Recently, I poked a friend of mine who shared a well-worded crusade poster in our WhatsApp group. I asked her if her Church was still spending resources for programs like that. Sure, they are good but are they such real evangelism? Are such programs more effective in evangelizing the world than the lives of Christians in the workplace or in society at large?
What is evangelism?
As I was researching the meaning of Evangelism, I noticed the terms public preaching and personal witnessing as indelible. According to Wikipedia, in Christianity, evangelism is the commitment to or act of publicly preaching (ministry) the Gospel with the intention of spreading the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christian groups that encourage evangelism are sometimes known as evangelistic or evangelists. The scriptures do not use the word evangelism, but evangelist is used in Acts 21:8, Ephesians 4:11, and 2 Timothy 4:5.
Google dictionary defined it as
the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.
We understand Evangelism to mean going out to speak and asking people to give their lives to Christ. Evangelism should be more about what you do or how you live than what you say. After all, they say, actions speak louder than voices. Your life as a Christian is a public life that can not be hidden. Society and the world at large see what you do more than they hear what you say. In fact, you will get more ears from those who have seen and ascribed faith to you.
Let your light shine before men. This is so they will see the manifestations of God’s word.
Therefore:
- Your profile should evangelize
- Your work is a ministry
- Your marriage should be an evangelism platform
- Your parental responsibility improves or hampers God’s light
- Your political disposition is evangelism
- Your social interaction is evangelism.
Evangelism is a lifestyle, not just a regular gathering
It’s no longer about gathering to minister to people. I wonder how many people really truly repented by answering alter calls and remaining so. I, for instance, got spiritual conviction by watching the life of a true Christian.
I am not against Christain gathering. The Bible encourages us not to neglect the gathering of the brethren. But remember this is for brethren- those who have already given their lives more than those who have not believed. Most of those who came to Jesus came of their own volition. Even John the Baptist playing his divine role and shouting at the top of his voice did not make the impact Jesus did.
Evangelism does not require a special technique or wordsmithing.
Evangelism is not about all the gimmicks and cajoling done to convince people to follow Christ. It’s not in the crafty stuffing of words to sound great and inviting. Even when challenged in front of the very powerful, Jesus admonished in Matthew 10:19,
Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say.
Jesus never employed clever techniques to convince men. He spoke the Truth of the Word. He lived and spoke from the essence of who he was and is. True evangelism is living in the power of the Holy Spirit. The ideal evangelism is living according to the Word of God.
Evangelism is when You are God’s masterpiece
When those who appreciate art see some great works of art, they immediately recognize the artist who made them. Sometimes, they can even separate the fake from the real masterpiece. The mark of any great artist shows in his or her work almost effortlessly.
Just like great works of art have their mark on their work, so does the master creator, the maker of heaven and earth has His mark on His creations. His mark is on you meaning that you may not need to shout it. You just live it and lives are ministered to.
We see in Ephesians 2:10 that
We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”
What is the workmanship? It simply means we are His work of art. But this work of art is not just made to be displayed. There is a divine purpose. Remember, we are living sacrifices. Even Ephesians mentioned that God’s work of art is good work prepared before the work of creation. There is a purpose. This point is buttressed in Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Ordained as a prophet to the nations! You have already been ordained to evangelize. No need for unnecessary equipment. This does not mean you wouldn’t need to be sharpening yourself. It simply means no worldly or human effort to communicate God’s message to the world. Just go live and speak as the Spirit leads.
Evangelism is when You are Christ’s ambassador
An ambassador is a respected official appointed to represent a nation outside his own country. Having been sent to another nation, the ambassador embodies the culture and official position of the sovereign nation he or she represents. Though expected to understand and interact with the host nation, must not become like them. In fact, the ambassador has solely gone to project the official position of his or her nation at all times. The ambassador must embrace his or her people whenever seen in the host nation.
Likewise, you as a Christian. Being called an ambassador of Christ means you have been given a ministry. Apostle Paul called this the ministry of reconciliation. Your life needs to be drawing and bringing people back to the truth of the Word. See II Corinthians 5:18-20 NKJV
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
Remember, you and I represent a different Kingdom (John 18:36). This means that we should always express the official heavenly position. It is our duty as we remain under the power of the Holy Spirit, to always take the message of our heavenly government to the whole world (Acts 1:8). This is evangelism.
This is our model: John 18:36 NKJV
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
This is our commission: Acts 1:8 NKJV
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
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