As we think about the call of God for us to share our faith with a world that does not know Him, we would do well to understand God’s plan for how He wants to use believers to reach our world for Him. As a local body of believers, I think it is important that we, as a church, understand the key elements associated with God’s plan for using His church to reach our world for Christ.
In his book, “The Evangelistic Church,” author John Havlik defines and describes evangelism as, “the incredible good news of what God has done by his mightiest of all acts in Jesus Christ. Evangelism is that message verbalized by human lips and fleshed out in human lives. It is the message preached, whispered, shouted, spoken, sung, printed, displayed, and parabled. It is news that is too good to keep.”
Although there are several methods and means whereby believers can go about the work of evangelism, there are certain Biblical elements that will characterize the church that is an evangelistic church.
In the book of Acts, we are given a model for doing. As we consider the way God worked through the life of those early believers to reach the known world of their day for Christ, we can learn about God’s plan for using us to reach our world today.
1. Divine power must be procured - Acts 1:3-8
The church cannot operate on its own powers of proclamation, promotion, or persuasion in doing God’s work. No. We must rely on God’s power if we are to be involved in God’s work.
Peter became a bold and daring disciple only after the Holy Spirit empowered him at Pentecost. When Peter stood and preached Jesus, 3,000 persons were born into the kingdom. They did not respond to the Good news because of peter’s dynamic pulpit performance, or because of his flashy presentation, or because of his charismatic personality, but they responded to the Gospel because they heard the Good news
proclaimed by one whose life was empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The early church didn’t have any buildings. They had no budget, no programs, no literature, no organization, no buses, no tracts, no staff; but it didn’t matter what they didn’t have, for the Holy Spirit had them! Filled with the Spirit, they turned their world upside down for the Savior!
They prayed for 10 days, preached for 30 minutes, and saw 3,000 come to Christ! Today, we pray 30 minutes, preach 10 days, and are satisfied if we see 3 people come to Christ! Oh, how we need to be awakened from our spiritual slumber and have stirred within us a hunger for the power of God!
An old story is told about a famous organist who was to give several concerts using an old-fashioned pump organ. The bellows of the organ had to be pumped by hand, so the organist hired a boy to stand behind the organ and pump while he played. After one concert, the boy said to the organist, “We played good tonight.” “What do you mean, ‘we’? I was the one who played, not you,” replied the organist.
When the organist sat down to begin the next concert, no sound came out of the organ. Then it dawned on him that there was no air in the bellows. The organist whispered to the boy behind the organ, “Pump!” The boy responded in a whisper, “Say ‘we.’”
Churches can press the right keys and create wonderful programs and ministries, but if the power of the Holy Spirit is not flowing through the life of that fellowship, you will not see many come to faith in Christ.
So let’s talk for a moment about how to live the Spirit-filled life.
The Bible tells us that there are three kinds of people.
A. The Natural Man (One who has not received Christ) -
“But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified)
B. The Carnal Man (One who has received Christ, but is trying to live the Christian life in his own strength as opposed to the Spirit’s power) –
“HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to non-spiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?” - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (Amplified)
C. The Spiritual Man (One who has received Christ and is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit) –
“But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].” - 1 Corinthians 2:15 (Amplified)
How do I live as a Spiritual man? I need to learn how to A.B.I.D.E. in Christ –
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 (NKJV)
Ask the Spirit to fill your life (Eph. 5:18)
Be willing to confess all sin (1 Jn. 1:9)
Investigate the Scriptures (Eph. 6:17, 5:18-6:9 & Col. 3:16-4:1)
Do what the Spirit tells you (Gal. 5:25, Eph. 4:30, 1 Thess. 5:19)
Enjoy the victory that is yours (Phil. 4:13)
2. The Good News must be proclaimed - Acts 2:11-12; 38-41
In his book, Every Member Evangelism, J.E. Conant identifies God’s plan for how a church is to proclaim the Good News. He identifies two essential elements:
A. Personal witnessing is done by all - Acts 2:11-12
B. Public witnessing is done by a few - Acts 2:38-41
“It was the private witnessing of all the disciples, reaching its climax and culmination in the public witnessing of one disciple, that brought the results of that day. In other words, Peter’s sermon was the climax of that which had preceded; and if the private witnessing had not preceded the public witnessing, there is not the least likelihood that any such results would have followed.” - J.E. Conant, Every Member Evangelism, p. 14
The problem with most churches, he contended is that while they understand that there are some called to give public proclamation of the Good News, they fail to understand the need for personal witnessing to be done by all. Without personal witnessing being done by all, the public witness done by those called of God to that ministry will be far less fruitful.
