Sermon Series: Living a Life of Evangelism
Sermon Title: Evangelism Reflects Courage in our
Christian Walk (Consistency, Communication)
Sermon Text:: Acts 5:19-21, 2 Tim 1:6-9; 2:14-17a; 4:1-5
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." 21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Acts 5:19-21 (NASB)
Introduction:
Last week I introduced you to our God given-call, as believers, to become evangelists for Christ in this world! I did that by speaking to you about the consistency we must have in our words, in our walk with Christ and in our witness for Christ! If we evangelize, it reflects the consistency in our walk that Christ desires!
In our Scripture this morning I want to go to v.20 and let’s read that again…
20 "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." Acts 5:20
Last week we looked at the GO part of this verse when we looked at the consistency in our Christian walk. We are called to Go therefore into all the world preaching, teaching and baptizing… and we cannot do this with an inconsistent walk in Christ, so we must be consistent.
But today I want us to look at the word STAND in this verse. It is a bold command by the Spirit to tell the Apostles to not only continue preaching in Jesus Name but also to go to the Temple and STAND there… and NOT back down!
In other words, the Spirit was calling the Apostles and all disciples to be courageous in their walk with Christ, by being willing to share Christ even in the most hostile of environments!
Now we may NEVER face what we consider an openly hostile environment here in this country, but we never know what is around the corner in our lives.
April 20, 1999 two young men went to school with the intention of killing as many students and faculty at Columbine High School as they possibly could.
One of their victims was a young lady by the name of Cassie Bernall. When they came up to her table in the Library they pointed a shotgun in her face and asked if she believed in God. She said yes without hesitation, and she was killed!
This did NOT happen in some foreign country where Christians are routinely persecuted, but in our own backyard… So we never know when persecution is going to come our way.
But the point of this entire illustration is that when we share Christ in our word, walk and witness, we reveal courage! To be willing to stand for Christ and share the love of Christ in the face of hatred and danger reveals courage on the part of the believer.
I could give you 1000 stories about people who have been willing to share Christ in hostile environments and some of them paid with their life, but this morning I want to focus on 3 points that I believe will help us to understand our role as evangelists in a more clear manner.
This morning I want to continue with our series on Evangelism by speaking to you about how evangelism reflects the COURAGE in our Christian walk. This morning I want to share with you how we must…
• Reveal our courage in our APPROACH to sharing the Gospel message to the lost…
• Reveal our courage in our ATTITUDE toward sharing the Gospel message to the lost…
• Reveal our courage in our ACTIONS for sharing the Gospel message to the lost…
1. We must learn to reveal courage in our APPROACH to sharing the Gospel (2 Tim 1:8-9a)
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling… 2 Tim 1:8-9 (NASB)
Now in reading these verses I want us to concentrate here on what we can see is Paul’s APPROACH to sharing the Gospel! His APPROACH was one of…
• No shame, Paul was NOT ashamed (read Rom 1:16) “…For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (NASB) and we can see that Paul also taught his students and those he discipled to NOT be ashamed (read 2 Tim 1:8a) “…Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner…” Paul instructed them to NOT be ashamed or shy away from sharing this Christ they knew or sharing the good news of the Gospel to the world around them!
• Willing to suffer, We can also see in this passage that Paul was willing to suffer so that he could bring the Gospel of Christ to the world around him (2 Tim 1:12) “…For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed…” (NASB) Paul also taught those who followed Christ to be willing to do the same thing and we see that evident in Scripture this morning (2 Tim 1:8b) “…but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God…” (NASB)
• Relying on the power of God Phil 4:13 reveals to us the absolute faith and trust Paul had in God’s power in his life! “…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me...” (NASB) So here we can find that Paul understood that sharing the Gospel with the world was not something he could do on his own, in fact he totally abandoned his own power and gave himself over to the power of Christ as we see in
• Considered it a ‘holy calling’ of God Paul also understood the great importance of sharing the Gospel with the world. He understood it to be a direct calling from Christ Himself, as we can find in (Matt 28:19-20a) “…"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; (NASB) and we can also see this reflected in (Acts 1:8b) “…and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (NASB) Paul never wanted the believers to forget that this was NOT a human exercise, but it was a holy and godly adventure that we understood to be a direct call OF God!
And when I read what Paul has to say about courage in our walk with Christ I cannot help but think about all those who have come before us and have suffered great and evil things.
