HOW TO BE AN EVANGELIST
The churches of Christ
Greet You
(Romans 16:16)
Some 50 years ago, during the “Camelot” administration of President
John F.
Kennedy, there was begun a trend in both politics and education to
belittle
reason and logic and find answers to all of our problems through
emotion or
sentiment. The idea of “Situation Ethics”, propounded by Mr.
Joseph
Fletcher became popular, being taught in colleges and universities as
doctrinal
courses of study.
Even
churches got caught up in the craze, and “Situation Ethics” was used by
many
churches as a course of “Bible Study.” Debate and serious study
of God’s
word gave way to various polls on what is popular in our society.
Many
congregations of the churches of Christ in the 50 states, trying to be
relevant, took up the same trend and abandoned difficult study and hard
thinking to adopt sentiment and entertainment.
The
so
called “Church Growth” concept took the place of evangelism. Church
leaders
became more concerned with what is practical than with what is right
and
true. The slogan became, “Whatever Works,” which meant follow
whatever
program that fills the pews. “Growth in numbers” became more
popular in
measuring success than real Bible study – never mind that the shallow
thinking
it promotes leaves people spiritually empty and fails to produce a body
of
disciplined members who are committed to “taking up their cross and
following
Jesus, the Christ” (Luke 9:23).
Money
and
time went for aerobic classes, yoga instructors, buildings made for
sports and
entertainment. Our worship assemblies were turned into a “pep rally” to
work on
our emotions rather than to praise the God of heaven. Under our
government-controlled schools, everyone is taught that there are no
absolutes.
Right and wrong are subjective, so that what so that what is wrong to
one
person is right to another. And the worldly “scholars” are absolutely
sure that
there are no absolutes in morality or religion!
All
this has
resulted in religion being based on sentiment rather than revealed
truth.
Because of their conviction that absolute truth does not exist, many
church
leaders have designed their worship to appeal to the emotions. The
focus is not
on truth, but the design is to stir feelings. What is being
overlooked in
all of this is the one thing that was emphasized by all the prophets,
the
apostles, John the Baptizer and Jesus. Their message was repentance.
“Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
Repentance
is the message needed to call people to a new kind of life. Repentance
is
necessary for all mankind; i.e., the common people, the rich and
wealthy, and
the religious leaders. Repentance and remission of sins must be
preach in
the name of Jesus to all nations (Luke 24:47). Near the end of the
first Gospel
sermon preached by the apostles, the people asked, “What shall we
do?”
God’s answer was, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of
Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
True
repentance is never motivated by mere emotion or sentiment. It is
generated by a reasoning process based on the facts of the Gospel and
recognition of personal sin: “For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory
of God” (Roman 3:23). John the baptized stirred up the people to
repent
by laying before them the facts of the Gospel and the judgment to come
(Matthew
3:7-120. The multitude who responded were not drawn by John’s
personal
“charisma and oratory,” but by the challenge of his message.
My
vision
for the church here in St. Thomas is simple. We are going to
teach and
preach the old tried and true Gospel of Christ to this whole island. We
will
continue to use this building, the newspaper, the radio and television
airways,
and our feet and voices to challenge the thinking of the people of on
St.
Thomas. Our goal will be to expose them to God’s eternal truths, not to
evoke
sentimental feelings or arouse emotions.
We
are the
Lord’s church. We are the light of the world. We should ever be
exposing the
sins of our society and calling people to a better way of living. But
instead,
we too often seek to be contemporaneous and acceptable to this society.
Instead
of giving the rebukes of John and the Old Testament prophets, we try to
look
like our society and go to various extremes to avoid offending it. To a
great
degree the churches of Christ have exchange reason for emotion and
“good
feelings.” These may be mistaken for faith and “religious experience,”
but if
it is not grounded in a belief based on reason and logic, it is
powerless to change
a person inwardly.
The
power of
God to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”
(2 Cor.
10:5) is the Gospel, when it is understood and believed. When faith is
not
based on reason, one is led by what he “feels” to be right. Such
feelings often
result from the influence of the non-Christian world. If morality is
based on
sentiment – or how ones feels about something – then there is no sense
of guilt
toward God and hence no need for repentance.
Response
based on sentiment and emotion can hardly be considered repentance.
True and
real repentance must be based on the reality of a consciousness of sin
in view
of the reality of God’s perfect nature and purpose for mankind.
True
repentance is brought about by a trust in the goodness of God that
recognizes
His rule in our lives. Godly repentance is the result of “Godly
sorrow” –
that is, sorrow for having offended God (2 Cor. 7:10).
True
repentance means that one will no longer take part in the ungodliness
of the
world. Turning to God our Father means turning away from the
modern idols
of society and seeking to please God (1 John 2:15). This means
that a
Christian will not feel at home in the popular culture of the
unbelieving
world, but will be as a stranger and sojourner (Heb. 11:13-16).
