Gospel Coalition live blog 8: Ajith Fernando, National Director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka.
Summary
- Labor to find ways to communicate the Gospel of the cross so that it will become culturally accessible to our people.
- Demonstrate servant hood in our pluralistic environment, so that people will see that servant hood can go along with sharing the Gospel.
- Keep the priority of evangelism while we are doing all of the other things God has called us to do.
1. Proclaiming the culturally distant message of the cross.
Sin and guilt are not common commodities in the Muslim culture in which Fernando works. Paul made his main message proclaiming Christ and Him crucified, even though this message was culturally distant from the culture in Corinth.
Some people looked at Paul’s Gospel as if it was very foolish. Today, some people look at the Gospel we proclaim as very foolish and outdated. But Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10 that he struck down arguments and everything that stood against the knowledge of God.
While we were yet sinners Christ died for us, which is a mark of God’s love (Rom 5:8).
We are blessed with a challenge of looking for ways that we can communicate this message in today’s society. The Bible employs different kinds of language to communicate the Gospel: marketplace language (redemption), law court language (justification), family relationship language (reconciliation). We must whatever means we can — metaphors, stories — to communicate the message of the Gospel. To communicate the message of substitution.
Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel because it was the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16).
2. Upholding the uniqueness of Christ in a pluralistic environment.
Fernando said the pluralistic situation in America is beginning to mirror what has gone on in Sri Lanka for a while. The persecution that has come to Christians in a pluralistic society in Sri Lanka has helped the church advance.
Today, pluralism rules. But it ruled also in the first century. The Christians forged the doctrine of the absolute uniqueness of Christ in the midst of a pluralistic society. Rugged pioneers are going to blaze a trail for the Gospel today.
People associate uniqueness w/ arrogance. Deep down, if suffering comes, Fernando said the Gospel will spread.
3. Maintaining evangelistic passion amid holistic commitments
Evangelism is under fire today. People suspect our motives.
Evangelism is difficult. How can we keep our evangelistic fervor in such an environment? We must keep before people the stark reality of lostness. Jesus mentioned hell more than He did heaven. This is not because hell is more important than heaven. Fernando thinks it is because we are more prone to skip over passages on hell and judgment than on heaven.
One generation neglects doctrines and the next generation rejects them. We are seeing that today.
Jesus and the prophets both mixed in references to God judgment throughout their writings. We should do the same when we teach. The reality of a coming judgment should be a motivation for sharing the Gospel.