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The Gospel and Personal evangelism

The Gospel and Personal evangelism. Passages directed toward pastors/preachers. Acts 4:29 Peter prays, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings : and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”

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The Gospel and Personal evangelism

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  1. The Gospel and Personal evangelism

  2. Passages directed toward pastors/preachers. • Acts 4:29 Peter prays, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” • Paul writes to Timothy, a pastor, to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). Who should evangelize?

  3. But is the ordinary Christian doing evangelism like the ordinary employee trying to the company’s accounting? Are we average Christians all to be evangelists or should we leave that Bible colleges and seminary graduates? • Paul says, “I am debtor, both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also” (Rom 1:14-15) Who should evangelize?

  4. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’” (Matt 28:19-20) Who should evangelize?

  5. “This commission…is binding upon every member of the whole Church…Every Christian is called to be a witness to Christ in the particular environment in which God has placed him. Further, although the public ministry of the Word is a high office, private witness or personal evangelism has a value which in some respects surpasses even that of preaching, since the message can then be adapted more personally.” ~John Stott Who should evangelize?

  6. The book of Acts records that the apostles were constantly evangelizing: Acts 5:42; 8:25; 13:32; 14:7, 15, 21; 15:35; 16:10; 17:18. In Acts 2 all Christians had the Spirit poured out on them. As a result of the persecution of the church “they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. (Acts 8:4) In Acts 8 we also read the story of Philip, a deacon, doing evangelism (Acts 8:5-12, 26-40); and later we read that “they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word.” (Acts 11:19-21) Who should evangelize?

  7. Peter instructs Christians to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” (1 Peter 3:15-16) Who should evangelize?

  8. We are told that Jesus, who is our chief example, came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 15; 19:10). When asked what the most important commandment is, Jesus replied that it was to love God and to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) Who should evangelize?

  9. God’s intent in establishing the church was to bear witness to himself and to his character. As Paul wrote, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.” Every Christian has a role in making visible the gospel of the invisible God. Who should evangelize?

  10. “The invisibility of God is a great problem. It was already a problem to God’s people in Old Testament days. Their pagan neighbors would taunt them saying, “Where is now your God?” Their gods were visible and tangible, but Israel’s God was neither. Today in our scientific culture young people are taught not to believe in anything which is not open to empirical investigation. How then has God solved the problem of his own invisibility? Who should evangelize?

  11. The first answer is of course “in Christ.” Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son has made him known.” “That’s wonderful,” people say, “but it was 2,000 years ago. Is there no way by which the invisible God makes himself visible today?” There is. We return to 1 John 4:12: “No has one has ever seen God.” It is precisely the same introductory statement. Who should evangelize?

  12. But instead of continuing with reference to the Son of God, it continues: “If we love one another, God dwells in us.” In other words, the invisible God, who once made himself visible in Christ, now makes himself visible in Christians, if we love one another. It is a breathtaking claim. The local church cannot evangelize, proclaiming the gospel of love, if it is not itself a community of love.” ~John Stott Who should evangelize?

  13. “Evangelism is pre-eminently dependent upon the quality of the Christian life which is known and enjoyed in the church.” ~Martyn Lloyd Jones Who should evangelize?

  14. (1) God calls all Christians to share the good news. (2) Our church needs to make sure that we know the good news and to make sure that we can all express it clearly. (3) We should work to train each other in having the kind of Christian lives and clear understanding that will help us to share the gospel. Who should evangelize?

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