace and power, give to him our little all, and ask him to show us in what way we can do most for the bringing of this world to him. He who would be a forerunner of Jesus must be, as Dr. E. Y. Mullins says, a '' voice of one crying in the wilderness," and not an echo of another's voice or life or methods. The desire is that this volume may help us all to accomplish what Paul commanded Timothy, ^' Do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry."

Table Of Contents

Chapter Page

Introduction 7

I. Denominational Evangelism 15

Introduction

A BOOK on sane evangelism certainly finds a wide field of usefulness awaiting it. I am greatly pleased with the form of words sane evangelism. The phrase connects two ideas which belong together. Evangelism is one of the most tremendous of all the agencies of Christianity. I presume the need for a sane type of evangeHsm will be conceded by all. There are churches in some regions which have been swept by a kind of evangelism which has left them twice dead, plucked up by the roots. The kind of evangelism which appeals solely to the emotions, which rehes upon clap-trap and machinery, which in a superficial manner skims over the surface, and appeals only to those susceptible of being influenced by the spectacular, is not the kind which leaves a salutary condition in its wake. Churches which have suflfered thus are to be pitied.

On the other hand, churches in large numbers there are which are dying for the lack of evangelism — churches which have conceived a prejudice against the whole idea of evangelism, and which have gone on in their unfruitful way for many years. What they need is a profound revival of their spiritual life.

The abuses and extravagances of evangelism lo Unttobuction result from a combination of influences and causes which cannot be cited in their completeness in this Introduction. I will name, however, a few of them. Among the most potent of these causes is the unspiritual evangelist himself. The man who relies upon his evangelism for a reputation, or who is in the business for the money he can make out of it, or who seeks simply to gratify his ambition, has brought untold injury to the cause of Christ. Again, sincere evangelists, with the usual proportion of the human in their constitution and temperament, yield sometimes to false standards of success. The passion for numbers tends always to grow upon the evangelist. He is unhappy except when there are great crowds and excitement or enthusiasm of some kind. While the great crowd and the enthusiasm are exceedingly desirable elements when they are produced in the proper way, they become sources of great weakness and injury when they are not the product of legitimate causes. The temptation to count is always a besetting sin of the unwary evangelist. Growing out of the above conditions, the evangelist easily adopts false methods of securing apparent results. These methods need not be enumerated here. They are familiar to every reader who has had any experience or who has observed carefully the evangelism of the day. When a man with popular gifts and without adequate knowledge of the Scriptures, who possesses some skill in manipulating audiences, resorts to false methods of ob-

Untrobuction "

taining results, it is an easy road he has to travel to secure results that bulk large in reports, but that have little in them which is enduring. The appeal to the emotions, for the emotional man, of course, becomes a sore temptation. And while the appeal to the emotions is a powerful factor in all of the best preaching, it requires the weight of truth behind it to make it effective in the true sense.

Now, it is evident that a sane evangeHsm must avoid all the above evil tendencies. The present writer is among those who believe they may be avoided; that evangelism may be shorn of its extravagances and excesses and made a potent instrument of power in Christian work. Sane evangelism will put the spiritual welfare of the human soul in a supreme place in all its methods and plans. It will exalt this spiritual interest above the question of money, reputation, numbers, crowds, and what not. It will studiously and carefully seek to bring to bear the spiritual forces of the gospel upon the church where its work is being done, v/ith a view to 'enlisting the church in the great task of soul-saving, and it will scrupulously guard the soul against all the snares that are incident to times of special effort and excitement. At the same time, it will not seek to suppress artificially, legitimate emotions and excitement. It will not forget that the spirits of men when profoundly stirred express themselves sometimes in extravagant language. It will not be deterred from its great task by the danger that

12 Untrobuctton spiritual movements always carry with them, namely, that some extravagances will attend them. No evangelist should be held responsible for all the evils which flow from genuine evangelism. They are simply evils which are incident to human nature and which are unavoidable.

