What Are You Saying?

In spite of a great deal of research into the problem it would appear that failure to communicate, to get one's message over, is a major cause of friction in human relations. Recent events in politics and industry have demonstrated the importance of making sure that each understands what the other is talking about. This is an age when words, phrases and ideas have different meanings for different people. Before there can be intelligible dialogue there must be rational contact of mind with mind. Often it is assumed that the other is 'with you' when, in fact, you left him floundering some time back!

This is but to touch the fringe of a subject which has an important bearing on Christian witness. How do we communicate the gospel so that it is understanded of the people? Whether the witness is private or public, to an individual or to a multitude, the communicator must be at pains to ensure that his words reach their target.

Methods of evangelism will, of course, vary according to the circumstances and the audience. Whatever methods are adopted it is always important to remember that we preach an unchanging gospel. At base, twentieth-century man is no different from men of former ages and the Christian gospel is completely relevant to his deep spiritual need. To convey the message to him in terms meaningful and clear is the task of Christian outreach. In communicating the gospel the choice of method is important. On the one hand there is the danger of clinging to methods which have become out-of-date, and, on the other, there is the temptation to employ techniques which distort or cheapen the message. In a recent study of methods of evangelism J. B. Taylor, M.A., makes this pointed comment: "The 'evangel' is not just a happy piece of news, like the telegram that announces the birth of a new grandchild, or the solicitor's letter that tells of a legacy. It is inseparable from a situation of black despair into which it is proclaimed. Failure to recognize this aspect of evangelism has undermined the ministry of many an evangelist or pastor. If he thinks of himself merely as a dispenser of good things, or if his message is nothing more insistent than that which says, 'Christ-has-helped-me-and-'He-can-help-you-too', his evangelism is worth little. True evangelism according to the New Testament is a rescue operation. The evangelist is not just a salesman of goods that he likes or considers beneficial; he is a lifeboatman who knows that he has the means to save drowning men and that without his efforts and the saving power of the gospel, they will be engulfed. 'Preach as a dying man to dying men' was the advice given by one great saint to his younger brethren. Without it, the fire goes out of our preaching; and evangelism can degenerate into a religious pastime". These are words to ponder in an age when powerful preaching is rare. And the same principles apply in private witness-bearing; the gospel will not be effectively communicated if they are lost sight of. A casual, free and easy style does not seem to fit the ambassador of the Cross.

Most of us are keenly aware of failure 'in this area of our lives. These comments are not intended to discourage but to provoke exercise. Better defectly witness than none at all, but better still if we give time, thought and prayer to this problem of getting our message over in terms 'understanded of the people'. First and foremost the message we proclaim must be derived from the Scriptures, which alone are "able to make wise unto salvation". Then it must be communicated in humility and simplicity; no 'talking down' to our audience. Approach will vary according to the background and the practical needs of those addressed. We should remember that the terms which are current in the 'Christian circle in which we move, and are perfectly understood there, may just be a foreign language to the man in the street.

"Our daily Bread"

We sometimes speak of 'nature' as if there were some blind impassive force at work in the universe. Such a conception will be corrected by a consideration of such passages of Scripture as Psalm 104. The Creator's provision for mankind engages the heart of the psalmist as he reflects on the greatness of the LORD. "0 LORD", he cries, "how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all. The earth is full of Thy riches" (v.24). We need to remember that

"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man;

That He may bring forth food out of the earth" (v.14).

"Back of the loaf is the snowy flour,

Back of the flour is the mill,

Back of the mill are the wheat and the shower

And the sun and the Father's will."

unknown | Apr 1972
Comment By Torchlight