I have become quite fascinated with the theological statements of David Wells. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dr. Wells, he is the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary. He was the keynote speaker at the Founders Conference held a few weeks ago in Owasso, OK at Bethel Baptist Church. In one of his sessions he shed a particularly poignant light on the need for a strategic change in the way the gospel must be presented. He states...
Evangelicals must dispense with the popular demand for instant results and realize that just as God was patient in unfolding His redemptive plan over thousands of years, so modern Christians must patiently unpack the entire storyline of Scripture for postmoderns, Wells said. Only when this "slow, careful, remedial, preparatory work" is done, he urged, will the cross of Christ make sense.I strongly urge you to click over to the Baptist Press site using this link and read the address for yourself. The article title is Todays Culture Is Clueless, Wells Says. If Dr. Wells is right, then continuing on with the way we have approached evangelism for the last 50 years may actually weaken the message of the simple gospel. He is not calling for a change of content but a change in the attitude of the bearer of the content. I shudder to think what hindrances we may be placing on the gospel because of our laziness and refusal to be aptly critical of our approach.
If all we are about are quick conversions, then his message doesn't bode well. The spiritual sprinters that have characterized the face of evangelism may find themselves running fast with no one joining the race with them. If, however, we are passionate to disciple, as Jesus calls on us to do, then ours is the means for building the kingdom and we have an obligation to perform it.
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required
- Luke 12:48b
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