with Darrel Davis

Best-selling author, speaker and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland, best-selling author and apologist Dylan Burroughs together bringing you the truth for a new generation. This is TMG radio in Matthew 28, 18, 19 and 20. Jesus as he was risen from the dead, given the final charge to his disciples and ascending back to heaven. Jesus said, go into all the world and make disciples of every nation that verse along with Mark 1615, which is preach the gospel to every creature. Those verses are commonly referred to as the great commission and I welcome you to today's edition of TMG radio truth for new generation Alex McFarland here and I am so excited not only about the subject matter evangelism in Christ's great commission and really how your church can jumpstart its outreach efforts, but I'm very excited about the person that were gonna have a conversation with because he really personifies evangelism. I have a known reverent Darrell Davis for 20 years, I know. 19 years ago Darrell, you and I were in Amsterdam and we were I give God the glory. But you and I were among the only North Carolinians invited to Amsterdam, 2000, but I had known you a good several years before that. But Darrell Davis is the pastor of Bailey Baptist Church outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, and he's our national traveler he's preached internationally.

He's a guy that I've known for two decades to always have his kind of hand on the pulse of the culture and how to reach people with the gospel of Jesus.

And I wanted to have Darrell on TMG radio and were going to talk about. Here's the question. Whatever happened to evangelism brother Darrell welcome and thanks for making time to be with us on TMG radio thank Alex it's been a pleasure knowing you all these years and you not think back to the Amsterdam 2000 conference.

I remember however body was walk around all sleep deprived because of the crazy schedule and thugs are fallen asleep during that didn't but anyway it was a great time. A great opportunity to yeah and for those it may not know Amsterdam 2000 was in the summer of 2000, the Billy Graham ministry convened out it was really called a world Congress on evangelism. It was in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and let let's talk about that for a minute, let's let's go back on. First of all gathering with people for more than 100 nations. I really don't think anybody but Billy Graham could've put that meeting together. Would you agree all absolutely.

I mean people know him from all over the world and you know that organization at the time was the only one that really could do something like that, logistically, and of course people were like why did they meet in Amsterdam well.

Logically, it made a lot of sense because Amsterdam is, central hub, therefore the world coming somehow the crossroads of East and West did exactly so they did a fantastic job putting things on and you know it was a real blessing to me.

It was a real help to my ministry at that time and I made some friendships that have lasted for a long time. Do you remember your burgers.

Yet, here I come. I'm an American and I got there and there was an overnight flight and it was delayed and I mean that the minute my feet hit the ground in Amsterdam. I was exhausted already. So we take this train out to the riot conference center which was this done enormous conference hall and they said okay working it take a train to where you get to stay in on think it all. Can't wait for my hotel room well in this heavy equipment warehouse were was it seven or 8000 caught at least 7000 there. I believe in and you know my kinda pampered American nose was turned up at it not thought, I'm not gonna say here and I get to my cot, which was a eight or nine minute walk. You know, Claude B. Segments C Ro a you know it was it was like deep in this mass of humanity from all nations, and on my bed. I'll never get to know about years but that was like a very small loaf of brown bread and a block of cheese and a few bottles of water and were supposed to eat on this for a few days and I thought okay I don't have much money but I'm I'm going to do better than this and what change my mind. I want to give you my impression that only hears a man walks in and he's in some toga looking thing and he's like from India or somewhere and he picks up his piece of bread and block of cheese any.

I'm watching this guy hold it and is looking at it like he's looking at some of the unusual object, and he falls to his knees and he starts weeping. He's holding a tiny loaf of bread a block of cheese and a sweeping thank you, God, oh God, thank you for your bounty and I just felt very convicted that the steward one of the blue vest guys. He's given direct. He looked me said Al extension understand for these for these evangelists from developing nations. This is the finest accommodations that will ever have in their entire life and I was really under conviction you remembered that they were talking about some of them had never even slept in a bed like that before, which was astonishing and I don't know if you remember that one evening we ate a meal together, you and I and several other people, but we met an evangelist from India and we ask him about persecution in his country and he says well it's not really that bad. A renowned Indo beater pastors and burner churches down but it's really not that bad, and you're going well. Suffice it to say I came away from Amsterdam feeling like we've got a pretty good were blessed. You know the reason I'm bringing this up. And if you're just tuning and were talking with Rev. Darrell Davison witness a question.

