When we train leaders and begin to focus on evangelism, we always start with the practice of identifying “Persons of Peace.”
This is the strategy Jesus seems to lay out in Luke 9-10, when he sends his disciples out with his authority to do the same stuff he has been doing (you know, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons…” Beginner stuff 😉 ).
A Person of Peace is simply someone that God has prepared ahead of time to hear the message of the gospel through you. We recognize Persons of Peace as those who welcome us, like to be with us, and attempt to serve us in some way.
Which is all fine and good in theory, but as we’ve been working with people on this, we’ve noticed what we think is a key element to recognizing a person of peace, without which we will remain blind to what God is doing around us.
The key we’ve stumbled upon seems obvious in hindsight, but it has been important for us to articulate it. The specific key we’ve discovered to recognizing Persons of Peace is basically this: the willingness to risk meeting “Persons of Unpeace.”
When Jesus sent them out he told them that they would experience welcome and rejection. He gave them instructions on what to do when they were welcomed and when they were not welcomed.
He made it clear that to go out on this mission was to “out” yourself as a follower of Jesus, and see how people responded. Some will receive you. Others will reject you. Or worse. And until we’re ready to face that, we won’t find a Person of Peace.
Because there is a difference between being sent out with the authority of Jesus and just “hanging out.” Jesus’ disciples weren’t wandering into random towns pretending they were just travelers.
They had been sent out by Jesus as those who were in relationship with him, to go to certain places in his name, representing him, with a specific message to proclaim and task to perform. Jesus didn’t send them out as undercover agents. They were openly proclaiming that God’s kingdom had come near in Jesus. There was nothing subtle about why they were in town.
If you go out representing Jesus (in his name, with his authority), then it’s true when he says: “If they welcome you, they welcome me. If they reject you, they reject me.” But if you are ashamed of Jesus or the gospel in any way, if we are unwilling to experience the same kind of scorn and opposition that Jesus faced, you won’t be able to perceive the Person of Peace, because that person is primed and ready to receive Jesus, and you won’t look like Jesus to them, because you are essentially going out “in your own name,” not on behalf of Christ.
There is a line we must cross, a death we must die before we can see Persons of Peace. When we die to ourselves and embrace being identified as a “fool for Christ,” we will find Persons of Peace, and we’ll also find rejection and opposition, because you don’t get one without the other. The good news, though, is that if we embrace this and truly go out in Christ’s name, then it will be his authority that clothes us, and his power that protects us and flows through us.
So the question I train leaders to think through (and try to ask myself!) is this:
Are we willing to cross the line and risk the scorn of the world so we can recognize Persons of Peace and thus join Jesus in the restoration and healing of people’s lives?
Fantastic post Ben. I really think it is this type of clarity we need when it comes to identifying people of peace. Very helpful. Bc of the 'outing ourselves as a Jesus follower' factor, it really redefines how we determine who a person of peace is.
I do have two thoughts. One, this calls into question 'how' we present ourselves as a Christ follower with people who 'receive' us. Some, if not careful, will interpret this as a license to return to old style evangelism – where our interactions with people are only motivated by trying to 'get people saved' (and yes that is a goal, but not the only goal). So there is a contextual question about 'outing' ourselves.
Two, though you identify a sense of shame as one reason that people don't 'out' themselves, I also am wondering what role fear plays in that. Fear, I think, is what prevents many people from 'announcing the kingdom of God is at hand', not necessarily shame (although the two could be related). Consequently, many of us (myself included) bc of fear, have chalked people up to be 'people of peace' when in reality, they are good people who just think I am a nice guy.
It is a good challenging question at the end. Love it! Got me thinking. Thanks!
Great thoughts, Brian – the "how" question is a big one… in my context, though, there is very little danger of people returning to "old-style evangelism," so some of this is contextually-birthed.
