Before this recent episode, I had seen lives impacted by creation resources from Answers in Genesis. Initially, my wife and I were significantly impacted ourselves. We both believed in God’s literal creation, but we were not sure of all the details and supporting evidence in observable science. One evening, after viewing a presentation that touched on evangelizing the culture, a vision for a creation evangelism outreach through DVDs began to germinate. First Thessalonians says that God empowers His spoken gospel to give faith and change hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:13–16). What better way is there in these days to spread the gospel than through the creation/gospel message?
In the past two years, many of us here in Denver, Colorado, have actively passed out Answers in Genesis DVDs as evangelism tools. Within the context of our post-Christian society, many people are interested in God, but they settle for secularism, New Age philosophy, or “cultural Christianity.” Creation DVDs help direct people back to the Bible as the valid source of truth, while being relevant to the culture. For most, secular humanism and evolution have been the paradigm for interpreting history and the world around us. Creation DVDs from AiG have helped to establish God’s inerrant Word as the starting point for understanding origins, science, and for explaining meaning and purpose in life.
The approach
Our strategy has been to use DVDs to either supplement what is commonly called “relationship evangelism” or as a quick handout to strangers in the restaurant, hotel, on the sidewalk, etc. With more than 200 DVDs of ours in circulation, testimonies have been trickling in. An African-American friend of mine handed out Where Did The Races Come From? at her church and was surprised to see people discussing the DVD’s content openly the very next week. She noticed some changes in some of her congregation after they were exposed to a correct biblical understanding in this sensitive area.
Others have made DVDs available to co-workers, resulting in positive comments. In fact, a businessman had colleagues from his office on a waiting list for DVDs. He excitedly reported to me that one man to whom he had been witnessing for years had mentioned that watching these DVDs had made him think that “this stuff was important,” resulting in his attending church with family “for the first time in years.”
Dinosaurs, Genesis and the Gospel has been a terrific DVD resource for teaching children. After purchasing a number of copies, opportunities have arisen to send this DVD home with kids who have attended Bible camp or Sunday school. Some children even sang carols and handed out Fossils and the Flood: What’s the Connection? to their neighbors on Christmas Eve.
Whether it be through internet evangelism, relationship evangelism, or random material distribution, Answers in Genesis DVDs have proven invaluable. I’ve seen Christians stop saying, “It doesn’t matter if God used millions of years or not,” and then begin speaking about how God’s truthful record of a young earth is supported by science.
Unbelievers have stepped a little bit closer towards receiving the light of Christ’s gospel. Conversations have begun for many that will, we pray, eventually end in salvation and eternal fellowship with Almighty God, our Creator. As Bill Jack, an occasional guest speaker for AiG events, in Demolishing Strongholds, teaches: We must engage our culture on the issues that are important to them.
Knowing that Jesus is calling His sheep to Himself through His gospel, I urge AiG’s web visitors to press on in a spirit of compassion and evangelism. I’ll conclude with a challenge to readers: do not concern yourself with “closing the deal”—we must leave that to the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith is also a gift. Faith grows through exposure to the gospel and study of the Bible. Your responsibility, though, is to start a conversation and present the gospel—verbally or through some other means (like DVDs).
Speak and reason with one purpose in mind: to spread the gospel of our Creator, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1).