Q: “SO, did you, could you, should you, would you share with the Austinite (?) you encountered HOW they can have eternal life thru faith in Jesus Christ?”
A: Yes, though the Gospel implies so much more than this.

Q: “In other words, if this was the only encounter this person had with you, would they have left this conversation understanding HOW to receive eternal life thru faith in Jesus Christ?”
A: Yes, though implicitly.

Q: “AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, believe, teach that “sharing the Gospel” AT SOME POINT IN THE EVANGELISTIC PROCESS include the 3 points above?”
A: Yes, it includes the truths therein.

Note: A few assumptions in your comments deserve at least one whole new blog post to address. But, hopefully these short answers are helpful for what you’re immediately asking.

I went to a secular university for undergraduate studies for philosophy and religion. All my “liberal” professors would have said exactly you wrote JT. I now live in New England and when I speak to “liberal” pastors they say very similar things; namely, AND THIS IS SIMPLY MY UNDERSTANING OF WHAT YOU SAID, the Gospel is more amorphous, intangible than a simple “script” as my approach might suggest to those who weren’t discipled like I was.

I know the more traditional evangelical Church agrees with the 3 steps above or some version of it, but it was a mystery to me how the missional church approaches the Gospel and what and evangelistic (crisis) encounter actually looks like.

I was convinced until now that I had just misunderstood what the missional Church teaches (in general). Now, I think I do understand. Sorry, to be so slow on the uptake.

Huge thanx!
Don

Your response: “Here, the Gospel is not coming into this guy’s face from a foreign land. Instead, it meets him face to face in real time through knowing him, loving him by asking questions, and showing how Jesus is good, true, and better enough to enter his story for his good (in all of life).” is simply what we use to call “preevangelism”. So far, so good!

We did NOT consider that the whole Gospel

SO, did you, could you, should you, would you share with the Austinite (?) you encountered HOW they can have eternal life thru faith in Jesus Christ? In other words, if this was the only encounter this person had with you, would they have left this conversation understanding HOW to receive eternal life thru faith in Jesus Christ?

Perhaps you didn’t grow up in an evangelical era as I did (1970′s) when, in addition to any “preevangelism” opportunities, “sharing the Gospel” meant, in SOME form or format, that you communicated to them:
1. All are sinners (Romans 3:23)
2. Christ alone is the means of salvation (Rom 6:23) and
3. By simple faith and trust in Him you can know you have eternal life (Rom 9:9-10).

IMPORTANT: Not that you necessarily WOULD have shared this with them. I’ve often had conversations about where a person is at and DID NOT relay any or all of the 3 steps above. But, I would have known it was either a missed opportunity or for some reason it wasn’t the right time/opportunity.

In other words, this same approach in printed form would be Billy Graham’s “Steps to Peace with God”, Navigators “The Bridge” or Campus Crusade “The Four Laws”.

I guess I”m asking for a simple YES or NO. In GENERAL, does the missional church, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, believe, teach that “sharing the Gospel” AT SOME POINT IN THE EVANGELISTIC PROCESS include the 3 points above?

Your response seems limited to “preevangelism” only but that would not be in my estimate ‘sharing the Gospel”.

I can’t speak in behalf of all missional disciples on this issue, ’cause I don’t think there is a ‘typical’ one. But, at least with regards to those at Austin City Life, they are encouraged and taught that the Gospel is not merely true historical information packaged just right for the non-Christian’s reception and cognitive belief. And, the Gospel is not merely a message to be believed for the salvation of one’s soul. The Gospel of Jesus is the power of God to change everything in one’s life; and as an overflow, the Gospel of Jesus renews one’s city–socially, spiritually, and culturally. Because of the all-encompassing relevance, reliability of, and renewal by the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples at Austin City Life are growing in Gospel conversations with each other and with non-Christians.

That is, when in conversation with non-Christians, we are learning how to get to the heart of their stories–learning their deepest struggles, desires, hopes, doubts, fears, etc., in order to share and show how Jesus will meet them right where they’re at, as Savior, Lord, Rescuer, Refuge, Hope, Satisfaction, and More.

For instance, when in conversation with a fellow Austinite the other day, we somehow got into a conversation where he described his frequent feelings of anxiety and stress. So, I then asked him, “How do you deal with that anxiety and stress?” Answer: Yoga, meditation, etc., followed by asking me how I deal with it. Enter The Gospel. God works everything out for my good. I meditate on the Scriptures where I can know God. Jesus bore all my fears and stresses. He is trustworthy, etc. My friend’s response: “That is beautiful.” Here, the Gospel is not coming into this guy’s face from a foreign land. Instead, it meets him face to face in real time through knowing him, loving him by asking questions, and showing how Jesus is good, true, and better enough to enter his story for his good (in all of life).

I don’t think anyone has suggested “confrontational” evangelism in 30 years that I’m aware of. But we all run into people we have reason to believe we will never see them again this side of glory and may want to take advantage of a one time opportunity to share the gospel. Could the “typical” missional disciple share the Gospel “on the fly” if necessary? I honestly don’t know. AND, my question above is asking whether, according to missional principles, not being able to share the simple Gospel message is a problem.

To make it clearer perhaps, would a typical disciple from a missional ministry be encouraged to attend a seminar, class, retreat, college group, etc. to learn how to share the Gospel?

I’ve read several missional/emerging books and this never comes up. Yet, all I’m ever told is what you said Jonathon.

Is there a place or time when one should share “the Gospel” (Four Laws, The Bridge, Steps to Peace with God, Romans Road, etc) with someone who does not know Christ as Savior.
Please, I know its actions “and’ words. Got it! But, is there an actual “crisis confrontation” (Neibuhr?) when the individual has the “plan of salvation”, “Put your faith in Christ alone for salvation” moments explained to him/her; as is the practice of Navigators, Crusade, Billy Graham, etc?

In answering the question, “What is the gospel?” I conclude that we must be careful not to define the gospel in terms that are only understood by the regenerate mind that can now see, but primarily to the perspective of the natural man who cannot know the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned. The Bible reveals a great deal about the person and work of Jesus Christ in salvation, some of which Rick well summarizes in his comment, “…through repentance and faith in the crucified, risen LORD Jesus Christ, we receive forgiveness and an eternally-restored relationship with the Father.” But I would argue that this is the legal soteriology that makes the gospel possible. The gospel itself is the message that Jesus freely offers eternal life to the dead in place of the curse of death that hangs over them. Many who believe in Jesus for eternal life have little or no understanding of their need for redemption, reconciliation or justification. They only know that they’re dead and Jesus offers them life. So the gospel is the gift, not the details of how the gift was purchased.

Cheers