Conversations

Yesterday we looked at the first two principles of “be a good listener” and “remember the conversation areas“. The areas provide a platform for you to launch into some interesting conversation, but what if your guest is taciturn by nature and responds only in short sentences when spoken to? That’s where the third principle comes in, you “use the conversation expanders“! Rudyard Kipling said, “I keep six honest serving-men; they taught me all I knew. Their names are “what and why and when and how and where and who.”

For example, say your guest emigrated from China. Expanding on the conversation areas, you might ask:
• What led you to come to Toronto? or Why did you choose Toronto?
• When did you come to Canada? Do you still have family in China?
• It must have been difficult coming to a new land, how did you adjust?
• Now that you’ve been here a while, which places have you visited? Where would you recommend a newcomer go for help?
• Of all that you’ve seen so far, what or who impressed you the most? Why?

Of the expanders, what, why and how are more open-ended than when, where and who, which tend to return close-ended, short answers. Try to use the former more often, and you will be able to probe and expand to find areas of interest to both you and your guest.

The conversation expanders are useful, but still they work mostly with facts. The fourth principle helps us to “move below the surface” by exploring the following areas:
1. Ideas and feelings,
2. Challenges, frustrations and concerns,
3. Dreams and goals,
4. Achievements,
5. Inspiration.

Ask questions such as:
• What do you think is the reason behind …?
• How do you feel about …?
• What are the challenges you face in your job? What frustrates you? What are your main concerns?
• What’s your dream? What are you aiming at?
• What do you consider your greatest achievements to-date?
• Who inspires you? What keeps you going when the going gets tough?
These open-ended questions dig beyond the superficial facts and figures into the heart. They get into the issues the individual is struggling with, his goals, his motivation. There people reveal their inner self, and when you share at that level you begin to build deep relationships.

The last principle, “respond in love“, helps you reach that deep level. People protect themselves by hiding behind generalities; they open up only when they feel they are safe. So, to provide an environment where people can share freely to build relationships, we have to accentuate the positive and respond in love. We need to do 3 things:
1. Affirm, affirm, affirm.
2. Would it help if I …
3. Offer a short prayer.

Focus on the good that had been said. Hold the negatives in abeyance. It does not mean you ignore the problems, just suspend judgment until such time we address the issues to resolve them. Offer help. Say, “Would it help if I …”; fill in with whatever concrete action you can take to relieve the situation. Offer a short prayer. Even if you are unable to do much about the situation, God can, so offer to pray for the person and the challenge, inviting God to deliver them from the plight they’re in.

If you continue using the conversation expanders, move below the surface, and respond in love, you’ll find that you get to know your friend better and better. The relationship gets stronger and stronger and you’ll build each other up for God’s glory.

Building Relationships

Yesterday we began with remembering names. Today we continue with principles in building relationships. Since relationships depend on communication, and communication involves listening, the very first principle in building relationships is be a good listener. Often we do not remember names or facts simply because we were not paying attention. We may be too busy thinking of what we want to say next, or worse still, we do not deem the other person important enough to pay attention to. No wonder people got the impression that we did not hear what they’re saying. To be a good listener, you need to do at least 3 things:
a. Look at them,
b. Visual approval,
c. Verbal approval.

You need eye-contact, whether you are speaking to a person one-on-one, or to a large audience. Look, not stare, at their face. Don’t let your eyes wander across the room, as if you’re looking for someone more important to talk to. When you listen, give visual approval. Smile. Nod. Body language is important, often more important than the actual words said. Give verbal approval as well. Say, “I see,” or “I understand”. It does not necessarily imply you agree with everything said, just that you’ve heard and understood. There are other skills, but if you practice these 3, it’ll go a long way towards helping you to be a better listener.

But communication is two-way – you need to talk as well as listen. And if you’re not an extrovert who can talk with ease about anything with anybody, what do you do? That’s where conversation starters come in. Start with something light. Remember the conversation areas:
a. Name – Hi, my name is …
b. Home – Where do you live?
c. Family – Tell me about your family.
d. Time – How do you spend your time?
e. Travel – Where have you travelled?
f. Relaxation – What do you do to relax?

