One of the best books that i have read in recent years is "This Little Church Had None," by Gary Gilley, and co-author Jay Wegter. Gilley writes two of the three sections, with Wegter contributing the third. Part One, labeled 'Obstacles to Truth' examines the infatuation of many American churches with seeker-sensitivity where the emphasis is on the person rather than on God; the emergent church and its descending into heresy; paganism under various guises; the prosperity "gospel;" pragmatism, and the onslaught of atheism. While many people would not label themselves in these ways, their thinking, and resultant actions show differently.
The second portion speaks of the foundational importance of the Word of God, and pastoring people who have been heavily influenced by the world.
The final section shows how to present a more Biblical gospel through antithesis, the process of using leading questions to confront unbelievers with the inadequacy of their worldviews. Questions include:
Where did we come from? Who made us?
Who are we? What is our worth and value?
What has gone wrong with the world? Evil, suffering, death, injustice
What can we do to fix it?
As people respond we must present the Biblical worldview. People must come to grips with the utter hopelessness of their sinful state, and desperate need for a Savior before we give them the "good news."
God willing, i hope to purchase a copy and read it again.
"In the course of effective evangelism, we steer the conversation to a point at which there is an irreconcilable clash between sources of authority. (God or self)"
"The Christian apologist must always be aware that sinners will not be satisfied with the answers we give until they give up their rebellion against God." (pg. 204)
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RT, I did some catching up on your site. Long overdue. I like the book reviews in particular. The Little Church that Could review is valuable, especially about how the clash of world views and how our evangelism must start with establishing sinfulness. I paired that up in my mind with what you wrote about the American church needing a culture of discipleship. A third factor was the lack of critical thinking skills among technically savvy youth which you write about. All 3 considered together, you are demonstrating critical thinking about foundational shifts that need to occur for the American Church to develop a culture for disciple making.
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