Do You Have the Gift of Evangelisn't?

Christ commanded us to go and preach it and Paul says we should not be ashamed of it. What was the one message Paul defended vehemently, so much so that he pronounced a woe on himself if he did not preach it (1 Corinthians 9:16)? It was the gospel. Why? Because the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Without the foolishness of preaching, unbelievers will not hear the good news, and by not hearing it they cannot be saved. Therefore, the proclamation of the gospel was Paul's priority, and it should be of most importance in our lives too.

Yet, there seems to be much confusion over what it means to fulfill the Great Commission. Some say its discipleship while others say it’s about feeding the poor and clothing the naked. I think a simple look at the actual passage can clarify the issue.

Mark 16:15
Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation

GoWhat is God’s will for the Christian’s life? Well it begins here with Jesus commanding us to go.

Into all the worldAnd where has He commanded us to go? Not just into our own neighborhoods and communities but into all the world.

And proclaim
What is it we are to do when we go into the world...we are to proclaim. This means we must open our mouths. Many Christians have obeyed the command to go but are instead going and feeding, picketing, etc. This is all done under the veil of outreach, missions, evangelism, etc.

The gospelWhat are we proclaiming? Jesus tells us it is the gospel. Some are going out and preaching but they are not preaching Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

To the whole creation
Who is it we are to proclaim it to? Our family? Friends? Neighbors? Jesus commands us to proclaim the gospel to all creation. We are to be indiscriminate and not pick and choose who we share it with.

In light of this passage, we can clearly see what true evangelism is and we can address some of the popular forms of evangelisn't in the church today.
It is not political activism

picket signs, legislation, and calling senators attempts to clean the outside of the cup by modifying the behavior of a society (Matthew 23:25-26)

it does not address the sinful nature of human beings

society as a whole can only be changed when the power of the gospel through the Holy Spirit regenerates the individual that makes up that particular society

It is not social activism

ministries devoted to taking care of the poor puts an emphasis on the horizontal problems of men (hunger, nakedness, etc.) rather than the vertical problem (sin, wrath, judgment, etc.)

without the gospel, it simply makes a man's present life more comfortable but does not prepare him for the afterlife

man's greatest need is not food, clothing, money, etc. but forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:6)

It is not apologetics

apologetics, or answering questions to defend the faith, submits to the agenda of the question-asker rather the the agenda of Christ and the Great Commission

apologetics can create a rabbit trail or distraction from the priority of sharing the gospel

It is not praying for souls

praying for souls is of extreme importance but it should never be a substitute for obedience to the Great Commision

It is not church invitation

the church represents the fruit of evangelism and not the work itself

the church was never meant to be used as a tool to evangelize the lost but to equip believer's to evangelize the lost

due to man's sinful condition and impending eternal judgment, the priority is to get him into the kingdom and not the church

 

It is not your personal testimony

 

personal testimony is personal and not universal and most unbelievers will like to keep it that way

without a clear presentation of the gospel, you are only telling others what the demands and claims of Christ are in your own life

it ultimately puts you, and not Christ, at the center of your witnessing (2 Corinthians 4:5)

It is not discipleship

to disciple someone, one must become a disciple first by hearing the gospel

if we confuse discipleship with evangelism, we make the error of discipling goats

only those illuminated by the Spirit can discern the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)

It is not telling people, "Jesus loves you."

people must first understand the bad news if they are ever to grasp the good news

there is much more to the gospel than the love of Christ such as sin, law, wrath, judgment (Acts 20:27)

It is not about results or decision

we are ambassadors for Christ whom simply deliver the message that has been entrusted to us...a message that must not be tampered with based on it's reception (2Corinthians 5:20)

emphasis in evangelism should not be on numbers but on faithfulness to share the gospel

while we may plant or water the seed of the gospel, it is only God that can give it growth (1 Corinthians 3:7)

“To evangelize is to declare on the authority of God what he has done to save sinners, to warn men of their lost condition, to direct them to repent, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."
-John Cheesman

So whether we feed the hungry or clothe the naked, we must open our mouths and declare the message that God has entrusted to us and fulfill the call to go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Why?

It is the gospel alone that can take a wretched and dead sinner and give him life. It is the gospel alone that can gives sight to the blind and unstops the ears of the deaf. It is the gospel alone that sets the captives free from their bondage to sin and Satan. And it is the gospel alone that can take a sin-loving, God-hating, rebellious sinner that longs to glorify himself and make him a sin-hating, God-loving Christ follower that longs to obey and glorify God.

All these other methods do not have the power to save sinners but that is precisely how Christ will be exalted and God will be glorified!

So if you’re a Christian and you are concerned about God’s glory and the salvation of sinners, will you go out and declare the good news to all of creation? Or have you been duped into thinking that you have the gift of evangelisn’t?

Tips for Evangelism

Here are some practical tips I compiled as I was out witnessing on the streets of Houston. In the end, however, the most practical advice anyone can heed in regards to the work of the ministry was given by Spurgeon when he said,

"Brethren, do something; do something, do something!"