Begin by introducing yourself. State your name. People will reciprocate. Remember their names by using the IRAs (impression, repetition, association). Switch into something neutral by saying, “I’m from …, where do you live?” We live in a world that is increasingly global. It is natural for people to be curious about where their new acquaintances come from. Dwell on that to find out what’s interesting about their home town, what is it known for etc. Move on to inquire about their family. Do they have a large family, are they here or living elsewhere etc. In our age of high mobility, you’ll often find people with family members scattered all over the world. Then slide into how they spend their time, which places they’ve been to, would they recommend it, and what do they do for rest and recreation. Notice you gradually move from the impersonal to the personal, but staying at a neutral level for people you met for the first time.

Do the conversation areas work? They most certainly do. Just recently I attended a Christmas party hosted by one of my wife’s former business vendors. Seated next to me was a couple who are also the host’s clients, but complete strangers to me. I am a man of few words, but my neighbor was even less talkative than I was. What do you talk about for the 3 to 4 hours of the banquet? I practiced the conversation areas. You’ll find that if you transition from one area to the next, you’ll discover some common ground on which to have some very interesting conversation and get to know the other person.

(To be continued)

Remembering Names

We gained a little knowledge at our Leadership Matters Course (LMC) last Nov. To help me review what we learned and pass it on, I will post a series of notes on some of the subjects we studied. There is a Chinese saying that, loosely translated, says, “If there is a relationship, then anything can be worked out. But if there is no relationship, then everything can be a problem.” Since many things hinge on a relationship of trust, let’s begin with some principles of building relationships, and the very first topic is remembering names. And you know how embarrassing it can be if you keep forgetting someone’s name!

Some people are very good at recalling names. I was very impressed by the former chief executive of the bank where my wife used to work. The bank would invite its executives and spouse to Christmas parties, and I was amazed that the CEO can recall each of the spouses’ names, even though he sees them only once a year, and there were dozens of them! But if you are not so richly endowed, LMC taught us an acronym as a tool – IRA. No, not Internal Revenue Agency, but:

1. Impression
2. Repetition
3. Association

When someone is being introduced to you, the first memory aid is to discreetly note any distinguishing features about that person’s face and name. Mull over your first impression his/her facial/physical characteristics and name, to see if anything unusual comes to mind. The second tool is to mentally repeat that name several times before you file it in your memory bank, since repetition is the key to recall. The third key is to associate your impression to a mental picture that could jog your memory. Linking a phrase that rhymes with the individual’s name to something that he/she does is often very helpful in this regard.

For example, one of the LMC trainers we met was a former fighter jet pilot. As a pilot, time was of the essence, since once the alarm was sounded, he had very little time to be battle ready. So, he associated his name “Pete Kluck” to the phrase “Beat the Clock”, which rhymes, and we had no difficulty in remembering his name and his former profession. Try that on new people you meet. Think of their IRA, and see if it helps you to recall their names next time.

Overcoming the Language Barrier

In Gen 11 men tried to make a name for themselves (v 4) to assert independence from God, so God confused their language such that they will not understand each other (v 7). Ever since that time language had become the biggest barriers to communication, and subsequently to sharing the gospel. For missionaries then, unless you are a native speaker, learning that language becomes a prerequisite to serving that people group and community.

Obviously, you need workers in all language groups so that the people can hear. But if you go by the size of the market, the top three languages spoken by the most people are:

The language learned by the highest number of people in the world is English, spoken by 21.4% of the world’s 7 billion population, despite the fact that the number with English as mother tongue is not that high. This is because many learned it as their second language or a foreign language for business use. The second most common language is Chinese, understandably because China has the highest population of all the countries in the world, at 18.6%. The third is Spanish, spoken by Latin Americans as well as Spaniards. So, unless the Lord called you to serve a particular people group, these are the three languages to learn for sharing the gospel.

TESOL:

What is TEFL?

