Evangelism

How would God have us create and take advantage of Gospel opportunities in the community?

Evangelism is something that we are often tempted to consider someone else’s problem.

The pastor is supposed to do it, or the Sunday school teacher.

It’s not my gift etc.

However, Scripture is very clear.

Evangelism is a requirement for every believer.

When you read the NT it becomes apparent that every single person who trusts Christ as Savior has a responsibility to share Christ with others.

There are several passages that we could go to and find the mandate for evangelism and we will visit a few of these.

But I want us to think about the why question.

Why do we share the gospel?

My desire is for us to be able to say that we share the gospel because we want everyone to know Christ, not just because we are commanded to.

However, there two truths we cannot ignore.

Truth #1…

Evangelism Is Mandated By Christ

Most of the time we go to Matthew 28 for the great commission.

But personally I like Mark 16 because Mark includes an important phrase spoken by Jesus.

Turn to Mark 16:14-16

Mark 16:14–16 NKJV

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

In verse 15 Jesus says that we are to preach the gospel to every creature.

In context this refers to every human being!

While Matthew tells us to make disciples of the nations, Mark makes the command an individual mandate.

Reach every person of every nation with the gospel message.

Now, we know that these commands were specifically given by Jesus for the disciples.

Does that mean we are off the hook?

The early disciples and Paul didn’t seem to think so.

Look at Colossians 1:3-6

Colossians 1:3–6 NKJV

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

According to verses 5 & 6 the gospel had gone out in the entire world.

How did that happen?

Obviously Paul and the other disciples weren’t everywhere in the world.

Those they led to Christ were leading others to Christ.

Go to Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 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.

Here we find that the disciples were to make disciples of others.

What does it mean to make someone a disciple?

KJV has "teach all nations".

A Disciple is a learner, someone who follows and learns from someone else.

This is explained in verse 20.

Jesus told the disciples to teach the new believers to observe all that He had commanded them! T

hat would include the great commission!

So we can legitimately say that the great commission is for us today.

Also when we combine both Matthew and Mark we learn that we are to go to every nation and every individual and strive to reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Evangelism is mandated by Christ for every believer.

If we claim to be followers of Christ we should be learning of Him and part of that learning involves obedience to what the disciples were told by Jesus.

We have a mandate to do evangelism.

Did you notice that the method is not mandated?

Door knocking, street preaching, visitation, friendship.

All of these are valid means of sharing the gospel.

The point is that we need to be sharing the gospel.

This is for each and every one of us.

Evangelism Is Mandated By Need

Not only is evangelism mandated by Christ; when we look around us we see that it is mandated by the need of a lost and dying world!

A world that is separated from God and headed for an eternity of torment apart from Him!

The desperate need of the lost should be all the motivation we need to share the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection.

There is something that must happen for someone to come to know Christ.

Let’s read Romans 10:9-17

Romans 10:9–17 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

According to these verses what has to happen before someone can believe?

They have to hear!

If they do not hear the truth of God’s Word they cannot believe.

V. 9 – you cannot confess and believe in what you have not heard.

V. 13 - anyone who calls will be saved.

Paul asks some very logical questions in vv. 14-15

They must hear the Word of God in order to believe.

If we are not faithful in telling others about what Jesus did on the Cross, they cannot be saved.

In Acts 8:30-35. the Ethiopian eunuch couldn’t understand what he was reading until Philip explained the truth about Christ!

Satan, the god of this world, blinds the minds of those that do not believe.

Until the conviction of the HS comes through the Word people are blinded!

In Titus 1:3 Paul says that God manifests His Word through preaching.

God makes known, or makes clear His Word through our preaching of it.

If we don’t preach, it won’t be made known.

We must be active in telling others of Jesus; they cannot hear without preacher, and they cannot believe if they don’t hear.

We are commanded to preach the gospel and if we have the heart of God for the lost we are motivated by love for them.

Preach Christ at every opportunity.

Make opportunities.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.