31 Tweetable Quotes from Jonathan Dodson's book, The Unbelievable Gospel

In “The Unbelievable Gospel:Say Something Worth Believing” by Jonathan Dodson we are reminded that we have the best news in the world for the human heart and soul, but a growing number of people find it unbelievable. Two groups of Christians contribute to this unbelief.

The first group shares the gospel in a way that is preachy, impersonal, intolerant, condescending, and, even, uncaring. We may mention who Jesus is, even what He has done, without lifting a finger to delve into the doubts and struggles that people are facing.

The second group remains silent hoping that their actions alone will win people to Jesus. The problem, however, is that the good news must be proclaimed in a way that it gets heard.

In Dodson’s book, he addresses each of these important concerns and charts a wise and patient way forward in recovering a more believable way to share the best news ever.

At Cuyahoga Valley Church, we are excited that Jonathan will be joining us for a practical 1/2 day seminar on evangelism on Saturday 10.24.15 as we seek to equip our leaders. (Leaders from other churches will be welcome to attend. Stay tuned for more details about how to register.)

Here are a few of my favorite tweetable quotes from the “The Unbelievable Gospel.”

On the believer’s responsibility in evangelism…

God chooses to work through means, and that means you and me.

A believable gospel is a gospel in stereo - a reasonable explanation given with Spirit-filled power.

On the centrality of Jesus in evangelism…

Jesus is enough, not only for us but for the world.

True apologetics begins with heartfelt confidence in Jesus.

In effective evangelism, it must be Christ who is cherished and Christ who is shared.

The story line of the Bible is an explanatory narrative that accounts for our deepest longings and hopes while narrating a world we all want.

While we may not have the ability to answer every question, Jesus gives us the ability to be secure in our faith.

On our reluctance to talk about Jesus…

Reluctance to talk about Jesus springs from a desire to gain the approval of others instead of resting in God's approval.

May we toss out the penny stocks of the fear of man to invest deeply in the limitless riches of Christ.

On being culturally aware and relevant in evangelism…

Become culturally fluent able to articulate the gospel personally in words and idioms that make sense to the people we talk to.

A thinking faith communicates the gospel fluently in ideas, idioms, and words our hearers can understand.

A thinking faith thinks deeply about the implications of the gospel in various cultures and communicates that to people in those contexts.

On wise evangelism…

People don't just need a 30 second gospel presentation. They need to understand "why" the gospel is worth believing.

When we engage in mindless, impatient, and unwise evangelism, we are just piling stones on top of graves.

Good evangelism shares in a way that the light of God's grace can travel down a shaft, into the grave of a darkened heart.

Engaging in apologetics doesn't mean being defensive or having an argument locked and loaded.

On being clear about our reasons to believe…

If our faith can't stand up to the test of good questions and hard times is it worth banking on?

If we hope without adequate reason, then what good is our faith?

On tolerance and pluralism, and persuasion…

Classic tolerance believes that other opinions have a right to exist. The new tolerance believes that all opinions are equally valid or true.

Religious pluralism might appear to be tolerant, but it places itself above other religions, in a position of power.

The idea of religious tolerance assumes there are differences to tolerate but pluralism is intolerant of those differences.

You cannot say, "I believe Jesus is the only way," and also say, "I believe all religions lead to God."

Faith in religious pluralism - that there are many paths that all lead to God - is not an observable, self-evident fact.

You can doubt Jesus and trust pluralism, or you can doubt pluralism and trust Jesus. But you can't have both.

Persuasive tolerance extends people the dignity of their own beliefs while also freely making the case for one's own belief.

If we believe that eternal life is only found in knowing Christ, then tolerant persuasion is an act of love.

On respect toward others in evangelism…

In light of the patience God shows to those who do not deserve it we should be willing to respect the beliefs of others.

Jesus never launched into tirades against the Romans, nor did He engage in lengthy diatribes denouncing the Greeks.

On grace and guilt in evangelism…

Gospel preaching is meant to relieve your woes and remove your guilt through faith in Jesus.

Good preaching doesn't just show you your sins, it shows you a Savior, who absorbs your sins.

True gospel preaching doesn't mound up guilt; it relieves guilt.

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The author of “The Unbelievable Gospel” is Jonathan Dodson (M.Div, Th.M). Jonathan is happy husband to Robie, and proud father to Owen, Ellie, and Rosamund. He is the lead pastor of City Life Church in Austin, Texas and a leader in PlantR and Gospel Centered Discipleship.com. Jonathan is also author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection, and The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing. He enjoys listening to M. Ward, smoking his pipe, watching sci-fi, and following Jesus.

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If you need help in developing and implementing a clear and compelling evangelism strategy that flows out of your unique vision for your church, please contact me at rick@auxano.com to have a conversation about what it might look like for me to be your Lead Navigator through the Auxano Vision Frame process. I'd love to see how I might serve you. Or reach out to another Lead Navigator for Auxano. You can find the Auxano team contact information here: Auxano Staff.