What are the dangers of 'Treasure-Hunting' evangelism?
Treasure Hunting is a new type of evangelistic outreach that has been popularized by Bethel Church in Redding, California, and has been picked up by many well-known evangelistic groups such as YWAM. It’s also sometimes referred to as “prophetic evangelism” or “supernatural evangelism.” Yet despite its popularity, this practice of Treasure Hunting is one that ought to be avoided by Christians because of its many inherent problems and dangers.Before I talk about some of the problems with Treasure Hunting, I want to fill you in on how it works. This is what might typically happen: a team of three or four people will choose a place to conduct their hunt, such as a park or grocery store. Then, before the Treasure Hunt, team members ask God to give them prophetic “words of knowledge” — called “clues”— about specific people they will find at that location. The clues they seek include a person’s name, descriptions of that person’s appearance, and any ailments (such as recurring headaches or a bad knee). Team members mark these clues on a treasure map, which they then use to guide them to a person — called a “treasure” — who matches their clues.For example, in his book called The Ultimate Treasure Hunt: A Guide to Supernatural Evangelism through Supernatural Encounters, Kevin Dedmon – who was on the leadership team at Bethel Redding – recounts a treasure hunt. During one hunt conducted in a Wal-Mart, the clues included “Starbucks coffee,” “hurt right arm,” and “frozen foods.” The treasure hunters located a woman buying Starbucks coffee-flavored ice cream in the frozen food section. When they approached the woman and told her about their activity, she looked at their list of other clues and revealed that she had an injured right arm. She allowed the team members to pray for her and, according to their reports, her arm was immediately healed.This account, if accurate, sounds great: a woman was found and prayed for, and then healed. It seems all good, so someone might ask, “What’s wrong with Treasure Hunting?”Lots, unfortunately. Here are several problems with this novel practice.
It’s not supported by Scripture
This practice does not have the support of Scripture. Nowhere does the Bible ever record a Treasure Hunt or instruct people to engage in anything like a Treasure Hunt. The biblical stories Dedmon has presented as examples of Treasure Hunts are a stretch. For example, he suggests that the time when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well (John 4:1-26), he was engaged in something like a Treasure Hunt. But Jesus did not pray for clues and then seek a person matching those clues. Also, the story of his encounter with this woman is descriptive; it’s doesn’t prescribe a new practice for his followers. And it misses the important fact that Jesus, as the divine Son of God, had omniscient knowledge of this woman’s life that mere mortals would not have.Another passage of Scripture that Dedmon has misused to support Treasure Hunting is Acts 9:11-12. This passage supposedly records the first ever Treasure Hunt, when Ananias was given clues to find Saul at a house on Straight Street. But Ananias wasn’t engaging in a Treasure Hunt, like those being practiced today. He didn’t plan to go on a hunt, nor did he pray for clues. He didn’t initiate anything. Rather, the Lord called to him in a vision and commanded him to go and find Saul. Ananias simply obeyed. There’s no notion that this watershed event in church history – which led to Saul (the apostle Paul) being given a special calling and role to play in redemptive history – was intended to become a practice for all believers to follow.
It's highly presumptuous
The idea of expecting God to provide clues, on demand, and to work within other specified parameters established by the teams (including expecting him to work at a specific time, in a specific location, and in specific ways) is highly presumptuous. It borders on manipulation of God. Some have likened this practice to expecting God to play parlor games. But he is sovereign; we shouldn’t venture to tell him when and how he must work.
It doesn’t leave enough room for discernment
Treasure Hunters are taught to take the first thoughts that pop into their heads, after they pray, as clues from God to direct them to specific individuals. In fact, Dedmon says that, when he’s teaching people to Treasure Hunt, he gives them a three-minute time limit to receive clues from God.
In conducting first-time Treasure Hunts, I always limit the time to get “words of knowledge” to three minutes. The first reason is that most of the people do not have confidence that they will hear from God even if they were to wait for three hours. I want them to have a practical experience of how easy it is to hear from God. And second, I do not want to give them too much time to change their minds as they do hear from God.
But taking unfiltered thoughts, as directions from God, is a very unwise practice. What process is in place to discern that a particular thought is actually from God and not merely from one’s imagination or even from a demonic source?
It’s built on a faulty assumption that everyone can have the miraculous gift of prophecy
Treasure Hunting is basically -- what is known in the New Apostolic Reformation -- as a “prophetic activation” exercise. In other words, by engaging in a Treasure Hunt, participants can be “activated” in the gift of prophecy described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. But the idea that people can learn to prophesy -- or can learn to “activate” other miraculous gifts -- has no support in Scripture. The apostle Paul wrote that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts. They are not powers that can be learned or activated. And they are distributed directly by the Holy Spirit to individuals as he alone decides (1 Corinthians 12:11). They cannot be acquired by individuals at will. Furthermore, Paul makes it very clear that not all can have each of these gifts. He asks rhetorically, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:29–30). The intended answer is no. Not all have the gift of prophesying or the working of miracles or healing.The idea that miraculous gifts can be learned or activated has more in common with New Age teachings than with biblical Christianity. New Agers believe that everyone is born with supernatural powers they can “activate” or “awaken” or “unlock” by engaging in various New Age practices. This concept of activating the gifts is foreign to the New Testament.
It misrepresents God
Approaching a person and claiming that God intends to heal that person – or claiming that God has given a direct message for that person – is a misrepresentation of God, if he hasn’t actually spoken. To do so would make the Treasure Hunter guilty of speaking falsely for God, which is a serious offense according to Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Speaking falsely for God harms the church’s witness to the world. A person may reject Christianity based on the false promises of a Treasure Hunter.
It minimizes true gospel proclamation in favor of promoting “supernatural encounters”
Treasure Hunting is promoted as a new form of evangelism. In an endorsement of Dedmon’s book, the “apostle” Randy Clark, of Global Awakening, says that it “will change your view and understanding of evangelism.” But that’s not necessarily a good thing. The question is, how, exactly, is evangelism – or the gospel itself – being defined? During many Treasure Hunts, the teams speak of Jesus, but it’s not clear what message they communicate about him. It seems that the message is often that Jesus loves someone or wants to heal someone. There’s a reason for this. In his book, Dedmon explains that the purpose of a Treasure Hunt is to lead a person to having a supernatural encounter with God, such as receiving a healing or prophetic word that shows God’s love for them. The first line of his book’s introduction states, “The Ultimate Treasure Hunt is about supernatural encounters.” It’s not to convince people, through reasoned argumentation, of their need to confess Christ.Yet, unlike Treasure Hunting, it’s clear that reasoned argumentation played a central role in the apostles’ presentation of the gospel in the book of Acts. For example, you can see this in Acts 2:14-41, starting with their very first sermon. And take note that, in this passage, the apostle Peter proclaimed Christ’s resurrection. He didn’t merely lead them to warm, fuzzy encounters of God’s love. And he directly confronted his listeners with their sin and their need to repent and receive forgiveness. No true sharing of the gospel would place the focus on a supernatural encounter and downplay these important messages.To be fair to Dedmon, he agrees that people need to be made aware of their sin. Yet he makes the message secondary to an encounter. And he never seems to explicitly state what the gospel is.We can certainly look for new ways to creatively share the gospel. But we must be certain that those ways have the support of Scripture and that the gospel is actually being shared. Thus, Treasure Hunts might actually distract believers from biblical forms of evangelism that emphasize sharing the gospel. Rather than fulfilling the Great Commission, Treasure Hunting may hinder it.
Have you seen this activity being practiced in your church or community?
