Jump Start # 3825
Acts 8:4 “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”
Evangelism is the only way the kingdom of God grows. There is no other way. It falls upon each generation to take the Gospel message to family and friends. If we don’t do this, no one else will. The government won’t. You can’t hire a professional agency to do this work. Disciples share the Gospel. And, we see this throughout the pages of the N.T. It begins with the demon possessed man in Mark 5 who was told to go to your people and tell them what great things the Lord had done. It continues through the great commission of the apostles and then to the early church.
As persecution arose, those early disciples went abroad. They didn’t go underground. They weren’t in hiding. They took the Gospel message with them and taught others. The incentive to do this is that God has saved us. Jesus wants us to do this. We want no one to lose their soul.
It seems that in these days, many have shifted this responsibility to preachers. We pay them to do this, is how some view this. And, because of that thinking, less and less light shining and inviting is being done. I don’t have to, we have a preacher that does that, is how many feel about that. The preacher is just an added dimension to the work that ought to be gong on. He isn’t the replacement, nor should all the work fall to him. All of us need to be evangelistic. And, there are layers of ways this is done. Spreading sermons, podcasts and blogs on social media. Inviting. Asking someone to have a Bible study.
Recently, while preaching a few days in another place, a teenage girl asked me if I would talk with her and her friend about the Bible. We sat in a classroom after services and talked about a few passages. These two young ladies, coming from different types of churches, but they had such a friendly and open spirit about them that they could easily discuss their differences and dive deeper into a study of God’s word. They laughed. They smiled. They asked great questions. They dug into the Bible. I left that impromptu Bible study so amazed at those two high schoolers. How few in their school or any school would have that interest in God’s word. And, to conduct themselves in a manner, even though they didn’t see eye to eye on everything, not to get upset or walk away. Kindness filled the air. They left telling me that they were getting together again in a few days to do more studying. What a different world this would be if more of us could follow the example of those two young hearts.
There are two valuable factors that are important when talking to someone about the Bible.
First, you must be credible. You must be genuine. Coming across as a ‘know-it-all,’ or, someone who is perfect will kill the atmosphere and you’ll likely not get anywhere in your study. There are times when you must say, “I don’t know.” And, you say that because you don’t know. Don’t guess. Lose the attitude and be real. If not, a person will not be comfortable in asking you a question. They, in their struggle with learning and walking with the Lord, will believe you have no clue about them because you have it all together.
The core definition of the word “Gospel” is good news. Christianity ought to be attractive. There ought to be a positive appeal other than avoiding Hell. Hope, promise and love are woven into the Gospel message. Some can be so negative about good news that we sure hate to hear any bad news from them. Let the Bible speak. Keep your opinions on the sidelines. They are not necessary.
Second, it is important that you are consistent. There are layers of consistency that are necessary. First, we must be consistent with our lives. Be honest with the one you are teaching. We are not perfect. It is not a perfect church. But, Jesus is perfect. He is the one that we follow. It’s hard to teach loving our enemies, when we gossip and bad mouth other people. Be consistent. It’s hard to teach forgiveness when we refuse to forgive.
We must be consistent with the Bible. God is not the author of confusion, but sometimes we are. Make things clear and understandable. Don’t assume people know. Show them in their own Bibles. Build faith with God’s principles. Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry to get to the baptistery. Remember, make disciples. Be patient. What seems so obvious to you, may not to someone else.
Most of the religious community have a relationship based faith. Socially oriented, feeling based, less demanding, less doctrine and popular are the common threads in such a faith. Biblically, we want people to move to a faith based upon the word of God. A faith that stands where God stands. A faith that can stand alone if necessary. A faith that will endure. A faith that is built upon the rock. And, the means that shifts from relationship based faith to Biblically based faith is through the teaching of God’s word.
If we don’t teach the Gospel, the kingdom won’t grow. There is no alternative plan. Be busy in this. Don’t worry about results. God gives the increase. There can be no harvest, if the seed is never planted. This we can do.
Roger