Tell It Well, Tell It Often (Mark McCloskey)

from an email October 23, 2005

I hope you’re having a great weekend. Something that I really enjoy about weekends is the lack of school and the time to relax and sit down and read something other than my Structural Analysis textbook.

I apologize that this book summary has been a long time coming... people have been bugging me and asking “when’s the next one coming?” ... well here it is.

The book is called “Tell It Well, Tell It Often!” by Mark McCloskey. A book all about evangelism, its different forms, Biblical examples... its good! Really good!

Enough of me... here’s some quotes. :) I hope these encourage and challenge you to Tell It Well and Tell It Often!

(pg 171) This is why many groups practice initiative evangelism and employ strategies that encompass masses of people. It is not that they are against the relational element in evangelism, but they do not allow it to determine the scope of their outreach. Let’s reach our friends. Let’s do whatever it takes to communicate authentically to them. But let’s not forget that others also need to hear the gospel.

(pg 190) The evangelist is confident that he delivers the gospel, not as a mere competitor in the marketplace of ideas, but as an ambassador entrusted with the most powerful message ever unleashed on mankind.

AMEN!!!!!!!!

(pg 191) Christianity is a missionary religion. It asks not why men are not coming to us, but why we are not going to men.

(pg 191) The faithful execution of my role as an ambassador for Christ requires that I take the initiative to ensure that the good news is communicated to all who will listen, as soon as possible, so that they might comprehend the gospel as clearly as possible.

ALL WHO WILL LISTEN, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE!

(pg 192) The issue is never whether or not to go. The command to go has already been given. The only issue is whether I will obey.

Bam!! SO GOOD!

(pg 197) Let us pray as Jim Elliot prayed, “Lord, give me firmness without hardness; steadfastness without dogmatism; love without weakness.”

(pg 229) God is more concerned with our availability than our ability.

(pg 242) We are just one beggar telling another where the bread line begins.

(pg 251) As John Stott put it, “Evangelism is a responsibility laid by Christ upon His whole church and every member of it. So the people of God must be both mobilized and trained.”

(pg 252) After all is said and done, there is usually more said than done. Evangelism is much discussed, encouraged and “taught”, but seldom demonstrated. Evangelism is nothing if it is not done.

When was the last time you told someone about Christ?

(pg 253) Hudson Taylor reasoned, “I would never have thought of going out to China had I not believed that the Chinese were lost and needed Christ.”

(pg 255) The Spirit is not a guide and helper for those on a straight way perfectly able to manage on their own. He comes to assist men caught up in the thick of battle, and tried beyond their strength.

(pg 270) We must not forget our Jerusalem on the way to the uttermost parts of the world.

(pg 270) Ideally, every Christian would have both a circle of friends for whom he prays daily and to whom he seeks an opportunity to present the gospel, and a strategy that offers ongoing training and holds him accountable to share the gospel. Beware of any imbalance that finds you sharing with strangers but not with your friends and those in your natural sphere of influence. Beware also of an approach to evangelism that has you building relationships as a bridge to the few, resulting in a barrier between you and the rest of the nonbelieving world.

It’s not an EITHER/OR it’s a BOTH/AND! :) I pray that each and every friend we know would hear about Christ AND ALSO that the name of Christ may be preached around the entire world!