Series on Evangelism

Text for the series
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mathew 28:19-20

Series One

What is evangelism?

According to the oxford dictionary, to evangelize means to convert or
seek to convert someone to Christianity, by preaching the gospel. Though
not basing my understanding of evangelism on the dictionary, but it
agrees with what the bible teaches on evangelism, so evangelism is the
act of preaching the gospel in order to convert someone to Christianity
or a follower of Christ. This definition is simple but very versed.
There are many misconceptions as to what evangelism is in the
Christendom today, and the list is endless. We are going to look at just
a few of these misconceptions, for us to understand what evangelism is
not, and get a picture of what it really is. Misconceptions like,
invitation to church, Giving and the likes, encouraging and advising,
revival programs, sharing tracts etc.

Invitation to church
Churches invite speakers (more like celebrities), print handbills to
invite many to church, believing that this is the best method of
reaching out to sinners. Many have come to believe this is evangelism
and once they do that, they are evangelizing and fulfilling the great
commission, so they do it with all their strength and focus. This may be
a method of reaching out to sinners, but the truth is sinners don’t go
to church, when the invitation is given out, the regular people that go
to church will be the ones that will attend, and maybe a few outsiders
will also come for one reason or the other, and God might even bring a
few sinners, but this is not evangelism and never what God had in mind
when He was giving the great commission.

Giving and the likes
There is this saying in the Christendom that, “if you can’t go, then
your money can”, I will want to believe when this was said, it was with a
good intention and the motive was pure and sincere, because of a truth,
money is the wheel of evangelism, but it is never to be substituted for
evangelism. There is also an issue of acceptance that needed to be
considered in the issue of giving, the source and the heart of the giver
has so much to do in the area of fruit bearing.

Encouraging, advising and morals
We tend to encourage our love ones and wish them well in their
endeavors, also maybe when we see them doing things that is really bad,
we are quick to advice them to change their ways, but the truth is, even
if they yield to our advice by changing, they still would never be
saved or become follower of Christ, because it is only the gospel that
has power to save. Teaching morals is not evangelism because other
religion does that, there are thousands of good books on morals that
leads directly to Hell.

Revival programs
Churches often more than once in a year hold revival programs, believing
that more souls will be won into the kingdom. The concept of revival is
to revive or quickening that which was formerly alive but was now
dormant due to lukewarmness or lethargy, and never for that which was
totally dead. Revival is for believers and not for unbelievers,
unbelievers are dead spiritually and nothing can be revived, but a
believer has life in him and can be revived if he had lost his fervor.
What an unbeliever really need is to be made alive in Christ Jesus.

Sharing tracts
Though there are still many, but because of the limited time and space,
we look lastly at the distribution of tracts. Tract distribution can be
technically seen as evangelism, but it is not evangelism, it is a major
tool in evangelism, but doing that alone is not evangelism. There were
no tracts during the time of the apostles and they turn the world upside
down with the gospel, they were actually preaching the gospel, and from
house to house as it were. We having tracts today is a very big
advantage to us in the evangelism ministry, but never to be substituted
for evangelism. We are to do evangelism with the distribution of tracts
as an added advantage.
All these are not to be seen as ineffective, they all have their place
in the ministry, in fact they are vital ingredients and tools in
evangelism, but they are never to be substituted for evangelism, but
rather seen as an added advantage to evangelism.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Mathew 28:19-20
According to the definition, evangelism is an act of making one a
follower or disciple of Christ by preaching the gospel. When we
evangelize, the aim is to convert souls and make them disciples or
follower of Christ, if we are not making others follower of Christ, then
we are not evangelizing. The only way to do this is by preaching the
word in truth and holiness, for it is only the gospel that has the power
to convert anyone, Romans 1:16. Many at times we wonder why many are
not giving their lives to Christ and becoming followers of Christ, but
the truth be told, the reason many do not come to Christ is because, the
truth is not being preached, the bibles says you shall know the truth
and the truth will make you free, for it is only the truth of the gospel
that has the power to set free from the hold of the devil. The most
important aspect of evangelism is the gospel, the gospel is not the
teachings of right or wrong, or even morals, the gospel is Christ
himself, Christ needed to be lifted up the more in our lives and
conversations. He said if I be lifted up then I will draw men unto me,
John 12:32. We are to be always ready to preach the word whenever,
wherever and to whomever, seeing it as the only natural way to live as
Christians.

Scriptures to consider
Romans 1:16, John 8:32, John 12:32, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Mark 16:15-20,
Mark 6:7-13, Mathew 10:5-42, Luke 9:1-6, Acts 4:20, Acts 5:42, Mark
8:27d, 2 Timothy 4:2.

the churches today need to re-organize their structures to fit in participative envangelism! Very important, it's role cannot be over emphasized

[quote
author=Yooguyz]the churches today need to re-organize their structures
to fit in participative envangelism! Very important, it's role cannot be
over emphasized[/quote]

Truly said bro, we can't continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.

thats one reason i love JW's zeal while preaching even though they don't do with the accurate knowledge.
But if i may ask bro when goes out evangelize what should he preach about? A preacher said the subject of sin and hell should be avoided cos he believed it would scare people from God.

