L301: Lesson 12: Evangelism

Evangelism

Key Verse: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the disciple / leader understand the need, responsibility, and possible ways to be actively involved in evangelism.

The term “evangelism” means “to PROCLAIM the gospel (“good news”) of Jesus Christ.”

The time for evangelism is always NOW.

John 4:35 (NKJV) “Do you not say, ‘There is still four months and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

John 9:4 (NKJV) “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

Every CHRISTIAN has the responsibility to be directly involved in evangelism.

Although there are some who function in the office of the “evangelist” (Ephesians 4:11), everyone is called to do the WORK of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5).

Effective evangelism begins with understanding the urgent NEED. (Romans 10)

Sin will separate man from God in a place of eternal torment.

Man cannot save himself.

God sent His Son Jesus to die for the penalty of our sin.

Only those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus can be saved.

How can they call upon Him in whom they have not believed?

How can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?

How shall they hear without a preacher?

How shall they preach unless they go or are sent?

There are no second chances once a person dies.

Those who carry the gospel to others will be held in a place of great HONOR.

Romans 10:15 (NKJV) “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring good tidings of good things!”

The work of evangelism involves WINNING SOULS and establishing FOLLOW UP.

Make sure that there is no hypocrisy between your MESSAGE and your LIFESTYLE.

Christians need to make sure they are good news before sharing the Good News.

Our lives are the music, and the gospel is the lyrics.

Our lives are the platforms from which we preach the gospel.

Our walk talks and our talk talks, but our walk talks louder than our talk talks.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NKJV) “You are our epistle written in our hearts, know and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”

Allow God to examine honestly any negative HEART attitudes toward the lost.

ISOLATION: “What people? I don’t see them.” “What need? Everyone seems okay to me.”

INDIFFERENCE: “So what that they have needs. Don’t we all?”

APATHY: “I really don’t care.”

LETHARGY: “I really don’t feel like it right now.”

DENIAL: “I’m not responsible. I am not called to do this.”

SELFISHNESS: “I don’t have the time or the resources.”

INADEQUACY: “The needs of people are too great. Any difference I could make would only seem like a raindrop in the ocean.”

INFERIORITY: “No one will listen to me.”

PROCRASTINATION: “I will get involved someday.”

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS: “I am glad that I am not like those sinners. They should straighten up and be more like me.”

CONDEMNATION: “They deserve what they will get.”

PREFERENCE: “I do not care about those who are not like me.” “I only feel called to reach out to those who will not make me feel uncomfortable.”

PREJUDICE: “I refuse to invite those who are not of my race, culture, or nationality.”

FEAR: “What if they reject or persecute me?”

ANTAGONISM: “They are the enemy. I need to isolate myself from them and just hold on until the end.”

DOUBT: “What if I fail?”

UNBELIEF: “The people I know are too far gone. They will never turn to the Lord.”

Ask God to give you His COMPASSION for the lost.

Matthew 9:36 (NKJV) “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”

Matthew 14:14 (NKJV) “And when He went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”

Mark 10:34 (NKJV) “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”

Establish consistent CONTACT with lost people.

To catch fish, you must go where the fish are.

While we must insulate ourselves from sin, we are never to isolate ourselves from sinners.

Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners to win them with the gospel.

Learn how to build BRIDGES for communication.

A bridge is a CROSSING point.

A bridge overcomes natural BARRIERS.

A bridge removes ISOLATION.

A bridge is a place of common INTEREST, KNOWLEDGE, and EXPERIENCE.

A bridge invites COMMUNICATION and RELATIONSHIP.

A bridge provides a place of NEUTRAL ground upon which to get involved in the lives of those who are lost.

Learn to RELATE to those who we are attempting to reach.

We do not have to agree but we must understand the world and the people around us.

We do not have to become like sinners to relate to them, but we must be willing to cross natural barriers for us to reach them and to show that we care.

We are not commissioned to condemn but to save.

We must make sure we communicate the gospel in concepts and in terminology that the lost can understand.

