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Jesus the Evangelist

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Jesus the Evangelist had its genesis in a series of expository sermons Richard Phillips preached on the gospel of John. As he studied and explored the book, he immediately saw John's continual emphasis on the theme of gospel witness. As a talented expository preacher, Phillips' sermons took the theme of the passage and he preached sermons on "the privilege and obligation of evangelism." Having preached the sermons, he realized there would be value in compiling into book format what John teaches on the subject of evangelism. Jesus the Evangelist is the result and he hopes it will service to "both motivate and instruct the practice of evangelism among Christians."

The book is written for two audiences. The first is the many committed Christians who do little in the way of evangelism. This book is meant to enhance the zeal of these people by emboldening their witness with biblical wisdom, guidance and instruction. The second audience is those who are zealous in their witness but who would profit from understanding Jesus' approach to evangelism that they may ensure they are evangelizing in a way that is consistent with Scripture. After all, many who seek to witness for Christ in reality do nothing that genuinely approaches biblical evangelism. Phillips hopes to instruct these people so their knowledge may match their zeal.

The book is structured around chapters 1, 3 and 4 of John. In the first part, examining John 1, Phillips focuses on John the Baptist, the man who came to bear witness to the light, and drawing from his ministry biblical principles of evangelism. The second part, examining John 2, looks at Jesus encounter with Nicodemus and teaching from that story the theology of the gospel. The final part observes Jesus practice of evangelism as we see it in John 4 where Jesus interacts with the woman at Jacob's well. An appendix deals with the important matter of the relationship of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, providing a brief look at biblical principles that should embolden our witness.

While it is clear that this book is based upon expository sermons, beyond very consistent chapter lengths, it does not have the "feel" of a sermon and potential readers should not allow that knowledge to turn them away from it. Were they to do so they would be missing out on a real treasure. While I have read widely in this subject matter, rarely have I found myself so convicted as I was while studying Jesus the Evangelist. The reason is clear. Rather than depending on surveys, statistics and guilt to motivate evangelism, Phillips turns instead to Scripture and allows the Holy Spirit to work encouragement through the Word. Inherently centered upon the Bible, the book never veers from the Word, never turns aside from plumbing the depths of the Scriptural witness about evangelism.

As I read the book I found myself feeling optimistic that this book may reach an audience beyond the Reformed churches. Many who profess Christ today desperately desire that the church spend more time studying Jesus and following His example. This book offers just such an opportunity. It teaches how the Lord Himself evangelized and how He drew people to Himself through gospel witness. It relies on Jesus to teach the theology and practice of evangelism.

I hope this book is read widely and read meditatively. Unique in a crowded field, Jesus the Evangelist is biblical exposition at its finest, simply opening Scripture, teaching the reader about the character of God, and allowing the Spirit to bring about conviction and action. I recommend this book to any and all believers.

This is an average book, but there are others that I would recommend before this including: J.I. Packer's, "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God", or Mark Dever's, "The Gospel & Personal Evangelism". The best nugget came when Phillip speaks on Luke's account of the Great Commission and how Jesus death, resurrection, and our proclamation are synonymous.

This book is broken into three sections that cover John 1, 3, and 4. The biggest issue I had with this book is that it really does dive into the subject of evangelism that much but just hovers around the surface some, and within the first chapter it takes concepts that are not speaking directly to us and tries to draw direct correlations. Sometimes this isn't a big deal if we want to apply a principle, but the entire first portion (4 chapters) try to speak on how we should be similar to John the Baptist which is not the purpose of John 1 at all. So occasionally scripture is used out of it's context to try and emphasis a principle for evangelism to the modern day believer.

The second portion covers the gospel. The meat of what the gospel should entail. This I did find to be a helpful section. But this was rehearsed over and over in ever chapter and became almost redundant (not meaning to sound degrading to the gospel). It began to seem as if the book was about "What is the gospel" with snippets of an evangelist response.