Since we learned English as a second language while growing up in Hong Kong, we are studying to get certified in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). I believe this certificate probably opens more doors today than any other type of training. For Mandarin, as Chinese we have no excuse for not learning, especially when so many foreign missionaries have leaned it to reach our people. My wife, who is more gifted in language than I am, is learning beginner Spanish too. For me, I spent a fair amount of time in NT Greek but have very little to show for it. So I’m content to take it a step at a time and not bite more than I can chew. Maybe the Lord will come back soon and the language barrier will be broken down so we don’t need to spend so much time trying to communicate. Wouldn’t that be grand!

Mission Possible!

After much searching and waiting, we have joined SEND International of Canada as Associate Missionaries for short-term service. Our personal mission is to turn non-believers into disciples of Jesus Christ who are committed to: love God, love one another, and love those still outside the Lord’s fold. We believe in multiplying disciples and church-planting as the strategy to fulfill the Great Commission. This is very much aligned with SEND International’s mission to mobilize God’s people and engage the unreached in order to establish reproducing churches, hence our choice.

“Associate Missionaries” means we are on project work, and are not career missionaries on staff. We are free to continue supporting ministries which are dear to our hearts, but under the umbrella of SEND Canada to which we are accountable. We will be involved in a series of assignments, including ministry to the Chinese Diaspora outside China. Our first mission will be a short-term trip of two months to Taiwan to learn the SEND approach and to assist in the ministry there, including evangelism, discipleship, preaching and teaching, and of course to brush up our Mandarin. Please pray for the Lord’s leading as we take a small step out of our comfort zone to serve Him.

Ancestor Worship

Q. A church brother’s mother, who lived in another city, passed away recently. Since his mother was Buddhist, as are his younger siblings, the funeral was conducted using Buddhist ceremonies. He wants to remember her by bringing her shrine home and set it up in own his home. He is a new Christian baptized just last year, and will not be involved in ancestor worship. However, his wife, also a new Christian, does not feel comfortable about this. As a Christian, is it alright for him to set up his mom’s shrine at home?

A. My suggestion is NO, as I see only downside and no upside to what he planned to do. First, his motive. It is commendable that he wished to remember his mom, but filial piety can be expressed simply by setting up her portrait or a collage to celebrate her life. It is not necessary to set up her shrine which carries with it a lot of unwanted connotations, despite the fact that he is not venerating the dead.

Second, the implications. In traditional Chinese thinking, a shrine is associated with ancestor worship, period. It implies that the children will burn incense regularly, and offer food sacrifices during festivals. The church brother may not be doing these things, but that’s the outsiders’ perception. 1 Thes 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (KJV). Why appear to be practicing pagan worship when in fact you are not? There is nothing to be gained by this, and potentially everything to lose.

Third, the impact on others. The first one is his wife. Gen 2:24 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” This is so important that it is quoted 4 times in the NT – Mt 19:5, Mk 10:7, 1 Co 6:16b, and Eph 5:31. The relationship to his wife surpasses that to his parents, no matter how devoted he may be to them. This is especially so now that his mother has passed away. No amount of effort on his part will change anything. However, his relationship to his wife is a different matter altogether. He must safeguard it at all costs, as it is more important than his relationship to his siblings. Since his wife is uncomfortable with the idea, he should find out why and resolve whatever concerns she might have, and not push the idea when it can have many undesirable results.

Then there is the impact on his siblings. As the only Christian in the family, he has the responsibility to share the gospel with his unsaved brothers and sisters. To set up his mother’s shrine in his home may give the erroneous impression that Christianity is compatible with Buddhism/Taoism and compromise his witness. 2 Co 6:17 Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. We are the temple of the living God, and should have no agreement with idols (2 Co 6:16).

Finally there is the impact on outsiders, both unbelievers and Christians. For unbelievers, the consideration is the same as that to his siblings – it will blur the distinction between the sacred and the secular, the clean and the unclean – and weaken his testimony. For Christians, if their conscience is weak, they may be emboldened to do the same (1 Co 8:10), thus causing them to fall (1 Co 8:13).

1 Co 10:23-24 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. I think this is one of those things that is neither beneficial nor constructive, and therefore advise against it. Your church brother should not seek his own good, but the good of others. I hope he listens to your suggestion.