1. The chief end of evangelism is not to save souls but to glorify God. Evangelism is, first and foremost, about God and then souls (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11).
   
   
2. Successful evangelism is not when a “decision” for Christ has been made but when Christ and Him crucified is preached, as presented in the bible (John 1:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6).
   
   
3. The power of the Gospel is not dependent on any human work. Genuine conversion does not rely on our eloquent words but on the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).
   
   
4. Know the gospel and why you believe what you believe, especially the essentials of the Christian faith (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 John 9).
   
   
5. Wherever and whenever you go, always be intentional about evangelism. Whether at the gas station or the grocery store, opportunities to share our faith are always around us (Mark 16:15).
   
   
6. Our evangelism must always be gospel-centered. While apologetics has its place, speak clearly regarding law and grace and always bring the conversation back to the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14).
   
   
7. A tesimony is a good springboard but it is not the Gospel. A testimony is personal while the Gospel is universal (John 3:16).
   
   
8. Avoid foolish arguments and religious disputes. Evangelism is not about winning an argument by our eloquent speech or wise and persuasive words. We are ambassadors for Christ imploring people on behalf of Christ and this is done by presenting Christ to sinners (2 Corinthians 5:20; 2Timothy 2:23-25; Titus 3:9).
   
   
9. Speak clearly on the basic issues using biblical language. Our words should be seasoned with salt and not sugar! That means use words like sin and not mistakes, hell and not eternal separation (Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 4:10-12).
   
   
10. Stay away from Christian clichés such as, “Ask Jesus into your heart", "God loves the sinner and hates the sin", etc. (1 Timothy 4:7).
    
    
11. Avoid the use of relative language such as, “In my opinion, I believe or I think" (Galatians 1:11-12).
    
    
12. Stand under the authority of God’s word. If God or Jesus said it then make sure you let people know (2 Corinthians 5:20).
    
    
13. Watch your hand gestures. Avoid pointing your finger or keeping your hands in your pocket. Our words can sometimes be overshadowed by our body language.
    
    
14. Memorize and understand scripture in its context. Through the Holy Spirit, it is the word that works regeneration(Psalm 119:11; Hebrews 4:12).
    
    
15. Continue to learn and grow in the Gospel. Along with preaching to others, preach the Gospel to yourself everyday (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4; 1 Peter 1:12-13).
    
    
16. Always speak kindly and lovingly. Remember who we are: fellow sinners saved by God’s grace (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:3).
    
    
17. Show sympathy and compassion to those whom may be suffering but always remember that man’s greatest need is to have their sins forgiven (Matthew 9:36; Romans 3:23).
    
    
18. Have resources available to hand out such as tracts, bibles, etc. Always be ready for a witness encounter.
    
    
19. Continue in prayer (Luke 18:1; James 5:13-18). Prayer acknowledges our evangelism efforts are futile apart from God.
    
    
20. Always remind yourself that we love others because God first loved us. The compassion God has poured out on us should consume our hearts and motivate us to be compassionate towards the lost (Psalm 103:13; Luke 10:27; Luke 11:42; 1 Corinthians 5:14).

Whose Right(eousness)?

If you have driven around Houston, particularly Montrose, I'm sure you've seen the coexist bumper sticker representing all the major world religions. We live in a plurastic society that promotes the acceptance of all religions and because of this freedom, Christians will most certainly find themselves in conversations with people of many faiths. This means being prepared when we do have these encounters and while it is important to learn the basics of other religions/cults, the question arises as to how much time should we spend in nonbiblical texts if we ourselves do not know the gospel of our precious Savior.

What are we comparing a false religion to if we do not know the true religion of the Bible?

I also want to add what a good friend of mine pointed out regarding the numerous religions in the world: Christianity sets itself apart in that salvation is about what God does and not about what we do. The Bible says we are not the center of salvation, God is.

So...do study and learn what other religions teach about salvation and man but do not let it neglect the gospel and reading of the scriptures. Rather than spending so much time in other texts, the Bible tells us, in a very simple and forthright way, what can be known about all other religions:

Romans 10:3-4
3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

So the question Christians should have for Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, and anyone else that is not trusting in Christ is, "Whose righteousness are you seeking to establish - the righteousness of God, which is in Christ, or your own?" While each religion differ in many ways, this is the root of all the differences and what makes Christianity unique.

And ultimately the Bible says people will not submit to Christ simply because they wish to establish a self-righteous gospel that puts man, and not God, at the center of salvation. But we know that even the righteousness of man is not good enough to get us into heaven (Isaiah 64:5). This is what Paul was telling the Jews in Romans 10:3. The Jews were deceived by thinking they had what it takes to make it to heaven...they were ignorant of God's righteous standards, which is perfection (Matthew 5:48; Hebrews 7:11). This is why we must trust in the righteousness of Christ, and Christ alone.

So when all the religions have had their say, the question of "who's right" hinges on the more important question of whose righteousness will you trust in, yours or Christ?

Cruel Logic

Here is a short film worth watching. Ideas have consequences indeed.