The third section was overall probably the best section. It went through Christ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, and then evangelism and the sovereignty of God as an appendix. This was probably the most useful section of the reading. Gave sound applicable advise, and it did stay true to why it must be re-enforce to the gospel. Phillips developed what evangelism can look like for many of us based on John 4, and then how we can be sure to have faith in that through the gospel that Christ brought to her.

Overall, not the best and I would recommend Dever's book first and then Packer's if you are looking for reading material. Also, I have heard of a book by Horatius Bonar but haven't read it, "Words to Winners of Souls"

Jesus the Evangelist, by Richard Phillips, is a collection of sermons Phillips preached at his Presbyterian church through the Gospel of John. These sermons focus on John 1, 3, and 4, and examine the evangelism of Jesus.

Perhaps the biggest danger in studying historical narratives is confusing description with prescription. Just because Jesus walked on water, for example, does not mean Mark is telling us to walk on water. This danger is the trap that plagues many books on evangelism. Many evangelistic methods take one example of evangelism from a Gospel or Acts, and build a model upon that singular event as if it was prescriptive.

But Phillips threads this needle exceptionally well, by summarizing the text, asking questions of the text, and then showing how those answers can be applied to us today. For example, from Jesus' exchange with Nicodemus, Phillips gives us theology: "The reason we can be born again, receiving eternal life, is that God loves the world." And later: "John 3:16 shows that it is not enough to know what faith is; we must actually have it." Finally, he shows how these truths illuminate why Jesus said what he said: "Sometimes, when doctrinal explanations have failed to move a sinner's heart, a biblical portrait of Jesus' beautiful love will bring him or her to salvation." He does this all while resisting the temptation to reduce evangelism to a singular method, and instead he shows principles from all three of these evangelistic encounters that are useful today.

Jesus the Evangelist moves beyond the normal illustrations and evident principles to the more practical and profound. He peels back the Samaritan's woman's questions to show that people are often seeking the wrong things--things that will not satisfy. In order to get a sinner to realize this, their sin must be confronted, and this is what Jesus did in John 4:16-19. Jesus' confrontation turned into multiplied evangelism, as the woman returned home, testifying that Jesus is "the Savior of the World" (John 4:42).

Phillips brings an exegete's keen eye to these texts, and he matches that with a God-centered theological precision. He shows how Jesus proclaimed his sovereignty over salvation in John 3, while also claiming that whoever believes in Him will be saved. He does this in a way that is faithful to the text, and more importantly, in a way that makes the reader want to go outside and witness.

His section on how the Gospel shows the love of God was remarkable for precisely this reason: he let the text speak, instead getting bogged down theological arguments foreign to the passage. I finished that section not with questions about free will and predestination, but with a sense of being overwhelmed at the love which God has shown not just me, but the world.

This book is as precise as it is practical. It would be helpful for pastors preaching through John, and it would be helpful for Christians who want to study the way Jesus practiced evangelism. I'm glad Phillips put this out as a book on evangelism, rather than as a commentary, because if an author were to write a faithful commentary on these three passages, it would end up being a book on evangelism. Each section also ends with discussion questions where are helpful for small groups.

If someone asked you a question as to who Jesus is and what did he do during his earthly ministry there are many answers that would no doubt fly out of your mouth. We think of him as King, Lord, Savior, healer, preacher, teacher, and on the list would go. But how long would the list go before you would say--evangelist?

Jesus Christ himself and his work is the evangel. His entire life and ministry is bound up in the disclosure of God through the promotion of himself.

Richard Phillips has written Jesus the Evangelist directing readers to learn evangelism from the ministry of Jesus, specifically the book of John. Phillips is the Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. He is also a graduate of Westminster Seminary.

