Not Your Parent's Religion

House Church Evangelism: Redefining Success and Taking Spiritual Authority #211

Pastor Robert Young Season 3 Episode 211

Send us a text

Ever wondered why traditional church buildings feel intimidating to so many people? House churches offer a refreshingly different approach to evangelism that meets people where they are—in comfortable, relational settings where genuine conversations about faith can naturally unfold.

Pastor Young takes us deep into the evangelistic power of house churches, revealing how these intimate gatherings create spaces where the message of Jesus can reach those who might never enter a conventional church building. "House churches often provide a strong place and emphasis on relational evangelism," he explains, highlighting how authentic connections form the foundation for sharing faith in these settings.

The heart of this episode comes from a real-world evangelism experiment, where house church leaders engage with strangers and encounter common misconceptions about Jesus. One particularly revealing conversation exposed how some view Jesus as merely a "trust fund" or financial investment rather than a relationship. This prosperity-focused distortion of Christianity demonstrates exactly why relational evangelism is so crucial in today's world—it creates space to address these misunderstandings through genuine connection rather than confrontation.

Perhaps the most valuable insight comes when discussing how we measure success in evangelism. Rather than counting conversions, Pastor Young emphasizes understanding which part of the "harvest cycle" we're participating in—planting, watering, or harvesting. "Always ask God to show you how," he advises, reminding us that our responsibility is obedience to God's leading, not manufacturing results. The power of this perspective is illustrated through a moving story about a young man who was ready to respond because others had already planted and watered seeds of faith in his life.

Whether you're curious about house churches, struggling with evangelism, or simply seeking authentic expressions of faith beyond institutional walls, this episode offers practical wisdom for sharing Jesus in today's skeptical culture. Join our growing community of believers who are rediscovering the power of relationship-based faith that looks nothing like your parents' religion.

Support the show

Consider helping us to take the Gospel to others here:
https://patreon.com/churchplanting
https://cash.app/$WellnessInstitute
Leave a voicemail question or prayer requests here:
(585) 331-3424
Leave an email question, prayer requests or comment here:
robyoung51.ry@gmail.com


Speaker 1:

Hi friends, this is Pastor Young from Not your Parents Religion Podcast. One of the key benefits of house churches is their ability to effectively engage in evangelistic work. House churches also have the advantage of being less intimidating for those who may be hesitant to step foot in a traditional church building. The casual and relaxed atmosphere of a house church can make newcomers feel more comfortable and open to hearing about the message of Jesus Christ. Also, house churches often provide a strong place and emphasis on relational evangelism. Strong place and emphasis on relational evangelism, which involves building genuine connections with non-believers and sharing the gospel through personal stories and experiences.

Speaker 1:

The importance of evangelism cannot be overstated. In our Christian faith, it is the calling of every believer to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, and house churches offer a unique and effective platform for this work. In a house church, members are able to build strong relationships with one another, which in turn, creates a sense of community and trust. This community can then be extended to those outside of the church, making it easier to share the message of Christ in a natural and welcoming way. House churches have the ability to be powerful tools for evangelism by fostering a sense of community, creating welcome environments and emphasizing personal relationships, House churches can effectively reach out to those who may not have otherwise encountered the message of Jesus Christ. As the house church continues to evolve and adapt to modern society but remember never changing its message the importance of house churches in evangelistic work cannot be overlooked.

Speaker 1:

Now, with that in mind, I took the leader and a volunteer of one of the house churches in our network out into the evangelism field. Let's listen in on what they learn in the process. Oh, we got, we got some more of our evangelists back. How'd you guys do out there?

Speaker 2:

Oh, you're fine.

Speaker 1:

Get on the microphone and talk about it, I'll be fine. It's not that far of a drop, so tell me about it. So, shonda, answer to your question is yes, you have heard of this.

Speaker 2:

You should sit there. You've been walking. I should be standing.

Speaker 1:

He's 12. He can walk.

Speaker 3:

We encountered one gentleman, two. Well, we felt the vibes when we walked up, so they scattered One person. One person was engaging, which you know we thought was yeah, I don't want to pass judgment on no one. I get his understanding and position on his stance with.

Speaker 1:

What was his stance?

