The Oft Neglected Ministry of Evangelism
Jimmy De Los Santos
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. ~Matthew 28:19-20
A few years ago, while out on a date with a nice Christian woman, I heard something that has stayed with me to this day. “Oh, you’re one of those!” That’s not always a good thing to hear on a date. But, in this case I’ll take it. She had just found out that I was a Street Evangelist. It struck her as strange. I believe it would for most people. It’s not a normal Christian activity. We are weighed down with the next potluck, or the next mid-week Bible Study. We have home group and Single’s events. It’s strange when you meet someone that actively shares the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers in the streets.
The fact is, there isn’t a lot of us. When we read Jesus’ command to pray that laborers would be raised up for the harvest, (Matt. 9:37-38), we need to take a closer look. He didn’t just say pray. He said EARNESTLY pray. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few. There isn’t a lot of us, I’ll say that again. Can I offer up one challenge that should go without saying? Let’s not just pray the Lord of the Harvest for these laborers, but let’s also be an answer to that prayer.
I know, I know. I don’t have the gift. I can’t articulate the faith like some others can. I haven’t learned enough. I need to make sure I know what to say. I find it hard to approach a complete stranger. It’s just not me.
I’m hoping someone responds to this blog with a new one. I doubt that will happen. I have heard all these before. They aren’t new. They go all the way back to Moses at the burning bush. “God, send somebody else, I ain’t that good at talking.” (Exodus 3-4, I took a little liberty there).
The answer from God to Moses is the same as it would be to you today. “Go, and I will be with you.” We see that even in the Great Commission. Jesus states “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We have the assurance of Jesus that He is with us.
So, let’s be bolder about sharing the gospel.
Still not convinced? I have a few examples from scripture. In John 4 we meet a woman at a well whom Jesus shares good news with. At the end of the encounter, after He has revealed himself to her, she runs into town and begins evangelizing. “Come meet a man that told me all about myself. Could this be the Messiah?” The whole town came out to meet Him.
One more. The man born blind in chapter 9 of John. Jesus healed his blindness. He couldn’t stop talking about it. When being questioned about it by the Pharisees, he told them all that he knew about Jesus. He simply stated, I was blind but now I see. And, when they continued to question him, he answered with a little boldness, “Why do you keep asking me about Him? Do you want to become His disciples also?” What boldness! What courage! Of course, they threw him out. But, so what if you get thrown out? Has Jesus not opened your eyes also?
I am being pushy. I am being a tad obnoxious. I am being a bit hard to bear. I know. I do it with a purpose. I want you to get in the battle for souls with me.
I am coming to the end of this blog. Before I do, I want to push just a little harder on one thing. All those excuses I laid out earlier. They may be valid. For a time. But if you will notice that I bolded part of the passage that states teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. Jesus was with the disciples for 3 years and they were trained. How long have you been with Jesus?
Still worried you don’t know enough? There are resources out there. As I stated on Sola Cast, go to youtube.com and search for Living Waters. Watch their videos. Spend some money on tracts. Buy evangelism books. Get yourself trained. Believe me when I tell you this, God will bless this endeavor.
We will make sure to let you all know the next time we have an Evangelism class and if you are in the Dallas area, we would love for you to join us. As I stated before, if you want to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, evangelize. It will push you to new heights.
God bless and let’s get to the meat.