What is Evangelism? Why Evangelise?

Talk 1 – Evangelism Series The Lamb of God Community Wellington Branch What is Evangelism? Why Evangelise?

A New Series • We just finished the Spiritual Gifts Series of Talks • Evangelism Series – 3 Talks • Evangelism is a gift of the Spirit – but we are all supposed to do it! • We as a community have a Mission Team to coordinate our common evangelistic efforts – but we are all supposed to do it!

Letter from a Communist: A young man breaking up with his girlfriend. “We Communists have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definitive purpose in life. We subordinate our petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity, and if our personal lives seem hard, or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us in his small way is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind. There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest and that is the Communist cause.

Letter from a Communist: Communism is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife and mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens as time goes on. Therefore I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas and actions according to how they affect the Communist cause and by their attitude toward it. I’ve already been in jail because of my ideas and if necessary, I’m ready to go before a firing squad.”

Question: If a communist can give his life fully for spreading a wrong cause, how much more should a Christian be zealous for his faith?

Letter of Francis Xavier “Multitudes out here fail to become Christians only because there is nobody prepared for the holy task of instructing them. I have often felt strongly moved to descend on the universities of Europe, and to cry aloud like a madman to those who have more learning than good will to employ it advantageously, telling them how many souls miss Heaven and fall into Hell through their negligence.”

The Communist and Francis Xavier Two men, separated by centuries and by personal beliefs, united by a common zeal to bring “good news” and to transform the world.

What is Evangelism? Evangelism can be defined as: • sharing and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. • bringing to people the love of God. • telling the good news, being the good news, and doing the good news. • making disciples for Christ. • the sharing and joyous active witness of the people of God to God's redeeming love.. • a spiritual journey of formation and transformation. • leading people to receive and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. • Sharing the Christian hope of eternal life in Christ.

Is witnessing evangelizing? Not necessarily. • Evangelism is more proactive; it aims to reach out directly; we can be accepted or rejected. It is actively proclaiming Christ. • Witnessing is showing the character of Christ to others; Evangelising is telling about and sharing Jesus Christ to others. • A good evangelist needs to be a good witness. • To become effective witnesses, we need to be willing to be evangelists as well. Otherwise our witnessing is for nothing.

Is witnessing evangelizing? Not necessarily. • But what did Jesus want us to do? • Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, … [Matthew 28:19] – He wants us to make disciples [evangelize], not just witness. • He commands us to evangelize!

The Call to Evangelize • Why do we believe in Jesus Christ right now the way we believe? Why do we have a personal relationship with God? • Because someone in the past evangelized us. • We can have many excuses not to evangelise. • “I’m not worthy; I’m a sinner!” (Isaiah’s excuse) • “I’m too young to do this sort of thing!” (Jeremiah’s excuse) • “I can’t speak eloquently.” (Moses’ excuse) • “Let others do it, not me!” (Everybody’s excuse) • “I do not want to be rejected or rock the boat.”

The Call to Evangelize • But we do not have any valid excuse. • “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14 15) • And, “if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

The Call to Evangelize • But we do not have any valid excuse. • But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvellous light. [1 Peter 2:9]

The Call to Evangelize • We live in a post-Christian society. • Many of the people around us desperately need to know Jesus Christ in their lives. • We know who is the solution to all life’s problems – it is God, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Saviour and a life lived under the power of the Holy Spirit. • “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” – St. Augustine

Why Should We Evangelise? 1. Because Jesus commands us to do so. • Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...’.” • Not a wish, but a command. This is one of Jesus’ few commands. • What is the price for disobedience?

Why Should We Evangelise? • Because the Church has consistently regarded evangelization as intrinsic to her identity and mission. • The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. C. S. Lewis [a well-known Anglican apologist /lay theologian]

Why Should We Evangelise? • The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. Hudson Taylor[ a well-known Protestant missionary] • Someone asked: Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved? It is more a question with me whether we - who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not - can be saved. Charles Spurgeon [Baptist preacher and writer]

Why Should We Evangelise? • The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world. C. S. Lewis • “You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most…It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance.” John Wesley • “Iwould rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.” Keith Green

Why Should We Evangelise? • “It is not enough to discover Christ – you must bring Him to others!” Pope John Paul II • “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize....” [Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 14] • “Missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!”[Redemptoris Missio 2:]

Why Should We Evangelise? 3. Because each of us has personally experienced Jesus’ saving power. - Luke 8:38-39: “The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” • In your own life, how much have you experienced God’s saving power? • My own experience.

Why Should We Evangelise? 4. Because we want the best for our friends and relatives a) We want them to experience the “fullness of life” [John 10:10] like we have. • Many people are enslaved by sin. • all joy and pleasure from sin are fleeting. b) Being a Christian is the best investment a person can make in his or her life! c) All people in this world have an eternal destiny: Heaven or Hell.

Making The Lamb of God Gatherings Evangelistic • The Lamb of God Community is an ecumenical and multi-cultural community. • We want to welcome and make guests of all nationalities and Christian denominations welcome to our meetings. • When we meet together, we want to avoid things that would turn off people: speaking in our own language and external signs of our denominations [e.g. sign of the cross].

Conclusion: Letter from a Christian “We Christians have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definitive purpose in life. We subordinate our petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity, and if our personal lives seem hard, or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the cause then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us in his small way is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind. There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest and that is the cause of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: Letter from a Christian Jesus is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife and mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Jesus’ hold on me grows, not lessens as time goes on. Therefore I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to God who both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas and actions according to how they affect the cause of Jesus Christ and by their attitude toward it. I am ready to suffer, be ridiculed and laughed at because of my ideas and if necessary, I’m ready to die as a martyr for my faith.”

Conclusion • Can you be accused of writing this letter? • Is there enough proof to substantiate your claims – e.g., Jesus is my life, my business, my hobby, relationships… I cannot carry a single conversation without finding an opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ?

Conclusion Who are the best salespeople in the world? - Those who are fully and truly convinced of their product or service – of its real value, of it real worth. When we followed the Lord, we are called to become salespeople as well – to “sell” a living, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Are you willing to sell Jesus to others?

Discussion Starters 1. Comment on this quote: “I would rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.” [by Keith Green] 2. What do you think of this quote? Someone asked: Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved? It is more a question with me whether we - who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not - can be saved. Charles Spurgeon 3. Are we convinced that all people we meet have an eternal destiny to go to either heaven or hell, and we want to spend eternity with them?

What is Evangelism? Why Evangelise?