Sane evangelism, therefore, will be compelled to pursue steadfastly the ends of true evangelism in spite of the incidental evils which spring up in its wake, while at the same time seeking at every point to guard against those evils through the proclamation of the whole gospel and the use of legitimate methods. Evangelism of this kind ought to prove a source of great inspiration to every pastor who comes in contact with it. All will concede that the proper and normal condition of any church is that of revival. I do not mean by revival that the church must necessarily be continually receiving members, though tTiis may be the case. What I mean by revival is that the church should be manifesting the fruits of a vital Christianity in all its work and at all times. A sane evangelism will contribute toward this result more than any one factor which can be named. So far from serving as a substitute for evangelistic effort on the part of the pastor, sane evangelism will stimulate the pastor and the church to constant evangelistic effort. This is a consummation devoutly to be wished for in all of our churches. A type of evangelism which shall educate our pastors in the principles of true evangelantrot)uction 13 ism will, in this particular, serve a great purpose in the kingdom of God.

The author of the present volume stands as a recognized illustration and embodiment of the higher kind of evangelism which has been outlined. He has been a pastor and knows the difficulties of the pastor in the prosecution of his "work. He has been a pastor-evangelist and knows the conditions which constantly confront the pastor in maintaining the evangelistic tone in the church. He is devoting his time now to the evangelistic work, and has had wide experience in this also. By natural gifts, inclination, and training, therefore, he is eminently qualified to bring a message to our people everywhere on so vital and fundamental a theme as sane evangelism. He is happy in his selection of contributors to this volume. It ought to be welcomed by thousands upon thousands of pastors and laymen who are interested in this great work.

E. Y. MULLINS.

I

DENOMINATIONAL EVANGELISM

BY GEORGE W. TRUETT, D. D.

This report was prepared for the Southern Baptist Convention by Doctor Truett, in connection with John D. Jordan, Cecil V. Cook, W. M. Vines, C W. Duke, and R. H. Marsh.

"Whatever Dr. Geo. W. Truett writes is eagerly read by our people. This trumpet call from him on evangelism should be read by every preacher in the South and by thousands of our laymen and godly women.''

B. D. Gray, Corresponding Secretary,

DENOMINATIONAL EVANGELISM

EVANGELISM is the missionary spirit in action. It is the forerunner of churches and the builder of churches. It is essential to all Christian expansion, and must give its benign influence to all sound teaching in the churches. Without the evangelistic spirit, it will be found impossible to maintain proper doctrinal standards. Correct teaching depends, for success, on a spiritual atmosphere. The Master, in his teachings, joined the two : God seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth. Whoever neglects the Spirit in teaching will fail. Whoever neglects the truth in evangelism will more than fail; for he will almost inevitably lead the multitudes into false hopes.

The normal condition of every church and every preacher is evangelistic. The bane of many a church, strong in numbers, intelligence, wealth, indeed, in every element of strength but one, is that it has lost the seeking note. Congregations meet, preachers preach, the forms of worship are decorously observed, but all without any purpose to reach the lost. This brings deadness, and in this atmosphere of death, worldliness increases, sound

13 Sane JBvarxQclism

doctrine decays, congregations disintegrate and, in time, the desolation of Zion is complete. Doctor Dufif well said : " The church that ceases to be evangelistic soon ceases to be evangelical/'

The Scriptures reveal to us the fact, not sufficiently emphasized of late, that while all preachers are to be evangelistic, God has called and given to the churches some men designated by the Holy Spirit especially for the service of evangelism. Such men have special endowments, and some of them are given an unusual measure of the Spirit for the work. When we cease to use these special gifts, in the way designed by the Giver, we discredit infinite wisdom, and to the same degree do hurt to the churches. It is the part of wisdom to look out among us men of this class, who measure up to the gospel standard, and see that the way is open for them to fulfil their ministry to the churches and to the lost world. -

It gives your committee unfeigned pleasure to commend the wisdom of the Home Board in the selection of Evangelist W. W. Hamilton and his colaborers, for this important field of Christian service. While this feature of the Board's work is new, yet the wisdom with which it has been managed, and the manifest blessing of God upon it, has been such as to encourage large hopes for the future.

