Views: 4<\/p>
[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n No subject is more vital to sincere saints than evangelism. Jesus made it our first responsibility when He issued the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18\u201319; Mark 16:15\u201316; Luke 24:47). It is God\u2019s means of saving the lost. It is the lifeblood of the church. Evangelism lurks around every \u201ccorner\u201d of the Gospel. Consider some facts about evangelism:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0 The what<\/strong> of evangelism: Deliver the Gospel. Evangelism<\/em> is actually a Greek word, euangelizo<\/em>. It means to proclaim glad tidings, to deliver a message that brings joy. The noun form of this word (euangelion<\/em>), is the New Testament word for \u201cgospel,\u201d good news. Thus God chose a word for His message of salvation that practically demands its proclamation. God\u2019s Truth about salvation in Christ is encouraging, thrilling, and thus wonderful news to right-thinking people\u2014a message which every person should know and from which he can profit both in time and eternity. The message must be only<\/strong> the Gospel Truth, for it alone is God\u2019s saving power (Rom. 1:16). Men have originated their counterfeit \u201cgospels,\u201d but there is only one God-given, saving Gospel (Gal. 1:6\u20139).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0 The why<\/strong> of evangelism: Christ\u2019s Command. No command is more central to the Gospel than the Lord\u2019s charge, \u201cGo ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation\u201d (Mark 16:15). We are to always be ready to give answer with the Gospel (1 Pet. 3:15). Why is this the Lord\u2019s primary requirement of us? Because men are lost without the Gospel and we are the means by which they will hear. The church cannot survive, much less grow, without evangelism. Only by evangelism are people added to it and it is kept pure (Acts 2:38\u201347; 2 Tim. 2:2). Everything pertaining to the cause of Christ on earth relates to evangelism.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0 The who<\/strong> of evangelism: Every Christian. Some of the most effective evangelists in the New Testament were \u201cordinary\u201d Christians (e.g., the Jerusalem saints [Acts 8:4; 11:19]; Philip [Acts 8:5]; Barnabas [Acts 11:22\u201330; 13:1\u20133]; Aquila and Priscilla [Acts 18:26]; et al.). Every Christian is an \u201cearthen vessel\u201d to carry the Gospel from place to place (2 Cor. 4:7). \u201cThe faith\u201d has been \u201cdelivered to the saints\u201d for both defense and proclamation (Jude 3). Some of God\u2019s most effective evangelists will never stand in a pulpit. Every Christian has the responsibility to find some means of spreading the Gospel.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0 The when<\/strong> of evangelism: \u201cIn season, out of season\u201d (2 Tim. 4:2). We must be always abounding in the Lord\u2019s work (1 Cor. 15:58). We should seek daily opportunities to teach others (Mat. 26:55; Luke 9:23; Acts 5:42; 20:31). The more we sow the seed, the better our chances will be to find the \u201csoil\u201d of the honest and good heart (Luke 8:11, 15). May we all constantly seek opportunities to teach as we go about our daily activities.<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for and it was published in The Lighthouse, <\/em>weekly bulletin of Northpoint Church of Christ, Denton, TX, May10, 2015, of which I was editor.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution: <\/strong>Printed from TheScripturecache.com<\/em>, owned and administered by Dub McClish.<\/span><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 4[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1 page.] No subject is more vital to sincere saints than evangelism. Jesus made it our first responsibility when He issued the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18\u201319; Mark 16:15\u201316; Luke 24:47). It is…<\/p>\n