In Hebrews 11:35-37 it tells us, “…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated…” (NASB)
Persecution of believers has been around as long as the church has been around. When I think about Paul’s approach to sharing God’s Word… with NO shame, with a willingness to suffer for Christ, with a total reliance on God’s power, and with the full realization and belief that it is a holy calling from God Himself…
I think about the bishop of Smyrna, named Polycarp!
He did not seek out his martyrdom and tried to avoid those seeking him, but he was discovered by a child. Polycarp understood that the guards sent to get him were only acting on orders and so he requested an hour in prayer.
The guards allowed this time and it is said that Polycarp prayed with such fervency, that his guards repented that they had been instrumental in taking him. However, the guards still took him before the proconsul to be tried, condemned, and burnt in the market place.
It was at this time that the proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release you;--deny Christ."
Here Polycarp reflected the same approach to the sharing the Gospel as the Apostle Paul. Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?"
Polycarp was sentenced to be burned at the stake. He told them he would NOT attempt to run away, but would submit to a death because of his faith! But the fire did not consume him but merely encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him!
However, when the executioner saw this he was ordered by the proconsul to pierce him with a sword, and that is how Polycarp died, tied to a burning pole, but stabbed to death.
Source: www.foxesbookofmartyrs.com
Like Paul and like Polycarp, our approach to sharing the Gospel must also be one that
• Shows no shame in the Gospel or in Christ, Matt 10:32-33 shares, “…32"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (NASB) In other words, for us to share Christ with no shame takes a great deal of effort on our part! Paul is not merely speaking of just avoiding shame, but putting shame to death by proudly and actively confessing Christ to the world around you!
• Suffer ridicule and rejection and even physical abuse… there is simply not much of a chance of any of us being tortured for our faith, but there is a chance… a very good chance that we would be ridiculed and mocked and made fun of… What Paul is telling all believers here is that we must EXPECT persecution and when it comes we must embrace it as Peter did in the book of Acts where he considered it a joy that he was considered worthy to suffer for Christ! When we think about it… persecution is really an honor, because it is Satan coming after you because of your witness and lifestyle…
• It must find us fully rely on the power of God to lead, guide and direct our steps. We cannot have pride in our own ability because it will fail us, but we must learn to rely on and trust in God for our strength…
• Finally we must know and understand that is NOT some game we are playing or that this is NOT some joke, but aht GOD HAS CALLED US OUT OF THIS WORLD BY WAY OF A HIGH AND HOLY CALLING… and that call comes directly from directly from the throne
But not only are we to reveal our courage in our approach to the Gospel but I can also see where…
2. We must learn to reveal courage in our ATTITUDE toward sharing the Gospel (2 Tim 2:14-17a)
14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. 2 Tim 2:14-17 (NASB)
Paul’s ATTITUDE toward sharing the Gospel was one to stay focused…
• Stay focused on God’s Word and not the words of men…(v.14)
• Stay focused on the task, don’t get off track…(v.15)
• Stay focused on the message of the Gospel, don’t dilute the message…(v.15)
• Stay focused on your goal of sharing Christ, avoid distractions…(v.16)
Paul’s attitude was that God’s Word was God’s Word and we needed to be sure about His word, be diligent in speaking God’s Word, be careful not to pervert God’s Word and realize that many will try to destroy God’s Word.
The man we know as Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant movement in the 16th century was being sought out by the Pope and was told on many occasions to cease and desist his teachings of justification by faith and not by works.
Luther hated the fact that the church was selling indulgences (basically selling the right to sin when one wanted to) so that they could raise money to build a Cathedral…
He began to write and speak out against the indulgence actions of the church and he got into a lot of trouble with the Pope! He was brought to trial.