Speaker 3:

Earthly. Yeah well, he's not a believer, so no, because he believes in Jesus, he knows the name.

Speaker 1:

Is he a follower of Jesus?

Speaker 3:

Well, I can't make that assessment from the name. Is he a follower of Jesus? Well, I can't make that assessment from the conversation. He looks at Jesus as a trust fund.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

That's exactly what he said. He's like a trust. It's like once he's invested and you've invested in him, it can't be taken from you. But what I got all in all was he's more involved with the salvation of this world, not the next.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

Of the spirit.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

So he's saying like, once you have Jesus and Jesus is your investment you put it or into his investment, you can leave something behind for your children, which is correct. It's just not the right context, I guess.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 3:

You know, which is correct. It's just not the right context, I guess. Right, you know. And when I try to engage about the spiritual part of it, it's like brother I, I consider myself financially stable, I have an investment, aggressive ira, and he's like when legalities, the legal aspects of it, like, oh, you don't have to share such information. Same with I expressed how I used to be a drug dealer because you know, and he went to preach the first amendments in it, so it's more of a legassic things of the rules of this world. So when I tried to explain the pharisee stance of the legalities of the god's word, because the structure of society is where it's based from, you know, he's more clung to the earthly, manly parts of jesus, rather what jesus came to serve. And do you know, like the whole old testament is about jesus right it's about his structure and how society we should live.

Speaker 3:

But then it was misled and taken out of context and that's where I feel like his soul is resting. He's complacent in the out of context part and that's where I feel like his soul is resting.

Speaker 1:

He's complacent in the out of context part, the outer realm of Jesus Christ. Yes, yes, Actually we cover that concept in one of our podcast episodes. Well, we know about the Christian National and how they've twisted things. But, there's another on the opposite end of the spectrum of people who have made Jesus out to be some type of political activist or some type of civil activist, and there might be a part of that in there, but Jesus' real reason wasn't to change societal government systems.

Speaker 3:

Correct. So I took a different perspective. I went kind of straight from your questionnaire and asked about his heart, yes. So I asked questions of you know, would you help someone? And he's like, yeah, if it's beneficial in a sense. Literally what he said.

Speaker 3:

Pretty much If there's something to trade off, then yes, and I was like, okay, well then, what if there's an old lady in need? Would you to trade off? Then yes, and I was like, okay, well then what if there's an old lady in need, would you help? Not your grandmother, a grandmother like woman, you see her in distress. Would you help? And another gentleman that was next to him, because he first thing he said to me was I'm pentecost. And I said what's that? I was I don't know what these titles and dominions left right, but when he heard me speaking about helping, I was like so how's your heart in general, if you see someone need, do you need to gain something to help them? And he said, well, no, like if she's in need, if it's a child. So obviously there's a realm, there's a window there right who would you help, he said.

Speaker 2:

He said, if it was a kid, he'd let him fall and get up on his own right, you know it's tough love.

Speaker 1:

I guess that kind of sense, yeah you know, so I'm.

Speaker 3:

I was trying to like get him to realize, but he wouldn't get out of the focus of the, the financial position of the materialistic part of the world, I guess.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So when I started questioning about the heart, I was just trying to get a genuine answer. If you were genuinely a good person, you know.

Speaker 1:

Well, many people have made Jesus kind of like a self-help guru even.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Or, like you said, a trust. We have somebody in office now in the administration that a proponent of the prosperity gospel. If you do this, Jesus will bless you financially. If you do this, Jesus will bless you financially. And, as the listeners know, that's one of the things that we touch all the time is the distortion of what real followers of Jesus is all about. It's more than just what we see down here and the financial and all that other stuff that people get mixed up in. When you're using Jesus as a barter system, You're not.

Speaker 2:

you're not well see our father in heaven. You're praying to the God of this world.

Speaker 1:

Well, well, he is a genie in a magic bottle, right, you rub him three times and he comes out and grant you wishes.

Speaker 2:

You know they're saying hey. I want I want money and wealth and I want all these things, but what?

Speaker 3:

are you? Well, you know I'm going to elaborate on this because this is not going to plant seeds. It's planted seeds within my question of Lord, not questioning the Lord, but when the Lord says the only sin is blaspheming me, you know. So if someone believes in Jesus, is that claiming him?

