The Mechanics of Evangelism- Part 2
So, hopefully we have established the requirement for evangelism- the desperate need and urge every Christian should have to spread forth the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What message should we be telling?
I was doing some serious thinking (swishing about a metaphorical tea bag in the mug of my mind)- trying to establish the fundamental points of the gospel which we need to be sharing/sowing/spreading etc. I thought about schemes and explanations like ‘2 ways to live’, the Olympic bracelets, ‘the Romans route’ and the Gospel of John. Then, in a short-lived moment, a light bulb appeared, lit up and showered my scalp with a soft glow.
Scan through a reasonable assignment again, looking out for the fundamentals of the gospel. Funny isn’t it! The very reasons that we should be sharing the gospel are also the crucial points that we should be sharing! Namely, we should be witnessing to these things:
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Sin is a serious thing. We are all sinners and are unworthy of God’s love. (2) Romans 3 v 23
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Sin will be punished. It has a sentence which none of us can comprehend: an eternity without God’s mercy. (2) Exodus 32 v34
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God is serious about salvation. He actually sent his only begotten son to die in our stead. (1) John 3 v 16
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God commands us to respond to Jesus’ death and resurrection. There will be no middle ground. God will not be mocked. It brings God great glory when we receive him as our Lord and Saviour! (3,4) Romans 10 v 9
What form should Evangelism take?
I believe it was Francis of Assisi who famously said,
“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”
I think he had a valid point: our lives should shout out that we are different from the world. As Christians, Christ has transformed our whole lives- we are a whole new creation (picture caterpillars and butterflies). It is certainly true that the radically ulterior lifestyle and worldview of a Christian can be a powerful preacher for the truth and vitality of the Gospel here and now in the 21st Century. It had an amazing impact on my life.
I think Francis of Assisi would have liked twitter.
Why on earth would a person use a lengthy properly-structured, grammatical sentence- complete with commas, hyphens (similar to a dash), brackets and rhetorical questions- when a few simple, hastily chosen words of wisdom, tumbling forth from the laundry chute of a person’s mind, would do?
Unfortunately poor old Francis missed the point somewhat. Does the bible not teach us that Jesus is ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ God created language, just like he created trees, mustard, hummingbirds and the Antarctic.
It isn’t enough to simply act the gospel (vital though that is). We need to teach the gospel using our voices too (scarier though that is!).
If we pause and take a look at Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 onwards, I think we will be helped by Jesus’ instructions to his apostles. Have a read below:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)
Lets break it down a bit.
Verse 18:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…”
Any truly biblical outreach is done through Jesus Christ who possesses all authority. We cannot win souls; God can. Think back to your pre-Christian days. I heard the gospel time and time again, and ignored it. It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sinfulness and acute need of a saviour that I repented and turned to Christ. In Acts chapter 14, Paul explains that although he preached, it was God who ‘opened the door’ for them; it was God who provided the ready hearts and opportunities for outreach. We shouldn’t be discouraged or put off though: God uses weak and powerless folks like us to achieve his will. The Bible is packed with examples, Peter not being the least! Our God has all authority therefore we can confidently ‘Go’ knowing that he will go with us and, as verse 20 reminds us, he is with us ‘to the end of the age.’
Verse 19a:
“…Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
Outreach is long-term. We aren’t simply adding stats to our evangelism scoreboards. Quite the opposite! If you really grasped the earlier (non-exhaustive) reasons listed for sharing the gospel, then you will have a compassion for the folks who you are speaking to. You know, Jesus invested 3+ years in shaping his disciples. And he didn’t leave them alone when he ascended either! Paul was passionate about ‘his’ converts. He revisited the churches he had helped found again and again; he wrote long letters full of love and passion to them. He had a real and prayerful interest in their spiritual health. Paul made it a #1 priority to visit believers whenever he was in town. Interestingly it was Paul’s concern for the welfare of people that led to some important conversions during his journeys (see Acts 16).
Outreach is indiscriminate. Christ’s lordship is over the whole of creation. Evangelism must be global in its ambition and execution. Of course you and I cannot share the gospel with 7 billion people on a personal and individual basis. However we can be prayerfully and practically supporting missionaries, gospel-organisations and church outreach both here and overseas. Closer to home, we shouldn’t be discriminate about with whom we share the gospel. Its easy to focus on people we like- its easy to get into the Don’t-want-to-be-in-heaven-with-him-mentality: Thank God that he didn’t have that same mentality about us!
Paul was very indiscriminate in his ministry. When speaking to Jews, he used the OT scriptures. When speaking to Greeks/Romans he found some common ground and spoke in a way they understood. He hated clichés. He even went so far as to say, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”
Verse 19b:
“…baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Although it isn’t my aim to major in on baptism, I mustn’t ignore what the verse says. Baptism is part of the commission, it is a public witness of Jesus’ salvation plan for lost mankind. The water symbolises the washing power Christ has over the stains of sin. As we enter the water, we are saying that we have died to our sin. As we are under the water, we are saying that we were dead. Rising from the water shows that through Christ Jesus we have been born again and have left death and sin behind us. That’s a great witness to the glory and salvation of God!
Notice that all of the Trinity are active in salvation. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit each take part in saving the lost. We mustn’t forget that when praying for God to work in the hearts of our friends, family and contacts. (Here is something to ponder: at the cross, God the Father was in heaven turning away from Jesus, God the Son was on the cross dying for our sins. Where was God the Holy Spirit?)
Verse 20:
“…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Outreach/Disciple making is achieved through ‘go’-ing and ‘teaching’.
Start at the beginning. Share what Jesus has done for you to your friends and family. We have the best message that the world has ever heard. Think about this for a moment: The ultimate news, the ultimate answer to that question we all have, is good news! 64 doesn’t fill me with much hope. Christ dying for my sins fills me with hope everlasting!
Praise the Lord!
…and get going!
