5 Steps for Evangelism

See

Jesus saw the people.

Many times we need a vision change to do evangelism. We walk through this life and many times we see things through our hurt; our anger; our broken; our sin; or our experiences. We look at things through our eyes, and our eyes are influenced by our lives.

I like to think about it like sunglasses. When we put on sunglasses we see the world- nothing really changes- but we see it through a darkened lens. That lens changes the way we see what is.

*Seeing a child in pain as a foster dad*

We need to ask Jesus to change the way we see.

A few years ago Brandon Heath had a hit song called “Give me Your Eyes” and it went like this:

Give me Your eyes for just one second Give me Your eyes so I can see Everything that I keep missin' Give Your love for humanity Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see

This kind of vision change is the start of a true heart of evangelism.

Do you remember when the woman grabbed the hem of Jesus’ robe in Mark 5? She was healed, but Jesus was not settled with that- he was obsessed with seeing her; finding her; knowing her. Seeing people matters to Jesus, and it ought to matter to us as well.

Care

He had compassion on them; for he saw them like sheep without a shepherd.

But once we see- we need to care.

Where are all my parents of teenage boys? My boys see the dirty laundry on the floor- they see their toys and stuff all over their room- the see the trash that needs to be emptied- they see it; they just don’t care! AMEN!??!

Once Jesus changes our eyes- we might also need a heart change.

Let’s face it, many Christians see the brokenness of the world around them. They see the people in need. They see the homeless; they see the hungry; they see the people who do not know Jesus as Lord; they are just not doing anything about it. Are you doing anything about it? Maybe we see it; now we need to feel it.

Jesus did something because he felt something- compassion. He didn’t feel anger; or disappointment; or any of the emotions that we often associate with the lost and broken- he felt compassion; and his compassion moved him to action.

Jesus saw it; and he did something about it; and he did it right then. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pray

English Standard Version Chapter 9

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord

Once Jesus sees the people and his heart is moved- he looks at the disciples and says- pray. Prayer is the gas for the evangelism vehicle.

Jesus gives his disciples a specific prayer to pray which is a great place for us to start. But friends, we should not- and I would argue cannot- pray for laborers to be sent into the field while we sit on our hands in the pews. Too often church folk pray about “if” they should do something when there really is no “if” it is only a “how.” Too often “praying about it” becomes a way to avoid commitment or to keep us from getting pushed beyond our comfort zone.

There are things in the Bible that we are to do- period. We are to take care of widows and orphans, we are to love our enemies, and we are to evangelize and make disciples. When it comes to these things we should not be praying for “if” but “how” we are to do them.

If fact, if we kept reading past our passage from today and into chapter 10 we would see that the very next thing Jesus does after telling the disciples to pray that God would send workers- is commission them and send THEM out. Jesus basically says- prayer for the workers, and the workers are you.

So we should stop and pray and ask God how we should step up once we “see” and we “care”

Go

This really takes us back to our first week of this series, doesn’t it? Go! Jesus says that laborers should be SENT OUT.

Evangelize is a verb- it is an action word. It requires us to take action Last week we talked about the parable of the sower, and how it our call to sow the seed- to spread the Gospel; even if it does not look like it is taking root; sow it anyway!

Remember the seed that fell on the good soil? Jesus said that it produced a crop that was yielded 30; 60; even 100 times more than what was sown. Can you imagine planting a garden in the spring; putting all that work into working the soil and getting it ready; planting the seed; keeping the weeds out and everything else, and then when the harvest was ready; when we vines were full of tomatoes and the plants were covered in beans- you just didn’t go gather the crop? If all the harvest on the plants withered and wasted simply because there was no one to pick it? Wouldn’t that be a waste?

Friends, we can pray all day long for people to know Jesus; for revival, for a spiritual awakening; but if we are unwilling to go into the harvest field then the harvest can easily be lost.

Work

Then there is the last word- Work. I do not think it is coincidental that Jesus used labors in the field as his metaphor here. Evangelism is often HARD WORK. It takes us rolling up our sleeves, getting down and dirty; and getting to work. People’s eternities are at steak, and that is not something that we should take lightly.

I think that Jesus might have used this metaphor to remind us all of the seriousness of the call.

Evangelism is hard because evangelism calls us to get in uncomfortable places. One of the things I have noticed in ministry is that oftentimes evangelism is done in the hardest places. It is done when someone is at their lowest; when they are hurting. sick, lost, or lonely. One might say that they are in the mudholes of life. But you know what you may have to do in order to show the power of God to someone in a mudhole? You may have to get into the mud right beside them! It takes work to be a mudhole Christian, friends. It is not glamorous, it is not self fulfilling, it often takes self sacrifice; self denial, and a whole lot of patience. But, if we are serious about doing the work of Jesus we must be committed to work.

2 Timothy 4:1–8 ESV

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.