METHODS OF EVANGELISM!

METHODS OF EVANGELISM!

Matt 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

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. Amen.

          We are timid souls and the challenge of discipling all nations is huge. We whose job it is to encounter, encourage, and enlist lost souls for the kingdom are always searching for a better way to do the job. In our politically correct world we shun the direct approach and organize concerts and events so that the gospel might be presented. The problem, I think, is that so much energy is spent in organizing the event that the energy needed to present the gospel is spent. We have become showmen or worse.

          As we look at the biblical record, we do not see Jesus fretting over methods. While He drew large crowds, more often He was found sitting with a single person or a small group. If salvation is a personal decision then the approach must also be personal. One-by-one encounters is, I think, what Jesus had in mind.

          “Go ye therefore” seems to have the force of a command but, as some translations have it, “as you are going” seems more casual and less confrontational. It is the confrontation that we try to avoid. Evangelism requires that we see ourselves as evangelists. Outreach is not what we do but an outgrowth of who we are.

          No generation before us has enjoyed more opportunities than we. We can literally speak to nations simultaneously in their own language. It is now possible to be obedient to Christ’s command in ways unthought-of of by the twelve. Look around you! Who can you reach? What tools are available to you? Why aren’t you taking advantage of them?

Rev 3:8

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Dear Lord, let me see clearly who and what I am. Let me see clearly those in need of redemption. Let me do what I can to tell them about you. AMEN