The Importance of Preaching the Gospel Essay

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preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). Preaching the gospel is a Christian imperative. Yet in a heterogeneous, diverse, and often secular world, the obligation to share the message of Christ can become more challenging to fulfill than it had ever before. Engaging non-Christians with the Bible nevertheless remains a core component of faith, as those who have not heard the Word of God have no opportunity to be saved. Paul repeats this essential Christian value throughout his texts, noting again in Romans, " I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish," (Romans 1:14). Preaching the gospel is critical from an eschatological and theological perspective, whether the audience is "foolish," and perhaps unready to accept the truth of Christ or whether the audience has been raised with another faith such as Islam. While diversity does add to the fabric of human society, helping others by introducing them to the gospel message can encourage dialogue and plant a seed that might blossom to the benefit not only of the individual but to a broader community.

The theological imperative for engaging non-Christians with the Bible continually and conscientiously has to do with the wording of Paul's message when he notes the sense of "obligation" to preach. "We are obligated because God provided for our salvation and then somehow entrusted the message to us ... Although we cannot repay Christ for all he has done, we can demonstrate our gratitude by serving others with the gospel of Jesus," (Universal Bible Fellowship). From this theological component to preaching will emerge the various schools of thought as to how Christians can be most effective when communicating the gospel in their daily lives, with a diverse audience. The ideal method of preaching the gospel in a situation in which a communication partner is Muslim would be to recognize the value of diversity and the essential fact that Christ's message is fundamentally one of inclusion and plurality. At the same time, Christians risk falling into the trap of ethical relativism when plurality is valued more than the tenets of the gospel. The answer to the potential dilemma is of course located directly in scripture, which teaches Christians to view non-believers as "lost sheep" who can be delivered unto Christ. Moreover, the mission of the gospel "cannot be reduced to the seeking out of individuals," but must instead aim to "overthrow the structures of teaching and authority that restrict the mercy of God," (Hunt 8). Islam represents one of the world's most formidable structures of teaching and authority that may be restricting the mercy of God.

Islam has traditionally recognized the "legitimacy of Christianity as a monotheistic religion and Muslims were in theory obliged to tolerate and protect Christian communities in their midst," (Hunt 21). Although both Christians and Muslims consider themselves "peoples of the book" due to the mutual valuation of the general efficacy of the Old Testament, the differences between the two religions are stark enough. One of the main differences between Christianity and Islam is embedded in their respective names, with Christianity overtly attributing its mission to spreading the message of Christ and His gospel. Islam, on the other hand, "enjoys the unique distinction of having no such association with any particular person or people or country," (Mawdudi Chapter 1). Islam therefore fundamentally denies the supremacy of Christ, something that contradicts the Christian bible. Rather than focus on the differences between Islam and Christianity and risk isolating potential Muslim converts or alienating a conversation partner, it would be far more constructive to demonstrate the points of continuity between the two religions. For instance, both believe in the supremacy of God, in submission to God, and in daily prayer and devotion. Through these common points, a Christian can help show that placing faith in Christ is a small but infinitely rewarding extra step.

Establishing common grounds between the two faiths helps to establish trust and rapport, thereby creating a harmonious communication connection that may eventually inspire the partner to reconsider worldview and theological viewpoints. In "Porous and Buffered Selves," Charles Taylor muses on another common link between Christianity and Islam, which is the need to remain steadfast in an increasingly secular world. Moreover, it is necessary to resist the dilution of faith in the interest of rapid, superficial mass conversions along the lines of what took place throughout the missionary history of the Catholic Church (Hunt).

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Acknowledging linguistic and cultural diversity is one thing, but creating sacrilegious syncretism is quite another. Moreover, Christianity and Islam have both struggled with the problem of secularism and secular humanism as diluting the traditional and fundamental elements of their faiths. Both the Christian and the Muslim would agree that blind submission to the authority of science to deny God outright is a detrimental, even dangerous, mindset. The Word of God is absolute.

Taylor explains that the trend toward secularity has traditionally been based on political motives, and remains a thoroughly ambiguous and disturbing, yet likely temporary trend. The Muslim conversation partner can fully understand that fighting a common foe is an apt starting point. We can then come to agree that the commencement of the conversation is a shared belief in God and a willingness to do our duty as outlined in scripture. The difficulties begin when the Muslim conversation partner claims the Quran as a sacred text. On the assumption that the individual has not yet heard the gospel of Christ, the easiest and most logical starting point is through the narrative of Christ's life. That narrative is somewhat known to most Muslims, who honor the teachings of Christ but continue to resist sharing in the full passion of Christ due to a denial of His divinity and the relevance of His life, death, and resurrection to human destiny.

There are several methods of engagement or evangelism, all of which are relevant but which have different functions and can be used in different situations. One is lifestyle evangelism, which does not involve direct verbal preaching but instead encourages the Christian to embody the teachings of Christ and become a model that other people will seek to emulate. This is a worthy method of preaching the gospel, but an indirect one that might not take root, particularly when working with a Muslim individual or community that has entrenched teachings, values, beliefs, and customs. Lifestyle evangelism should be practiced alongside other forms of evangelism, in part so that the Christian remains honest and always practices what is being preached.

Another evangelical practice is service or servant-oriented evangelism, which could be described best in terms of the type of charitable work Christians have engaged in since the day of Christ. Engaging with a Muslim person in dialogue would entail letting the person know about the importance of charitable work, which is also important to Islam (Mawdudi). From this common ground of caring and spiritual impetus to serve others, the Christian can create a bridge to understanding Christ's mission as a healer, teacher, and savior. The Biblical anecdotes detailing Christ's many miracles may come in handy during the conversations surrounding the Christian view on charitable works. As with lifestyle evangelism, service evangelism should be a component of all Christian lives. As Mawdudi points out, the Muslim and Christian can converge on this issue.

Event evangelism is based on large-scale public outreach and can therefore be helpful when conversing not just with one Muslim individual but to an entire community (Rothra). Although this method is not convenient for most individuals, those who are church leaders can arrange an event that attracts Muslims and other non-Christians. The event could be a music concert or a sporting event, during which speakers deliver talks that cover the good news of the Bible. Pamphlets and other informational material can be passed out to the audience. The advantages to this method are clear: there are potentially more souls who may be touched by the gospel rather than the one-on-one evangelical methods. Other advantages to this method include the ability to deliver the Christian message in a diverse way, as multiple speakers can use different languages and symbols to reach out to members of the Muslim community.

Neighborhood evangelism is another method of preaching the gospel to a Muslim audience, and can be particularly helpful if the community is diverse and there are many Muslim neighbors. This method might also work if the Christian is willing to introduce the gospel to a predominantly Muslim neighborhood, even going so far as to use tracts distributed at mosques or at the houses of residents. However, some neighbors might not appreciate the intrusion into their private lives and this method should be undertaken with great care and sensitivity. Hearkening to colonialism, this method might not be greeted with as much tolerance as some other evangelical practices. The street preaching method is also minimally effective because few….....

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