Cherry Pie Evangelism

A few years ago my wife asked me to copy some CD’s of sermons before she left to visit her parents for a few days. She thought her dad would enjoy hearing them during his recovery from an accident in which he broke several bones.

The CD’s contain sermons given by an evangelist who spoke for several evenings of special meetings at the church we attended then. I didn’t go to the meetings, but I sampled sermon snippets as I made the recordings.

I was unimpressed. Not only did it take the speaker a long time to get to his points, I found his content shallow. I would have been surprised if it were otherwise. But what he had to say wasn’t meant for me anyway.

I don’t understand why Christians flock to hear an evangelist. I guess there might be benefits if they bring a guest who’s potentially receptive to the Gospel. But who of us who are truly born again really needs to be evangelized?

I realize it doesn’t hurt to review the basics, but even that can be dumbed down to the point of being pointless.

To me it’s like eating a cherry pie while listening to commercials about how great the pie is. I love cherry pie. I already know I’m going to feel happy when I’ve finished it. I’m going to savor every bite. Why do I need an ad man to sell me on the joys of cherry pie?

Hebrews 5:12-14 says,

12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.