Speaker 1:

No.

Speaker 3:

If someone believes who he is.

Speaker 1:

No.

Speaker 3:

If they claim him, like this man says, is Jesus the only way to heaven? He said yes, yes, okay. And then he says do you think Jesus Christ is about peace and love? No, so that's just not the relationship part of it, correct?

Speaker 1:

He just doesn't know who he is. Do you remember in the scripture? I believe it was the apostle Paul said you believe in Christ. Good Even the devil's believing Jesus. Amen and tremble at him, so just believe. I believe that he's here.

Speaker 3:

That doesn't mean that you have a relationship with him. You know, I guess, the part where I don't know, maybe. Maybe we should ask a few more questions to this Jesus died for everyone.

Speaker 1:

To this it says did Jesus die for everyone? Nemo, I always say to, especially to our walker if God leads you to come up with better icebreaker questions, by all means do it. We are not pharisaical here.

Speaker 3:

Well, no, this is why I went and asked about his heart, because I saw nothing here about the heart, the main thing about it.

Speaker 3:

If we're not our parents' religion, it should be about your relationship with christ. Right, and that comes from the heart. How does your heart fare? Because that's what the lord looks at, right, you know, it's not about the, what we see people as, what they're wearing, their apparel, whatever the case may be, god lifts up the lowly right, you know, and makes them. He makes them something where those that are in high position he abases.

Speaker 1:

We covered that yesterday, yeah.

Speaker 3:

So yeah, I am going to give this some thought. All right, well, put it to the group. Put it to the group, I am.

Speaker 1:

Come up with some better questions and we have a second set of questions.

Speaker 3:

A third. We got four.

Speaker 1:

It depends on where we are, the demographic that we're in. Like I said nothing. Obviously the Bible is written in stone.

Speaker 3:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Metaphorically well, physically as well, but to be led by the Spirit and not say, well, it's got to be this way. This is the best way and the only way. That's not where we're coming from.

Speaker 3:

So that's what I had to make sure they, when we first engaged, he was like well, what are you? We're just here speaking on behalf of the Lord, Right? So they were looking for a denomination of title.

Speaker 4:

They were asking if we were Jehovah's.

Speaker 3:

Witnesses yeah, JWs.

Speaker 4:

I'm always. What did you say earlier?

Speaker 1:

Oh wait people are funny about titles, yeah, that they are, and this generation wants something different than what their parents had.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Every time I walk to a per, talk to a person in a specific age group and tell them the name of the podcast, they automatically get it. They automatically get. I don't don't know More explanation is necessary. And it's like I understand where you're coming from, because my parents did this, this, this you know as far as religion. So that's. I guess we're getting the rebels without a cause.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Now when we're on Dewey Avenue, we don't even do this Right. There's a different approach there. So I guess what I'm trying to get you guys to see and you may already know this is to be led by the Spirit when you're witnessing to whoever. And is there a set way? Is there a better way? I don't know. Just to be led by the Spirit, because we don't know where a person's heart is and who God is going to lead us to.

Speaker 3:

Amen.

Speaker 1:

We can't just say well, if we do this, then more will come. No, correct, Well is more a sign of success. Who knows?

Speaker 3:

That's where faith comes in.

Speaker 1:

That's where faith comes in, and we don't know if we're planting, watering or getting the increase. Amen.

Speaker 3:

Or harvesting.

Speaker 1:

Or harvesting. Well, the increase is harvest, what we consider harvest.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

In fact, I got a whole book about it. It's called God's Law of Harvest, coming out soon. No, but this is definitely an experience for me. So that's what I wanted to talk to you two about. Tell me about your experience. Come on a little closer there. Come on a little closer. I have four microphones only brought to so you guys gonna have to.

Speaker 3:

So I came in confident, I'm still confident, but now I'm puzzled how so?