Totally agree about fear. One clarifying (albeit convicting) thought that has helped me in this arena is thinking that if fear is preventing me from "outing" myself, it means that I am suffering from a lack of love – either a lack of love for others (because my reputation is more important than their well-being), of a lack of love for Jesus (i.e. I don't actually think he's worth knowing and telling others about).
Good stuff. Also, we should be bold enough to expect that the person of peace is in the place He sends us. Once we pray, and then go, we should be actively led by the Spirit to encounter a person of peace in that village, town or neighborhood. Acts 17:26-27 God mad every person and determined the time and place that they live, so that they should seek God. There is a purpose to our going as well as a purpose to the person of peace, so we trust that God has them in those places.
Love that, Steve – great reminder that we don't have to go "somewhere else" to find a Person of Peace.
Thanks brother- love the blog, it's right in my wheelhouse! I'll be keeping up with it!
Ben,
I like it. Being in the Vineyard Movement, and especially in Cincinnati, the city of servant evangelism," I have been wrestling with this concept quite a bit.
On one hand, my folks and people here in general are so ingrained in the Servant Evangelism culture, that they don't know what to do next. It's fairly low risk to plant seeds – doing the lowest risk SE stuff like, pass out water, etc – but actually taking that to the next level is really scary for people. The way it has worked in the last 25 years has been, "just come to the Vineyard (cincy)."
One of the things I have worked to do is to help us see that Servant Evangelism needs to be done with people we can sustain ongoing relationships with. I.e. Go back to the same places, same neighborhoods, same communities. Really encourage people to serve their neighbors. Serve the people they work with, etc. The people who are starting to "get" what I have been doing are seeing that the "person of peace" is right in front of them, they just weren't quite looking with the right eyes!
About the risk of meeting the person of rejection. IF….you are not ashamed of the Gospel, rejection is a part of life. I think our discipleship in America just forgets to add this piece to the package. As we develop relationships with people and continue to serve them, rejection will come, but inevitably, so will the "why do you keep doing this?" "Why are you like this?"
Actually, being rejected is one of the ways we truly commune with the sufferings of Christ. It is an "imitation of Christ." It is discipleship. Why wouldn't we model that?
Jason
Love these thoughts, Jason. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Really insightful stuff on servant evangelism. Thanks!
Some really good thoughts, Ben. I especially like the the truth about going in Jesus' authority.
Bro this is solid. I like it a lot
I really enjoyed your blog. Thanks for posting it. You wrote that "There was nothing subtle about why they were in town." The context for this was boldness to proclaim the gospel. Then you said this further down in your piece about being willing to face rejection: "if you are ashamed of Jesus or the gospel in any way…" Is it possible that the context in which you serve, namely, the post-Christendom majority in the United States, has influenced your understanding of the POP teaching? I feel there are many, many contexts around the world, and in the United States too, where subtlety within approach and testimony of the gospel is very important and certainly not similar to being ashamed of the gospel.
Totally agree with you here, Tim. I am speaking specifically of my own context, speaking to the tendencies I see in those I am discipling, etc. I do think that subtlety and sensitivity are important, especially in overtly hostile contexts ("wise as serpents," etc).
This spoke to me more today than you know. Glad I stumbled on this blog. Being a missionary in my own culture has been crazier than I could've ever imagined. This is a good reminder about the "you're a sheep, they are wolves."
Glad it was helpful, Doug.
Very helpful, Ben. Thanks for sharing these observations. It is a challenge and encouragement to me to risk the rejection to find the ones whom God has prepared. How do you distinguish between a POP and someone who's interested in knowing more about Jesus, but is not a POP?
Great question! I would say that if someone is interested in knowing more about Jesus, they are a POP, by definition.
Thanks for the article, brother. Very encouraging. I think there's probably a correlation between the degree to which we out ourselves as Jesus-followers and the amount of persectuion we face.
This is a great article, thanks so much for sharing.
