LESSON FOUR
HOW TO EVANGELIZE (PART ONE)
- PRAYER IS A VITALLY IMPORTANT KEY TO EVANGELIZING
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Think back to your own conversion. Were there people praying and requesting your salvation? If so, you are not alone!
ALL THE GREAT SOUL WINNERS OF THE BIBLE PRAYED! Jesus prayed frequently (Mt 14:23, 26:36; Mk 6:46; Lk 5:16; Joh 17). Paul prayed (Ro 1:9; Eph. 1:16). Stephen prayed (Ac 7:55-60). And you must pray. God wants you to pray to Him and have fellowship with Him (Joh1:1-4). Why?
A. WHAT PRAYER DOES
- IT WEAKENS DEMONIC FORCES
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Mt 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Lu 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe andbe saved.
2Sa 21:10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
B. THE WALLS OF THE UNREGENERATE HEART ARE BROKEN DOWN
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spiritand in truth.
C. MORE PEOPLE WILL HELP YOU EVANGELIZE.
Jesus specifically asked us to pray that God would send workers into the field (Mt 9:37-38). What is the field? It is the world of sinners. Who are the workers? They are people like you. Jesus wants people to find salvation and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. He wants you to preach the Gospel. He has given the command "Go and make disciples of all the nations..."
(Mt 28:19). Your witness for God may or may not be verbal. But either way, you need to pray and ask God to give you strength, love, and insight.
D. YOU WILL HAVE MORE COMPASSION FOR THE LOST.
Ro 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
E. YOU WILL HAVE A GREATER DESIRE TO EVANGELIZE.
F. YOU WILL HAVE MORE BOLDNESS.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...When fear rises up, rebuke it. It isn’t from God! We to never allow a spirit
Ac 4:29 ...Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
The next verse tells us how God responded:
Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
You need to pray for boldness. And nothing will give you boldness like the baptism in the Holy Ghost!
G. YOUR OWN HEART WILL BE STRENGTHENED.
Mt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
NOTHING IS MORE VIOLENT THAN A POWERFUL PRAYER-LIFE COUPLED WITH AN INTENSE DESIRE TO SEE THE LOST SAVED!
Ps 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
II. FISHERS OF MEN
Mt 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. Mt 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
IF FISHING WERE EASY, IT WOULD BE CALLED “CATCHING”!
LESSON FIVE
HOW TO EVANGELIZE (PART TWO)