Evangelism: Starter Kit (You Can Do This)

 

New Life Church, Illinois

Did you know that you do not have to be an ordained pastor, minister, priest, teacher or even any position in a church to be an evangelist?  It's true. Actually, the definition of evangelism is the spreading of the truth and teaching of Jesus Christ by public speaking or personal witness. 

And then there's Matthew 18:20 that clearly supports the fact it only takes 2 more and that's it! You're holding a full blown church service! Indeed, with God, all things are possible. By just having your Bible, sharing the Word with another person, it's done! You just performed the action of an evangelist.  Now, of course, that's "good", but we're always growing, so, how do we get better? Well, practice, of course. 

Where does it start to be a better Ambassador for Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:20) Easy. It starts with you.

 

Introduction highlights

PSALM 37:4 DELIGHT in Hebrew means: to soften; be easily molded; flexible. When your heart is soft, your will can become God’s Will and you can grow in it. The Holy Spirit can mold you in the works of God.

 

The “true” Garden of Eden: while it once was a geographical area where original man was placed on earth, it was much more than that. That was man’s Eden. God’s Eden was not a geographical location, it was an Atmosphere. To be in Eden was to be in God’s atmosphere-to be within the living space of God.  The fall of man wiped out the spiritual atmosphere of God with man and the Great Flood wiped out the geographical location of Eden on earth. The birth death and resurrection of Jesus puts God’s Eden back in place with you – in your heart. Eden is now in you. You literally carry the Kingdom of God in you. Ergo you are an Ambassador of Christ-you represent the Kingdom-all of what you do and say is a direct reflection of what is in you – if the Kingdom of God is in you – then you are Christ-like. 

Christianity is not a religion. It is a lifestyle. Just like any other culture, you continue on traditions, habits and behaviors of the Kingdom culture.

 

MATTHEW 4:19 – and I will make you fishers of men…

MATTHEW 10:16 – your approach to others should be like that of your Christian culture. Like Jesus, you should be subtle and smooth with an attractive influence. From wisdom comes humility. Be humble. You will possess the qualities of a dove-you are quiet, pleasant, and peaceful in your deliverance.

 

The principles of Evangelism.

1.       Fools increase when wisdom is silent

2.       Evil succeeds when righteousness does nothing

3.       Darkness rules when light is absent

4.       Problems reign when solutions are ignored

Revelation 22:20

GOSPEL-is the Good News of Jesus Christ: his birth, life, death, resurrection fulfilled the prophesy and promise from God to man for redemption, return and reconcile. When you share your faith, you are sharing that Christ died for you and them. Sin takes. God gives. God loves. God IS Love. God gave His only begotten Son for you. He acts on His love. He does what He says He will do. He keeps His Word. When you evangelize (preach the Gospel), you plant His seed; God will the grow it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

ISAIAH 53:5 – tells us that Jesus was wounded, pierced and crushed for us. By His wounds, we were healed. (spiritually in this world and mentally, physically, spiritually in the next)

 

Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus came to give life, health and prosperity.

Good new requires a response. It is a message from god telling us how to avoid His judgment. Choose Christ and live or choose Satan and die.

CROWN OF THOUGHT (MIND)-removed mental illness and all ailments of the head and mind. This was part of the curse of the earth and humans after Adam and Eve sinned. All failure, rejection, lack of confidence and mental torment was taken away when Christ took on the crown of thorns.

 

ROMANS 12:2 - Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

PIERCING OF ACTION ( BODY) -Jesus took away all sins done by the hands of humans.

 

COLOSSIANS 2:13-15 - ¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

 

PIERCING OF MOVEMENT (CHOICE) -Jesus took away every step man makes and takes in and toward sin and away from God. (addiction, immorality, pride, lust, greed, etc. For all who attempted to walk away from God, Jesus brought them back. LUKE 24:39 - Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

PSALM 15:1-2 - Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? ² The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous.

