Evangelism Matters (Pt. 2)

Recap:

Evangelism is attempting to persuade a sinner that Jesus alone can save.

Truth #1: God is the Lord of all Evangelistic Work:

1 Corinthians 3:5–7 ESV

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

We are simply called to be faithful in the work of evangelism…

It’s like farming....

We plant

We water

But God gives the growth

Truth #2: Effectiveness in Evangelistic Work Does Not Depend on People or Programs

And success is simply the result of God’s activity...

1 Corinthians 3:8–9 ESV

8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

Truth #3: The Message is More Important than the Messenger

1 Corinthians 1:20–25 ESV

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The message of Christ is what has the power to save…not the messengers delivery or style…or even the giftedness of the messenger.

We simply believe that we must be faithful to share the gospel with those who dont believe…And we believe that God will do the rest...

Romans 15:18 ESV

18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,

We just need to be faithful to share Christ....

So now we will answer the question of how...

Last week I gave you a method...

This week

Jesus’ Primary Method of Evangelism

Luke 5:27–32 ESV

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Jesus spent time with the “sick” and the “sinners”...

And if that was what Jesus did than so should we.

Luke 19:1–10 ESV

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus’ way of evangelism was incarnational.

He practiced hospitality.

He loved people into the light of the gospel.

He loved people in word and deed...

This was how Jesus taught his disciples to do evangelism:

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Greatest Apologetic for the Christian Church is Christian Community

So here are the takeaways from that verse:

We have to love one another...

And we have to make sure people see our love for one another...

How can we make sure people see how we love each other?

We have to learn how to practice biblical hospitality...

This isnt rocket science...

Invite people you want to know Jesus over for dinner.

Invite people to church

Invite people to participate in the routines you already have...

And some of us need new routines.

Challenge: Before we gather next week....invite someone into a normal routine that you do and intentionally try to put the love of Jesus on display...