My church went away together for the weekend a couple of years ago but I was unable to go. We discussed some of the teaching they covered during a bible study meeting shortly after and POP was one of the themes. Without my friends going into much detail at all the truth just leaped out at me and I recognised and identified immediately POP in my life, people who seemed attracted to me for no apparent reason and seemed to want to be around me even though they hardly knew me. It was an amazing revelation for me to learn that these were people open to hearing about Jesus. Previously I was out proclaiming the word to anyone who would listen and although I wasn’t so bothered about rejection it somehow just didn’t sit right with me and I was keen to find out a more ‘effective’ way of identifying those who have ears to hear, so to speak. This revelation was just so amazing for me and really opened my eyes to the way God works and my trust in him was raised to a whole new level. It demonstrates clearly how he paves the way for us and reminded me just how much he is in control. If I am honest I was striving to bring people to him my way and with my own strength and it was becoming frustrating and really quite embarressing! Thanks again 🙂
katie_79 I’m so glad to hear this! Blessings to you as you cooperate with God in evangelism!
It is so much more fun crossing the line and seeing Jesus change lives.
Torre Bissell Indeed! Thanks for this perspective.
I just stumbled across this idea of Persons of Peace, and it is blowing my mind. It makes so much sense, but it is so much the opposite of the forced ‘intentional’ time i’ve had as a model for as long as i can remember. thank you for sharing.
ShawnNickerson Glad to hear that Shawn!
Thank you, as a disciple maker of mostly Muslims, this is what I try to use. We must also be POP ourselves. Studying the Shama- Deut. 6 helps us to know what “we” are to look like-how do we show we are Jesus followers and POP ourselves and being discipled by the King? In other words, we can’t disciple if we aren’t being discipled by Him and His word. We have just got to slow down, try to wipe all our “knowledge” from our minds of what we have been told in the church culture and simply read His word. We have way to much knowledge and not enough obedience. Jesus said over and over: “If you love me you will obey me, you are my disciples when you produce fruit etc.” I love Discovery Bible Study for myself and those far from Him. Act Beyond has some great stuff on this and full training, one next month in fact. We have got to take the “church” outside it’s four walls. I appreciate you dealing with the fear factor and “getting over” the likelihood of meeting people who aren’t peaceful. Fear grips the Church and it is sin, sine we must repent of. We are lambs being lead out among wolves. So home groups, life groups learn this and start reaching out to those far from Jesus in your neighborhood and the diaspera now among us for He is worthy!
Ben,
It is incredible to have found this blog post. Last night, my husband and I were with the Schwarberg’s (we are part of the Cherry Hill’s fam you recently visited!) and we were discussing with them the difficulty in the small group setting of how to ‘handle’ someone who would proclaim themselves as a person of peace, but clearly has a distorted version of the gospel. Do you have anything to speak to that??
Hi! Really fun that you found my blog post – small world! The way I think about “persons of peace” doesn’t lead me to believe that anyone would proclaim themselves a person of peace. Instead, a person of peace is someone that I notice is 1) open to me, 2) listens to me, and 3) serves me (like in Luke 10 – they offer hospitality and are open to you and your message). Whether or not someone proclaims him/herself a person of peace or has a distorted view of the gospel, I’d be looking for openness and service. If it’s there (which means they’d be interested in what you have to say about the gospel), then they’re a person of peace. If not, they’re not (no matter what they say!).
Found this really enlightening. I especially liked your comment about if we aren’t being genuine and open with our faith in Jesus because of shame or whatever, the POP won’t recognize Jesus in us. Good thing to chew on. Im trying to identify POPs in my life, but being an extrovert, I’m usually initiating rather than waiting to see if people come to me….
Thanks Kim! Glad you found it helpful.
I’m curious, why is the “Person of Peace” link broken? Trying to understand where this phrase is at in scripture. Grace and peace– Tyler
Hi Tyler, sorry about that. The link was broken, but I fixed it! Should take you to a post of mine called “Zaccheus as a Person of Peace.“