Evangelism - a Summary

With thanks to Mike Hensman for this article, which he wrote following the series of sermons he gave to Epsom and Ewell churches as part of Vision4Life on Evangelism.

You may not have noticed but we have just finished a series of four services trying to demystify evangelism and get rid of some of the false impressions that can arise. What follows is a summary of the content of each of the services.

Week 1 What is the church for?

The great commission in Matthew 28. “Go, witness, baptise, make disciples, teach them all that Jesus taught.”
Mark 16 says: “Go, proclaim the good news”. It is not to fill the church. Not even to convert people – that is the job of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’s promise – “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
Homework: What are your attitudes to evangelism? What is your definition of evangelism?

Week 2 The people out there

Evangelism means “good news”
Some definitions of evangelism
     “One beggar telling another where to get bread”;
     “Those who know Jesus telling those who don’t”;
     “Saving the lost”;
     “…to immerse oneself in the mystery of Christ and try to communicate Him to one’s brothers.”

“People out there” are at different stages of their journey, from “openly hostile” to “ready for the gospel”

Evangelism is a process- Ploughing, sowing, growing, reaping. The process may take minutes, months or years and involve different people at different times.

Ploughing requires RELATIONSHIP. Preparing the ground; beginning where the enquirer is. The aim is for them to discover that Christians are OK. They might even have something..God is good.

Sowing is drip feeding the good news. God is love; Testimony (what God is doing in your life); God cares for individuals; God has answers.

Growing: God knows where they are coming from; God loves them; God wants to meet their needs; God’s promises.

Reaping: When they are ready to ask “what must I do to be saved…?” Tell them, pray with them; start them on the road.

Homework: What is good about being a Christian?

Week 3 What are we going to do?

Each local church is set by God in a Mission field. A church may identify one or two such fields that they will – as a body – adopt and work in. Every Christian has a mission field that moves around with them – at work, at leisure, at the bus stop, in Tesco’s queue and, and, and…..

We are called to be witnesses. Tell our stories. What Jesus has done for you in your life. What is good about being a Christian?

There are many ways of relating to people. Listen to what their need is – where they are. What are they thinking about Jesus and church? What are they feeling? Listen to the Holy Spirit.

Methods: Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3.15)

Pray them in. Name them before the Lord; pray against anything preventing them from hearing God’s call; ask the Holy Spirit to speak to them; ask God to set up opportunities for them to hear the good news; offer yourself to be used in bringing them into the Kingdom; Ask for the right words to say to them. Turn conversations to Jesus, e.g., “Where do you see God in all this?”, or “I’m a Christian and I believe…” Agree with their arguments. You can never argue anyone into the Kingdom.

Resources: “Why Jesus?” Bible study notes e.g., “Every day with Jesus” Christian paperbacks you like; Videos e.g., The Jesus film or The Passion of the Christ.

The result (Not your doing!) They come into a relationship with Jesus; sins forgiven; they have life eternal; they receive the Holy Spirit. And they have become Children of God, living in the Kingdom of God, beginning to grow as disciple and taking up God’s call to their ministry.

Week 4. Evangelism co-operating with the Holy Spirit.

Philip’s story in Acts 8 – see how many ways the Holy Spirit was involved in this. There are about ten.

God’s mighty power: Acts 1.8 promises you will receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you. The Holy Spirit is in you. Be filled with Him. The Holy Spirit is working in you to make you more like Christ. The Holy Spirit has nine gifts for you as tools to do His work. God wants YOU to know the Spirit IN you and UPON you.

In evangelism you are in a relay race teamed with the Holy Spirit:

The first leg is: He sets up the encounter.

The second is: You go and witness.

The third is: The Holy Spirit again convincing the person of sin and righteousness and judgement – that is what leads them to become a Christian

And the fourth is the Church of which You are a part making them into disciples and teaching them all that Jesus taught His disciples.

AND YOU: Go knowing you are totally loved by God, know you are totally forgiven and set free. Know who you are in Christ. Go in the power of the Holy Spirit. And God will use you.