STORIES AS STRATEGY WHY YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IS CRUCIAL 2 INFLUENCES What can we do 2 Our Conversion Story As Strategy 2 INFLUENCES PLACE THESE IN ORDER 2 FAITH ID: 513451
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Slide1
CONVERSIONSTORIES AS STRATEGY
WHY “YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES” IS CRUCIAL
2Slide2
INFLUENCES
What
can we
do?
2Slide3
Our Conversion Story As Strategy
2
INFLUENCESSlide4
PLACE THESE IN ORDER2
___FAITH ___CONVICTION___GRACE ___REGENERATION
___ASSURANCE ___CONVERSION ___BAPTISM ___REPENTANCE ___CALLING ___SALVATION
___DEVOTION
___TRUST___BELIEF ___JUSTIFICATION ___PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL ___CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP ___RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT ___FORGIVENESS OF SINS ___SANCTIFICATION
___CONSIDERATION/CONTEMPLATIONSlide5
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
Revolutionaries EvangelicalsNonevangelical
born-again ChristiansNotional Christians“I never knew you.” –Jesus “Confirm your calling and election”
–Peter“Examine/Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.”
–PaulWhitefield, Edwards, WesleySlide6
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
Are we missing something? Something in what we have passed on to the next generation?
The language we use in communicating the biblical expectations for conversion, discipleship, and the Christian life is vital... Slide7
ORDO SALUTIS
2Slide8
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
Are we missing something? Something in what we have passed on to the next generation?
The language we use in communicating the biblical expectations for conversion, discipleship, and the Christian life is vital... Slide9
RENEWAL not REVIVAL2
“I am convinced the renewal of the church will not come through efforts to foster revival but through a renewed appreciation and formulation of the nature of
conversion.” –Gordon Smith in Beginning Well: Christian Conversion and Authentic Transformation, 2001,
p24
). Slide10
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
Are we missing something? Something in what we have passed on to the next generation?
The language we use in communicating the biblical expectations for conversion, discipleship, and the Christian life is vital... Slide11
7-Point Conversion2
“Scripture calls for and assumes a conversion to Jesus Christ that includes seven distinct but inseparable elements.”
“Only when all seven elements are in place will a young believer be capable of spiritual growth and maturity.”–Gordon Smith in
Beginning Well: Christian Conversion and Authentic Transformation
. 2001, p125.
Belief in Jesus Christ, Repentance,
Trust in Jesus Christ,
Transfer of allegiance, Baptism
, Reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Incorporation into congregational life. Slide12
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
Are we missing something? Something in what we have passed on to the next generation?
The language we use in communicating the biblical expectations for conversion, discipleship, and the Christian life is vital... Slide13
5 GUIDING BELIEFS OF MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM (MTD)
2God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth. God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem.Good people go to heaven when they die.
--K. C. Dean,
Almost Christian, 2010,
p14Slide14
ALMOST CHRISTIANS?2
MTD tells us we HAVE BEEN MISSING SOMETHING while doing Church. We have
either failed to pass on as of greatest importance the faith we possess or we have been passing on exactly what we have—the inconsequential faith we ourselves possess. And this can be traced to inconsequential conversions.Slide15
MAIN STATEMENT2
Our Conversion Story,
when we rightly understand it, and rightly communicate it,
becomes
the
strategy God wants to use
to
extend His kingdom.
Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses
… when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight
.”Slide16
ISAIAH 6:8-102
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
He said, “Go and tell this people:“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and
TURN
and be healed.” Repeated in
Mt 13:15, Mk 4:12, Lk 12:40 and Ac 28:27.Slide17
THE SEVEN CONVERSION STORIES IN ACTS
2
ObedienceThe Holy Spirit’s Involvement
Preaching/Exposition
ConvictionInquiry/Seeking
Repentance
BaptismReceive
the Remission of
Sins T
he Gift of the Holy
SpiritHospitalitySlide18
WHAT DO WE NEED?2
A Plan? The Catechumen Conversion of Augustine
A Community? Monastic Conversion of Saint Benedict
Agreement
? The Reformers’ Example
A Great Experience of God?
Edward’s Affections & Wesley’s GroupsThe Split:
Savior vs. Lord
Palmer, Oberlin, Finney, Bonhoeffer, & The NazarenesSlide19
MTD IS ANOTHER GOSPEL
2God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about
oneself. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth. God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem. Good people go to heaven when they die. --K. C. Dean, Almost Christian,
2010,
p14Slide20
MAIN STATEMENT2
Our Conversion Story,
when we rightly understand it, and rightly communicate it,
becomes
the
strategy God wants to use
to
extend His kingdom.
Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses
… when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight
.”Slide21
ANTIDOTE TO MTDStructuring Ministries toward Consequential Faith Development
2
TRANSLATINGYOU incarnating the Word in the world before their eyes = Living Faith!TESTIFYINGYOU interpreting life to others while spiritual apprentices are sacred eavesdroppingDETACHINGYOU intentionally disentangling yourself from distractions to encounter GodSlide22
HOW TO HIGHLIGHT GOD’S STORY IN YOUR LIFE2
Focus on those aspects that speak of God’s personal and powerful nature
Focus on the interpersonal and spiritual significance of your faith communityFocus on righteousness/Bible teaching
Focus on the hope that the world is ultimately in good hands
Follow the presence of the Holy Spirit
Focus on the “What-ifs” of God
Resist self-focused
spiritualitiesSlide23
2
INFLUENCES
GOD’S
POWER
GOD’S
PERSON
RIGHT
DOING
FAITH
COMMUNITY
HOPE
IN GOOD
HANDS
TRANSLATE TESTIFY DETACH
CONSEQUENTIAL FAITHSlide24
CONFESSIONS OF A CHURCH DROP
WHY TWENTYSOMETHINGS QUIT
1OUTSlide25
CONVERSIONSTORIES AS STRATEGY
WHY “YOU WILL BE WITNESSES” IS CRUCIAL
2Slide26
STEMMING THE
TIDE WITHIN
BEHIND THE WALL TACTICS FOR ALL OF US
3
US ALLSlide27
Our Conversion Story As Strategy
Q&A
The “window for forming a sense of security in attached relationships closes quickly after adolescence,” so a Church would be wise to not "disregard the importance of ministry specifically tailored to adolescents,” because to do so would be to “neglect the best opportunity the church has to effect fundamental change in
people.”
The positive effects, both “personal and practical” of “Bible study in the context of relational youth ministry” cannot go unnoted (
Belsterling
2009, 348).