Whatever happened to evangelism. Darrell, what is evangelism year we took but Billy Graham Amsterdam your ministry of more than 25 years dear, what is evangelism will evangelism is proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in the power the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. That's what I've always heard from several of my mentors and so evangelism is that opportunity we get to introduce people our Savior Jesus Christ you listen to TMG radio are very special yesterday. Rev. Darrell Davis Bailey Baptist near Raleigh, North Carolina. TMG radio is back after this from. I am a watchman ministries.

Here's today's I am a watchman minute do you study the word of God. It's a discipline God appreciates and expects to see in his people in the book of acts. Believers in the early church were commended because they studied the Scriptures daily. When you hunger for God's word. You will find wisdom, insight and blessing. In fact, hunger for the word is an evidence of true faith in Christ. The I'm a watchman ministry exist to inspire, encourage and equip believers.

The I'm a watchman ministry offers free resources designed to help you learn who Jesus is what he has done and what he is about to do. There are articles, e-books, teaching kids, videos, and more. Don't be content with the basic knowledge of God and spiritual things dig deep for that's where the treasure is, people. Be faithful, be a watchman, I am a watchman.com first Peter 315 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have were instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarlane for the life he answers teams students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina.

The life answers. Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation. These apologetics teams. We train speaking churches to youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times. From a biblical perspective like is there a God is the Bible true.

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You know, Romans 116 says for. I'm not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God to bring salvation to everyone who believes. That's what your kids need before they go to college. That's the theme for the 2019 TMG Christian apologetics youth camp July 29 through August 2 at Kale North Carolina speakers include of course Alex McFarlane along with Daniel Ritchie, Andy Lawrenson and Vicki Addison exciting worship every night, and rocksolid teaching every day.

And yes, it's a summer camp with all the summer camp activities. Your kids would expect the TMG Christian apologetics youth camp July 29 through August 2 at Kale to learn more and to register, call 800. Yes, God, one 800 yes God in the number one or email info and truth for a new generation.com Tom Yi said for adenine AED we add CA Chan so that the go into all the world and make disciples of every creature. That's the great commission were talking about this today.

TMG review with Rev. Darrell Davis before going farther and say thank you for making time.

It it's great to have you on in a website.

Does your church or your ministry of website your watcher says it's www.welovebailey.com so that's your church website and I still actually rent maintain a site on Facebook for my evangelism ministry so people want to search evangelist Darrell Davis DAR EL they can find information about some of the evangelism opportunities that I continued to do even as a pastor, you know, one of things that I have done now for 10 years in a row is. I have joined a group of men down during Mardi Gras season in normal insurance gospel and streets and on the list and ask about that.

So you know there's pictures of their and testimonies of people who we've had opportunity to share the gospel with innocent interest and experience because you talk to people from all different backgrounds atheist and agnostics and nominal Christians. And of course a lot of people from a Catholic background so it really is down there in voodoo and is a cult that is a Harlan's is a dark place, especially in the French quarter and you know you got me prayed up, sure, sure that evangelism in America. You and I have witnessed the rise of mega-churches in their you know some churches that are huge multicampus thousands of people but yet stats generally show that new conversion growth in the USA is flat, if not declining, though the word of God is clear as you said every church is to be evangelistic.

We know what the messages the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We still have prayer still have the Holy Spirit, and there still multitudes around us that need to be born again, and yet in the USA, a land of more than 350,000 churches were not seeing salvation's, how come my fingers several reasons.

I think one of the biggest reasons and I have come to this conclusion. Over the years as I think the church has really lost confidence in the power of the gospel to say, whosoever will, whenever and wherever it's proclaimed, and I think in order for us to begin making an impact. Again, we got to regain that confidence.

We also are living in a different culture. You know where it knows Dr. Chuck Kelly who is the former president New Orleans Baptist theological seminary made a statement one time and I'm Southern Baptists and he said Southern Baptists are harvest minded generation in midst of an unseated people say that again hard Southern Baptists are harvest minded generation in the midst of an unseated people. In other words people don't have any background on the Bible like they may have had years ago.

Now you know years ago 5060s. We had a lot of cultural Christianity, but at least people were exposed to the Bible and is somewhat and highly literate yet exactly somewhat biblically literate and now is up talk people out there on the streets. Many of them have no idea what the Bible is and some that do basically parrot out what they've heard from some professor and some college somewhere in a course. Obviously he's not going to come at it from the perspective of a Bible believing Christian literature, you know, so I think that's another factor is that's what were dealing with, and in third Alex.