PSALM 16: 1 - Keep me safe, God, for in you, I take my refuge.

 

WHELPS ON HIS BACK - Take special attention to the fact that none of Jesus’ bones were broken during his torture and crucifixion. This was the fulfillment of prophesy. The whelps on his back from being whipped were exactly 39 lashes. In this, Jesus received his stripes. He chose to die 9 hours on the cross vs. 48 hours. He was crucified at 6am and died at 3pm.

 

NO BROKEN BONES - WE are His bones-made from Him and cannot be broken (spiritually) by this world. Now at noon, there was a disconnect from God. The Son of God (Christ) did not die. God left Jesus in order for Him to experience what separation from God is like. And in doing that, Jesus literally died 3 hours later.

So look at that. With God, through all he went through, he was still going, still alive, for 6 hours straight. Without God? He died in 3. Another point to consider, Adam and Eve lived almost a 1000 years. They were immortal with God. Once they sinned, it only took them less than 1 day to die. Remember, 1000 years to man is 1 day to God.

 

PSALM 34:20 - he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

PIERCING OF THE SIDE – the condition of his heart and body. Jesus took away all heartache and physical disease. Blood from Jesus’ heart gave birth to the church. Every broken heart and every failed relationship with God and man was taken away. The side of the body is a symbol of companionship, relationship and fellowship. There was water around Jesus heart. This was extraordinary and unusual. The water was a symbol of cleansing and the blood was the symbol of redemption. The relationship with God and man was restored.

 

JOHN 19:33-34 - ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

 

Newsflash! – Jesus, never healed anyone. Jesus was not an alien. Jesus was born from a 16 yo virgin named Mary, impregnated by the Holy Spirit to give birth to a living vessel for the Christ.

 

Translation from Hebrew and Greek to English in simpler terms:

*CHRIST means Anointed Messiah = Word from God in flesh

*JESUS – a human made of flesh and bone as the 2^nd Adam to restore what 1^st Adam damaged. It was all pre-planned. When God said man will have dominion, this meant that man would have free will. This means man has freedom ‘free’ ‘dom’-inion. Jesus chose in his free dominion to believe, accept and follow God and by his choice, he became the Christ.

 

JOHN 1:1 - [ The Word Became Flesh ] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Living Word

 

It was not when Adam sinned that man and God’s relationship was lost – it was actually the moment God left Jesus on the cross and Jesus said, “Matthew 27:46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  Jesus dying on the cross represents the death and separation of God and man. His torture, crucifixion and resurrection  represents all sins of the world being removed and replaced with redemption and restoring of relationship with God and man.

TRANSGRESSION – ROMANS 6:23- means the sin was not planned or premeditated in rebellion or revolt.

 To trespass  is to ‘cross the line.’ Jesus was bruised and beaten to take this away. JOHN 19:1.

 INIQUITY- ISAIAH 53:5 – premeditated choice to be perverse and sinful continuously without lore. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed.

 

To Witness

 

Why do we witness? To share our testimony-to tell-publish or make known. To have credible evidence-proof-to announce. You should do this by choice out of love for others , not just because it is a command from Jesus your King. Remember, you are the proof of God’s work and will on earth, just as Jesus did, so should you.

 

To witness creates CHANGE in behavior, attitude, thinking and speech. Not just for you, but for the one you witness to. Be mindful of how you treat yourself and others. Do not be hypocrites. Be the example from the heart of the truth and share the Gospel with love. Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. PHILLIPIANS 2:12.

 

When you change the way you think, you can change your behavior. You can preach the Gospel in your actions, not just by words. In doing this, you will show the results of your salvation.  Only the Word of God sets us free and brings true salvation.

 

SUMMARY – to witness is a command-Matthew 28:19. It is out of love, it is wise. Proverbs 11:30. It is required to save people from hell. Revelation 20:15. Be foolproof. Be the evidence. 2 Timothy 4:5.