The material from the book comes from various expositional sermons on the early chapters of John. Phillips' breaks out in this manner:

Section 1: Biblical Principles for Evangelism (John 1)

Section 2: The Theology of the Gospel (John 3)

Section 3: Jesus' Practice of Evangelism (John 4)

One observation I had in reading this book is the fitting union between theology and evangelism. Phillips grounds his principles of application in who Jesus is, what he says, and what he does. Too often theology and evangelism function like distant cousins in the church instead of being of one flesh and of one head. Phillips does a good job at grounding his methodology in biblical theology, this is encouraging.

In addition to the book serving to help pile on conviction for not being as impressed with Christ as we should be and so then less vocal about his greatness, Phillips helps to inform and inflame our hearts with a true picture of Christ that ultimately will birth and sustain faithfulness.

This book is definitely helpful for pastors who need to `do the work of an evangelist' whether they are gifted as such or not. In addition it will prove helpful to all who want to be more faithful to Christ and his gospel. I should note as well that the book is hardback and is really a well constructed. Reformation Trust does a terrific job in their publishing; when a book is this nice I don't mind paying the extra couple of bucks.

Recommend: Yes

Genre: Evangelism

Introduction:

As Christians we are all called to evangelize, that is, we're all commanded to share with the world the good news of Jesus Christ and the hope and grace He offers lost and broken sinners. Pastor Richard D. Phillips goes to the Bible and examines the ultimate model for our evangelism, namely, Jesus Christ Himself. With clarity and conviction, Phillips looks at what it means to be an evangelist biblically. He covers issues such as what exactly is one to say in presenting the gospel and many others; but all in all, he leads the reader to discover the truths in the Word of God itself.

Book Structure:

This book is organized into three parts, corresponding to John chapters one, three, and four. In the first part, Phillips looks at the biblical principles for evangelism by gleaning from John 1 at how John the Baptist came "to bear witness about the light" (Jn. 1:7). This section also looks at the calling of the disciples through the disciple Andrew and Jesus Himself and the principles of what is and what is not a good Christian witness.

Part two looks at John 3 and Jesus' encounter with the pharisee Nicodemus. The theology of the gospel is examined in this portion with a special emphasis on the content of our gospel presentation. The topics covered are the necessity of the new birth; the supernatural work of God in the new birth; the evidence of the new birth in the life of an individual; the love of God in Christ; faith as the means of receiving salvation; and, of course, the atoning work of Christ's death on the cross.

Part three focuses on Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman in John 4. It is here where Phillips observes the practice of evangelism in Jesus' witness to her and looks at how He presented His salvation offer in a way that met her where she was. Consequently, Phillips looks at how this encounter with Christ changed this woman and how it fueled her passion for sharing the hope she had found with others.

A helpful appendix is included at the end which examines an issue which often is of controversy: the sovereignty of God in our evangelism.

Notable Quotes:

