Foundations for Evangelism
1. Toward A Definition
i. Method and Message:
“From Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel (euaggelizō), not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation.”
(Romans 15:19–20 ESV)
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they [the Apostles] did not cease teaching and preaching (euaggelizō) that the Christ is Jesus.”
(Acts 5:42 ESV)
“And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news (euaggelizō) about Jesus.”
(Acts 8:34–35 ESV)
ii. Time and Telos:
“And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks”
(Acts 19:8–10 ESV)
Evangelism is…
2. Who Should Do Evangelism?
i. The Few?
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:16–20 ESV)
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”
(Ephesians 4:10–13 ESV)
ii. The Many!
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 ESV)
"Evangelism is like being a member of a soccer team: all have different positions, but ‘scoring goals' is what the whole team is on about, and every player on the team loves to score them."
John Chapman, Know and tell the Gospel (p.56-57)
3. Why Should We Evangelise?
i. The Push and the Pull
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.
(Psalm 96 ESV)
ii. Our Privilege
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.”
(1 Corinthians 3:5–9 ESV)
Gospel Centred Evangelism
1. Pray
“You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
(James 4:2–3 ESV)
2. Know the Gospel
“[Jesus Christ] is Lord of heaven and earth. This simple phrase seems to be the clearest and simplest statement of the gospel message.”
John Chapman, Know and Tell the Gospel (p.23)
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(Romans 10:9 ESV)
Two Mistakes to Avoid:
i.
ii.
3. Live the Gospel
4. Speak the Gospel
“Here’s what I understand the good news to be: the good news is that the one and only God, who is holy, made us in his image to know him. But we sinned and cut ourselves off from him. In his great love, God became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law himself and taking on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn and trust in him. He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us had been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness. If we repent of our sins and trust in Christ, we are born again into new life, an eternal life with God.”
Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (p.43)
i. The Gospel Circle
Philip Jensen, The Archer and the Arrow (p.30)
ii. Getting Started
1. Let people around you know that you are a Christian (in a natural, unforced way).
2. Ask your friends about what they believe– and just listen!
3. Listen to your friends’ problems – maybe offer to pray for them?
4. Share your struggles with others – testify to how your faith helps you.
5. Give them a Christian book or gospel to read.
6. Share your story.
7. Try to answer their objections and/or questions.
8. Invite them to a church event.
9. Offer to read the Bible with them.
10. Take them to a course that explores the Christian faith.
Adapted from Timothy Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NY)
iii. Invite a Response
iv. What About Walk Up?