The Foundation of Evangelism | REV3 = Revitalize, Energize, Visualize

I’ve been told one should never start a sermon with an apology. So, I will apply the same principle for the use of the word “evangelism” or any of its derivatives. In Matthew chapter ten, the disciples were sent out to “proclaim as a herald the news that the Kingdom of heaven is nigh.” Depending on which version of the Bible this is read from, you will find the word “proclaim,” “announce,” “tell the good news,” or other synonyms for the word “evangelize.” The reader might be bothered by this word depending on their connotation of evangelizing.

Some issues encountered in the Church is that when we mention the word “evangelism,” it causes a wide variety of responses. Everything from “I don’t have the gift,” or “we just have to love people,” maybe even “I would die if I had to speak to people about Christ.” All may be true, or they can be wrong depending on the motive behind them. In this chapter, we will not be investigating the “gift of evangelism,” which is a special and great gift mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 & 12, included with the gifts which “equip His people for works of service.” I myself have not received this gift yet. I do not anticipate God giving it to me considering the personality I was knit together with in my mother’s womb. Yet, one day, He may choose to bless me with it. Notice, I did qualify my statement with a “yet,” because God can do anything, and that is the faith needed for each believer who obeys the command to “go and make disciples of all nations” in Matthew 28:19. This is not a suggestion of scripture. Every church that fails to recognize this as a command with its teaching, doctrines, and especially part of their practice should not expect the full blessings of God upon them. Any concept that suggests or even promotes thinking such as “I don’t have this gift, therefore I am abdicated from my responsibility of sowing or watering this seed” should be avoided.

The disciples harbored a skewed outlook of how the kingdom would come, including what roles they played. Jesus had to model the self-sacrificial giving of His life for the purpose of the gospel. Their desire to retain control of their physical lives was proof of their short-sightedness. They wanted what was prophesied, a new kingdom, but did not understand its formation or its eternal ramifications. Did they know what they were saying when they preached “the kingdom of heaven is near”? When Jesus died, Peter went back to fishing: the familiar that he knew how to do.

Many Christians forget the pursuit God made for them and then relent in the persistence they should have for souls to also be given an opportunity to accept this same great gift of salvation. Hypocritically, some pray and ask God to touch the heart of a friend or loved one in another city, state, or country, but are unwilling to take the gospel to a neighbor or co-worker beside them. Our own path crosses daily with people whom someone else is praying for with the same or more contrite fervor than our own. Yes, the Bible says ask, and you will receive. God does hear all our prayers. God so loves the world and wants none to be lost, but He also says give, and it will be given unto you. If I am unwilling, unable, or unlearned to give of myself to others’ loved ones, why would I ask God to move someone else to perform a task that I won’t? It would seem that a heart after God’s would not be at peace to ask for what they are unwilling to give. If I am unwilling to take the first step into someone else’s life and sow the seed, prayer for myself would seem in order first, before I expect it to be done for me. God cannot be mocked; ask with faith, yes, but make it hypocrisy-free and childlike, and He will not only hear, but respond to our prayers.

Good soil is the key to the farmer’s success just as the health of our heart’s soul is the key to bearing fruit that remains. Let me explain. The fullness of Christ is embedded in the nutrients of the soil preparation for evangelism as a step of obedience in each believer’s heart. This heart cultivation will often determine the crop of souls a church produces. A church which does not seek to encourage evangelism will either have a weak defense or poor strategy against the foe. Any fellowship of believers that does not produce a crop of servants useful for the kingdom is in danger of being cursed. God desires good works that bear real fruit so others can receive the seed of the good news of His Son’s redeeming sacrifice. In addition, witnessing should be consistent with our prayers for the salvation of others. There may be times that a remediation of our heart’s soil may be in order if our church is producing thorns or thistles, which may even contain the beauty of their flowers whether it be a rose or blooming weed. After living in the City of Roses for more than a decade, I have experienced the joy of seeing roses bloom for more than a short two-week interval where I had formerly resided. As we know, all plants that grow in their natural climate and proper soil configuration will flourish. The combination of soil and climate conditions for roses are not ideal for all plants. The act of evangelism has a similar effect on the soil of our hearts and can exponentially affect our congregations. Evangelism gives us a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. By sharing our faith, we will be asked and even challenged to defend our beliefs which cause us to revisit the scriptures in order to find new ways to articulate our understanding. The lack of evangelism will not only stagnate our understanding but risk the personal loss of God’s blessing. Flowers are no replacement for fruit in the farmer’s economy, just as we are not asked to bloom, but to bear much fruit that will last. If the soil of our hearts is lacking nutrients to produce the seed-bearing plants, we should rework it, or ask others to help us.