It is the mission of Baptists to bring the world to an acceptance of the teaching of the New Testament, and to a faithful obedience to the divine order of service. Baptists can stand for nothing less than

Denominational JEvan^elism 19

service. Baptists can stand for nothing less than the New Testament and, beyond that, there is nothing that they desire or can accept as the truth. The evangeHst who has to do with converts, in the early stage of religious life, has the first opportunity to impress upon them the importance of walking according to the word of God, We are profoundly impressed that no one is sent of God to reform New Testament teaching, by leaving out such parts of it as mere sentiment and carnal wisdom may not approve. The hour is upon us, when our Baptist people should aggressively urge the scriptural presentation of New Testament teaching, in all its parts, as the only real center of Christian unity in the world. It is sadly to be deplored that much of the present-day evangelism leaves converts unrelated to the churches, and wholly uninstructed as to their duty. In this way, many a life has been lost after the soul was saved. It behooves our Baptist people to send forth evangelists, after a New Testament order, to supply the evident need of such ministry, so that the people may not be misled by spurious evangelism.

In the New Testament order, everything goes out from the churches, and draws back into the churches. The New Testament knows nothing of an evangelism that leaves the saved to live apart from the churches. Whatever good may be done by methods and institutions apart from the churches of Christ, we must remember that Christ has put his honor

20 Sane lEvangelism

in the churches, and has chosen them to be the channels through which to work out his purposes among men. And it needs to be said with all emphasis, that the hope of all the generations to come, for a sound gospel, centers in the churches of the living God. Your committee, therefore, favors an evangelism which recognizes the churches in their supreme place, and everywhere makes for their upbuilding.

Your committee believes that the Home Board will serve the churches and the denomination at large in a noble way by sending forth men as evangelists who are not only soul-winners, but who can also lead in evangelistic movements throughout all our vast territory. The work of scriptural evangelism needs to be taken up in all the district Associations and made the predominant purpose of their existence. It must be evident to every thoughtful Baptist that we are not making as much as we might of the district Associations. We note with pleasure that many of the Boards of the State Conventions have taken up this work and are pressing it with diligence and most gratifying success. It is to be fervently hoped that the Boards of all the district Associations, and of the State Conventions, will, in conjunction with the Home Board, see to it that the work of scriptural evangelism becomes predominant over all our vast field. If it may be so, then it will very largely settle all the questions of finances and discipline in the churches, and help more than all

Denominational jEvaneelism 2 1

things else to bring in the larger and better day for which we are longing and looking.

It is the function of this Convention to foster ' Home and Foreign Missions, and such other enterprises as promote the Redeemer's kingdom. Certainly we have been slow to come to a realization of the unspeakable importance of pressing this great instrument of power, which underlies all the other agencies of this Convention and promotes them all. And certainly this Convention, with its vast field, cannot turn over so great a means to those who will not use it for the constructive work of the denomination. The churches of the South look to the Hom.e Board as a channel through which they may co-operate in the constructive work of the denomination in the home land. They have already signified how joyfully they enter into co-operation for this gracious work of ministering to the lost. It is the part of the highest wisdom for this Convention and its Boards to meet the aspirations of the churches, covering the whole field of Christian activity.

A careful reading of the New Testament, which must be our guide book through the ages, makes clear the fact that soul-winning and training went hand in hand. The Apostle Paul, who was the foremost evangelist of the ages, not only planted churches, but also faithfully trained them for future service. It may be that Southern Baptists have been far more derelict in training than in evangelizing.

But as we give ourselves more and more to the training of the churches, we are ever to regard evangelism as one of the strongest auxiHaries to that end. The teacher in a school must have the right atmosphere, or else his labor will be largely lost. Looking to the continuance of the churches, and the construction of a great missionary force in the world, it behooves this Convention to give its cordial sanction and its utmost influence to those things which enter into the life of the people, and bring those lives to the fullest fruitage in the Master's service.

II Sane Aggressive Evangelism

BY WILLIAM WISTAR HAMILTON, TH. D., D. D.

This address was delivered at the Winona Lake Bible Conference, Winona Lake, Ind.

II

SANE AGGRESSIVE EVANGELISM

I UNDERSTAND from the programme that I am to speak on '' Aggressive Evangelism." I should like to preface that subject with one other word and call it " Sane Aggressive EvangeHsm."

