Many ministries dismiss the idea of reaching unchurched people through the flesh because some people consider this a means of unduly manipulating people to Christ. Tools such as contemporary music, social media, bridge events and such have been dismissed as wrong ways to bring people to Jesus Christ.
But if we look deeply into the heart of ministry, what really are the ways that we can use to reach people either than through the flesh? Virtually all means of outreach is primarily through sensations that pertain initially through the flesh.
Looking at the way Jesus did His ministry, we can see that many times He reached out to people, and it was primarily through the flesh. Many times, Jesus performed miracles that addressed the needs of the flesh. Jesus healed the sick of demons and illnesses that tormented the flesh. He fed the multitudes to satisfy their hunger. Many times He preached with parables that were really a "fleshy" hook to get people to understand a deeper principle.
God designed us as human beings working on flesh-based values. Also we must never forget that John 1:14 tells us that Jesus became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
Even Paul made this a primary strategy in his ministry as he said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings."
While God does move in transforming the lives of people and reconciling them back to Him through the Holy Spirit, many times, if not all the time, the Holy Spirit will move experientially in us. It's not that experience is the main goal of an encounter with God, but it is the entry point. When Peter preached to the people after Pentecost, He preached to those who saw and heard the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
God can use the flesh to serve as bridge to the soul. We must not discount flesh-based strategies such as events, digital media and such because God can and will move through the flesh just as much as He will move through people's hearts and spirits.