* "In our witness, we are to shine not our own light but Christ's light. Just as a lamp requires oil, we depend on our fellowship with Christ and the Holy Spirit's enlivening ministry through God's Word in order that Christ's light may shine through us. To use a different metaphor, we are like the moon reflecting the light of the sun. On our own, we are in darkness, but a great light has shined and is shining on us, and we are to reflect it into the world" (pp.14,15).
* "Jesus set us free and brought us into His royal family so that, with Him, we now are the victors in the battle that He won on the cross. Here is our triumph--what Christ has done as the Lamb of God for us. We simply believe on Him, committing ourselves to Him, and are saved. A healthy, spiritually thriving Christian never forgets that. He never tires of glorifying Jesus as `the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' But he also says, `It was my sin that He took away, as well'" (p.37).
* "If we are not excited about God's Word, if we are not warmed by close fellowship with God, and if we are not humbled by Christ's suffering in the cross for our sins, we will not be very effective witnesses. . . . [O]ur witness must always have this aim: not to win arguments, not to present an interesting philosophy pr a helpful lifestyle, but to bring people to Jesus. He is the only One who truly can save the sinner's soul, and if we simply bring people to Him, He will do the rest. `The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,' Jesus said (Luke 19:10). He is seeking and saving the lost today just as in prior times, and He does so through our witness that brings people to Him" (pp.50,54).
* "The Holy Spirit's work does not end with the new birth--having made us alive, He goes on to bring us more and more to life, working in us the life of God and molding our character into Christlikeness. The new birth is the beginning of a lifelong process of spiritual animation and growth, and is the pledge of glorious things yet to come. How wonderful that Christians are no longer what we once were, but how wonderful it also is that we someday will become what we are not yet" (p. 67).
* "[W]e should love God for His love in giving Jesus Christ to die for us. And we should express that devotion by loving others with the same kind of love God has shown to us. We are to show a love the world does not know--a love not based on getting, but a love that says, `God has given to me, so I want to love Him by giving to others.' This giving love should beautify our marriages, enliven our friendships, glorify God in the church, and inspire in us a loving fervor in evangelism. . . . Living out God's amazing, giving love will be our strongest testimony to a loveless world. If we will only do so, others will learn of God's great love from us and will come to understand that by believing in Him, they, too, will have eternal life" (pp.92,93).
* "Our spiritual maturation will . . . progress as we see more clearly the true depth of our sin, the true holiness of God, and the great gulf between us--and thus also see the true greatness of His love for us that moved Him to give His Son to save sinners so infinitely below Him. This is why the humblest Christians are the happiest Christians, and why the humble and happy Christians tend to be holy Christians, as well. All of these benefits stem from an awareness of our sin" (p.136).

Conclusion:

I was deeply encouraged by this book as the author examined Jesus Himself and His evangelistic approach. Though the chapters were easy to read, they had no absence of doctrinal "meat" and quality. Many times we hear of new methods of presenting the gospel and we feel obliged to learn them to be more effective witnesses for Christ, but instead of focusing on a new "fad" or survey for evangelistic fervor, Pastor Phillips goes directly to the final authority--Scripture--to fuel our passion for making God known.

"All Christians are called to evangelism. Jesus the Evangelist is our model. If we want to experience the power of God in our gospel witness, we must follow biblical principles of evangelism; we must present the true gospel in clear, scriptural terms; and we must follow Jesus' example in the practice of evangelizing actual people" (p.4).

I highly commend this book for Christians who are already passionate in their evangelism and for those who are not quite where they would want to be. Let us all be bold in our proclamation of the gospel--both in life and lips--to the glory of God.

Jesus the Evangelist

I went to soul winning camp when I was younger. This took place at a local Christian camp in my area. There we were given instruction in how to win souls. The step by step plan was as follows:

1. If you died today where would you go?

2. (If heaven) Are you a 100% sure?

or

2. (I don't know) Would you like to know?

3. Let me show you this verse, this verse, and this verse. Alright you want to pray?

4. Write down victory in the back of Bible.

Coming from this background I am gun-shy concerning soul winning and anything with the word "Evangelist" connected to it. This does not mean that I am not evangelistic just talking about it makes me nervous.
I was hesitant as I started to read the book Jesus the Evangelist not knowing where it was going to take me. However, as I read I noticed how the book does an excellent job of properly exegete its text from John. Often I found myself searching the scriptures to see if what was written was true.
The philosophy of the book is that the words of Jesus when properly understood are enough in order to inspire evangelism as well as giving a proper format of how to evangelize.
This hardly is the banal soul winning I grew up with but rather a carefully crafted book on evangelism. This is not a step by step guide but instead more of a commentary on a few select passages of John and application.
A must read in the text is the chapters on Nicodemus and the Lord. The situation is analyzed historically and then the narrative expertly discovered. The author has gift with expounding a narrative from scripture. This was the most compelling portion of the book for me. His ability to get into the text was excellent.

