Weaving Evangelism Into Discipleship

TITLE: WEAVING EVANGELISM INTO DISCIPLESHIP

SCRIPTURE: ACTS 4:23-37

After preaching the fourth installment last week in our ‘Shifting of our Vision’ here at ‘First Church’ which is tied to our Campaign of “LET’S GO FISHING,” I found myself praying and said to the Lord, after four sermons, I don’t know what else to say about Evangelism. I was hoping the Lord would let me off the ‘hook’, no pun intended, and move on from this subject of Evangelism. Instead, the Lord said to me – “Good, now continue to listen to me and I will continue to direct you as to what to say.” So, here we are this morning and I lift as our thought – Weaving Evangelism Into Discipleship.

Our focus this morning will deal much with communication. Specifically, we will examine how to effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray we will understand the bottom line of evangelizing is to simply communicate and invite others into our story. God calls every follower of Christ to witness on a daily basis by using every means of communicating the Gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world. Many were not here last week when I delivered the message on evangelism as a lifestyle as there was a community Worship Service sponsored by the “Douglass Class Reunion.” We examined and will again this morning examine that Evangelism must take place on a daily basis. It should be a part of who we are. It should be a fabric and Weaved into our Spiritual DNA.

For Evangelism to take place on a daily basis we must –

• Take the Church to the People

• Evangelism generally is not bringing people to the church

• Rather, evangelism is taking the church to the people

• Evangelism involves going out and presenting the Gospel, and winning converts

• Once the people are believers, they will want to meet with other Christians of the church

• Leave the Results to God

• We pray and evangelize in the power of the Holy Spirit

• We follow evangelism with discipleship

• Then we leave the results to God

• We can’t save the lost

• We can only present the Good News, and rely upon God to save those that are walking in darkness

For evangelism to be effective, we must recognize that God's evangelistic call extends to all Christians. It is not limited to certain groups or leaders in the church.

• God does equip the church with Evangelists

• But we must not confuse the gift of an evangelist with the commission of evangelism

• All of us are Commissioned by the GREAT COMMISSION to GO

• Not Go home after morning worship

• Not Go to the local buffet after the sermon

• But Go and Evangelize

This is an exciting text to examine this morning. We often don’t look at it through the eyes of Evangelism. However, note the use of the plural pronouns in the text. VS. 31 indicates the Apostles were joined by the rest of the church in speaking the message of the Gospel. In an amazing answer to prayer, God empowers ordinary Christians with extraordinary boldness to witness for Christ. God will do the same for you. This text is a clear example of boldly –

• Speaking for the Lord

• Evangelizing

• Witnessing about the Goodness of the Lord

Let me pause here and ask a rhetorical question. That’s a question you’re not supposed to answer out loud. And that question is, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK OF GOD TO GIVE YOU CONCERNING EVANGELISM? I think some of would say --

• God, give me more love for the lost, more compassion for the lost. Who of us has enough love and compassion for the lost?

• Some of you might ask for more opportunities to witness

• Some of you might say, Lord, I need more wisdom in answering the questions that unbelievers ask me, so I could give a better reason for the hope that is in me

• But I dare say that many of us would also ask God for greater HOLY BOLDNESS in evangelism

Bold evangelism is about being willing to do the hard work in order to help people find Jesus.

• It’s about being committed to building relationships with people

• It’s about being in the fight with the people around you and earning a right to speak into their life

• Bold evangelism is about sacrificing your time, your money and even your personal comfort if it means helping someone encounter Jesus and experience His Grace

• Bold evangelism is about not giving up on people when it gets inconvenient, but about being committed to them throughout the entire journey

There are so many key principles found in this text. for effective bold communication of the gospel, we must spend time with Christ. Vs. 13 says THE COMMUNITY TOOK NOTE THAT THESE MEN HAD BEEN WITH JESUS. We know when you have been to the –