Called To Proclaim (2)

INTRODUCTION

1996 … I sat in the audience of a large church and listened to one of the greatest evangelists I had ever heard. Tommy Barnett. I watched as he gave a simple yet profound message on sharing the gospel.

Later that week I returned home with a soul winners bible under my arm determined to share the gospel and win my city to Christ. I purchased a course called the Saturday Soul Winning Society which was to help train local church members to evangelize and spread the gospel.

It started with one soul winner and then two and then more and more until I lost count. Every Wednesday I would go to the street to rescue lost souls from the flames of hell. I love evangelism. Its one of my greatest passions.

There is something about seeing people come to Jesus Christ. I would often invite people to go with me and many times turned down. I had invited the pastor I was serving under to go with me and he turned me down. One day I made an appointment to see him. When I arrived I walked in with my soul winners bible and said, “Grab your bible, lets go…” to which he said, “I can’t…I have studying to do.” I responded, “for the next hour, you are on my time. I booked you to go with me.”

What started as a rejection, became a weekly thing.

I preached on street corners and was called names. I was rejected over and over. But the many souls that came to Jesus far out way the times I faced local persecution.

One thing churches have slipped away from doing is reaching the lost. Its more than street ministry. Its every person sharing their faith in Christ with other people and bringing them to church.

I. We are given the assignment to proclaim.

A. The word "proclaim" means to evangelize:

· Our mission is one that should be viewed as an assignment.

· When we stop seeing the world as an annoyance and more as a mission field we will see our souls lit with passion for God.

· If you want to see the heart of God you must reach out to what God loves. He loves people!

Mark 16:15 (NASB): "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'"

1. The word preach is the word “Proclaim” and it means to shout out or to herald the good news or declare the message of hope.

(a) We are living in a lost and dying world. Everyone could use some good news.

(b) What the world needs is less politics and more proclaiming.

(c) What the world needs is less entertainment and more evangelism.

(d) What the world needs is less drama and more dunamis.

(e) What the world needs is less bickering among churches and more battling on our knees.

· We must see ourselves not as consumers who only occupy a seat, but more as proclaimers who have something less political and more biblical to say.

· We must see the world as a harvest and less like a hassle.

JESUS’ ASSIGNMENT IS NOW OURS:

Isaiah 61:1 (NASB): "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;"

2. The use of "proclaim" in these contexts aligns with the mission of evangelism, which involves declaring or announcing the good news of Jesus Christ.

(a) If you have something good to say why wouldn’t you proclaim it.

(b) Today people are proclaiming:

· their pronouns

· Their adulterous, homosexual, or polyamorous lifestyles.

· Their

B. Three priorities of Evangelism:

1. Preach (Kerusso – Announce or make a proclamation) the gospel to every creature:

Mark 16:15 (NASB): "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'"

3. Teach (didasko -Reduplicate) those who believe:

Matthew 28:20 (NASB): "Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

4. Make disciples (Matheteo – Make learners) of those who believe:

Matthew 28:19 (NASB): "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

C. Jesus gave us the Great Commission, not the great suggestion:

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB): "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

II. What are the roadblocks to going out and evangelizing?

A. Fear of Rejection

Often we are afraid that they will reject us or that they will not like what we are asking.

Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.” Luke 10:16

B. Lack of Confidence

Many times people don’t Proclaim or share the gospel because they are unsure of themselves. This usually comes when we haven’t been discipled or trained to share the good news with others.

1. Joshua 1:9 (NASB): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Philippians 4:13 (NASB): "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

C. Cultural and Social Pressures

Romans 12:2 (NASB): "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

D. Busyness

E. Feeling It's the Pastor's Job

1. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NASB): "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."

F. Complacency

1. Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB): "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

III. We must see the urgency to evangelize to the whole world.

We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work. John 9:4

A. We must see the world not as a playground for sinners but as a battle ground for souls.

1. Our work is do preach and proclaim good news to every person.

2. Our work is do teach and disciple those who will believe.

3. Our work is kingdom work.

(a) Our earthly work provides us an earthly home. Our kingdom work build us an eternal home.

(b) We must see the vast sea of souls and not think that its too much, but see the ocean of lives and think its not enough.

(c) We cannot grow discouraged at what we cannot see and work on what we can see.

(d) A Christian that is not soul driven is in need of an awakening.

B. We must WANT to see people saved.

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. Romans 10:1

1. Evangelism is the act of snatching or saving others from the flames of hell.

[Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality. Jude 23 AMP

2. Evangelism is the practice of preaching the hope of eternity found in Jesus Christ.

3. Evangelism is the power of witnessing about our transformation to those who will listen.

4. We are not called to put off until we have time. We are called to go and proclaim.

C. How many people are unprofessed Christians, agnostics, or atheists?

1. out of every 10 people not professing Christianity.

2. Studies conducted by the Barna Group and USA Today found that nearly 75% of Christian young people fall away from the faith and leave the church after high school.

3. IMB reports that around 158,000 people are DYING DAILY WITHOUT CHRIST. (That's one person every 1.8 seconds!)

4. for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvationI helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—2 Corinthians 6:2

CONCLUSION