Evangelism
Christians go to heaven & eternal life.
But people who do NOT believe that Jesus is their Saviour will go to HELL.
Let's see how we can HELP TO SAVE THEM from that.
1. We'll cover
Why should we evangelise?
What should our message be?
Where should we evangelise?
What methods can we use?
Overcoming the five main concerns we may have.
(Many Christians love evangelism, as long as someone else is doing it!)
2. Why should we evangelise?
2.1 Jesus TOLD us to
Mark 16:15 ~ And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
--> Do we want to do God’s will - but aren’t sure how?
--> If we evangelise - we’re GUARANTEED to be doing God’s will!
Further reading
Proverbs 11:30
Daniel 12:3
Matthew 4:19 / Mark 1:17 / Luke 5:10
Acts 1:8, 11:13-14
1 Corinthians 1:21
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
2.2 Think what others have done before us:
Believers started churches in just about every village in the British Isles.
Patrick evangelised Ireland almost single-handed.
Missionaries such as David Livingstone & Mary Slessor took the gospel to some of the most difficult (physically & spiritually) parts of Africa.
These early missionaries OBEYED God’s command to evangelise.
Despite: pagan opposition, uncomfortable conditions and poor communications.
Acts 15:25-26
25It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord (= we all agreed), to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
--> We serve the same God as Barnabas, Paul & their team.
--> If THEY did it, so can WE!
Further reading
Psalm 40:10
2.3 Evangelism is a BEAUTIFUL activity to be involved in
Isaiah 52:7 ~ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;
that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
--> Never mind the well-known quote: ‘Football is the beautiful game’.
--> Evangelism is the real ‘beautiful game’!
There’s NOTHING BETTER to be fanatical about:
Hobbies, TV, holidays etc. - don’t come close to the joy we feel after evangelising.
We have the greatest news in the world to share - how to have everlasting life!
2.4 Keeps churches HEALTHY
History shows that churches which only look inward:
Argue over minor issues.
Decline / fall apart.
--> So all believers & churches should also be outward-looking.
2.5 Because evangelism is the work closest to God’s heart (it’s why He sent His Son to die on the cross) - HE BLESSES evangelising believers & churches
John 4:36 ~ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
When I’ve said:
‘Yes’ to helping with evangelism - God has blessed me and I’ve felt very close to Him.
‘No’ to helping with evangelism - I’ve felt gloomy and a long way from God.
Churches which are growing are those which evangelise!
2.6 There’s a massive need - but only a few believers are committed to it
Matthew 9:37-38
37Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38Pray ye therefore (= pray to) the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.
The problem is:
Many of the ‘Harvesters’ are ‘Allergic to harvesting’.
Are we ‘Staying in the barn’ - waiting for the harvest to bring itself in, without us doing any work?
Further reading
Luke 10:2
3. Recap of six reasons why we should evangelise
Jesus told us to.
Think what others have done before us.
It’s a beautiful activity to be involved in.
Keeps churches healthy.
God blesses people & churches which evangelise.
There’s a massive need - but only a few believers help with the work.
4. What should our message be?
4.1 About Jesus
Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him (= to the Ethiopian) Jesus.
--> Our message must be about Jesus.
--> Not about church - the people we’re speaking to may have a poor image / experience of church!
There’s a saying: ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’:
Some people think that Christianity is what they see first: ‘The cover of the book’ i.e. the church.
We should make it clear that we’re talking about: ‘The CONTENT of the book’ i.e. Jesus - who’s perfect!
4.2 From our hearts
On the day of Pentecost - Peter had no time to prepare a sermon.
He just told them what he knew about Jesus - from his heart. (Acts 2:14-41)
Telling people what we know about Jesus - from our hearts - is an important part of our message.
4.3 Our testimony (= Sharing the story of our Christian experience)
We can all share our testimony, and no-one can deny it.
We should cover:
A. BEFORE we believed
This helps people to understand that we were once an unbeliever - so we know how they feel.
Deuteronomy 24:18 ~ But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee …
B. HOW we believed
The need to be ‘born again’, and what that feels like.
John 3:3 ~ Jesus answered and said unto him (= to Nicodemus), Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Further reading
1 Peter 1:3
C. SINCE we believed
Mark 5:19 ~ Jesus … saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
--> Explain how our lives have improved since we believed:
Like the: 'Before' and 'After' on a makeover show.
But don't set false expectations that everything will be easy!
Further reading
'Tough times' message on WholeCounselofGod.com
4.4 There’s something much better than this world to look forward to
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4In whom the god * of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image (= likeness / representation) of God, should shine unto them.