Weakness: A weakness in the text is Phillip's quotations from other authors. Perhaps this is a literary critique, but it becomes vexing to continually read quotations from Morris, Spurgeon, and Boice. Since I am reading Mr. Phillip's book it indicates that I would like to know what he thinks rather than a list of other great authors. This is picky of me and it does not detract from this being a great book, but nonetheless it did affect the flow of the text with continual quotations.

Good thoughts from the text:

Multiplicity of witnesses foundation of church growth
This is significant because it shows that witnessing always has been vital to Christianity. The early Christians understood this. Historians tell us that the astounding
expansion of the church in its first centuries was due largely to the
witness of every Christian.

Personal Holiness and an evangelistic life
There was an aged woman who credited her salvation to George
Whitefield. People doubted this because she was barely old enough to
have heard the great preacher from a prior age. She replied that when
she was a little girl, he had stayed at her house. "It was not any sermon
that he preached; it was not anything that he ever said to me," she
explained. "It was the beautiful consistency and kindness of his daily
life. . . . I said to myself, `If I ever have any religion, Mr. Whitefield's
God shall be my God.'"4

On evangelism based on our own testimony rather than Christ's.
The world is comfortable
so long as we merely witness about ourselves--the good things we do
and the successful techniques we employ. But these must not take the
place of our witness to Christ.


Conclusion:
This is a book that I need. My back ground corrupted real evangelism by their 4 step salvation methods. Because of this it becomes my excuse not to minister as I should. Now though I have read a proper biblically based theology of evangelism and have no excuse. Jesus the Evangelist definitely left a taste in my mouth to reach out more. To go out of my way to spread the gospel. Phillip's intention was a thirst for evangelism and he definitely stirred up the need for more in churches today.

When I think about the evangelists of biblical times my mind always goes to Acts. Peter, Steven, Paul, Barnabas, and so many others who carried the Good News throughout Europe and Asia in the years after Jesus ascended to heaven. These men became the torchbearers that would shape the early Christian world. Sometimes, when looking at sharing my faith I forget to look back to the one who started it all - the One who it's all about.

Richard D. Phillips wrote "Jesus - The Evangelist" about how Jesus himself explained the gospel and approaches he used. The book focuses on John 1, 3, and 4, because as he writes, "here our Lord Himself sets us an example of speaking the truth in love."

Jesus the Evangelist is divided into 3 parts - each focusing on a different aspect of evangelism in one of the chapters. Part 1 covers John 1 and talks about the importance of evangelism. It highlights John the Baptist and Andrew's ministries- specifically how they were bringing people to Jesus. (I really like the part focusing on Andrew). Part 2 looks at John 3 and how Jesus himself explained the theology of the gospel to Nicodemus, and Part 3 tells the story of the woman at the well in John 4 as a lesson on how Jesus shared the gospel with all people.

I really like Phillips' writing style. It's simple, almost casual, but at the same time he's able to easily discuss some pretty important topics like the theology in John 3. It was nice how the sections were divided into chapters that focused on just a few verses at a time. There were also lots of cross references to other parts of John and other parts of scripture to give it a holistic feel while approaching just a few chapters.

Phillips wasn't reinventing the wheel when he wrote this book, but he wasn't trying to (and didn't need to). He presented Jesus' view of the gospel and evangelism in a clear, biblically based manner. There were a lot of points that were great reminders and some things that made me stop and contemplate the way I looked at certain aspects of evangelism.

All in all it was a good book encouraging evangelism done in a very readable way. I was encouraged by it, and will probably read more by Richard Phillips in the future.

A copy of Jesus the Evangelist was provided to me by the Reformation Trust Blog-for-a-Book program. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've been exposed to many different church environments and views on evangelism in my time. Those who claimed to be reformed Christians are often accused of being fatalists and lax on evangelism. So I was interested to see a reformed take on the subject. If there was one area of my Christian walk I would like to develop more, Evangelism would be it. Personally I see a great need out there, but lack the confidence of how to go about it effectively. I hoped this book would go someway to helping me.

