Why Evangelize (to preach and tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ)

Review last week- The Stubbornness of Man

Stubbornness can lead a person to hell, separated from God for all eternity

Context: Paul is under arrest Acts 21:27-28 Jesus Encourages Paul Acts 23:11

Why Evangelize? (to preach and tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ) (read story)

Read Acts 26:1-23

*In verses 1-11 Paul gives us his life’s story before meeting Jesus!

*In verses 12-18 Paul’s conversion when he encountered Jesus

*In verses 19-23 Paul tells of his life’s calling (and ours) after being converted

In this testimony before King Agrippa (a Jewish King) Paul gives us an explanation of what EVANGELISM is in 4 distinct points.

1. God calls and enables His children to be a witness for Him!

In verse 16 (read it) We see that God appoints us as servants and witnesses to what we have experienced of Jesus.

Verse 17: God commissions us to go to the people (ALL PEOPLE JEWS & GENTILES), and He will protects us in the process (see verse 22) example is in Ch 23:12-13

Acts Bridging Contexts

Christ himself, the first to rise from the dead, proclaims light to Jews and to Gentiles (26:23).

(the first to rise from the dead? what about Lazarus, the widows son, Tabitha, Eutychus? All of these had to died again!

2. The believer’s role in witnessing for Christ!

Verse 19: We must respond obediently to God’s call.

Verse 22b: We must testify to both the small and great.

3. What the message is:

Verse 20: We preach/tell people that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds

Verse 23 again: We testify that the Messiah had to suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he proclaims light to the people

4. The goal of Evangelism/witnessing:

Verse 18a: Their eyes are opened; they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (people are saved!)

Breakdown of who does what in the process of belief/conversion

Verse 18b: On their part they must have faith in Jesus; Verse 20: repent of their sins, turn to God, and prove their repentance by their deeds

Verse 18b: God’s part he forgives their sins and gives them a place among those who are sanctified

*The divine and human sides of evangelism. This list of the elements of the evangelistic process shows us that effective Christian mission includes both divine and human activity. The initiator of everything is God. He calls, commissions, equips, and protects the evangelists. But we have a responsibility to obey the heavenly vision, testifying to both small and great. When we proclaim the gospel, God is actually speaking through us and makes our words become fruitful, and Jesus is the one proclaiming light to the people!

*What happens between the individual and God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit (the triune God) IS BETWEEN THEM! NOT US!

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