Bill Hybels, in his book, “Becoming A contagious Christian,” identifies 6 Biblical approaches to being a personal witness for Christ.
1. Confrontational - Peter (Acts 2)
Characteristics: Confident, Assertive, Direct
2. Intellectual - Paul (Acts 17)
Characteristics: Inquisitive, Analytical, Logical
3. Testimonial - Blind Man (John 9)
Characteristics: Communicator, Story Teller, Good
Listener
4. Relational - Matthew (Luke 5:29)
Characteristics: Warm Personality,
Conversational, "Friend Maker"
5. Invitational - Woman At The Well (John 4)
Characteristics: Enthusiastic, Convincing, Persuasive
6. Service - Dorcas (Acts 9)
Characteristics: Humble, Patient, "Others Oriented"
Learn how to share your faith in a way that is comfortable for you, then SHARE IT!
3. The Christian life must be practiced - Acts 2:42-47
If non-believers are going to believe the Good News, then Christians must practice what we preach. Integrity and sincerity must be seen, heard, and felt by those who observe and know us.
The early church was a caring, loving family. They were united under the Lordship of Christ. They enjoyed times of study, prayer, and worship together. They willingly sacrificed for one another. As a result, they presented light to a dark world, love to a hate-filled world, truth to a dishonest world, and life to a dying world.
One skeptic reportedly said, “My problem with Christians is not that they are Christians, but that they are not Christian enough.”
That statement was not true of the early church. They were Christian enough in their daily practice to readily convince unbelievers that Jesus was enough to make a real difference in one’s life.
How can we make sure that as Christian’s we behave enough like Christians to convince the world around us to turn to Christ? Jesus told us in John 13:34-35.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us. How has Jesus loved us? Well, for that answer, we must look to the cross, which is the ultimate demonstration of Christ’s love for us.
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” - Romans 5:8 (NLT)
A. Jesus has loved us understandingly. He knew there was nothing we could do to change our situation on our own, so He intervened.
B. Jesus has loved us sacrificially. Jesus set aside His heavenly glory in order to meet us where we were.
C. Jesus has loved us unconditionally. He has demonstrated His love for us even though He knew that some would not respond to His love.
D. Jesus has loved us graciously. God’s mercy is not receiving what I deserve and God’s grace is receiving what I don’t deserve. Our Lord’s desire in loving us is always to provide for our good.
E. Jesus has loved us transformationally. I am a different and better person because of my love relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus said that we are to love one another as He has loved us. Why?
A. Loving one another is the proper response to His love for us.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” - 1 John 4:7-11 (NLT)
B. Loving one another shows that God exists.
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” - 1 John 4:12 (NLT)
C. Loving one another is evidence of the truth of the Gospel.
“So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” - 1 John 3:10-11 (NLT)
Can you pass the 1 Corinthians 13 test? As you read through verses 4-7 (The Message), substitute your name for “love” and see if it rings true.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always "me first,"
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Conclusion: What is God’s plan for reaching and bringing redemption to an unbelieving world? He wants to use His people, who depend on His power to enable them to proclaim the Good News and practice love for one another.
Can He use you? Are you usable?