The book is based on a series of expository sermons on three chapters of the Gospel of John (1, 3, and 4). Part one covers Biblical principles of evangelism. Part two the Theology of the Gospel and Part three covers Jesus' practice of evangelism. At the end of each chapter there are questions for discussion which would suit a small group environment. What I found immediately appealing about the book was its tireless focus on scripture over and above techniques of persuasion.

"We are always glorifying people, the world is full of it, and the Christian is meant to be praising and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ" (page 13)" John was a witness to the saviour, not a saviour himself" (page 23) How often do we forget that we are not the ones who have to save people. That is God's responsibility. We are the ones who proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ to the world. Through that the Spirit moves and convicts the hearts of people. Further echoed here "When you meet someone whose life needs to be straightened out, who needs to find hope, meaning, or peace, do youremember that you cannot ultimately provide these things?" (page 24) We must point people to the person who will ultimately fufill humanities greatest need.

I liked what he said here "...it is less important that we debate the issues than that we tell them about Jesus. Teachings that are outrageous to the worldly mind are made clear and lovely in the light of who Jesus is and what He has done."(page 25) But then he followed it up with "For example, secular people today are incensed at the idea that Jesus is the only Savior. But that attitude changes when they realize that the one true and holy God sent His own Son to make a way for our salvation at the cost of His blood!" (page 25) He's got it right that people are asking those questions today but his answer is not apologetically satisfying. It would have been helpful to have a good answer to these questions or what to probe for to understand what the real objection is. He consistenly reminds us that the point is to turn people to Jesus "...our witness must always have this aim: not to win arguments, not to present an interesting philosophy or a helpful lifestyle, but to bring people to Jesus." (page 54)

Chapter 4 opens with a story of a not so well educated monk who converted a priest in the confession booth. I thought that was a brilliant and very spirit inspired tactic. It reminded me to be on my guard for opportunities and to listen to the Spirit's promptings. The chapter then goes on to give some practical advice for sharing our faith from scriptures. Every church needs a Peter to preach the Gospel message faithfully, but we need leigons of "Andrews" who within 24hrs of becoming a disciple of Jesus had made another (page 50). People need both the power of the Gospel proclaimed and personal testimonies.

Chapters 5 - 8 helped me understand Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in its historical context. Nicodemus' opening lines were patronizing and he showed how he relied on his position as a Pharisee for his security. But with one sentence Jesus abolished all he stood for and demanded he be remade by the power of God. (page 61) Nicodemus answer shows us that he tried to invisage ways man can remake himself without relying on the spirit, in effect Jesus said to him "Being born again is not a decision you make. Whoever you are, however you came to Christ, you have been the object of God's supernatural work on your heart." (page 65)

But by far the most profound quote is this one: "Being Christian makes us not less human but more human, and we can connect with people by living authentically in all our weakness, displaying Christ's power through our faith" (page 115) WOW ! If we could sum up one major area where Christians have got it wrong in the past this would be it. We have thought that evangelism meant hiding our humanity. Sometimes people reject Christ because they do not want to be like us. Thank you John Burke for pointing that out to me. I am so glad Christians are waking up to the fact that once a human always a human or always a human never a superhuman.

The book is filled with great practical and biblical advice on evangelism. Possibly the best one Reformation trust has published so far. However, What I did find annoying was the false divide between taking action or preaching the word. We need not separate these two. Of course man's ultimate need is to be reconciled to God, taken from his rebellion against the creator and lovingly restored by Grace through Faith. But then what? The one who is saved still needs help if he is poor, hungry, or lonely. Separating these two ideas does violence to our witness. Many people reject Christianity for a lack of evidence of change in believers lives. We need to proclaim the word but also need to show that it works in practice. But apart from a few theological niggles here and there this is a great book and one well worth reading. It will set you on a course to tell someone about Jesus.

