1. Introduction to Evangelism

A. The Meaning of Evangelism

1. Evangelism is not:

a. About winning an argument

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (KJV)
¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Galatians 6:11-15 (KJV)
¹¹ Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
¹² As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
¹³ For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. ¹⁴ But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

b. About defending the teachings of the Christian faith

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
¹⁵  But 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:

Matthew 10:5-15 (KJV)
⁵ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. ⁹ Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, ¹⁰ Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. ¹¹ And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. ¹² And when ye come into an house, salute it. ¹³ And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. ¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

c. About explaining every aspect of the Bible

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (KJV)
⁶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
¹⁰  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

2. What is Evangelism?

Evangelism is about sharing the good news of Jesus as the Christ by Christians living in a way that exemplifies God’s Word, Will and Way. Therefore, evangelism is a lifestyle. The Bible commands believers to evangelize. Since evangelism is a command, not to do so is a sin. It also prevents the work the Holy Spirit desires to do so in you and through you.

Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
¹⁹ “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

Colossians 4:5-6 (KJV)
⁵ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
⁶ Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

B. An Overview of Evangelism

2. The Savior and Evangelism

1. The Supposition of Evangelism is the idea that the work of the soul winning or evangelism is to be carried out by specialists like pastors and missionaries is not taught in Scripture. Every child of God bears some responsibility. (2 Cor 5:18-20).

Early in his ministry, Christ promised to make his followers fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). At its close he said that they will be his witnesses (Luke 24:48). The last words of Christ before his ascension dealt with witnessing (Acts 1:8-9).

3. The Scope of Evangelism

The gospel has not been proclaimed until people have been given the good news from God to believe. That good news is defined in 1Cor 15:1-3. It is not related to anything man may do (Eph 2:8-9). The only acceptable response is to receive Christ (John 1:12); to believe (John 3:16); to call upon Him, (Romans 10:13); and to confess him (Romans 10:9).

4. The Source of Evangelism

Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 1017). It is the Holy Spirit who convicts and regenerates (John 16:8- 11). God provides pastors and teachers to perfect the saints for their work of the ministry (Eph 4:11- 12). This is done for believers, so they can win souls and receive an eternal reward.

II. Necessities for Effective Evangelism

A. A Love for God

John 14:22-24 (KJV)
²²  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
²³  Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
²⁴  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

1 John 5:3 (KJV)
³  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

B. A Compassion for the Lost.

Luke 19:1-10 (KJV)
¹ And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. ⁴ And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” ⁶ And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
⁹ And Jesus said unto him, “This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

C. A Humble Heart

Philippians 2:3-11 (KJV)
³ Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ⁴ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

D. A Personal Commitment

Philippians 1:21-26 (KJV)
²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. ²³ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: ²⁴ Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; ²⁶ That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

III. Frequently Asked Questions about Evangelism

A. What does it mean to be an Evangelist?

An evangelist, as the very name suggests, is a messenger of the good news. This good news is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s son, and includes the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven of Jesus Christ. Evangelist are used by God to: awaken careless and indifferent people to their need of a Savior, proclaim how God has met that need through His son, Jesus Christ, and to warn people of the coming judgment for those who neglect or reject God’s offer of salvation. All Christians should be able and eager to tell others of what Christ has done for them, not all are called to be evangelists. This is a distinct gift given by the ascended Christ to some of his servants. The Scriptures have more to say about evangelist:

a. Their calling. There is sent by a risen, ascended Lord (Ephesians 4:11).

b, Their training. Time spent alone with the Lord that the evangelists is equipped to do the work of the Lord (acts 4:13).

c. Their field of work. The evangelist (along with pastors and teachers) receives direction for his work from the Lord alone. It is through the Holy Spirit that the Lord guides his servants were to go, when to go and what to preach (acts 8:26-40).

d. Their message. Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:5). The evangelists, as led of the Lord, may emphasize different parts of that message depending upon the condition of the hearers, but Jesus Christ and his work will always be referred to (Acts 13:16-41 & Acts 17:22-31).

e. Their support. The Bible clearly shows that evangelists, pastors and teachers were supported by the prayers and free will offerings of the Lord’s people in the various assemblies. The apostle Paul often worked at night to provide his own support, although he maintained the right of the labor to be supported by those to whom he preached (Philippians 4:15-19; 3 John 7; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18; 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 12:14-17).

f. Their accountability. Evangelist (as well as pastors and teachers) have to answer to their local assembly for their actions and their teaching. They will ultimately have to give an account to the One who called them and gave them their gift (Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Corinthians 4:5).

g. The results. When a true evangelist preaches, unsaved listeners will be convicted of sin, the way of salvation will be made plain, and unsaved ones will be compelled to come to the Lord.

B. How can I share the gospel better?

Becoming better at sharing the gospel is a process. There must be a personal commitment to prayer and God’s word. The root of this is a life that is pure and holy. The Lord cannot use you for the service of evangelism if you’re not living a righteous lifestyle.

C. If God elects those who are saved, why evangelize?

First of all, the Bible commands believers to evangelize (2 Timothy 4:5). Romans 8-10 combines the teaching of divine election (8,9) is the call to preach (10). This means that God has ordained both the ends and the means. The ends are his elect coming to himself in saving faith. The means is the proclamation of the gospel (acts 18:9-11; 13:43-48). Here are some quotes from great theologians on this issue:

A. Hodge once asked, “if God has eternally decreed that you should live, what is the use of your breathing? If God has eternally decreed that you should talk, whether the use of you opening your mouth? If God has eternally decreed that you should reap a crop, what is the use of your sowing the seed? God demands that we should use the means, will go without the ends which depend upon them.”

“The fact is, we don’t know who the elect are. They are not walking around the countryside with the letter “E” for ‘elect’ stamped upon their foreheads. We are therefore to go into all of the world, preaching the gospel to everyone, knowing ahead of time, that only his elect will respond with genuine saving faith (C. H. Spurgeon).”

Dr. Michael Horton noted, ‘without divine election, evangelism would be much like a salesman trying to sell his products in a graveyard. Mankind is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), and only through the gracious act of God in electing, predestinating, and regenerating a specific people, will anyone ever turned to Christ.’

“If the final decision for the salvation of fallen sinners were left in the hands of fallen sinners, we would despair all hold that anyone would be saved.” (R. C. Sproul).

“I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my master lay hold of some of them and say, ‘You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.’ My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will. Free will carried many a soul to hell, but never a soul to heaven.” (C. H. Spurgeon).

IV. Spiritual Disciplines for Evangelism

A. Evangelism is expected

B. Evangelism is empowered

C. Evangelism is a discipline