Jesus did not wait for us to come to Him first, but He came first as a human being so that we could understand His love for us.

We are not called to “sit and welcome” but to “go and compel”.

“Going” means invading the world of the lost to reach them.

Any “invasion” should be done with correct knowledge, wisdom, timing, and strategy.

Relating is the basis for establishing “relationship.”

Recognize and implement different METHODS of evangelism to reach as many people as possible. Here are a few.

TRADITIONAL Evangelism. This type of evangelism primarily focuses on inviting the lost to attend church services where they might be influenced toward being saved.

SPECIAL EVENT Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on organizing special short-term events inside or outside the church that will draw the interest and participation of a targeted group of people while giving Christians another fresh opportunity to extend invitations to the people around them.

LIFESTYLE Evangelism. This type of evangelism is focused on living a life that exemplifies the nature and character of Jesus to gain credibility and obtain opportunities to witness to those whom they encounter on a regular or daily basis.

FRIENDSHIP Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on building extended relationships with the lost as an inroad for sharing the gospel.

SERVANT Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on meeting the felt needs of others to gain a platform for sharing the gospel (feeding, clothing, serving, providing childcare, free car wash, free water or lemonade at fairs, painting, free mowing, repairing a widow’s home, etc.)

POWER Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on using signs, wonders, and miracles as a platform for sharing of the gospel with the lost.

PERSONAL Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on one-on-one soul winning through testimony, personal witness, distribution of tracts, etc.

MEDIA Evangelism. This type of evangelism uses the media tools of newspapers, radio, television, satellite, Internet, etc. as a platform for sharing the gospel with larger numbers of people.

PARACHURCH Evangelism. This type of evangelistic strategy focuses on establishing a non-sectarian organization through which Christians from different backgrounds feel free to cooperate in the work of basic evangelism. These may include such things as evangelistic associations, campus ministries, mercy ministries, feeding programs, etc.

INSTITUTIONAL Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on reaching those confined to institutions such as nursing homes, hospitals, jails, prisons, orphanages, reform schools, etc.

CONFRONTIVE Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on bold outreach to people out on the streets, in the marketplace, at concerts and sporting events, door to door, telephone, etc.

CRISIS Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on being alert to crisis moments in people’s lives as a platform from which to minister the love of Jesus. This type of evangelism may also seek to give Biblical answers and hope at times of personal or social anxiety or fear.

CRUSADE Evangelism. This type of evangelism is focused on entering a strategic region or city to hold mass evangelistic meetings. Advertising and outreach are done to attract the lost to the meetings so that they might be exposed to a highly anointed presentation of the gospel.

MUSIC Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on reaching the lost by presenting the message and ministry of the gospel through music.

CREATIVE Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on utilizing the creative arts to communicate the gospel such as through drama, skits, puppets, poetry, writing, painting, sculpture, multimedia presentations, etc.

MISSIONS Evangelism. This type of evangelism focuses on reaching the lost in other cultures and nations.

SMALL GROUP Evangelism. This type of evangelism might be called “partnership evangelism” or “team evangelism” because it focuses on encouraging every member of the body of Christ to work in partnership through “small groups” or “cell groups” to strategically reach their friends, families, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and strangers.

NETWORK Evangelism. This type of evangelism involves the cooperation of home cell groups or churches in outreach events to form a large “net” to reach large areas more thoroughly and effectively.

No evangelistic effort is complete without a plan of FOLLOW-UP.

Assurance of salvation

Water baptism

Immediate steps on “What do I do next?”

Connection to a local church

Home cell group involvement

Involvement in discipleship

Follow-up phone calls, visitation, mail outs, etc.

Ask God to raise up PARTNERS to help with the immense needs involved in reaching and conserving the harvest.

Matthew 9:37 (NKJV) “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Learn and follow the “Fivefold PURPOSE Statement” for developing a vision for effective evangelism (Developed by the great Elim Church in El Salvador)

I have a purpose.

My purpose is winning souls.

I fulfill my purpose best in a group.

I will never be satisfied until I fulfill my purpose.

I have no promise of tomorrow.