Personal Evangelism Class 2: What Is/Is NOT Evangelism

Testimonies/Book Giveaway

Why don’t we evangelize? - ask class and write their reasons on board

Why we must evangelize

Romans 10:13–17 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

What can we do to start evangelizing? (taken from The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever)

Pray - Remember that you do not go into this alone

Plan - to put yourself in situations or relationships that will give opportunities to share the Gospel with unbelievers

Accept - that evangelism is our job

Understand - that all Christians are called to evangelism, whether gifted or not

Be Faithful - To God above any other allegiance (don’t be too polite to be faithful to God!)

Risk - for the sake of evangelizing (maybe you struggle to have these conversations with people you don’t know, but can you invite people to a meeting where the Gospel will be clearly presented or to a helpful video?)

Prepare - by knowing the Gospel, working on your own humility, and studying more so that when the opportunity is there you are ready

Look - for the opportunities that God has placed in your life

Love - others enough that you want to share the Good News with them

Fear - God more than others

Stop - blaming God. We are not excused from evangelism because God is sovereign.

Consider - Christ and His work for us on the cross

What Evangelism Is/Is Not (most are good things! Just not necessarily evangelism)

NOT - Imposition of beliefs

IS - telling the truth about humanity and God

NOT - Personal Testimony (About how your life is changed since becoming a Christian)- though it could certainly help

IS - moving from simply saying what God has done in your life to the facts of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension and how that applies to your non-believing friend

NOT - social action and public involvement - though they certainly do commend the gospel

IS - communicating the Gospel to those who need such social action from you

NOT - having events and inviting the community

IS - communicating the Gospel to the people who come to those events

NOT - apologetics (responding to the world’s agenda)

IS - proclaiming Christ’s agenda

NOT - The Results of Evangelism - conversion - or using means to get people to have a moment where the pray the sinner’s prayer

IS - announcing the good news, regardless of results - trusting that God is the one who converts people through the proclamation of the good news

NOT - a gift (or more precisely only a task for those with the gift)

IS - a gift

NOT - a sales pitch to close a deal - READ pg. 107

John 10:27–29 ESV

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

What is the Gospel?

A Simple Gospel Message - READ What if I’m Discouraged in My Evangelism? pg. 47

Gospel Aid 3: 3 Circles

Ephesians 6:19–20 (ESV)

19 Pray also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Homework:

· Continue to seek gospel conversations with the non-believer you mentioned last week

Start to prepare evangelistic conversation starters (“How was the sermon Sunday?”)

· Every day, continue to pray for one another for boldness in sharing the gospel and for the people who we will be interacting with to be prepared by the Holy Spirit to respond in Faith.

· Text or call one another with updates on how it is going and encourage one another to press onward.

· Read Acts 8-14

· Be prepared to share with us next week how it is going and be prepared to encourage one another in evangelism!