I like all three of those words : sane, aggressive, evangelism. I like the word aggressive. This may be the correct exegesis of that Scripture which says : " The gates of hell shall not prevail." When a city goes to war it does not take its gates with it, but when its gates are attacked then is the time that it is on the defensive. So the figure here may be of the very gates of hell charged by the forces of righteousness. I Hke the word aggressive because it carries along with it the idea of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is like the measles. If you have it it will break out on you — or it had better do so — and if it breaks out on you somicbody else will catch it.

Riding along on a train in Kentucky in the fall of the year, I stood by the open door of the coach and watched the leaves, the dead leaves, as they pursued the moving train. And I said to myself, " Even dead leaves will follow something that has life about it."

s6 Sane BvauGeUsm

I grew up in a city on the line between Tennessee and Virginia, half of the city in Tennessee and half in Virginia. Virginia's marriage laws are very strict. Tennessee's marriage laws are very lax. As a consequence a great many runaway couples came from Virginia to Tennessee to get married, simply crossing the State line. One day a runaway couple came to my town drawn by an ox team. I have remembered it with pleasure, because I have always been glad to associate something rapid with an ox team.

What is evangelism ? A sane, aggressive, evangelism, what is it? Is it simply to tell the story of Jesus and his love? I think not. EvangeHsm, as I understand it, is so to proclaim the gospel — not simply to proclaim it — but so to proclaim the truths of the gospel as to demand a decision. I think a great many have a wrong conception of what evangelism is. They seem to have an idea that when an evangelist comes along everything they have ever loved and respected shall be set aside.

A child in school was once asked w^hat a furlough was, and the child told the teacher that a furlough was a mule. The teacher insisted that the little lady was mistaken, but the child said that she was able to prove that she was right. The next morning when she came to school she brought with her a picture of a soldier riding along on a mule, and under the picture were the words, " Going Home on His Furlough."

Sane UQQvcseivc EvauQclism 2 7

Now, I believe if we can get a correct definition of evangelism, and get a proper enthusiasm into it, and have sanity along with the enthusiasm, that we have solved the great problem before us as evangelists and as pastors. It is very difficult for me to speak as an evangelist and not as a pastor, for I have been a pastor for thirteen years and an evangelist but one.

In our Southern States among the different churches there has been a denominational movement set on foot. This question was brought to our Convention some three years ago, and again the next year, and then at the Convention in Chattanooga May, 1906, the movement was definitely launched, and in September last it was my privilege to begin the work. Now then, as I understand the temper of our people, and as I understand the movement, I want to present to you what I consider their idea of what a sane aggressive evangelism is.

I. First of all, it must have a correct doctrinal basis. We cannot build an evangelistic house that will be any good on a foundation of sand. It must have a correct doctrinal foundation. The great doctrines as to God himself, as to the Bible, as to sin, as to hell, as to the atonement, as to the cross, as to heaven — the great doctrines of the word of God must stand underneath if we are to build a structure that is to be of any account in the storms of life and to last through eternity. There must be a correct doctrinal basis, and when we have the correct doctrinal basis in our church and evangelism, then that which we do as evangelists and pastors, working together, will be like the house built upon the rock. But when our perspective is wrong, when like some people, we have the idea that man is well, that there is nothing the matter with him, all that he needs is to have brought to him the fact that he is well, let him believe it and he will be well; or, if we have the idea that man is sick, true, he is sick; but he isn't very sick, not much the matter with him, all he needs is a little culture or a good example to follow ; if we have that idea our work will fail.

On the other hand, if we believe that man is dead in trespasses and sin, then something supernatural is needed. If he is well, or if there is very little wrong with him, then there is no need of divine help. But if he is dead in trespasses and sin, there must be a divine power to bring him to life. When we have failed to realize the condition of man, or have gone wrong as to the responsibility of our position, we have started to build our house upon the sand. We will be like the boy with his wagon made from the running gear of a cast-off baby-carriage, an umbrella handle for a tongue, a soap box for a wagonbed, and for wheels, disks cut from the end of a log. As he drew it along, an onlooker was amused to see how the wagon wobbled from side to side. The boy looked back questioningly to see what was the matter, knowing that something was wrong. The onlooker saw that in making the holes in his wheels the boy had failed to strike center. And I

Sane UQQtcssivc jEvauQclism 29

tell you, friends, in our evangelistic work and in our pastoral work, if, on the great doctrines of the word of God, of the condition of man, of the place of our Lord and his atoning work, we fail to strike center, we will go all sorts of w^ays except the right way. Somebody has said that if we stay right at the cross and right at the tomb, we will never go very far wrong anywhere else. I believe that to be true.