I think one of the big problems is the church is still living back in the 40s and 50s and 60s, and we we still don't have any clue about the changes that are taking place around us so rapidly it may be a little different in urban settings because those churches tend to be a little bit more up-to-date row Madden rural setting. You know people are still living with this mentality and mindset of hate United people are supposed to come to us. Yeah, not we go to them is actually what the gospel is we go to them will and you know where you're ministering you're just a few minutes away from research Triangle Park RTP we call it which is a state of technology and pharmaceuticals and defense contracting in a way where you are is kind of reminds me of Silicon Valley in California and things like that believe that the whole wide world. Different cultures different backgrounds. How do you share the gospel. In this culture that is very unchurched, not knowledgeable about things of the Bible and probably in most cases not under conviction over sin. Sure enough income. We have first I'll have to probably back up from using some of the evangelism methods that we've used in the past, you know, a lot of our evangelism in the past is really focused on you know if you were to die tonight. Would you be 50, 7500% sure you go to heaven well statistics of said that people in the millennial generation to generation C, which is the newest one.

Don't even think about that.

I don't even think about heaven and I think consequently to that's cause the problem in the church because it has created this idea about salvation that salvation is just something I check off my list. And once I've got it done. I just wait for God to call me to heaven so I think one of things we have to do is we have to begin with where people are if you look in the Bible in acts chapter 2 Paul is addressing primarily a Jewish crowd that has a background in the Torah.

The Bible and then when you go over to act 17 Mars Hill, you know he's in a completely different environment he's with people who have no background in the Bible. What he did. The Bible says that he found an idol to an unknown God, and that's where he started.

He began proclaiming the gospel based on that idol, you know, and in he said you know this is the God that you made this altar to proclaim him to you now and you notice interest into because one of things also do is as far as in I'm a pastor but also do some part-time driving for Uber and lift and you know I encounter people that have never heard the basics of the gospel and so again we cannot make the assumption that our culture is familiar with those things and we have to operate in a like said from a whole different game plan and you know we may have to back up and begin talking about why this world is in the shape it is in right now you know because everybody can look around and see that even though this is a very beautiful world that we live in there some wrong things. Should you look at all the crime you look at all the poverty you look at. Although the bad and evil.

This, in the world yeah and violent yeah and where did that come from well Christianity is really the only religion that gives a credible answer to that is because we live in a fallen world is been affected by sin. Your right hand. Take a brief break. This is so interesting folks do not go away because when we come back Durham to put you on the hot seat him and ask you to define sin to 1/21 century, millennial and younger and how would you explain our need to be born again through Jesus Christ stating folks, this is TNG radio truth for a new generation.com and were back with more on evangelism.

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We saw this and that sets the Bible apart from everything else in the ancient world and its religious pantheon of gods and goddesses. The God who speaks is a feature-length documentary from the American family Association available now with the God who speaks.or you don't need to have a Bible degree from Liberty University Center prey worship and obey God they can make life more vibrantly when you're ready for a religious studies degree will find more than 60 ministry degree options. Dr. of Ministry one LeBlanc great forgive any courses. Liberty University where we train champions for Christ liberty.\export to learn more as limiting.\Explorer to learn more generation is coming to greater Fayetteville North Carolina joint Alex Farley along with Josh McDowell and Mark Middleburg for three day seminar filled with truth speaking to the needs of the local and military Christian communities. When is it May 3-5 rockfish church. What's the cost. Just bring five nonperishable food items for local food things that were more and register@foranewgeneration.com welcome back to TNG radio Alex before and here just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina with my friend Darrell Davis. We resume our conversation on evangelism and that how you as a person in your church can jumpstart your evangelism and do what Jesus told us to do which is to win the lost. But I do make you aware of some incredibly exciting things, folks, we are coming to Fayetteville, North Carolina May 3 45 truth for a new generation and were going to be at rockfish church in Fayetteville not listed this folks rockfish church. My dear friend Dr. Dan Stanley. It's one of the country's great churches may 345 Friday Saturday Sunday Josh McDowell were the great living defenders of the faith. Mark Middleburg Mr. evangelism.

He's the man that discipled Lee Strobel who wrote the case for Christ. Margaret becoming a contagious Christian truly one of the great living experts on evangelism and Mark is eager to meet you, to help train you and encourage you. I'll be there speaking so much more.

