SPIRITUAL COLD CALLING

SPIRITUAL  COLD CALLING

E. Roger Ammons,

General Evangelism Coordinator

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “cold call” as: “A telephone call or visit made to someone who is not known or not expecting contact, often in order to sell something.” Many annoyed prospects add their name to a “Do Not Call” list or put a “No Soliciting” sign on their door. Some salesmen claim that referral selling is ten times more effective than cold calling.

Even though, there are some benefits in cold calling as a means of evangelistic outreach, it is not as effective as follow-up of church visitors or acquaintances of church attendees. Dr. Kennedy, founder of Evangelism Explosion, said that a young man does not propose marriage to a young lady on first sight, but rather, after he establishes an appropriate relationship.

Please allow me to coin a phrase, “spiritual cold calling”, to refer to outreach which is cold and mechanical, lacking the “fervency” and direction of the Holy Ghost. We are to be, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). We read of Apollos who “. . . being fervent in the spirit, . . . taught diligently the things of the Lord . . .” (Acts 18:25).

Members of the early Church were anointed by the Spirit and led by Him as to whom, when, and where they witnessed. Remember how God called Phillip out of a great revival in Samaria to the desert to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch. “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” (Acts 8:29).

Prayer was a key factor which resulted in divine appointments instead of cold calls. Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer and met the lame man who was healed (Acts 3:1-6). Paul was praying when he had a vision of Ananias being sent by the Lord for the healing of his eyes (Acts 9:11-12). Peter was praying when God sent three men to take him to Cornelius (Acts 10:9-20). Paul and Silas prayed in prison and the jailor said, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:25-27).

On Paul’s 2^nd Missionary Journey, the Holy Ghost forbade him to go and preach in Asia and Bithynia, but in a vision the Lord called him to preach in Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). Then in Athens, “his spirit was stirred in him” and he disputed with the Jews daily (Acts 17:16, 17).  In Corinth, “Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:5).

Paul asked for prayer that God would open doors of utterance (Eph. 6:18-20; Col. 4:3). Otherwise door-to-door visitation may be just going for a walk.