II. Another thing in regard to this sane evangelism is the necessity of proper denominational supervision. I rejoice in the work which has been done by the Presbyterians of this country; I rejoice in the fact that they have done it as Presbyterians ; and I rejoice in the example which they have set us.

You will remember Dr. G. Campbell Morgan in his book on '' EvangeHsm,'' says that he is afraid of anything that claims to be undenominational. There ought to be a proper denominational supervision if the pastors and evangelists are to work together. In the church of Jesus Christ, as given us in the New Testament, there was a place for the evangelist. When he is isolated from some sort of church supervision, then we may not expect there will be that confidence between him and the pastor that there should be. I do not know why, but I used to feel that way as a pastor. Maybe you can explain it. I used to take occasion to say when in meetings with my brother pastors, ^^ I want you to understand that I am not an evangelist.'^ Somehow, we have had it in our minds and hearts that the man who

3<^ Sane JEvanoelism

comes as an evangelist is a man who is not responsible to anybody, and a man who may do anything he wishes^ and who may go his own sweet way and do his own sweet will, and nobody have any right to say to him a word.

I believe that with our evangelists properly connected with our churches, we may expect the very best kind of men, with the very best kind of preaching, done in the very best places, and done in the very best way. Some way, I believe in a sort of heredity in evangelistic services. This is my experience. When a man comes to help me in my work, and he is a fighter, then the people who are born into the kingdom under that man's ministry are fighters. The man who comes to hold a meeting with me and who doesn't believe anything and who seems to float with the tide, anywhere, just as a sentimental sort of jellyfish, the people who come into my church under his ministry partake of that man's characteristics. But when a man comes who believes in the word of God, who believes in the power of God, when a man comes who believes in the tremendous fact of sin and the tremendous need of a supernatural power to save man from sin, then the people who come into my church under that man's ministry stay with me, an abiding work. There is never a time in the history of a pastor more important to the good of his church than when he asks a man to come and help him in evangelistic services.

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I believe in holding meetings everywhere; I believe in preaching in tents, in tabernacles, in halls, in saloons, on the street. I believe in preaching the gospel anywhere, but somehow or other there is always a peculiar tie, it seems to me, between a man's soul and the work of Jesus Christ when that man has been brought into the kingdom through the help of the churches. We always love our birthplace. I was born down in Kentucky, so they tell me, near Hopkinsville. My parents moved back to Virginia when I was ten months old, and I had never returned to the place of my birth. Some time ago I was in Hopkinsville, and met a man who said he knew the house in which I was born ; he remembered having gone to school to my mother in one room of that house; he remembered one day when I fell down the stone steps and broke up the school, and he was going to take me out to see the place. We started out one cold November morning for the ten-mile drive, and on the way saw his mother, who also remembered my birth, and had helped to dress me.

We drove out to the place, and I went all over it with delight. I took some kodak views of the house and the grounds, and wrote to my mother about the visit, and to her were sent the pictures. I kept writing about it all, but I noticed that she didn't have much to say. I kept on writing, and she kept on saying nothing, and finally I wrote and said, " Look here, mother, there is something wrong about this,

32 Sane jEvanaeUsm

what is it? " And she wrote back and said, '' Son, I am sorry to tell you, but that isn't the place." And I don't know where I was born.

I am like some Christian people who do not know the time and place of their salvation. They know they love God, and I know I am here. Nevertheless away down in my heart there is a peculiar tie to the place of my birth. I failed to find it, and I don't know where it is, but I have that attachment for it. When a man is born into the kingdom of God, in touch with the people of the church of Jesus Christ, there is a peculiar tenderness in that man's heart for the church. God pity the pastor who will not co-operate, or the church which stands aloof from the tender bond of any great evangelistic work in their city. They are missing the opportunity of putting their power and their life into the hearts of men and women who are brought into the kingdom of God at that time.