Please join us in Fayetteville and I want to say how much I appreciate great folks of rockfish church. Many of the people on the base there at Fort Bragg and that's coming up very soon, so go to the website you for new generation.com about that but also our camp, the listener this summer is rushing toward us really rapidly and the camp that we do the TNG apologetics camp is for middle schoolers. It's for high schoolers. We generally have some college students. We have entire youth groups that come and yes mom and dad. You can stay to if you want to its July 29 through August 2 and last year we had people from nine states and we were in South Carolina last year. This year we're in North Carolina. Kale CAL E those of you that are in Virginia or North Carolina Kale is down near the coast. It's beautiful busily kayaking ropes course swimming, Frisbee golf, great food, great fun. Great memories, but I want to challenge you listen as literally every day we get emails from families whose children fall away, that they get disc converted invest a week that will count for a lifetime. Sign up now for TNG camp.

Well, I want to go back to our dear dear brother and friend, Darrell Davis and down with the time left was talk about the basics of the gospel you you said that where a harvest minded church in an on seeded generational stock that's on that seat. How do you to a 21st-century person who probably is not feeling bad over sin. How do you explain what sin is sterile. Well, you know, and I remember years ago, Alex and evangelists who define sin in a very simple way. Sin is when I choose me instead of God.

And that's this explanation is so simple even a child can understand of the churches that are are really reaching lost people and are seeing growth. What are some commonalities you see Darrell in churches that really are able to reach lost people in the 21st century, the churches that are starting to reach people are actually first of all discipling their church members and teaching them to become disciples who make other disciples. When we equip our church members to become disciples who make disciples and teach them is their responsibility to build relationships with their neighbors, their friends or loved ones in order to share the gospel with them. I think that will revolutionize the way our church is reaching people only is this okay but doubtless they were friends and you know we've got a relationship and where were you know talking. How do you move the conversation to spiritual things.

How do you how do you lay the cards on the table and say hey you're my neighbor you're my coworker were friends, but I want to talk with you about your soul. How do you make that move. Darrell, one of the biggest ways as you know, hey Alex, let me tell you about the one thing this made a difference in my life and that Jesus Christ came in and you know you can begin with a personal testimony and you know first about your personal testimony people and can't refute that you didn't have that experience, you know that is because you know that you had that experience so you know that's just one of many ways to bridge the gap but I think you know as I'm build the future from a relationship with someone you know that I want them to understand that the reason why I'm doing this is because Christ transformed my life back in 1996, one surrender my heart to Jesus. Did you know I've found it when things happen whether it's maybe a tragedy in the news or you know a death or bereavement. Sometimes that's when you can gravitate conversation toward spiritual issues this truth. You think when we are faced with our mortality. That gets us to asking a lot of questions you know on Easter. I'm planning on preaching a message on the two thieves that were on the cross and course.

The Bible tells us that one thief was Harlan inserts are a insulting Christ and blaspheme in an originally the second thief was doing that, but then later on, the Bible says that he turned to Christ and he says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. The penitent thief.

There was a change of heart in those moments as he was there on the cross, dying. You know now you know must be careful not everybody gets a moment to have a death bed conversion but also believe that when you're faced with that that idea your if you're not your mortal you're gonna die. I think that really starts the wheels turning in your spirit, and helps you understand you know there's something beyond justice life Darrell if you had a prayer or across from your heart to God for the church in America right now.

What would that be will I think I started out with this, Alex. I think my prayer for the church in America would be that the church would recover the confidence in the God power the gospel to save, whosoever will, whenever and wherever is proclaimed because it seems that we have really lost that and it also seems that we become so inwardly focused. You know the majority church members today and the majority of our churches are really only concerned about what the pastor is going to do for us is he going to be there when we have a surgery. Is he going to be there to hold her hand when were sick or when we die and don't get me wrong, those things are necessary, but when the focus is on the and us and not on the great commission in reaching other people you know there's a problem there, and so on. I think I would also pray that God would bring about a revival in our hearts and are in the heart of the church. Sure you have heard it said that the church is the one organization that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers. I thought about that quote the other day when you asked me about doing this interview has absolutely true. Yeah well were out of time and Darrell were working heavy on again and folks I want to challenge you to be a person who is committed to reaching the Lawson certainly your churches what this is an old quote. It's been using use and use DT Niles said evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We hope you found the bread of life and we hope your helping others find to two thanks for listening to TNG radio and will see you next time truth for a new generation in association with Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries exists to equip Christians with the biblical worldview through conferences and camps for information about upcoming events visit for a new generation.com or give us a call at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries PO Box 102310 NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, North Carolina 27404. Give online@alexmcfarland.com or truth for a new generation.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time. As we bring you more true for a new generation on TNG radio