Then after, when the princes were set, and Luther entered, Eccius, the official, spoke in this manner: "Answer now to the Emperor’s demand. Will you continue to preach and teach the message of your writings or will you now revoke any part of them, and submit yourself to the church?" [quote contemporized for effect]
Martin Luther was modest in his answer, "Because you are the Emperor, you deserve a plain answer. I say this with all the conviction I have and have NO doubt about what I am saying, that if the Holy Scripture does not teach it (for I believe not the pope, neither his general Councils, which have erred many times, and have been contrary to themselves), I am not bound in my conscience to teach it because it is not the Word of God. So I will not revoke any part of what I have taught because it is based on Scripture, so I stand on what I have written and have nothing else to say, God have mercy on me!” [quote contemporized for effect]
Our attitude toward sharing the Gospel must also be that we…
• Stay focused on what God’s Word says and we are not to put too much stock in the words or traditions of man! I believe that in the church today, far too often we begin to TEACH tradition and we stray from the Gospel of Christ and God’s Word. Let us here at OZHBC be believers who stay true to God’s Word…but we also must…
• Stay focused on the task of sharing the Good News of Christ… we must realize that this world wants to get us off track in any way they can. As believers, there are times when the issues and distractions of this world cause us to stray from our purpose, but we need to remember that sharing Christ with the world around us is the MOST important thing we can do as believers… let us stay focused on that task, but we must also…
• Stay focused on the task of staying true to God’s Word and that we NEVER dilute the message. God’s message is clear and to the point. He does not need us to modify it for the world today. If we try to modify the message we are going to dilute the message and when the message is diluted there will be many who will believe, but what they believe in is a false gospel. When we dilute the message we share a false gospel that is NOT able to save anyone! Stay true to God’s Word in sharing the Gospel of Christ so that someone may believe and their belief would be true…but we must also…
• Stay focused our goal of sharing Christ and the message of the Gospel and that we do not fall into the trap that the enemy is laying for us… we cannot be distracted from our ‘holy calling’ to share Christ with the world. When the busyness of this life prevents you from sharing Christ with whomever God places in your path, then you must look at your life and re-prioritize because God is NOT first on your agenda…
Not only are we to reveal our courage in our approach and in our attitude toward sharing the Gospel but I can also see where…
3. We must learn to reveal courage in our ACTIONS for sharing the Gospel (2 Tim 4:1-5)
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Tim 4:1-5 (NASB)
Paul’s ACTION toward sharing the Gospel…
• Paul understood human nature (v.3-4) Paul knew that as humans we would turn away from God, we always have and we always will. Left to our own we are helpless against Satan and his temptations. We are selfish and we want what pleases us and makes us happy and feel good about ourselves, so Paul addresses this in very plain and simple language…
• Paul realized the serious nature (v.1) of our need to share the Gospel with the lost. Sharing the Gospel with the world is not a ‘busy’ activity we are forced to do just to have something to do… but it is an important and vital part of the Kingdom. Paul understood the gravity of the situation and he even says in Rom 7 that if he could he would take on the sin of his friends so that they could be saved.
• Paul directed believers to preach the word with great patience and instruction…(v.2) Here in this verse we can see Paul directing the believer to preach the word… to share the good news of the Gospel… and we are to do it with great patience and understanding. We are to have patience to those who may are not
• Paul directed believers to be sober in all things (v.5) Now the Greek word that Paul uses here is the Greek word nepho which actually means to abstain from alcohol or anything mind altering. What Paul is doing here is drawing a picture for the believer. He is telling them to stay grounded and not deceived by speculation or rumor… to be grounded in the fact of God’s Word in all things… in all areas of their lives!
• Paul directed believers to endure hardship for the Gospel (v.5) This phrase “endure hardship’ comes from the Greek word kakopatheô which means to suffer because of evil. What Paul is saying to Timothy and ultimately to all believers is that Satan is out to get you and in this world, he is going to succeed on occasion… don’t crumble, but endure during these difficult times… learn to lean on God!
• Paul directed believers to evangelize which is the fulfillment of our ministry (v.5) Paul tells us to DO the work of the evangelist. The word he uses for “DO” is the Greek word poi-eh-oh and it this word carries with it MANY nuances and meanings. “Do” or “accomplish” or “perform” are three meanings that would fit the context of what Paul is speaking to in this verse. It is an action verb instructing the believer to ACT…
Paul goes onto tell us what we should be doing and that is fulfilling the work of the evangelist… which is to share Jesus Christ with the World around you. Paul’s urging lets us know that this is not only a directive from him but that it fulfills the ministry we were called to accomplish for God here in this world.
Now as Paul calls the believers in Ephesus into ACTION, we can look at this passage and KNOW beyond a shadow of doubt that we are ALL called into action by Christ when we come into the family of God.
And that reminds me of the action taken by so many of those who have come before us… action that revealed their courage in Christ… action that was revealed by their willingness to share the Gospel, even when it was NOT a welcome or popular thing to do!
People like, William Carey who went to India and labored for over seven (7) years before seeing his first convert, and even after seeing his first convert, he never really experienced a great awakening in India, but Carey was faithful and he acted on that faith by sharing Christ wherever he went.
