In more than forty years, I have seen and been exposed to just about every kind of Christian "witness" that there is. Everything from street preaching, to passing out flyers in parking lots, to witnessing on buses, and door-to-door sharing. I've seen drive-by witnessing in fast-food drive-throughs and so much more. The list seems endless. Yet, with all of this, I have to say, the most effective demonstration is still found in the pages of scripture. The power and simplicity of it started with Jesus and moved on into the apostles, demonstrated in the Book of Acts and indirect snippets elsewhere in the epistles. Even John's Revelation gives mention.
Recently, a friend shared an image on Facebook featuring two men publicly expressing their faith, holding signs presumably as part of their witnessing efforts. While I won't outright dismiss the effectiveness of such actions, I must admit that my perspective on public witnessing for Christ has significantly evolved over the past year.
Learning for the
sake of doing
The pursuit of enhancing our understanding and interpretation of scripture is driven by a singular objective: to emulate Jesus more closely and to actively participate in His mission as our King, which is to liberate our fellow humans from the clutches of darkness. The process of learning should never be solely about the acquisition of knowledge. As Paul articulated in 1 Corinthians 8:1, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up," implying that knowledge for its own sake merely inflates our pride. Consequently, we seek knowledge that fortifies our loyalty to Christ, deepens our understanding of His loyalty to us, and enables us to manifest and apply this in loving those around us - both our faith community and those of our brothers and sisters who remain ensnared in darkness and ignorance.
In response to the photo shared on Facebook, I anticipated a potential counterargument to my proposition that the efforts depicted in the image, along with other similar forms of "witnessing," were potentially misguided and ineffective. I preemptively addressed this anticipated retort with: "So, you're most likely going to demand: 'Then you do better!'", to which I responded, "Okay—I accept that challenge!" Consequently, this article serves as a refined and more formal version of the response I initially provided, rather than a mere offhand comment.
Speaking to
Americans
There are several points to start out with when writing about this issue.
Firstly, I abstain from using signs like this and other obscure methods precisely due to the issue I am addressing: The context of signs (like the ones shown) lack context and are generally misinterpreted and misunderstood. This is particularly prevalent in the 21st century, given the prevailing worldview that is often superficial and lacks the necessary depth of understanding to truly comprehend the significance of such signs. So, what I am not saying is that the message of the signs is ultimately not true. The message is truthful, but the context and understanding is easily missed.
Secondly, I engage in meaningful and direct dialogues that not only articulate the Gospel (as it was comprehended in the first century, beginning with our Lord, Jesus Christ, and as He imparted it to others) but I also provide them with the non-21st century context, background, and worldview in a succinct, concise, and easily comprehensible manner to a person with a 21st century worldview.
NOTE: The goal of this witnessing effort is to quickly bring the hearer up to speed on the ancient worldview by connecting the dots to a story that is well-known in a 21st century American worldview. This presentation may or may not work in other non-westernized nations and peoples.
Part I:
The Attack!
So—what is the easy, short, concise story? For many American's all it takes are a couple of quickly stated examples:
For example: What pops into your head when I say a phrase like: "Did you see the Lord of the Rings movies? Do you remember the epic battles with the hordes of Mordor, the giants, and the mountain of Mordor with the eye of Sauron, the Dark Lord?"
The follow-up to this is now very simple: "This is very close to the backstory of the bible in Genesis, chapters 3, 6, and 11. That tower of Sauron is very much akin to the Eden, Mount Hermon, and the Tower of Babel."
From here it turns into a quick 10-minute "connect-the-dots" from the framework of Lord of the Rings epic battles to scripture with the backstory of an invasion by fallen angelic beings (Genesis 3 - Eden, 6 - Hermon) to the resulting giants of Genesis 6 and the flood of Noah.
There are some little hops and skips required like: "Those giants died in the flood of Noah and their disembodied spirits are what we know as demons today. This happened about 4,400 to 5,000 years ago, and those same demon spirits are still with us today!"