Prosperity Gospel 2

Yesterday we discussed the premise of the prosperity gospel, which is based on misinterpreting and twisting Scripture. Today we continue with the biblical teaching on the same concepts:

1. Wealth. Our Lord warned that life does not consist of being wealthy, in direct contradiction to the claims of the PG proponents:
• Lk 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Ultimately, the prosperity gospel is greedy, and greed is idolatry. It is a root of all kinds of evil, leading men astray as evidenced by the financial scandals of the leaders of the Word-Faith Movement:
• Eph 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
• 1 Tim 6:9-10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

2. Health. Although God wishes us well, Christians are not exempt from sickness, because we live in a fallen world cursed because of sin and subject to decay:
• Rom 8:20-21 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loved, (Jn 11:3) fell sick and even died. Epaphroditus was ill and almost died (Phil 2:27). Paul left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Tim 4:20). These people did not lack faith, as accused by PG proponents. It is they who are self-deceived, for to redefine sickness as unreal and only a lie of the devil is to be like an ostrich burying its head in the sand and refusing to face reality. James even left instructions as to what to do when someone is sick:
• Jas 5:14-15 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
I would take the words of Paul and James anytime over those of PG proponents.

3. Word-Faith. Our words can be powerful, but only in the context of prayer meeting God’s conditions:
• Jas 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Our Lord taught us to ask for anything, but only in His name:
• Jn 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
• Jn 16:23-24 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
In His name does not mean tagging a “in Jesus name” at the end of our petitions. It means asking as if Jesus Himself was making the request, and we know He will ask only for what is according to the Father’s will.
• 1 Jn 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
And we will do that when we keep His commands and do what pleases Him:
• 1 Jn 3:22 and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases Him.

This is exactly the opposite of the prosperity gospel, which wants to manipulate God to give us what we want, to please ourselves. God becomes our servant, a giver of gifts, a vending machine. When we insert our “seed faith” offering, God is obligated to return our investment many fold. Ultimately it is man-centered and a denial of the cross, the narrow gate and the narrow road. Don’t even go near it, and warn others about it.

Prosperity Gospel 1

Q. What is prosperity theology? Is it consistent with our doctrine, or is it heresy?

A. The prosperity gospel (PG), also known as the health and wealth gospel, is promoted by the Word-Faith movement. It is not the true gospel, but a different gospel (2 Co 11:4; Gal 1:6). It is inconsistent with orthodox Christianity, and is at best aberrant and at worst heretical. Their theology is based on the following, all of which are faulty:

1. God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian:
• Deut 28:11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land He swore to your ancestors to give you.
• Ps 128:2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
PG proponents take these as unconditional promises to Christians. However, as can be seen in their immediate context, both passages are conditional promises to the Jews, not Christians:
• Deut 28:1-2 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
• Ps 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to Him.
The condition is to fully obey the Lord, which they conveniently ignore.

2. No believer should ever be sick:
• Isa 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
They believe that by Jesus’ wounds we are healed of all physical diseases. Some claimed that they have not been sick for years, and if they don’t feel well, that’s only an illusion, a trick of the devil. This is self-deception, based on a misinterpretation of the verse. The first part of Isa 53:5 refers to our transgressions and iniquities i.e. sins, which are spiritual, so the healing referred to in the second part of the verse is also spiritual. This is the sense Peter understood and quoted it in:
• 1 Pet 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

3. You can have what you say. This is twisted thinking, but essentially they believe that since God created man in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27), men are “little gods“. And just as God created the universe by simply saying it, using His words (Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24), man can actualize what they want by a thought-actualization or positive confession, naming it and claiming it by faith. And if you are not rich, or fall sick, it means you do not have enough faith!

This is absolutely ludicrous. In God’s image does not mean men are little gods, which is Satan’s lie, because he himself wanted to be like God and failed:
• Gen 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
• Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.
It means having His communicable attributes such as righteousness, holiness, and knowledge:
• Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
• Col 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Men’s thoughts and words do not have power in and of themselves, that’s just wishful thinking. Men are created to be dependent on God, not exercising power independent of God. And to say if you are poor or sick then you lack faith is just blaming the victim.

There is much more that I can’t cover in a short post, but tomorrow we continue with the orthodox teaching in these areas.