Speaker 3:

well, the engagement of it. Obviously I'm led by the spirit. Always I try not to put my own position and demeanor on anything. I try to be of God's will. What I'm puzzled on is now Lord, in this engagement that you brought me before, I was unsuccessful. I guess In this engagement that you brought me before I was unsuccessful, I guess he was more concerned with the financial things of this world. I feel like what I said was rebuttaled, it wasn't received. Right, it wasn't received. You know the understanding. It was more like I wasn't trying to like, it wasn't to put religion behind it.

Speaker 1:

OK.

Speaker 3:

It was the love of Christ, you understand.

Speaker 1:

The biggest piece, the biggest chapter in the book that I'm finishing up is about how we, as believers, determine what is success. So I go back and I say what would be your definition of success in that situation? Spiritual success.

Speaker 2:

I think, just doing what the Lord put us here to do. Even if we weren't able to reach a person, we tried.

Speaker 3:

I don't know if I didn't reach him. I don't know if I planted seeds with a few words that I said.

Speaker 2:

That's what I'm saying and that's for this is what I mean by I left confused.

Speaker 3:

It's not about him, it's about me and my relationship with God.

Speaker 1:

I guess the better question to ask ourselves after each engagement or whatever we do for the Lord. Lord, did I do what you told me to do? Exactly that's what I was getting at.

Speaker 2:

We can only do what we're put here to do and if someone, whether or not they're willing to receive it, that's their own my thing is like, what I was going to pray about was literally this is uh, lord.

Speaker 3:

I hope that I delivered as I intended to do for you and not myself amen, amen.

Speaker 1:

The first chapter in this book talks about success, because I've seen too many people get involved in some type of evangelism or discipleship and because they don't see the large numbers flocking when they say something, they get discouraged right and they stop. But I go on to say wait a minute. First of all, what, which area of the harvest were you in first of all? Were you in the planting? Were you in the watering? Were you in the increase or harvesting part? If you don't know what part you're in, you can't just automatically say I was unsuccessful.

Speaker 1:

Find out where you were first, and then we can make a determination. But first of all, if God told look how many times God told people in the Bible to go do something, and he knew they were going to be. By the way, nineveh Jonah, yes they eventually backslid again.

Speaker 4:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

And God did something to them. And Jonah went and sat under a tree just like over there and he said I told you they wasn't going to receive you. And God said whether they receive me or don't receive me, that ain't your business. Yeah, you just do what I told you to do.

Speaker 3:

Amen.

Speaker 1:

I know we're not supposed to have favorite preachers, but my favorite preacher he's deceased now Charles Stanley. He said obey God and leave the consequences up to him. If you tell someone about Jesus and they tell you to get the blankety blank out of your blankety, blank, blank face, if you know that you Ezekiel.

Speaker 3:

Exactly, that's Ezekiel. He told him right to him, he him. He said you know you do my bidding and tell them, but if you don't do my bidding and don't tell them, the same falls upon you, even if they reject you.

Speaker 1:

You did what god told you to do amen so, with that, how was your experience, would you say?

Speaker 2:

um. So I mean, I'm kind of in a little bit of a different headspace because of what I experienced recently. So for me, I think I've had a lot of discernment fall upon me recently, the enemy kind of putting up a block between us and them so that those people just were not strong enough to receive what we were saying. It was like a block, and then they scattered. You know, we we had several people on the bench, I think there were like four or five, down to one, the one last man that sat there yeah, ran them off yes, all right, in two seconds, but you know, for me it was like I'll explain this, this nonsense later

Speaker 2:

I'll explain for me it was just kind of like you know the realization, like wow, you know, I I guess I've seen it before, but now I see it, see it you know, and and and it's it kind of saddens me that so many people are blinded by the enemy yes, that you really would have to find the person would have to find enough strength within themselves to be willing and voice their willingness to receive the message we're trying to give them.

Speaker 1:

Can I add something to that? Yeah, a lot of times they're not going to be strong enough.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I know.

Speaker 1:

And then it's incumbent upon who to be stronger. Who has the power to rebuke Satan Jesus? Who has the power to rebuke Satan Jesus? Who has the power to rebuke Satan Jesus? Well, how about this scripture? What Jesus said to his disciples Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and all over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall wasn't that, the prayer that we prayed before we went off, lord buying those spirits that would try to keep people from hearing from you and let me tell this story again me, sean and kenya and her mother or cousin.