God’s love language is “obedience,” and He has the right to the full obedience to His commands from every believer in every church. The spiritual health and success of every Christian will stand or fall on the concept of them realizing the spreading of His good news as a command. Their families will be built on stable spiritual ground, and their churches will not fall when the storms mount or multiply. Fathers who model and teach the spreading of the gospel will form stable foundations for themselves and establish firm footings for a family to build on. Hobbies, habits, and traditions may have some value, but a training in godliness will reap everlasting rewards.

Obeying by evangelizing should not present as a toilsome burden. In the Garden of Eden, we were given the job to tend it. What did this consist of? There were no weeds, no pests to infect us or the trees, no sickness or pain that a quick visit to the Tree of Life wouldn’t remedy. Picking and eating was the job. I’m not sure what else was in the picture. Did the leaves have to be cleaned or sticks picked up? Sounds like a dream job. Every once in a while, I meet someone who after describing their employ I wonder, “does someone really get paid for that? I’d do it for free, it sounds so good.” Have you ever tasted or experienced something so good that you had to tell someone about it? “That is the best, smoothest, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffle I’ve ever had; you have to try it! The name is…and here is where I found them…!” What you are doing is marketing. A large field in which people work hard for many hours, and some get paid well but not without much sacrifice. You are doing their job for free by making a post-consumer statement like that. The joy you experience and the anticipation of more of the same causes you to “work” for no recompense. That makes your burden light and the yoke of this labor easy; our obedience to evangelize should be the same. If it isn’t, please notice what you are tasting to see if it is the right product because you may have grabbed the wrong brand. Our work of sharing the gospel after tasting salvation in Christ should reflect this same marketing strategy with the same pay, the joy of seeing others try it and agreeing with God. Evangelism is a natural response of what we understand about what God did for us.

“Evangelism” was the starting hallmark of Jesus’ ministry and teaching methods. He modeled it with the first believers and encouraged them to do the same. He would send out His disciples with a clear and simple message which they did not fully understand “the Kingdom of Heaven has come near,” Matthew 10:7. Despite their grasp of the message, they went with the Word they were given. When they returned with excitement, Jesus gave them a spiritual adjustment by calling their attention to this first step of spreading the gospel while reminding them of the importance of salvation in their own lives. This message of the good news needed to keep its prominence over the miraculous power they were given. If these first Christians did not place preeminent value of evangelism in their life, the unconditional love of God would have been marked by earthly parameters rather than by the love behind this one great substitutional act of grace. We are to freely and obediently spread this seed of God’s word in the world.

Reflections on The Foundation of Evangelism

Matthew 28:18-20
If obedience is God’s “love language,” how does fulfilling this commission strengthen personal faith and church health?

Matthew 10:5-15
The disciples were sent without full comprehension: does this relieve or increase the pressure on believers who feel “unlearned” or unwilling?

How might “shaking off the dust” relate to handling rejection in sharing the gospel, and what heart preparation (like soil cultivation) is needed for that?

Ephesians 4:11-13
If these gifts are meant to build up the body for works of service, how can churches better use them to encourage widespread evangelism?

John 15:1-8
How does abiding in Christ make evangelism feel like a “light burden” rather than toil?

Acts 1:6-8
How does the Holy Spirit’s role shift evangelism from human effort to divine empowerment, especially for those with personalities not suited to it?