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Evangelical Christians believe that they ought to obey Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations“. To help Christians carry out the Great Commission, D. James Kennedy created a door-to-door evangelism technique called “Evangelism Explosion”.

This technique allows you to quickly understand where a person is spiritually. After we go up to someone’s door and introduce ourselves, we are to ask the following questions:

1. Can I ask you a spiritual question?
2. If you were to die tonight and stand before God, and God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you say?

Most people are curious about the first question and say “yes”.

If they said, “What do you mean by a ‘spiritual question'” you go ahead and ask them the second question.

As for the second question,the EE technique predicts that the individual will usually give “good works” as an answer. Something like, “God will accept me because I am basically a good person. I have not killed anyone; I go to church on a regular basis; I give to the poor…”

In that case, the EE manual tells us to respond with the gospel: that we all have fallen short of God’s perfect standard, and no good work can erase the fact that we have already sinned; but the good news is that we can be saved from punishment by trusting in Jesus Christ, who was punished in your place.

While this technique has been very successful, some non-Christians do not respond to the two questions as expected.

There was once a Christian who wanted to utilize the door-to-door evangelism technique. Along with his partner, he approached the first house.

They met a man named Don.

The evangelist started with the first question 1: “Don, do you mind if I ask you a spiritual question?”

Don was eager and boldly said, “no, go ahead”.

He led the second question on him, “Don, if you were to die tonight and stand before God, and God were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?”.

Don snapped back and replied, “Why shouldn’t you let me into your heaven?”.

This response was not called for, and the evangelist did not expect this answer. After a split second of panic, he prayed and responded, “Don, if we knocked on your door seeking to come in, and you said to us, ‘Why should I let you into my house?’ and we responded, ‘Why shouldn’t you let us in?’ what would say?”

Don sternly replied, “I would tell you where to go!”

The evangelist fired back “that is exactly what God will say to you.”

After this, Don admitted that he was an atheist. The evangelist asked him whether he knew for sure that there was no God.

Don paused and stated that he was not absolutely sure but there might be a possibility of a God.

The evangelist then tells him that he is not an atheist then rather an agnostic.

Atheist believe there is no God. Agnostics are not sure of the existence of a God.

The evangelist asked him, “Don, what kind of agnostic are you. There are two different types of agnostics. There are ordinary agnostics who says he does not know anything for sure, and then there is the ornery agnostics who says he cannot know for sure.”

Don was sure of who he was and responded that he was ornery.

Recognizing the self-defeating nature of his claim, the evangelist used the Road-Runner tactic, “Don, if you say that you cannot know anything for sure, then how do we know that for sure?”

Don was quite bewildered and asked for clarification.

The evangelist states, “How do you know for sure that you cannot know something for sure?”

He explained that Don could not be a skeptic about everything because that would mean he would have to doubt skepticism itself.

Don relented. “Okay, I guess I really can know something for sure. I must be an ordinary agnostic.”

The evangelist asked him, “Why do not you know that God exists if you have admitted you can know?”

Don explained that no one has showed him evidence, so he was willing to hear some evidence.

Because of this entire encounter, Don is now a deacon in a Baptist Church near ST. Louis, Missouri.

Personal Reflection:

Can All Religions Be True?