Idols and Demons

Q. Is Paul inconsistent? How come he said an idol is nothing in 1 Co 8:4, then in 1 Co 10:20 he said the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons? Pagans sacrifice to idols, so is an idol nothing or a demon?

A. No, Paul is not inconsistent. Paul knew his Bible well:
• Ps 115:5-7 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
• Ps 135:15-17 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
• Isa 44:15, 17-19 It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it… From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

An idol is not a real god and has no power to speak, see, hear, smell, feel or walk. That’s why Paul said in 1 Co 8:4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with food sacrificed to idols. Therefore he said in 1 Co 10:25, 27 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience… If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. You don’t have to worry about the meat being tainted.

However, this is not the only consideration, as demons hide behind idols. 1 Co 10:20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. And Christians view meat sacrificed to idols differently, depending on whether their conscience is strong or weak:
• 1 Co 8:7, 9-13 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled…Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
• 1 Co 10:28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake.

Although idols are nothing, we have to be concerned about our actions’ impact on others. Even though the meat itself is not contaminated after idol worship, and is acceptable to be consumed, if the action of eating it would cause a brother with a weak conscience to fall, then Paul would rather never eat meat again. This is very strong language. Paul is weighing the right or freedom of a Christian to do something neutral, versus his responsibility not to harm anybody or cause anyone to stumble (1 Co 10:32), and the decision is he would rather give up his rights to fulfill his responsibilities. The over-riding consideration is 1 Co 10:33 For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. This is the biblical position. Unfortunately nowadays many Christians are so self-centered that they always assert their rights and don’t care about their duties to others. I hope we all learn not to seek our own good, but the good of others (1 Co 10:24).

Non-Christians serving in Church?

(Continued from yesterday)

On the other hand, some have pushed this evangelistic purpose to allow unbelievers to serve in various capacities, on the rationale that some might come to know God through serving. I believe this is going too far, and putting the cart before the horse. A worship service is, first and foremost, to worship and praise God. We are there not to sing before the congregation, nor to listen to a sermon, important as these are, but to honor and praise God, and to use the worship service primarily as a tool for outreach is to misuse it. A seeker can learn about God, but cannot really worship God in spirit and in truth.

A second purpose to gather together is to encourage one another e.g.
• Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
• Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
How can unbelievers encourage or teach and admonish Christians when they do not have the Spirit or the word of Christ dwelling in them?

Are there examples of unbelievers serving in ministry, besides being used by God to punish His people? The only example I can think of is Acts 1:15-17 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” Depending on your theology, some believed that Judas was a believer who renounced his faith, while others believed that he was never a genuine believer in the first place. If the former, then it shows that being a believer is no guarantee that you will finish well. If the latter, then it demonstrates that putting him in a position of leadership has dire consequences. So regardless of your position, this is a negative example and not normative.

What’s the conclusion? If unbelievers have a place in worship, but should not be serving in all kinds of capacities, what is the middle ground? I believe an appropriate place to draw the line is serving in a support versus leadership role. I don’t think any unbeliever should be placed in a public, highly visible, lead role, because to do so would:
• Draw the attention to them, not to God, which is fundamentally flawed.
• Celebrities may draw people to church, but for the wrong reasons. The church’s mission is to proclaim Christ, not to entertain.
• Like it or not, public figures may be viewed as representing the church. We do not want unbelievers as the church’s representatives.
• If they have bad conduct, they may also damage the church’s reputation.
• Confuse non-Christians present as to the separation between the “holy” and the “secular”, the “clean” and the “unclean”.
• Misrepresent the nature of the gospel to other unbelievers by giving the wrong impression that one is accepted on the basis of their talent or ability, not faith in Christ;
• Mislead the unbeliever himself that salvation is earned or merited.

However, for background, low-profile, supportive roles e.g. setting up the drama scenes, as one of many musicians etc., these potential problems are minimized. They can interact with Christians and taste what faith in action is like, and have opportunities to respond to the gospel. So, to summarize, going back to the case of the well-known non-Christian actor, I do not support the church using him in a lead role. The cons far outweigh the pros.