* Paul used the Greek word ‘theos’.
Q - What did Paul mean by ‘the god of this world’?
Some people think Paul meant:
Satan is the god of this world.
Satan has blinded unbelievers.
That may be correct - but why didn’t Paul use Satan’s name, like he did later in the same letter:
2 Corinthians 11:14 ~ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Another interpretation is that Paul meant:
‘To many people - THIS WORLD is their GOD.’
--> So they ‘worship’ the things & people of this world:
Philippians 3:18-19
18For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19Whose end is destruction, whose god * is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
* Paul used the same Greek word ‘theos’ here in Philippians 3:19 as he used in 2 Corinthians 4:4
This 'worship' of earthly things, BLINDS them from seeing something FAR BETTER - the Kingdom of God:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
10But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Being ‘blinded by this world’ is like:
Staying inside our home - with the curtains pulled shut and never going outside.
Having no concept of the beautiful: countryside, sea, mountains, wildlife etc. which we’re missing out on.
So in our evangelistic message - we should tell people there’s something FAR BETTER than THIS world to look forward to!
Further reading
Isaiah 42:7
Luke 8:1
2 Corinthians 5:6-7, 12:2-4
Hebrews 12:22-23
'What is heaven like?' section in 'What happens when we die?' message on WholeCounselofGod.com
4.5 We’ll all go through a five stage process
DJ ACE
D = Die / Death of our body - It’s going to happen: whether we like it or not!
J =Judgement - God will judge us.
A = Accountable - God will hold us accountable for what we’ve done / not done.
C = Consequences - There are consequences for what we’ve done / not done.
E = Eternity - These consequences are eternal - where will we spend eternity?
We can ask people: ‘If you were to die tonight - do you know where you’re going: heaven or hell?’
… and then explain how to be saved:
Believe that Jesus is our Saviour.
Confess our faith in Jesus & confess our sins to God.
Repent of our sins.
Further reading
Deuteronomy 32:9
Messages on WholeCounselofGod.com:
The Cross
Grace
What happens when we die?
4.6 Never compromise / water down our message because of 'fear of man'
The purpose of the gospel is:
Not to make God acceptable to man.
But to make man acceptable to God.
5. Where should we evangelise?
Roman 15:20-21
20Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:
21But as it is written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
--> If we don’t know where to start - go to the place which has least exposure to the gospel:
It’s like looking after a: home / car / garden etc. - if we’re short of time / money / energy, we should do what most needs attention.
The darker the place - the greater the impact of switching on a light.
This is how J.C. Ryle (the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool) described the 18th century British evangelists (Howell Harris, John Wesley, George Whitfield etc.):
"They were always acting on the aggressive, not waiting for sinners to come to them, but going after, and seeking sinners,
not sitting idle till sinners offered to repent, but assaulting the high places of ungodliness like men storming a breach,
and giving sinners no rest so long as they stuck to their sins."
Mark 2:16-17
16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him (= Jesus) eat with publicans (= tax collectors for the Romans) and sinners,
they said unto His disciples, How is it that He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole (= strong & healthy) have no need of the physician, but they that are sick:
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Further reading
2 Corinthians 10:16
6. But what if that seems like 'a hard place'?
I heard an evangelist explain that whenever he visits a new area, he first calls on the local clergy.
Nearly all of these ministers respond with: ‘This is a hard place’!
Q - What does GOD THINK of ‘hard places’?
Jonah 1:1-2
1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me.
--> Nineveh was wicked / ‘a hard place’.
--> So Jonah ran away.
Q - But what was God’s perspective?
Jonah 4:11 ~ And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city,
wherein are more than six-score thousand (= 120,000) persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
A - God wasn’t bothered that Nineveh was ‘a hard place’.
His objective was that people were saved - which should also be our main concern.
After Jonah evangelised - the people did repent & turn to God. (Jonah 3:4-10)
Mark 16:15 ~ And He (= Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
--> Jesus did NOT SAY to His disciples: ‘But leave out the hard places’!
Further reading
Mark 16:20
Luke 24:47
2 Corinthians 2:14
1 Timothy 2:4
7. Q - What methods can we use?
A - Here are three:
7.1 One-to-one
a. To people we KNOW
If we need a plumber / garage / restaurant etc.
... we trust the personal recommendation of someone we know - more than searching on the internet / responding to an advert
... because they pass on their personal, first-hand experience.
In the same way - we can give our personal recommendation about Jesus to people we know.