It is at this point that we can sew up the story with a conclusion: All of this is now living in dark unseen realms that we cannot see with our eyes or detect with physical machines. These creatures have spent 5,000 years weaving human cultures, traditions, and religions—starting with ancient pagan religions—which are the foundations of modern religions (but not Christianity). All of these things now trap us in blind loyalty to dark forces and these human traditions and cultures by means of our desires for pleasure.
NOTE: At this point, I have spent about 10 to 15 minutes with the person or small group. Hopefully, the bible is now making more sense to them (if they are open-minded). If not, then I get the signals of unbelief, pray for them, shake the dust off of my feet, and move on to the next person or group. All of this is possible without signs and without screaming "REPENT SINNERS!" or "TURN OR BURN SINNERS!" or any such worthless waste of breath and energy (there is also no love actually in it).
The only thing I might use as a "prop" (point of contact) is a simple flyer with church contact information. In America, I try to get cell phone contact info where I can follow up with people and continue befriending them, serving them, and loving them. It even works with some homeless people as we're feeding them. As my pastor, George Foley, likes to say: "If you feed them, then for 15-20 minutes you've got a captive audience to tell the above story. Their ears work even while they are eating!" All the while, you're not beating them to death with signs and screaming "street preachers" blathering on about something that both the preachers and hearers have no 21st century context for.
Part Two:
The Trap!
It takes about ten minutes to paint the backdrop story through the lens of the Lord of the Rings story, where the bible backstory of Genesis 3, 6, and 11 are linked and painted in, where the 21st century hearers quickly connect the dots in their own minds. If they can handle this story, then it is time to tell them about part two: Jesus, the Christ (anointed King)!
The Lord of the Rings story lacks something that the real story has at its core: Human beings are not seeing the invasion and fighting it—at least not in the 21st century. While this was most likely true of the story 5,500 years ago, this is not the story today. Everything then that was in our sight and attacking our human family to its face has now gone underground into spiritual unseen realms, where it has lived and operated for more than 4,600 years!
The physical attack recorded for us in various human histories (Sumerian, Akkadian, Mesopotamian, Hebrew, and others) has shifted from physical and spiritual to heavily spiritual based on human spiritual blindness, using the physical fallen nature of our flesh with its unquenchable desire for pleasure in pride and lusts. We no longer have recognizable fallen angelic beings and giants in our face. They now operate from the undetectable unseen realms of a spiritual underworld that sometimes leaks out into our own.
NOTE: These leakages from the unseen realms into our physical realm is the experience we have of the UFO phenomenon. These craft and creatures are not coming from galaxies far, far away, but from multi-dimensional realms localized right around us. This is what gives these craft and creatures the appearances of incredible demonstrations of power (i.e., like traveling thousands of miles per hour and making immediate 90-degree turns).
It is at this point that many that I have witnessed to will want to start asking questions and get coherent answers. For example: "How are human beings being held captive as slaves to these creatures from unseen realms?" This is an awesome genre of questions that can be asked rhetorically even if the person or group you are witnessing to doesn't ask directly. The answer is surprisingly simple and understood.
Scripture tells us in Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." In this we see that our personally held philosophies are built on human traditions (and cultures), which are stemming from the elemental spiritual forces (gods and demons in the unseen realms) of this world (system).
The layered system of reasoning spread out through thousands of years of history is the content that the dark forces of hell use to blind the minds of those who don't know Jesus, the Christ and have not been freed by him (cross and Spirit in response to hearing the Gospel and truth). And now this scripture below can be more easily understood:
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
In about 15-20 minutes or so, the person being addressed has got the proper worldview seeded into his or her mind. With this story then can do quite a bit of truthful reasoning about themselves and their state of life and living. This is especially true if they are trapped in addictions like drugs, booze, sexual immorality, anger, and others. Why? Because each of these is a sin that was first practiced by these fallen beings and their bastard giant children—OR—they taught such things to men—OR—both! Man did not enter into sin by his own volition alone. No—WE WERE LED IN by powerful and seducing creatures!