It
only
takes a few moments of self-examination and reasoning for one to change
his
mind – which is exactly what repentance is – a change of mind that
leads to a
change of actions. As the light of the world and the salt of the
earth
(Matt. 5:13-16), it is the Christian’s place to awaken people from
their
media-induced stupor and tell them the truth of Christ and the gospel
of
salvation. That is evangelism.
Jesus
said,
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John
8:32).
It is this truth that will produce repentance and make people free –
free from
sin, free from guilt, and free to live for Christ.
YOU
CAN BE AN EVANGELIST
A
former tax-collector, a political activist, and a few fishermen —
eleven common
Hebrew men. Having no organization and no resources but their
faith in
the promises of Jesus Christ, these first-century citizens of Palestine
were
charged by our Lord to do the impossible — go evangelize the world.
What
an awesome task — what an awesome responsibility!
But
each one of the eleven, with the later addition of two more, served
their
Master nobly, fulfilling his command and dedicating their lives, and
the lives
of their families, to bringing the gospel of Christ to the nations.
And
the charge now comes down through the centuries to us. We must
evangelize
the world. We must not allow our friends and loved ones, or
strangers
afar, to pass from this world without hearing the good news — that
Jesus will
save them from their sins.
So,
are you an evangelist?
Every
Member IS an Evangelist
Moses
didn’t want to do it. He couldn’t imagine himself being God’s
spokesman
before Pharaoh. But God “convinced” him to take the job. He
would
provide whatever was needed for the task at hand. Moses just
needed to
understand that Jehovah wasn’t requesting that he go back to
save the
children of Israel. He was commanding him to go.
Similarly,
we need to understand that the Lord didn’t just ask that we help him in
saving
others, he commands it. If you’ve been saved from your sins, it
is expected
that you will help the Savior find others to save. It is expected
that you will be an evangelist.
The
term “evangelist” refers to one who proclaims the good message, a
gospel
herald. Often, the term is used in the New Testament in a
restricted sense
— equivalent to a gospel preacher, a minister (cf. Acts 21:8; Eph.
4:11; 2 Tim.
4:5). In this sense, a woman cannot serve as an evangelist (1
Cor. 14:34;
1 Tim. 2:12).
But
in a general use of the term, any person, male or female, who brings
the gospel
to others through various means, is an evangelist. And every
Christian should
be involved, in some way, in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ
through
evangelism.
The
Reward of Evangelism
Within
twenty-four hours, Jesus knew he would be dead. What would you do
during
your last day? Jesus took the time — valuable, precious minutes —
to wash
the dirty feet of his disciples. Why did he do that? To impress upon them the fact that “If I then, the Lord
and the
Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s
feet” (John
13:14).
Christianity
is a religion immersed with service and sacrifice — from our King, down
to the
most humble member. We serve, because he serves us. We are
commanded to serve our brethren in Christ, and even our enemies.
When we
render our sacrifices of service, we help others find their God and
their way
home.
Perhaps
the most ironic thing about the type of service demanded by the
religion of
Christ is that by serving others, we find our own greatest fulfillment.
You will never be more contented than when you help someone else
improve
his station in life or, more importantly, improve his relationship with
the
Creator.
That
is why the best thing you can ever do is to serve others by being
evangelistic.
By being a messenger for Christ, you will receive the ultimate reward —
the
satisfaction of knowing that you were able to help Jesus find a lost
soul.
Christ
promises great rewards for those who serve in this way. His
recognition
and praise should motivate us to want to become his evangelists.
You
may not be able to fulfill the role of a preacher, or teacher, or
elder, or
deacon. But in the general sense, you can be an
evangelist.
Here’s how.
Go
About Doing Good
With
great attention Cornelius listened as Peter told him about Jesus, the
man from
Nazareth who went about doing good (Acts
10:38).
With Christ as our example, one of the best ways you can begin to
be an
evangelist is to go about your day-to-day activities looking for good
things to
do.
Paul
summed it up this way:
“And
let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if
we faint
not. So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is
good
toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of
the
faith” (Gal. 6:9-10).
For
years, the Boy Scouts were known for their habit of performing a daily
“Good
Deed.” The young scout was encouraged to begin straight
away with a
daily Good Deed; nothing spectacular, but just something which
otherwise he
would probably not do.
What
a wonderful, practical implementation of this principle for the
Christian
evangelist, not just daily, but, as the Paul noted, at every
opportunity.
There can be no better compliment than to have it said of you,
“He is
always going about doing good.”
Good
deeds are your first tool of evangelism. They open the door.
They
let someone know that you care. Master the example of Christ
(Acts
10:38), and you’ll be well on your way to being a first-rate evangelist.