I also think about people like,
Our Actions toward sharing the Gospel is that…
• We must understand human nature and the depraved nature of the soul… not just in others but in ourselves as well…
• We must fully realize the serious nature of our need to share the Gospel with the lost, without our sharing the Gospel, how will they hear, and if they do not hear, how will they know, and if they do not know, how can they be saved!
• We must direct ourselves and other believers to preach/teach the word with great patience and instruction… we are to present God’s word in a loving, but direct manner, never diluting the word for convenience but being truthful to God’s Word and the Gospel of Christ!
• We must understand that as believers we must have a clear focus on all things of the Kingdom… WE cannot lose sight of the ‘big picture’ and the fact that your witness…your sharing Christ to someone is vital to the salvation of some lost soul!
• We must fully understand that the world HATES Christianity and Jesus Christ and because we claim His name they are going to hate us and our message and we must be willing to endure hardship in our actions in spreading the Gospel…
• We must also understand that if we are to fulfill the ministry that Christ has placed on our hearts… that we must share Christ with the world around us… failing to share Christ… failure to witness for Christ is disobedience to Christ’s command and we cannot fulfill our ministry to God if we are disobedient
Conclusion:
This morning you have heard what evangelism does for our walk… it reveals courage in our approach to the Gospel of Christ, we can also see that it reveals courage in our attitude toward sharing the Gospel of Christ to the world, and finally it reveals courage in our actions of spreading the Good News of Christ to the world around us…
This morning you may be sitting there saying to yourself that you do enough for God… you may feel that you don’t have to witness to the world… that you should be excused from sharing your faith!
But I stand in this pulpit this morning to tell you… YOU ARE WRONG! First of all you can never do ENOUGH for God, if you are wanting to slack off it is a selfish act on your part, not because you have done enough for God!
2nd you are called and directed by Christ Himself to be bold and courageous in your witness for Him. You are to share Jesus with the world around you!
Finally, if you are a believer, you must understand that you will NOT be excused from sharing your faith with the world around you! You will have to stand before God one day and try to tell him just how you managed to get thru this life without sharing your testimony or the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one person! You cannot simply ‘get out’ of sharing your faith!
This morning you may be sitting here not fully knowing or understanding what I am speaking about. You are sitting here wondering WHY did I come this morning! BUT I want you to know that you are here by Divine Appt… in other words, God has lead you hear whether you believe that or not…
He led you hear to hear the singing of godly songs and the preaching of a godly message. He brought you here so that you could see just how LOST and messed up you actually are!
I want to share something with you this morning. What if I told you that you owed a $25,000 speeding ticket and the fine is due… what would you think?
Well first you would say to yourself, I don’t owe a speeding ticket, I have not gotten a speeding ticket. But what if I told you that on your way to church today you sped through a blind children’s speed zone at 65 mph and you were caught on video surveillance!
The camera caught you and the police have come to take you away. They explain to you that there were 10 very obvious warning signs to prevent you from breaking the law, but you sped by them so fast that you hardly knew they existed. You are guilty in the eyes of the Law and you must pay!
But what if I told you that when sentence was passed for your speeding, someone stepped up and paid your $25K fine, but not only that… He also promised to help you to NOT speed in these areas ever again…
If that really happened would you be grateful to this man? If this happened would you be willing to do anything for him? Well this morning I can tell you that you have been speeding in the spiritual realm and the fine God has set is death, gloom and doom!
But some 2000 yrs ago, Jesus came to this world to die for the sin of the world so that He could be the One who could pay for those sins! Jesus died on the Cross paying the price for all sin, and this morning He is calling you to come forward and accept His gift of forgiveness and salvation!
If you reject Him tonight, you may never have a chance to accept Him and be saved, so I call on you this morning to step out of your seat and come down this aisle and be saved from eternal doom and torment in hell.
Hell is a real place and God is going to send people to hell if they reject Him. You may think that to be cruel, but look at it this way, what would you think of a judge who let a vicious criminal off the hook just because he did not want to see him go to prison… you would say that judge is NOT worthy of the position he holds!
Well God is NOT going to allow sin into heaven, and a sinful life will produce an eternity in hell! God’s judgment is sound and it is just… so I call on you to surrender to Him today, come as Bro Jerry comes to lead us in our Hymn of Invitation!
