The Gospel & Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

Kirk E. Miller

This is less of a review and more of a recommendation.

One of the ways I evaluate whether a book is really good is whether or not I will read it a second time. … A few weeks ago I finished this book for the second time.

As Mark Dever notes in the video below, his purpose for writing this book was to provide an excellent introductory level book (only 119 pages!) on evangelism written for the average Christian. But at the same time, although he speaks in common, easy-to-understand language, the instruction and insights in this book are deep and well-worth the meditations of any Christian.

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The Gospel & How to Present It

Kirk E. Miller

The following is an outline of my teaching notes for a course I taught at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp in the early summer of 2012. The course was a part of the summer staff’s pre-summer camp training.

This teaching material was later slightly developed and expanded upon for teaching the following year in the Sunday School at Lake Drive Baptist Church. It is this final form that is provided below.

Download – The Gospel & How to Present It.

Download Appendix – Acts ‘Gospeling’ Accounts Content Chart.

J.D. Greear on “Leading My Kids to Jesus”

Kirk E. Miller

In light of J.D. Greear’s helpful description of Faith as a Posture (see this previous post), he says the following about leading young children to Christ.

As a father of four young children, I have often reflected on the best way to lead them to faith. I want their decision to follow Jesus to be significant, but I also don’t want them to go through what I went through [continual doubt about salvation]. I know that when you present kids with a “Don’t you want to be a good girl and accept Jesus and not go to a fiery hell?” of course they say, “Yes.” “Praying the prayer” in such a situation may have little do with actual faith in Christ and have more to do with making Daddy happy.

For that reason, many parents don’t want to push their child to make a decision for Christ. What if we coerce them into praying a prayer they don’t understand, and that keeps them from really dealing with the issues later when they really understand it? Might having them pray the prayer too early on inoculate them from really coming to Jesus later, giving them false assurance that keeps them from dealing with their need to be saved?

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Faith is a Posture

Kirk E. Miller 2 Comments

Evangelical shorthand for the gospel is to “ask Jesus into your heart,” or “accept Jesus as Lord and Savior,” or “give your heart to Jesus.” [pg.7]

“Praying the sinner’s prayer” has become something like a Protestant ritual we have people go through to gain entry into heaven. [pg.9]

I have begun to wonder if both problems, needless doubting and false assurance, are exacerbated by the clichéd ways in which we (as evangelicals) speak about the gospel. [pg.7]

Placing an overemphasis on phrases like “ask Jesus into your heart” gives assurance to some who shouldn’t have it and keeps it from some who should. [pg.8]

The biblical summation of a saving response toward Christ is “repentance” and “belief” in the gospel. [pg.7]

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Application and the Authority of Scripture

Kirk E. Miller

One of the areas of study that I find absolutely fascinating is what I call “hermeneutics of application.” Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation; it’s the discipline of study related to the methodology and principles of interpretation. So when I say, “hermeneutics of application” I mean the study of how one properly moves from interpretation of the text to application of the text.

Hence, when I read this quote many years ago, I’ve never been able to forget it:

Every time we derive an interpretation and application from a text that is not consistent with its contextual sense—no matter how biblical the truth itself may be–we rob that text of the meaning and application that God intended when He gave it. In the process, we rob ourselves and others of that text’s truth from God. … Worst of all, we rob God of His voice in that verse. – Layton Talbert, unknown source.

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