EVALUATING WITNESSING AND EVANGELISM

1. EVALUATINGWITNESSING AND EVANGELISM Lesson 12 for June 23, 2012

2. The Bible shows that we must evaluate (examine) ourselves, the Church members and the Church itself. Why is this evaluation necessary? Imagine students weren’t assessed, that they didn’t need to pass any test. How could their teachers know if they had learnt enough to promote to the next course? By evaluating ourselves we can now our spiritual growth level, for example. By evaluating the Church members we can know which positions are better for each member, among other things. By evaluating the Church we can know the effectiveness of an evangelistic method, for example.

3. WHYTOEVALUATE? We can know the effectiveness by evaluating. We must determine what we did well and what we did wrong. By studying the results of our evaluation we can find ways to improve and make our methods more effective. We evaluate to improve. A spiritual evaluation in Church helps us in remembering that we depend on God and in being more effective tools in His hands.

4. HOWTOEVALUATE? When talking about evaluation, we must study a key point: the INDICATORS. Indicators are the guidelines, the rules that rule the evaluation. For example, indicators that let us evaluate an evangelistic campaign could be the audience, how many people answered to the calls, how efficient the people who collaborated were, how the pamphlets were handed out… Indicators are different depending on what we are evaluating. What indicators will God use when we’ll be evaluated in the Judgment?

5. WHOTOEVALUATE? 1) OURSELVES “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians, 13: 5) “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah, 6: 8) What are the indicators (requirements) that let us examine ourselves? “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy, 10: 12-13)

6. Some of the guidelines to examine and improve our spiritual growth that we can find in the Bible are: • Watch and pray (Matthew, 26: 41) • Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians, 5: 17) • To be spiritually minded (Romans, 8: 6) • Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians, 6: 6-18) • Obey (2 Timothy, 2: 15-16) • Live a right life (Psalm 1) When dealing with new members, we should—in a kind and loving way—help them to understand how important things such as prayer, Bible study, and obedience are to their spiritual growth. We want to fill the Church with people who are growing in their relationship with Jesus, who love the Lord, and who express that love in obedience to His commandments.

7. WHOTOEVALUATE? 2) THE CHURCH MEMBERS “But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless” (1 Timothy, 3: 10) In 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus, Paul listed the indicators to evaluate if a believer can be chosen as elder or deacon. This evaluation is necessary. How could the Nominating Committee work if it didn’t evaluate the suitability of the members for being Church officers?

8. WHOTOEVALUATE? 2) THE CHURCH MEMBERS We must be aware that we are limited in judging our brothers. Because “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”” (1 Samuel, 16: 7) We can only evaluate the external acts of other people, but we can never judge their motivation or their heart. On many occasions the apostle Paul had to set the church or individuals straight in matters of attitude, behavior, or doctrine. This shows that some evaluation had taken place. Whenever he could, Paul also affirmed people for their support of Him personally or for their faithfulness to God or for the faithful performance of a specific ministry.

9. Evaluating could be dangerous. When we evaluate others, we tend to be critical with them and we discourage them. That must not be that way; we must support others in their effort. “Let us not discourage one another. Let us take hold unitedly to make every line of the Lord’s work a success. If someone comes to you and talks discouragingly about the work in one or another of our institutions, telling you that they are extravagant beyond measure, say to them, “I am sorry if that is so, but let us help them out if they are in difficulty.” If you will speak thus you may avoid much of the evil that might result were you to withdraw your sympathy, and should you refuse to help those who, possibly, may have been misrepresented. Let us never discourage even those who have done wrong, by treating them as if they had committed against us an unpardonable sin. Let us rather encourage them in every way possible, and if we see that they are lifting hard in a worthy enterprise, let us lift with them” E.G.W. (Counsels on health, section 5, “Encourage one another”, p. 243)

10. WHOTOEVALUATE? 3) THE CHURCH “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew, 24: 14) “Seventh-day Adventists are making progress, doubling their numbers, establishing missions, and unfurling the banner of truth in the dark places of the earth; and yet the work moves far more slowly than God would have it. Why?” E.G.W. (Christian Service, cp. 9 The call to arouse, “Profession vs expression”, pg. 23) It is important for the Church to examine its missionary work and to find the way to make it more effective. We must bear in mind our goal; to win the souls Christ died for, for the Kingdom.