{"id":12977,"date":"2012-11-14T12:37:09","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T20:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=12977"},"modified":"2013-05-31T18:29:39","modified_gmt":"2013-06-01T02:29:39","slug":"am-i-an-evangelical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/am-i-an-evangelical\/","title":{"rendered":"Am I an Evangelical?"},"content":{"rendered":"

My online friend, Mike Keffer, who is also a contributor to our forthcoming book,\u00a0Finding Church<\/em><\/a>, sent me the following email and asked me to share it with you for your input…<\/p>\n

Here is what he wrote:<\/p>\n

\n

I have been a Christian since May 1985…and I have never been evangelical…ever. I have tried, I really have.<\/p>\n

\"evangelical\"I realize some of you now think that I am not a “true christian” whatever that looks like. Believe me, I have had the same thoughts. I was not raised in a Christian home. My parents are still unbelievers. George, a friend in High School, witnessed to me for an entire year and then, on the last day of school, I placed my faith in Jesus. It was His love for me that won me over. I was a very, very damaged kid. I had done a lot of bad things and feared Hell more than anyone so I knew what I was saved from and how awesome it was to become a believer in Christ.<\/p>\n

Still, I never thought about sharing my faith, I just didn’t want to. I still don’t. At least not like pastors and evangelists say I should. Sure I ordered tracts, in fact there is about 1000 or so in the back seat of my car right now. I just never went door to door to pass them out. I never stood at a bus station or visited hospitals or food banks in order to witness to someone about the glorious Person of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

It gets worse,<\/strong> I used to be a “fundie.” That’s right, a fundamentalist. And I never shared my faith even when I was a member of a fundamentalist church. Never even thought about it.<\/p>\n

It gets worse.<\/strong> I am a seminary graduate. I added up the number of academic hours I have logged in addition to the training I have received and it may exceed 500 hours. I have lost track of the books, syllabi, cassette tapes, videos, etc… I have a BA, a ThM, a ThD, and a PhD. Plus I have graduated courses of study from at least four bible institutes. I have learned from the late Zola Levitt, Jeffrey Seif, Mal Couch, Charlie Bing, and Arnold Fruchtenbaum among many others.<\/p>\n

Yet, I still did not develop a zeal for spreading the gospel to others. I don’t have the desire as I write this.<\/p>\n

It gets worse still.<\/strong> I was once ordained as a minister of the gospel and a bible teacher. I taught at a bible institute for a while and then I taught my own students who took university level courses of study through me as an accredited mentor. I taught in the local church. I taught co-workers, family members, and I teach my sons. I am an effective teacher too, based on the reaction of those who have heard me. They say I act like I know Jesus, that is pretty cool.<\/p>\n

So, what gives? Why don’t I share the Gospel?!<\/h2>\n

Just so you know, I renounced my ordination and I no longer teach the bible in a formal setting.<\/p>\n

In fact, I no longer attend worship in any formal setting.<\/p>\n

I have read literally hundreds of books too, I devour them. My OCD\/Aspbergers assists me in reading books, I almost memorize them on a\u00a0subconscious\u00a0level. Still, I do not want to share my faith like you would think I would.<\/p>\n

I guess I do manage to “share the gospel” but only (and I mean only<\/em>) in a one-on-one basis, but never in a planned<\/em> way. I do not carry a message or sermon around with me. The verses of scripture I memorize are for me, to help me, and not to share with anyone else. The tracts have been riding around in my car for about a month now. Recently, a fellow believer wanted to go to a local bus terminal during our lunch break one day and pass out the tracts I ordered. I have been stalling ever since…I simply don’t want to go. The thought seems like a\u00a0colossal\u00a0waste of time<\/p>\n

What is wrong with me? Am I even a believer? <\/strong><\/p>\n

This cannot be normal.<\/p>\n

Can the readers of Jeremy’s blog help me? Please share your thoughts about this.<\/p>\n

\n

I think Mike’s situation might be more common than he realizes… and he has had the courage to ask the hard questions.<\/p>\n

So what do you think? Is he an “evangelical”? Is he even “saved”? Is there something “wrong” with him? Is there even a “problem”?<\/p>\n

If there is a problem, is it with him, or does it lie somewhere else?<\/p>\n

As you leave comments, be kind and constructive…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What does an evangelical look like? Am I one? If not, am I saved? What if I do not share the Gospel? My online friend, Mike Keffer, who is also a contributor to our forthcoming book, Finding Church, sent me the following email and asked me to share it with you for your input…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[19],"class_list":{"0":"post-12977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"tag-discipleship","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nAm I an Evangelical?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does an evangelical look like? 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