Part Three:
The Rise of
the King!
It is here that the real and true Gospel can be shared! The sharing is simple: the (so-called) "gospel" that most Americans (or westerners for that matter) think they understand has to do with Christians bashing on people as "sinners" and demanding that they "repent" or some other message presented by screaming at them in what they take as an angry person calling them out, judging them, or a host of other feelings.
In the first century Greco-Roman empire, the notion of a Gospel was simple: It was an official announcement of the ascension of a Roman emperor to the throne or other "Good News" by an official proclamation. In the case of Jesus, the Gospel is the proclamation that Jesus is King: risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, where he has been made King by God, with all power and authority over all heaven and earth. As a result of this, we have been given his Spirit in us, which is his Kingdom resident in us to proclaim him as King, and demonstrate his love in the exercise of Kingdom power: healing, providing, giving, loving, caring, and so on.
Jesus instructed the disciples to follow up proclaiming his Gospel with a demonstration of His loving power through us. This involves delivering people from their diseases, demon oppressions, possessions, and other maladies while also showing compassion by meeting some of their physical needs (food, clothing, shelter, etc.). The promise extends that the Lord's provision is open to all who come under allegiance to Jesus as King, disavowing any previous gods or demons. As a a result, by the power of the cross and indwelling Spirit, we can be translated from dark kingdom slavery into the freedom of Christ's Kingdom as his dear son, Jesus.
In Matthew 10, Jesus instructs his disciples that after presenting the Gospel message and demonstrating Kingdom power, they should identify those who believe and retreat with them to a private space. This process can be used for adding new members to an existing church or establishing a new one. From this point onwards, these converts are trained in what it means to follow Christ, culminating in water baptism (a public renouncement of their previous life and declaration of allegiance to Jesus) followed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit for the supernatural gifts of the Spirit within them.
NOTE: Almost all of the above is outside the scope of the initial witness we have with people that we meet in various places where life is happening for them. The idea here is to communicate to you (the reader) that there is a road ahead. It is not the intent of the Lord's command and mission to just stand on a street corner, yell at people, and then comfort ourselves with nonsense like, "Well, a seed was planted!" That's mostly a lie in the face of Jesus telling us that these seeds are quickly stolen away by demons or squelched in the heat of persecution by other non-believers still trapped in demonic lies and systems.
Part Four:
The return of
the King!
One aspect of the final message can be delivered if time allows: Judgment. The ultimate goal of preaching the Gospel and bringing people to Christ is ensuring they will survive the ordeal at the Judgment Seat of Christ due to faith (faithfulness in allegiance to Jesus, with our returned loyalty). The message is straightforward: Without this truth of faith, we have no chance against the Judge of all judges. All humanity will be judged fairly, rightly, justly, and completely—resulting in either mercy leading to righteousness and salvation as a gift or eternal condemnation, damnation, and death in a lake of fire, created not for us but for those enemies whose foundations we've already laid.
This reality of a final and ultimate judgment serves as an essential element in presenting the Gospel and the work and mission of Christ in our role as his representatives among humanity. No one can escape this final verdict. All will stand before God—the question is in what state we will be found? Will it be in his mercy, forgiveness, and grace?—OR—will we face him alone, burdened by sin, rebellion, unbelief, and disloyalty to our Creator and found to be in loyalty to creatures who despise us? The message must be clear: the ultimate end of this path leads us into a choice. Will we accept Jesus, the King, and his messengers or reject them entirely? This decision will determine our destiny in the judgment that awaits all humanity.
Conclusion(s)
Considering all provided information, it becomes evident as to why basic "signs" (such as those depicted above) typically prove to be largely and essentially ineffective unless they are accompanied by direct one-to-one communication of the ancient narrative along with the Gospel message about salvation through allegiance alone. By merely standing around with signs or just shouting at people, we are not effectively conveying the Gospel in light of truth and human needs and conditions. In fact, it could be argued that we may be failing spectacularly, which might explain why, despite our best attempts to playing church, the world around us is deteriorating into sin.