We can also lend them a Christian DVD / CD / book etc. and ask later what they thought of it.
b. To people we DON'T KNOW
We can smile and say to people: ‘Would you like a leaflet about Jesus?’
We may not feel like doing this.
But as they approach, the thought that ‘This person is probably going to hell’ gives us the motivation we need.
It’s also important that we:
Don’t miss opportunities to evangelise - Philip didn’t miss the opportunity to tell the Ethiopian about Jesus (Acts 8:26-39).
Make a positive impression (unlike members of cults - who often look miserable as they hand out their misleading information!)
7.2 Build links into the community
These have a common theme of caring for people - for example:
Playgroups.
Food banks.
Events for senior citizens.
etc.
But we need to strike the right balance and not neglect our MAIN purpose - which is to save people from going to hell.
General Booth (who founded the Salvation Army) said: ‘Don’t give social action without the gospel’.
So we should not partner with any organisation or individual if that would hinder the preaching of the gospel.
We don’t need to share the gospel the whole time - but we should make sure that we do at some stage.
Having friendly leaflets / DVDs about the Christian faith for non-believers to take away is a good approach.
7.3 Public events - for unbelievers to hear the gospel
It's like:
Fishing boats need to go to sea to catch fish.
They don’t catch anything if they stay in harbour!
Successful methods include:
Believers sharing the gospel or their testimony (live or pre-recorded) in a church building / public hall / large tent.
Puppet shows for children & their parents / grandparents.
Outreach buses.
Street evangelism (good praise music helps to attract attention - that’s why the Salvation Army started their bands).
RECAP of the three main methods of evangelism:
One-to-one: we all can & should do this.
Build links into the community.
Public events.
In all of these methods we can use the Sow, Water, Harvest approach:
Sow - Gain people’s attention.
Water - Tell them more.
Harvest - Invite them to respond.
8. Once people are saved - we should tell them how to grow in their faith
A. On their own:
Read the Bible - every day.
Pray - every day.
B. With others:
Be part of a Bible-believing church.
Join a small Christian group - for closer fellowship.
C. Be baptised:
In water.
Ask God to baptise them in the Holy Spirit.
Further reading
Messages on WholeCounselofGod.com:
Baptised in water
Church
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Prayer
9. Overcoming five main concerns we may have about evangelism
9.1 Fear of man
Romans 1:16 ~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto (= that brings) salvation to every one that believeth …
Q - Are we ashamed of telling people about our hobbies or holidays?
The gospel is far more important than those pastimes - because it has eternal impact.
So we shouldn’t be scared to talk about Jesus.
Matthew 10:32-33
32Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.
Further reading
Mark 8:38 / Luke 9:26 & 12:8-9
2 Timothy 2:12
9.2 Thinking we can’t do it
Because God wants everyone saved - He helps us when we evangelise.
It’s like cycling when the wind’s behind us and blowing us along --> that makes our journey much easier!
Acts 11:20-21
20And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Further reading
Luke 4:18
Acts 1:8
2 Timothy 4:17
Revelation 14:6
9.3 People thinking it’s none of our business
Jude 23 ~ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire …
Evangelism is like grabbing someone who’s about to step off the pavement and be run over by a vehicle which they haven’t seen.
People who go on to be saved, may think it’s none of our business at the time.
But they’ll be PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL when we meet them in heaven.
John 12:35 ~ … he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Further reading
John 11:7-10
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
James 5:20
9.4 People not liking what we say
Luke 10:16 ~ He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.
--> If people despise our message - they’re actually despising Jesus:
So we shouldn’t take it personally.
We just need to: ‘Grow a thick skin’!
Further reading
Psalm 69:9 / Romans 15:3
Luke 4:28-30
John 3:19-20, 12:10-11, 15:18-25, 17:14
1 Corinthians 1:18
Galatians 1:10
2 Timothy 4:5
9.5 No-one responding
John 4:37 ~ One soweth, and another reapeth.
Most people DON'T say ‘Yes’ to Jesus the FIRST time they hear the gospel.
It’s like fishing:
Fishermen don’t give up if they don’t catch a fish the first time they cast their hook / net.
They keep casting.
So we should be patient and not give up!
Isaiah 49:5 ~ And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him,
Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
--> God wants us to evangelise and then blesses us - even if we DON'T SEE results at the time.
Further reading
Matthew 22:14
10. Finally - here's a reminder of what the G.O.S.P.E.L. is all about
GO
Save People
that they may have Eternal Life
Amen