Jesus, the Evangelist is a hardcover book written by Richard D. Phillips and published by Reformation Trust. It is list priced at $19.99 and includes two indexes - one for Scriptures references and the other for subjects and names. (The table of contents can be found below.)

Richard D. Phillips might be known to some readers for some of his previous books - Chosen in Christ, Walking with God, Turning Back the Darkness, and a commentary on Hebrews for the Reformed Expository Commentary series (P&R Books).

In Jesus, the Evangelist, Phillips sets out to give instruction on sharing the gospel from the life of Jesus himself in John's Gospel. His point in writing is to encourage Christians who are not active in sharing their faith to share more, and to encourage those Christians who are active in sharing their faith to re-evaluate how they go about sharing Christ. Do we have a proper understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ? And if so, are we motivated to share it every chance we get?

Phillips' book in broken up into three main sections. The first section looks at `Biblical Principles of Evangelism' by looking at the `Witness of John the Baptist' and `Jesus' Calling of the First Disciples.' Phillips begins by showing how the truths of Christ's taking on flesh (John 1) provide not just a theological basis for understanding Christ, but the impetus for sharing the gospel of Christ and how we should share it.

The book's second main section presents a `Theology of the Gospel.' Here, Phillips uses Jesus' `Witness to Nicodemus' as the foundation for his study. Phillips begins by showing how salvation is preeminently a work of God's sovereign grace, calling sinners out of spiritual darkness into God's glorious light. Being born again is something that happens to us, not something we bring about ourselves. This new birth doesn't take place apart from the proclamation of the gospel of Christ, revealing that Christ really is the only answer to the question, `how can one be saved?'

The book's third and final section looks at `Jesus' Witness to the Samaritan Woman' to demonstrate `Jesus' Practice of Evangelism.' Phillips show how Jesus balanced both the need to connect in a real way to people, displaying a genuine concern for their well-being, as well as not making light of their sin. Regardless of any other circumstance, Christ came to achieve salvation from sin and that must remain the focus our message and methods.

Phillips gives us a final treat through an appendix entitled, `The Sovereignty of God in Evangelism." Despite the utilitarian title, these final pages are an added bonus. Phillips explains how God's sovereignly brings about salvation by ordaining the means as well as the end, and shows how God's sovereignty is a powerful encouragement for us to be bold and incessant in sharing Christ.

Jesus, the Evangelist proved to be an excellent read. Phillips says in the preface that the content of the book originated in a series of sermons from the Gospel of John. This is evident in the style of the book. Good, biblical teaching is brought to the reader with clear and engaging writing. This is the first of many positives about this book.

Another positive is its timeliness. Today the issues of Reformed theology (aka `Calvinism') are being debated on school campuses, in large denominations, and local churches. Unfortunately, one of the chief criticisms of Reformed theology is that it squelches and drive or passion for evangelism. This book shows that allegation to be false. Granted that I could probably find any number of individual Christians who are cool in regards to evangelism - but this could be done from any number of theological traditions. In the tradition of Charles Spurgeon, William Carey, and John Piper, Phillips shows that a strong belief in the sovereignty of God serves to ignite passion for evangelism.

If there is a negative, it's that the book is too short! I would have loved for Phillips to continue to mine John's gospel for more of Jesus' perspective and practice on evangelism. Nevertheless, in the end Phillip's book is a real gem. It was one of the first books our church's new book shop put in stock. The study questions at the end of each chapter make this an easy book to use for some training or discipleship class at churches. I commend to you as one of the most theologically thoughtful and eminently practical books on evangelism. It provides a helpful corrective to modern errors on both fronts in a very accessible way.

This book was so hugely encouraging. When it comes to evangelizing so often i feel like a failure. The reason is that i search for a perfect method and result. Why was this book so encouraging. Jesus' life showed that there are different methods and the result are not ours to get but Gods alone, and in this book that comes across as a huge reminder for all of us that may fail to do that which we are called to do because of our presumptions. I highly recommend this book to all in the faith.