Practical Teaching On Evangelism

Practical Teachings on Evangelism

     Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel to the lost and the exhortation of sinners to repent of their wickedness and to trust in Christ alone for salvation from the just penalty of their sin- the wrath of the holy God. The Christian church and believers are to evangelize. We all have the responsibility, the privilege really, to share the gospel with the lost. This is to happen everywhere and anywhere. Evangelism takes place in a church setting, but also in the community, at work, in the home, in another country, at the bank, in the line at Walmart- anywhere!

     Pastors or evangelists are not the only people that are to evangelize. It is expected of every believer. Allow me to quote at length biblical passages that teach the responsibility of believers to evangelize. I cannot expound on all these passages, but the truth is there either directly or by inference.

Matthew 28:19-20, “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...”

Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

     Evangelism is necessary. It is expedient that we tell others of the good news because the Bible teaches that mankind is lost and dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13). They stand condemned before a holy God. Unless man repents and embraces Christ for deliverance, they will suffer an eternity of God's wrath in hell.

     What then are some practical teachings and guidelines on evangelism? What does evangelism look like? To begin, share the gospel. Tell of Christ and his willingness and ability to save, his death and resurrection, of man's sinfulness, of God's grace and mercy, of mankind's responsibility to repent and believe on Christ, and the judgment that awaits the unrepentant. Then, call for a response. Sinners are commanded to turn from their sin and trust in Christ.

     After this, pray. Pray that the Lord open hearts and work effectually to convert those who heard the gospel. Follow up, if possible, with those you shared with. Build a relationship, ask and answer questions, and show the person that you genuinely care for them. Invite them to church. Ask how you could pray for them or minister to them. Pray with them. Show the love of Christ. And then, repeat if possible or if necessary.

     Relax. Just be obedient to God. You cannot convert a sinner, change a person's heart, or change someone's mind. That is God's work. You just be faithful in sharing the good news and calling for a response and leave the rest to God.

     Remember, it is a privilege and a joy to proclaim the salvation of our great God. It ought to be a joy, not a burden, to share the grace of God in the person and work of the Son on the cross for sinners.

     Make it a habit to pray in relation to evangelism. Pray for boldness. Pray that the Lord open your eyes to the many opportunities to share the gospel that present themselves daily. Pray for pure motives, humility, love, and patience. Pray for a merciful spirit. Pray that the Lord give you a burden for the lost. Pray that God rain down his grace, bear fruit, and bring forth a harvest of souls.

     Read the word of God. Believers need to be familiar with the gospel in order to share the gospel. Study the examples of Christ, Peter, Paul, and John. Notice how they approached different people and different circumstances and contexts. The gospel message never changed but how they addressed people did. Learn from their examples. Also, read and know your Bible and doctrine. Those we evangelize often have questions. If you know the word of God, you may be able to answer questions and use them to point back to the work of Christ. But realize that you do not have to have all the answers. There is no shame in admitting that you do not know something.

     The primary way to evangelize is through the scriptures. The word of God is to be preached and shared. Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). The gospel may be communicated in other ways, however, such as passing out tracks, giving away Bibles, and handing out gospel-saturated and scriptural books.

     Evangelism is a discipline of the Christian life. Like all other disciplines, evangelism needs to be practiced. The more we do it, the more comfortable we will be. As other disciplines, it is also a means for us to grow in Christlikeness. The more it is practiced, the more growth will be experienced.

How does this work? When believers evangelize they are being obedient. It demands and teaches reliance upon the Spirit. When believers evangelize, it is often them that receive a blessing or are filled with joy. Evangelizing is doing the Father's work and brings glory to God. It is worship. When we share the gospel, we are obeying, telling of God's work, and this brings him honor.

    Believers grow by evangelizing because they are in the word and praying. Believers who evangelize are reminded of the gospel, their own sinfulness, God's amazing grace, Christ's sacrifice, the work of the Spirit, and their need of continual repentance.

     Also, when believers evangelize they are often humbled and broken by the sinful condition of man, ignorance of the true God, the amount of false idols that mankind worships, the amount of false gospels that sinful men believe, and the universal dilemma of trying to please God by works. This in turn, produces joy of being delivered and worship of our gracious God and Savior and motivates us to evangelize more.

     It is really quite simple. God sent Christ. Then he sent the church to proclaim Christ to the nations and our neighbors. This is how God chose to call sinners to himself. We have the responsibility and privilege to share in the work of God! We get to tell of his excellent greatness. We get to share the earth-shattering truth of Christ and his atoning death and victorious resurrection. We get to share the hell-crushing message of deliverance from the wrath of God. We get to urge sinners to repent and believe in Christ. We get to! Now, get to it.