Talking
to Friends
Do
you have friends or family members who are in need of salvation?
Many
times, it’s difficult to talk to someone about their spiritual
condition.
Here’s a formula you may find helpful.
Instead
of trying to “win an argument,” try just letting them know that you’ve
been
praying for them. Or that you’ve been thinking about them — that
you’re
concern about their welfare. With a genuine sense of care, they
cannot
help but want to reassure you that they’re all right.
Perhaps,
at that point, you can set up a Bible study “just to make sure.”
Wouldn’t
it make you feel better if they allowed you the time just to present
the gospel
to them? Or, if they would promise you they would read something
and
consider it.
Perhaps
it would be helpful to focus on expressing concern, asking for a fair
hearing,
and providing them the opportunity to hear the gospel. Whether
through
the preacher, a tract, an article, or a tape, you have fulfilled your
loving
responsibility to bring them the message of Christ.
Helping
Evangelistic Works
The
Philippian Christians were so eager to help Paul fulfill the Savior’s
plea.
Paul responded,
“I
thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, always in every
supplication of
mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, for your
fellowship
in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; being
confident of
this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it
until the
day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:3-6).
Generally
speaking, most of us have somewhat limited spheres of influence.
We have
our families, those with whom we worship, our friends at work,
neighbors we
live near, and acquaintances we run into from time-to-time. But
there are
a lot more people out there — about 5 billion.
We
cannot go individually to every person in the world. We are
limited by
the demands of living, the responsibility of family, and our geographic
location. We can, however, cooperate and help others expand the
borders
of the kingdom. Collectively, we can reach far more people than we can
individually.
Many
congregations support missionaries to spread the gospel too far away
places.
These dedicated people do not receive the praise and gratitude
they
deserve in this life (the Lord knows, though). They often
sacrifice
comfort and convenience in order to carry the gospel to those distant
lands.
And, too often, their safety is in jeopardy as well. The
missionary
is a noble servant, indeed.
You
can do no better service than to help someone else teach the gospel.
Through the combined efforts of Christians, thousands upon
thousands of
souls have been saved in this manner — souls that were doomed and would
not
have been rescued had good Christians not supported a mission work.
You
may not have the ability to make the sacrifice to go, but you can
surely do as
the Philippians did. Be an evangelist — support a faithful
mission work.
Encouraging
Your Church Leaders
Your
local ministers and leaders need your encouragement. It may not
look like
it, but it’s true.
Consider
your local ministers — so much is expected from them. They must
lead the
congregation in the study of God’s word. Whether the
message
encourages, rebukes, or instructs us, it is a demanding job that
requires skill
and dedication.
The
preacher is expected to visit the sick, the elderly, and the weak.
He
waits at the bed beside those who soon will meet their Maker. He
often
labors under criticism — sometimes valid, sometimes not.
Frequently he
sacrifices his personal “family-time” for the interests of the church.
Your
church leaders labor similarly — because they love the church
of Christ.
You can be an evangelist by being an encourager of those who have
dedicated their lives to the work of evangelism in your local
congregation.
Your partnership — through support, kind words, and thoughtful
gratitude
— mean so much.
“Go
ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
into the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them
to
observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you
always,
even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20).
The
Lord is depending on you. You can do it. Be an evangelist.
A
Few More Practical Thoughts
1.
The
leaders should dedicate the Wednesday night Bible class to teaching
various
methods of evangelism; that is, teaching the members how to be soul
winners. The members will be encouraged when they are taught a
few new
soul winning songs. Teach them how to use videos, handouts,
one-on-one
studies, on-line Bible studies, Bible correspondence courses, and any
other
method to spread the truth of God’s word. When they find the
method that
is most comfortable to use, encourage and help them begin using it.
2.
Ask those
who attend all the Bible classes when possible to make an extra effort
to
encourage our brethren who do not attend the Bible classes to begin
attending. The seed must be planted and watered in their heart if
they
are to grow into maturity.
3.
Encourage
the preacher to begin a radio program, and/or begin writing a weekly
evangelistic article in the local newspaper that will challenge the
denominational leaders and their members to respond to our
teachings.
4.
Make more
visible your worship and teaching activities through free and paid
advertising.
Use posters, fliers, tracts, and other handouts.
5.
Implement
an updated Brother’s Keepers program. Involve as many families as
possible on a rotating basis. Be sure to involve the now “not so
new
Christian” as soon as possible.
6.
A Sunday
morning sermon should be dedicated to evangelism at least once per
month.
7. At least three times per week, as many members as possible should walk through your neighborhoods, meeting the residents and inviting them to visit your assemblies and begin studying the Bible with you.
8. Pray without ceasing.
Return To: Lesons for Spiritual Growth