Putting Evangelism into Perspective
A recent convert came to me not too long ago with fears that he was not being evangelistic enough. Whether they confide in anyone about it or not, I think a lot of Christians have this fear. It’s possible that there’s some reality motivating this fear; many of us can look back at a time when we felt an urge to say something to a person who was lost, and, for one reason or another, simply didn’t. However, it’s also possible that the weight of an expectation of “Biblical proportions” is crushing us. After all, Jesus said, “preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), and there are a lot of creatures! If that’s true for you, I’d like to try to help you put evangelism back into perspective.
I’m convinced that a lot of Christians envision success in evangelism working something like a sales quota; faithfulness requires you to “meet your numbers” in terms of converts rather than sales. This is not at all what evangelism is supposed to be like. Instead, evangelism is a work where we are blessed with the opportunity to work alongside of God. Paul said of evangelists like himself and Apollos, “We are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Recognizing that we are invited into the work of evangelism by a God who works alongside of us is a powerful thought, especially when we join it with another thought in context. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). God isn’t a manager waiting for His evangelistic salesmen to meet quotas; in fact, while He desires our effort and involvement, He is ultimately the one responsible for any and all success.
God’s place as the gatekeeper of success offers another blessing. Envision evangelism from the standpoint of the seeker rather than the teacher. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7, 8). The book of Acts gives us an insight as to how God does all this for those who are seekers of truth; whether it’s the Ethiopian in Acts 8, Saul in Acts 9, or Cornelius in Acts 10, God always connects the seeker with a Christian teacher. While I don’t believe He continues to encourage these meetings through angelic messengers or visions, I still believe that God connects truth seekers with truth teachers. I believe that evangelistic “relief and deliverance,” to borrow from Esther 4:14, will always arise from somewhere for those who are seeking. This means that even if I fail, God is more than capable of providentially bringing someone else into the picture to ensure the truth is taught.
Further, when I envision evangelism, I sometimes like to remember that we are not simply workers alongside of God, we are actually workers inside of God. The church is Jesus’ body after all (Ephesians 1:22-23), and we as Christians are merely members of that body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). If we apply this analogy to the work of evangelism, it doesn’t just meant that we are “workers together with Him,” that is, God (2 Corinthians 6:1), but that we are also workers together with each other. The work of evangelism isn’t a solo initiative but a body effort. Even Paul, the great evangelistic missionary, often speaks of “we,” not just in the authorial sense, but in the very real sense that he did his evangelism as a part of a team. It’s not original to me, but as relates to evangelism, someone rightly identified that there are reachers (those who connect with the lost), teachers (those who teach the lost), and keepers (those who encourage new converts and enfold them into God’s family). Being involved in any part of that process is being involved in evangelism.
I’d like to close with a few simple encouragements that should be applicable to everyone. First, be intentional. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,” right (Matthew 5:13-16)? Being vocal about who we are and whose we are in everyday life can and will open doors. Second, be faithful in your role. You might not be a teacher; after all, Paul assumed that not everyone would be (1 Corinthians 12:29). Are you helping to reach the lost and connect them with teachers though? And, if you don’t meaningfully cross paths with many non-Christians and just don’t seem to be reaching anyone letting alone teaching them, are you at least trying to keep those whom others are reaching and teaching? Third, remember, something is always better than nothing. If you say the wrong thing, rest assured, God can and will ensure that a truth seeker will find the truth. If you say nothing though, you can never be a part of that process, and, like the one talent man, you might find that what you have hidden and buried will be brought into account (Matthew 25:24-30).
Evangelizing the world is an impossible task for one person alone to complete. It’s a good thing we are not alone. Jesus said, “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
I’m convinced that a lot of Christians envision success in evangelism working something like a sales quota; faithfulness requires you to “meet your numbers” in terms of converts rather than sales. This is not at all what evangelism is supposed to be like. Instead, evangelism is a work where we are blessed with the opportunity to work alongside of God. Paul said of evangelists like himself and Apollos, “We are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Recognizing that we are invited into the work of evangelism by a God who works alongside of us is a powerful thought, especially when we join it with another thought in context. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). God isn’t a manager waiting for His evangelistic salesmen to meet quotas; in fact, while He desires our effort and involvement, He is ultimately the one responsible for any and all success.
God’s place as the gatekeeper of success offers another blessing. Envision evangelism from the standpoint of the seeker rather than the teacher. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7, 8). The book of Acts gives us an insight as to how God does all this for those who are seekers of truth; whether it’s the Ethiopian in Acts 8, Saul in Acts 9, or Cornelius in Acts 10, God always connects the seeker with a Christian teacher. While I don’t believe He continues to encourage these meetings through angelic messengers or visions, I still believe that God connects truth seekers with truth teachers. I believe that evangelistic “relief and deliverance,” to borrow from Esther 4:14, will always arise from somewhere for those who are seeking. This means that even if I fail, God is more than capable of providentially bringing someone else into the picture to ensure the truth is taught.
Further, when I envision evangelism, I sometimes like to remember that we are not simply workers alongside of God, we are actually workers inside of God. The church is Jesus’ body after all (Ephesians 1:22-23), and we as Christians are merely members of that body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). If we apply this analogy to the work of evangelism, it doesn’t just meant that we are “workers together with Him,” that is, God (2 Corinthians 6:1), but that we are also workers together with each other. The work of evangelism isn’t a solo initiative but a body effort. Even Paul, the great evangelistic missionary, often speaks of “we,” not just in the authorial sense, but in the very real sense that he did his evangelism as a part of a team. It’s not original to me, but as relates to evangelism, someone rightly identified that there are reachers (those who connect with the lost), teachers (those who teach the lost), and keepers (those who encourage new converts and enfold them into God’s family). Being involved in any part of that process is being involved in evangelism.
I’d like to close with a few simple encouragements that should be applicable to everyone. First, be intentional. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,” right (Matthew 5:13-16)? Being vocal about who we are and whose we are in everyday life can and will open doors. Second, be faithful in your role. You might not be a teacher; after all, Paul assumed that not everyone would be (1 Corinthians 12:29). Are you helping to reach the lost and connect them with teachers though? And, if you don’t meaningfully cross paths with many non-Christians and just don’t seem to be reaching anyone letting alone teaching them, are you at least trying to keep those whom others are reaching and teaching? Third, remember, something is always better than nothing. If you say the wrong thing, rest assured, God can and will ensure that a truth seeker will find the truth. If you say nothing though, you can never be a part of that process, and, like the one talent man, you might find that what you have hidden and buried will be brought into account (Matthew 25:24-30).
Evangelizing the world is an impossible task for one person alone to complete. It’s a good thing we are not alone. Jesus said, “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
-Patrick Swayne
patrick@tftw.org
patrick@tftw.org
Posted in Christian Living
Posted in Evangelism, Body of Christ, Teachers, Teaching, Evangelizing, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:9
Posted in Evangelism, Body of Christ, Teachers, Teaching, Evangelizing, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:9
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