Last Words Radio vs. Jon Reid

The podcast is up! Last Words Radio let me know they were going to critique my 14 Reasons to Stop Evangelizing Your Friends. Over Twitter before the show, I suggested that we make it a Celebrity Deathmatch, where my claymation figure takes on their claymation figures in a wrestling match to the death. Fight! Fight!

I had originally planned to write a Part 4 in my This I Used to Believe series critiquing their response to Trisha. But because this latest show focused specifically on what I wrote, it clearly highlights the differences in our philosophies, approaches to evangelism, and understandings of the gospel. So now I'm wondering if it's worth doing Part 4; it may still be valuable, especially if Trisha gets around to writing her response to them.

I missed the first eight minutes of the show (busy tucking my girls into bed), but was then able to connect with Dru and Tony on the show's chat room. So I had a small "voice" on the air as they read aloud some of the things I typed in response to them.

One of my favorite parts is at 45:30 where Dru reads a section of Part 3 where I quote Leonard Sweet. If you listen carefully it sounds like Tony may be sighing at the mere mention of Len's name. But what makes me laugh out loud is Dru reading the quote but inserting a one-word comment, "…Emergent…" Too funny!

But of course, my favorite part is at 9:45 when Dru mentions the Celebrity Deathmatch, and Tony says I must be a professional cage fighter! All in all, I was very pleased that despite our significant differences, they were fun and pleasant to talk with. I like these guys!

The podcast is available in two places:

• If you have iTunes, click here. You can listen directly or download it to your computer or iPod.
• If you don't have iTunes, what is wrong with you? ;-) Go to the podcast at Last Words Radio and click the microphone in the center of the image to begin playing.

It's an hour long, so what you might do is download it to your iPod and listen to it in sections in the car. Then I'd love to hear what you thought. Be nice! Let's discuss ideas, not slam people.

Thanks again to Last Words Radio for including me on their show.

Comments

[Tony]

Jon,

We enjoyed our interaction with you, too. :-)

[Jon Reid]

Thanks, Tony!

[Carrie]

It was indeed a lively and interesting conversation...

[Jon Reid]

Carrie, you're the only friend I know of who caught it live. I'm curious to see who will listen to the podcast, knowing that it's an hour long.

[Joe G]

Very cool! I'm glad they put it on iTunes. I caught the first 35 min or so before I had to tend to the kids. Did they make it thru your whole list?

[Joe G]

I dig your shades, btw.

[Jon Reid]

Joe, glad to know you were there, too! Yes, they did make it through the list.
"I packed your angry eyes, just in case." :-)

[nstryker]

i listened to it and enjoyed the "emergent" comments, although i didn't really know what that meant. obviously it was a critique, but it's kinda a baby in the bathwater type of statement... i used to do the same thing with the word "republican," haha.

it was a fairly frustrating listen at first, as i felt they were more interested in battling a stereotype they've built up in their minds (and what sounded like some past bad relationships for the guy that kept referencing his old church), instead of attempting to bridge the gap between the two perspectives. obviously your original post took an us vs. them stance, but you weren't directing it against an actual believer's world view.

i was also somewhat bothered by their assumption that your desire to not evangelize your friends was based in some aspect of non-belief in some aspect of the gospel message, rather than a genuine conviction that relational ministry is more effective at "winning souls."

then i realized that the body is many parts and God has made His pottery for different uses and i started listening to them in order to understand their perspective and learn something. from then on out i was really inspired and convicted by what they were saying. how many times have i taken the softer path when friends have come to me, most likely knowing i'm a believer, and i've pussyfooted around Christ's message. it's unlikely that God will call me to stand on the street corner witnessing to strangers, but just this weekend a stranger on a street corner came up to me, and i failed to minister to him. i have a lot to learn from those that are so bold.

[Jon Reid]

nstryker,
I try to learn from everybody, including those I disagree with. And I think you've hit upon a good thing by calling out the boldness these guys have. I want to be careful not to let the pendulum swing too far from being in-your-face to pussyfooting. Following the Holy Spirit's lead requires a lot of boldness, and boldness often comes with practice and repetition (as you know from music). So let's be bold — but let's boldly love.

Incidentally, although my 14 reasons might seem to be directed against something abstract, I am really talking to my past.

[Wally]

Research by an evangelical conference shows that 97.4% of so-called Christians die without sharing the gospel to one person. If Christ is the most important thing in your life, how can that be? I used to be one of the 97.4% until God convicted of my sin a couple years ago. Christ gave the Great Commission to all of us not just the 12 apostles. I still fail at being obedient to share my faith quite a bit, but at least I do something.

I like what atheist Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller said on youtube, "If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

My lack of evangelizing really made me look at my life and examine myself as it says in 2 Corinthians 13:5. I do not think that I ever understood the depth of my sin before a holy God and I never really understood what Christ did for me on the cross. He endured the wrath that I deserved so that I could gain His righteousness. How can I not share this great news with others. Here is a quote from Charles Spurgeon that really made me think: "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that."

[Jon Reid]

Wally, I'm curious to learn more about that 97.4% number. I'm not disputing it, just want more background so I have more context.
Of course, the most important number is 1: Me. That is, regardless of what anyone else is doing, am I following the leading of the Holy Spirit, day by day?

Folks, here's the Penn Jilette video Wally's talking about, for anyone who hasn't seen it. I do not agree with his premise, but I like the story he shares of the faithful person who shared with him, clearly led by the Spirit.

[Wally]

The 97.4% comes from a booklet by Bill Fay called "The Sin of Silence" and I believe he got that number by a study done by the Southern Baptist conference. Bill is very easy to talk to and will even call you back if you contact him with questions about evangelizing. For more information go to his website http://www.sharejesuswithoutfear.com

[Jon Reid]

Thanks, Wally!