Evangelism or soul-winning is a Divine drama-taking man out of the hands of an enemy, out of bondage, darkness, failure and weakness and giving them strength, light, joy and success. The Lord is restoring love for souls into the church and children of God whose hearts are touched are being set on fire for God and many are burdened for lost souls. In 1991, the full Gospel Central Church of Korea had 1,000,000 members, and great things are happening all around the world. God is working mightily in this end time.
Yet we must say that some hearts are unnecessarily cold, others insipidly lukewarm half awake and half asleep. This may be caused by a number of reasons, ignorance of the state and end of sinners, ignorance of the shortness of time, ignorance of the Lord’s will and plan, unconcern, negligence, fear of being worldly minded.
Robert Coleman said “it is ironic when one stops to think about it. In an age when facilities for rapid communicating of the Gospel are available to the Church as never before, we are actually accomplishing less in winning the world than before the invention of the horseless carriage”.
THE GOAL OF EVANGELISM
Someone has said, “the right perspective of the church is more than bringing converts in. It is a battle station to send Christians out from”. The church has a mission to fulfill. There is the look upward to God in worship, the look inward in fellowship and edification, and the look outward to the world in Ministry and Evangelism.
Every believer has something to offer the world.
(a) Offer Reconciliation
Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man and He has committed the Ministry of reconciliation to every believer (1 Tim. 2:5; II Cor. 5:18-21).
(b) Rescue Souls
The Bible gives great emphasis to the importance of human soul. Apart from God, it is considered dead spiritually Eph. 2:1. Therefore evangelism is necessary. If we are not convinced of the eternal worthy of the individual, we’ll never do it”.
- A soul is priceless – Mark 8:36, 37
- Duration of living. A soul will live forever and ever
- The value of a soul can be seen when one takes into account the amount of effort Satan put in to destroy it, and the price Jesus to pat to deliver it.
(c) Reach a Verdict
The claims of God has no room for neutrality. Sharing the gospel lays the responsibility on the hearer to make a choice, either to receive Christ or reject Christ.
- Offer an invitation to receive Christ
- Not every hearer will receive Christ
- Sometimes we sow, and others reap the harvest; at other times we reap where others have sown John 4:35-38
(d) Make Disciples: Matt. 28:19-20; II Tim. 2:2.
Not only must we win sinners, we must disciple them through teaching, follow-up and conservation and then turn them into soul winners.
A Discipler:
- Is a learner himself
- Must be prayerful
- Must always depend on the Holy Spirit
(e) Evangelize the Community
Every believer is given the responsibility and privilege to evangelize his own immediate neighourbood-Acts 1:8
- One’s own household and relative -Joshua 24:15; Acts 10:24; 16:31.
- One’s own friends, colleagues and neighbours – Mark 5:19
- One’s Community, John 4:28-30; Acts 1:8
(f) Strengthen and Replenish the church
Evangelism increases church membership. It requires effort, toil and labor, and in doing the work of evangelism the church is strengthened. The church will grow by addition and multiplication.
(i) Church members are revived, strengthened spirituality
(ii) Growth through involvement
- Prayer life renewed, revitalized the zeal recharged
- Bible study comes alive and afresh
- Believers learn to articulate their faith for effective communication
- Grace and desire for Godly living so as to be a good example is renewed and received.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EVANGELISM
Evangelism, winning of souls to the Lord Jesus Christ, is of more importance to God than what many dear children of God are busy about.
1. Jesus gave His time and life for it John 4; Luke 19:10; Matt. 9:35; Mark 1:38, 39; Luke 10:1. All of the time and life of our Lord was taken up with reaching the sinners who are in bondage to sin, Satan and sicknesses. He was totally sold out to the work and died for it. We cannot do less if we truly belong to him.
2. He Expects the same from His Followers: I Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6; Matt. 4:9; John 17:18; 20:21; Acts 1:8; Matt. 16:15. Failure to be involved in evangelism and soul winning is to risk the judgment of the Lord.
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WHY IS EVANGELISM SO IMPORTANT
(a) It is your father’s heart desire. Ezek. 18:23,32; 33:11; 22:30; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4; II Pet. 3:9; Isaiah 6:8.
(b) Your Lord and Saviour taught it and practiced it. John 3:1-3; 4:5-42; Matt. 28:19, 20; Luke 19:10
(c) It is the Christians responsibility. Ezek. 3:17; 18; 33:1-11; Prov. 24:11, 12; 11:26; 1 Cor. 9:16; James 4:17.
(d) The reality of hell. Ps. 9:17; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 14:11; 20:15.
(e) The value of a soul. Mark 8:36; 37; Ps. 49:6-9; Matt. 10:28; 6:25-26.
(f) The shortness of time and the endlessness of Eternity. Ps. 90:10; 12, ps. 144:4; John 9:4; 1 Cor. 7:29-31; II Tim. 4:2-4; Rom. 13:11-14; I Pet. 2:24.
Life is brief but Eternity is an ocean without shores, it is time without end, it is the life time of God.