Speaker 1:

We're up in new york, in Niagara Falls, and we're walking the streets with our signs that said we love Jesus. We talked to several people. We talked to this family of people. We talked to a lot of folks. We had just finished doing what we do. We walked over to the truck. We were taking pictures for the Instagram and Facebook and whatnot, as a mode of encouragement to those that see it Not to show off or anything like that. And the police came up and they were like we got a call that you guys were in the streets and you were blocking traffic and all this kind of stuff. And we're like what? So I said jokingly to the cop I said I like living too much. I wasn't in the middle of the street.

Speaker 1:

Nah, nah nah, my point is the spirits that was in that area didn't like what we were doing and tried to distract us, and we're going to run into that quite a bit.

Speaker 2:

I was just saying to him as we were walking back, I was like the Holy Spirit in us will irritate the demons and others Right and remember we have the power and authority to bring those spirits under submission for Christ's sake.

Speaker 1:

Obviously, it's not our own power, but it's the power of Christ. So I'm sorry, please Give me five more minutes. Just give me five more minutes.

Speaker 3:

You're fine, I just need to. Something just came upon me and I need to report it before.

Speaker 1:

I forget it, okay. So the question is would you do it again? Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And I'll say that this was just me getting my feet wet.

Speaker 1:

Right, right, that's exactly what I wanted for you guys to get your feet wet and the Lord will begin to speak to your heart and mine on different ways better ways, more effective ways, all kinds of as the late, great Mr Marshall used to say, every which-a-way. You can use that word whenever you want. That means every which-a-way. However, I caution you when you're doing evangelism of this sort. Always ask God to show you how. About this? When Jesus fed the 5,000 or two how many thousand it was did you notice that he didn't start off with that, he didn't use food or anything like that to try to draw people in. He noticed that his anointing was so strong that that drew people. And then he saw that they had been with him all day and he said these people are probably hungry and tired. Let's feed them, not the other way around. Are you following where I'm going? Right, because when you use now, that's not to say that we can't use Like a bribery.

Speaker 1:

Exactly. I've seen ministries where they say we'll feed you, but you got to hear the gospel first.

Speaker 3:

No, so that's not my intent.

Speaker 1:

I know I just have to cover this Amen.

Speaker 3:

I was just talking to her about that, I just have to cover it, though, because otherwise it's bribery. I felt like I would have rather I sat for 40 minutes getting to know that gentleman.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

In his position Right.

Speaker 4:

Letting him know that the Lord sees me Right.

Speaker 3:

That if I be seen with him, then come to me at any time. Right, Like the Lord says come as you are. There are forms of evangelism, amen.

Speaker 1:

Many forms, many forms. We actually take this into a coffee house and sit and talk to people in a coffee house. You're reaching a different demographic of people, of course, and depending on where you are, god will give you the wisdom on how to reach wherever you are.

Speaker 1:

But wherever we go, whoever we're trying to reach, we have to take authority over those unclean spirits because there's so much stuff out here now that people are just so confused about who Christ really is Just confused. This man thinks that Christ is a piggy bank. The prosperity gospel preaches that all the time. You know, if you pay your tithes faithfully, god's going to bless you with a million. Yeah Right, you got to trust God.

Speaker 2:

He was emphasizing that a lot.

Speaker 1:

And even if that was true, that still doesn't mean that you have a relationship with him, right, you know?

Speaker 2:

Because have you actually sat with him? Have you read?

Speaker 3:

the words.

Speaker 2:

Do you know him?

Speaker 3:

You got that recognition. Now you have the eyes to see it. Now that's what you were saying on the way back. I followed him, but I didn't sit with him Praise God. Put your own spin on things, your own to make comfort of. Jesus, a blanket, as you say.

Speaker 1:

Any feedback from our seasoned veterans over here? Ladies, I called you seasoned veterans.

Speaker 4:

I think you need to know on the head when you talk to him to figure out what season he was in before he said it was a failure Because I was going to say the same thing, Like maybe you were just meant to go there and plant that seed in him and give him something to think about later. Yes, yes To reflect back on to something to think about later. Yes, yes, to reflect back on um to come to him about later. Maybe, he'll talk to somebody else about what. What you talked to him about.

