FINDING PURPOSE
Part 5 – Evangelizing People
SCRIPTURE READING
† Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely [Lit. Greek – listen] I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
PRAYER
I. What is evangelism?
“Go and make disciples … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus has a purpose for us. Not just as a church, but as individuals.
A. What are disciples?
Today we would call them Church members.
When you accept Christ and you are baptized, you generally join the church. At least you should, because when you accept Christ and you are baptized you are part of a new family.
B. Evangelism is making disciples, or church members.
Who is evangelizing? Jesus is telling the disciples to. So evangelism is disciples, or church members, getting more people to join the church. This is done through preaching.
C. Preaching is evangelizing.
Not the preaching you’re thinking of though. We’re not talking about the stand up in front of the church type of preaching.
This is a “Let me tell you what God has done for me” type of preaching.
† Romans 10:15
“14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
In front of the church preaching is great for those in the church who need deeper understanding to grow, but these people are usually already saved church members.
Like the scripture says, how can they call on God if they don’t know Him? How can they believe in God if they don’t know about Him? How can they hear about God without someone telling them?
Now if you are in church today and you haven’t accepted Christ, or you haven’t been baptized, or you are not a member of this church, come see me or one of the Elders after the service and we will help you.
So evangelizing is basically in modern terms, church members witnessing to others so that they may become saved and baptized members of God’s family.
What are you to witness to them?
Jesus said “Go forth making disciples of ALL nations baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Do you know God’s word? Do you know what Jesus commanded us?
DO you remember a couple weeks ago when we talked bout the greatest commandments?
Love God with all your heart, soul, body and mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
But the most important is telling them who Christ is.
† 1 Corinthians 15:2-4
“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
II. Where do we evangelize?
All nations, the actual Greek word used in the scriptures here is “eth’-nos” which means foreign, a Non-Jewish race, usually Pagan.
So anyone who is not a Christian we evangelize.
† Mark 16:15
“15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
† Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
So we are to witness to all nations and people.
IV. How do we evangelize?
† Matthew 10:7-8
“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’”
This needs to be a way of life, not a church program.
But there are church programs that can bring us in contact with people who need God. The real purpose of church programs is to gather the saved with the unsaved, church members with Non-church members. So we can have the opportunity to witness with those who need God in their lives.
A. Mass Evangelism
a) Special Campaigns
b) Regular Church Service
c) Radio Services
d) Television Services
e) Films
f) Distribution of Literature
This is where we reach out as a church to the masses through our modern means of media. We invite those who may be listening or watching to come and visit us.
But not everyone responds to this because it is on such a large scale, it becomes impersonal. People want relationships, not corporations.
B. Personal Evangelism
a) Conversational Evangelism
b) House-to-House Evangelism
c) Telephone Evangelism
Word of mouth is the best way to reach people. Because then it becomes personal. Then they can see how God has actually affected someone’s life.
You can read billboards or pamphlets all day, but until you hear from someone who God has touched, it’s difficult to believe He will touch your life.
V. Where do we find people?
A. In the Church
a) Sunday school
b) Through regular church service
c) Through special church groups (men’s fellowship, etc.)
d) Church activities in the community
e) Personal contacts
f) Public institutions
g) Church mailings
h) Literature distribution
i) City wide survey
j) Through referrals
k) Bible groups and studies
† VI. This is to be a way of life NOT A CHURCH PROGRAM!
