Foundations of Evangelism

A Special Tool

Don’t you hate when you have to get one specific tool for a project? It only has one purpose.

I remember when I got my first car. 1995 Ford Mustang. It had the stock radio in it and I wanted to put a CD player in. So I bought one. I thought you just took the old one out and plugged in the new one.

Problem number one, I couldn’t get the radio out of the car. Come to find out, you had to buy these little horseshoe looking things to get the little prongs on the radio to release.

They I realized that you had to buy wire adapter kits. That was not fun.

When it comes to evangelism, there is only one tool that works — the Word of God.

The Word of God — The Instrument of Evangelism

Luke 4:16–21 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.””

Jesus, the Word made flesh, taught the Scriptures.

One the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, He taught them all the Scriptures that pertained to His death, burial, and resurrection.

If you look at New Testament starting with the book of Acts, the “Word of God… Word of the Gospel…Word of grace…” are all used to explain the Gospel going out and reaching the lost.

God’s Word convicts.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word is not just a book. It is God almighty speaking in power to the unbeliever.

Unbelievers need a new heart. And the revelation of their sinful broken heart only comes from the Word of God. His Word has authority, yours does not.

God’s Word proclaims the Gospel.

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Salvation cannot come without the Word of God. “Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary…” “Preach the Gospel, use the Word because it is necessary!”

The verses leading up to this talk about preaching and being sent, so we’re quick to dismiss these verses for us because “I’m not a preacher, and I’m not a missionary.”

But we are all called to proclaim (preach) the Gospel. And we are all commissioned (sent) by God to go into all the world.

Paul is just saying that people can’t be saved if God’s Word is not preached and you don’t go and preach it to them.

God’s Word sanctifies.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

Ephesians 5:26 “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

God’s Word makes us more like Jesus. God speaks to us through His Word to make us holy.

The Holy Spirit — The Agent of Evangelism

Holy Spirit convicts.

John 16:8–9 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;”

The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and plunges it into the heart of the unbeliever. He is the one who pricks our hearts with conviction. He is the one who draws us to salvation.

Holy Spirit converts.

Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

The Holy Spirit is the One Who makes us saved. Jesus died to make a way for us to be saved. The Holy Spirit living in us is who makes us saved.

He is the One Who regenerates us as we place faith in Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit guides.

John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

The Holy Spirit is the One who leads us. He leads unbelievers who are willing to listen to His drawing.

Christians — The Messengers of Evangelism

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Acts 8:4 “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”

This is not referring to the higher-ups in the church. This is every believer going out and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel.

We are all called to be sharing the Gospel.

Matthew 4:19 “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.””

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

1 Corinthians 4:1 “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

We are the messengers, God’s Word is the message, and the Holy Spirit is the One Who makes the message understood.

We need to make sure that we base all of our evangelism on the Word of God, not our own cleverness or logic. Even apologetics should be rooted in Scripture affirming what is discovered in science.