Speaker 3:

Right, amen, amen. Someone else will bring up on the same topic. Today I brought this Right. Maybe the Lord's going to knock a little harder. Don't make that, though. He lifts the slab, not the other way around.

Speaker 1:

Amen, don't make me tell the Jasmine story. I know you're sick of hearing the Jasmine story, aren't you? Have you heard the Jasmine story, all right? All right, I'm going to tell it one more time. One more time, one more time, all right. So here it is. I'm preaching at this church Actually the church that we started back in, whatever year it was. I'm preaching at this church. I'm done preaching and I got to go because I got to go preach at another church. I had three different sermons that I would preach that one day. Sometimes I just rotate it, so I'm leaving the church. It's a storefront church with a convenience store right next to it, so I'm coming out. It was over there by Kodak, over in St Paul, so I had a. It was a gated parking lot so I had to walk all the way around. It took about three minutes Halfway around.

Speaker 4:

I'm like man, I forgot my Bible, my favorite Bible, so I'm like, all right, no problem.

Speaker 1:

I know where it is. It's on the pulpit and going shaking hands. You know the whole nine, whole nine, and people want to talk to you. You know all that kind of stuff, good stuff. So as I'm walking back toward the church, I see this young man. He wasn't there before, but he's posted up against the corner of the store like this. You know Hands hanging down. You know typical fashion. As I'm walking, the Spirit speaks to my heart and says ask him if he wants to be saved. I said okay, all right, I don't. Went through this process literally a hundred times at this point. You know presenting the gospel to somebody. You know telling them it doesn't even really it matters, but I don't care what your sin is. God considered all of us as sinners because we came from. That's why Jesus came and died for everybody, regardless of what they had done or not done.

Speaker 1:

So I'm like OK, and the spirit speaks to my heart again.

Speaker 1:

He says no, don't do that. Don't don't do that, just ask him if he wants to be saved. I'm like I'm having a conversation in my head and heart with the Lord about OK, well, this man ain't going to go. This young man because he's around 19, is not going to know what it is to be saved, and how many people know what that term means. So I got to present this gospel no, don't do it, just ask him. I'm starting to get a little nervous now because I'm getting close to this guy and I'm like, man, I'm going to look like a fool. I'm used to looking like a fool out here, so that was no big deal for me. So, all right, fine, if you say, just ask him, I'll ask him. So I walk up on him and I stop. I said, excuse me, young man. He said, yeah, what's up? I said let me ask you a question. What's up? He said do you want to be saved? I got to demonstrate this. His head dropped like this. He, his head dropped like this. He said yes, yes, I do, and started crying and I'm like oh, oh, oh, because I'd never seen this before, even though I've talked to people and they've given their life to Christ, I'd never seen it like this before. And I'm like, oh, I'm kind of stunned for a second, like, oh, I said, okay, come on, go into the church with me, they'll know what to do. So we go into the church and I call the pastor and his wife down and you know, and to this day, this guy is still a believer in a church, living for Christ.

Speaker 1:

Now here's the point of that whole story. It wasn't that I was so magnanimous, it wasn't that I was so anointed, it wasn't that I was so magnanimous, it wasn't that I was so anointed, it wasn't that I was so wise in what I said, because you remember what I said. Yeah, what do you want to be saying? Obviously, somebody had gone there and planted the seed. Maybe the same person or a different person, I don't know, had watered that seed and God was like that apple, right there, is ready to be plowed, all you got to do is pull it down. And so when he says, just ask him. All the other prep work has already been done, brother.

Speaker 1:

So I'm like do you want to be saved? Yes, yes, I do so when we're, whoever we're talking to out here, or even in our personal life, people on the job, wherever we don't know where their heart is or what stage of the harvest that they're in. We just have to obey God and, as Charles Stanley say, leave the consequences up to him. So I hope that my listeners have gotten something out of this. This is part of what people who are involved in small group Bible study and house churches do. They go out and they evangelize because they have the time to do that, because, well, you've seen the previous episodes. So if you would like to get in contact with us, check out all the links to get in contact with us in the description box below. So until next time, I am Pastor Robert Young from Not your Parents Religion Podcast, and may God bless you.