"Clarity" 9-29-10 “Evangelism”

            Before we can understand what evangelism is, we need to understand the purpose of the church. Let’s begin with a question, “What is the church?”

Baptist Faith and Message: VI. The Church “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel…..”The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.”

There are many members, but we all make up the body of believers.

1Cr 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Christ is the head of the church, we are the body.

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

            So is this building the church? No. The church is made up of believers. Buildings, specific worship services and traditions, and all that other stuff is not the church! We are the church. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are a part of the church. The church can meet outside under a tree if that is all the congregation has. That is how we do it in Africa! We are not just a building. This brings us to our next question, “What is the purpose of the church?”

            As American’s we think that the church is a place to come together and have food fellowships and activities to draw unsaved people to Christ. We say that the church will grow when our programs are bigger and better, or if we play certain kinds of music, or the more dynamic our pastor preaches. There are high attendance Sundays where we all have to bring as many people as possible to church with us. However, we have to make it interesting enough so that our unsaved friends will come to church with us (If we invite them) and that they will not feel uncomfortable. Is that what it is about? Are we supposed to advertise our church to grow? I think that this is a major issue. We have completely misunderstood what is the purpose and mission of the church. Where is the emphasis in all of this? It is on what we can do to grow our church and make our church great. Let’s take a look at how it was done in the New Testament:

Peter and John preaching in public outside the Temple:

Act 4:1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
Act 4:2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Peter and John were thrown in prison – but many who heard believed. There was no music, no building, and the “service” was interrupted by armed guards. Still about 5,000 people came to Christ! No one was there to help them walk an aisle or pray a prayer. It was the work of God.
Act 4:3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. Act 4:4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

The apostles spend a night in the prison. Peter stands before the rulers the next day, elders and scribes and gives a matter of fact answer; this man was made well through the name of Jesus Christ.
Act 4:5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
Act 4:6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.
Act 4:7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
Act 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, " Rulers and elders of the people,
Act 4:9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
Act 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead— by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Act 4:11 " He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.

Peter simply tells the people the power of the name of Jesus. He points out that there is no other name by which men can be saved. He was busy exalting God.
Act 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

                So what happened in this chapter? Peter simply points people to Christ. It is not something that needs elaborate services or programs. It was just one person exalting God and showing people how they can receive forgiveness through Christ. The emphasis does not need to be on how we can grow our church, or even how we can grow our youth group. The main issue is, what do we want to exalt? The churches biblical goal is to exalt Christ, encourage believers, and send people out.

                Jesus says in Matthew28:19 " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

                Jesus did not tell us, “Make extravagant buildings and programs, then bring your lost friends to them so they can hear the Gospel.”

                Who’s job is it to evangelize? The head pastor’s? The speaker at a revival service? Me? What do you think? Jesus was talking to His disciples when He gave the great commission. Are we Jesus’ disciples? Let me ask you another question that may make this a little more clear to you. If you brought me to a friend of yours and I gave them the Gospel. They could possibly come to Christ. They don’t even know me! How much more of an impact would it have on them for one of their friends, who they notice has a difference in their lives, to bring this message to them? Besides, how long would it take for us to arrange meetings with every one of your friends that you interact with on a daily basis? Too long to be effective. Joe Veal, an evangelist, put it very well at the last connect conference. He said that God has strategically placed you where you are in your life. You will meet people and will have friends that I will never meet. How are they supposed to hear about the Gospel if you do not tell them?

                Jesus’ model for evangelism was simple. Just tell people about Him. Don’t wait to bring them to church, or to have them talk to a pastor. This is your command.

Do you need to have training to share your faith?
Act 4:13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Evangelism sounds big and scary, but it is just telling people about what God has done in your life.

Here is the exciting part! Let me show you how this works. Jesus’ plan was not something huge and heavy. We just need to make it a goal of reaching at least 1 person to Christ a year. Once that one person comes to Christ, you will be able to train them to do the same thing. Of course once you start, you will not want to stop! It is one of the most exciting things in our Christian lives! Let’s look at the impact just the people in this room could have over 4 years of doing this.

1 year 20 x 2 = 40, 2 years 40 x 2 = 80, 3 years 80 x 2 = 160, 4 years 160 x 2 = 320

Our impact of winning one person to Christ cascades into another person coming to Him, then another, and another. The issue is that we have a false idea of what evangelism is about. We have this command to carry it out. If we do, people will come to Christ and we will see this world changed!

To wrap up:

Main questions to answer:

What is the purpose of the church? To glorify God and send people out.

Who’s job is it to evangelize? Every Christian is called to Evangelize.

What is the point of evangelism? To glorify God and lift Him up so that others will come to faith.

Do I need some kind of specialized training to be able to share my faith? No!