Book Details
- Author: Floyd McElveen
- Publisher: Multnomah (2003)
- Category: Evangelism
Discerning Reader Editorial Review
Reviewed 05/06/2008 by Mark Tubbs.
Recommended. An octogenarian evangelist shares his passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This little book about evangelism opens with a disturbing illustration: babysitting friends who make no effort to rescue your children from your burning house. Fiddling while Rome burns, as it were, but involving your own children. At first I was put off by the shock factor of McElveen’s approach; this is no way to draw the reader into your book, I thought. Then I realized he isn’t out to draw readers into his book; he is out to draw readers into the world to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying generation. As he says, “The gospel must be sown, not just known.” McElveen isn’t pitting doctrine against doing: “Doctrine is indispensable to our faith.” But he is criticizing certain segments of the Church for doing so:
Imagine two lifeguards allowing a swimmer to drown while they argue over which of them has the better swimming technique! Sound doctrine is vital, but we dare not allow arguments over fine points of theology to keep us from the most pressing task at hand: reaching those who need Jesus. Learning evangelism techniques will be immensely helpful in your witnessing…but the key issue isn’t this method or that method, this technique or that technique. The key is to begin and to persevere, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
For McElveen, the matter is black and white. The question “To evangelize or not to evangelize?” simply doesn’t exist. He states it just as starkly: “Every Christian can win souls, and therefore every Christian should win souls.” To underscore his point, he recounts many, many evangelism episodes, some universally applicable and some situationally restricted. I wouldn’t be comfortable with all of McElveen’s methods, but as he says, “If you don’t like my ways in sharing Christ, do it your way. If you don’t care for my approach, develop your own approach. If you don’t approve of my methods, choose your own methods. Just make sure you do it.” He quotes D.L. Moody in the same vein: “I like the way I evangelize better than the way you don’t evangelize.”
The second chapter, entitled “Why Win Souls?” supplies more reasons for evangelism than I’ve ever seen gathered in one place:
- Because our Lord and Savior commanded us to
- Because those who die without Christ are eternally lost
- Because nothing pleases God more
- Because winning souls brings great joy to our lives
- Because winning souls results in changed lives
- Because the sacrifice of Christ demands that we win others to Him
- Because redeemed individuals bring glory to the Lord
- Because winning souls demonstrates the power of God
- Because winning souls demonstrates the purpose of God
- Because we are grateful
- Because of love
- Because there is rejoicing in heaven
- Because of the promise of heaven
- Because of the reality of hell – McElveen makes no bones about the reality of hell; if God and heaven are eternal, then hell must be eternal too.
- Because of Jesus Himself – “Jesus is what makes heaven a place of incomparable glory and joy.”
McElveen tackles many difficult topics surrounding evangelism. Theologically, he isn’t ignorant of the gospel’s inherent offense:
The gospel of Christ will be offensive to some, no matter how gently you present it – because the Cross itself is an offense. It’s impossible to make the message of the cross non-offensive without diluting, twisting or otherwise misrepresenting the truth. Jesus Himself was refuted, undercut, mocked, rejected, and eventually crucified – and it certainly wasn’t because of any mistakes He made in witnessing.
Concerning techniques, McElveen underscores the need to witness tactfully in all situations, but allows that God in his providence works even through tactless witnesses. Regarding the old evangelical chestnut popularly called the “salvation prayer,” McElveen dismisses such a formulaic approach:
There is no ‘salvation formula’ prayer. And though I try to guide people carefully in the things they must believe, and even have some words I look for in their salvation prayer, some are saved who do not use those words, and some are not saved who do use these words. Salvation depends upon their heart, not their words.
While delivering a hard-hitting, unforgiving message, McElveen does take the time to offer some practical tips: instead of viewing hobbies as downtime, use your hobbies for Christ; instead of viewing your home as your personal haven, open it up to neighbors, co-workers, and anybody else you may come across. “Your home is one of the best evangelistic fields in the world.” If you can’t serve roast moose, as McElveen and his wife have been known to do while living in Alaska, roast beef or corndogs will do.
As the both the subtitle and the opening illustration of Unashamed imply, this book is meant to be incendiary. But it isn’t merely pep rallying for the purpose of evangelism. McElveen truly loves the people he evangelizes. While reading this book (and after finishing) I was concurrently ashamed of inaction, convicted of callousness, and excited to win souls for Christ. The passion to share the gospel burns a little brighter now.