Yooguyz: thats one reason i love JW's zeal while preaching even though they don't do with the accurate knowledge.
But if i may ask bro when goes out evangelize what should he preach about? A preacher said the subject of sin and hell should be avoided cos he believed it would scare people from God.

Yes i also love their zeal and approach, but that does not change the fact that their message can change no one. Every christian is supposed to imbibe such zeal and approach to evangelism.

I don't believe in trying to modify the gospel so that you would not be offensive, to me it is hypocrisy; once it is in the bible then you should preach it. This is the reason so many christian lack the power of God in their lives because of
compromise, the bible says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, the gospel has inherent power to save, the reason many are not saved is because the true message is not preached. Every subject that is in the bible should be preached but one should always be led by the spirit of God, sin and Hell are very important issues in the bible and no one talked about them more than Jesus himself.

This series is actually supposed to be a study so let us do it together, this is just series one and about five others are still coming.

you're right brother.Evangelism is telling people about Christ and the finished work on calvary.It is not inviting people to a 'church' building or getting a celebrity speaker to entertain.

We must tell them about the hope of salvation that keeps us going and trust the Lord to open their hearts like he did Lydia in Acts 16:14.

A good write up.God bless you

ng James Version: Matthew Chapter 10

1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them POWER against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
We need EMPOWERMENT inorder to Evangelise,without been filled/empowered by the Holy Spirit any form of evangelism is a complete waste of time
Though that's my view..

I think it's harsh to call it waste of time. Your personal testimony of salvation is evangelism. If somebody has not received the INFILLING of the holyghost he can still share his faith. Of course the real empowerment for christian work is in INFILLING of the holyghost

A little contribution


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTwcMyrQwU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-um6YSK6sD0

Candour: you're right brother.Evangelism is telling people about Christ and the finished work on calvary.It is not inviting people to a 'church' building or getting a celebrity speaker to entertain.

We must tell them about the hope of salvation that keeps us going and trust the Lord to open their hearts like he did Lydia in Acts 16:14.

A good write up.God bless you

Amen and you too bro.

Joagbaje: I think it's harsh to call it waste of time. Your personal testimony of salvation is evangelism. If somebody has not received the INFILLING of the holyghost he can still share his faith. Of course the real empowerment for christian work is in INFILLING of the holyghost

What are you referring to? Yes of course you dont wait for the infilling of the Holy Ghost before you share your faith, Paul began to preach immediately.

Joagbaje: A little contribution


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTwcMyrQwU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-um6YSK6sD0

Did not see the video, guess network problem?

Pastor Olu T:

Did not see the video, guess network problem?

Okay it contains live recording of real evangelism .

the empowerment of the holy ghost is wat distinguishs a 'man of God' from a 'pastor'
'witnessing' from 'preaching'

Yooguyz: the empowerment of the holy ghost is wat distinguishs a 'man of God' from a 'pastor'
'witnessing' from 'preaching'

Yeah you are right, this is a series and the series one is just the introduction, we will definitely talk about witnessing and the empowerment of the Holy Ghost.
Just stay tuned

Joagbaje:

Okay it contains live recording of real evangelism .

You want to share something with me, Please do for i do not get u yet?

Pastor Olu T:

Yeah you are right, this is a series and the series one is just the introduction, we will definitely talk about witnessing and the empowerment of the Holy Ghost.
Just stay tuned

k brotherly, bless you

.

Yooguyz:
k brotherly, bless you

Amen and you too

Pastor Olu T:

You want to share something with me, Please do for i do not get u yet?

You don't get me? . I said it contains videos clips of people on the street doing live evangelism . Someone was preaching to a truck pusher etc . It's like practical evangelism ,

Joagbaje:

You don't get me? . I said it contains videos clips of people on the street doing live evangelism . Someone was preaching to a truck pusher etc . It's like practical evangelism ,

Sorry i did not see the video that is why, yes evangelism is meant to be practical and the practicality is what we lack in the Christendom today. Bless you bro for the contribution, this is a series and more expositions are still coming so stay tuned.

The second series will be coming up tomorrow, please stay tuned.

Stay blessed and remain rapturable

[quote
author=Yooguyz]the churches today need to re-organize their structures
to fit in participative envangelism! Very important, it's role cannot be
over emphasized[/quote]

Can't agree with you more!

Pastor Olu T:

Can't agree with you more!

why?

Yooguyz: why?

It means i agree with you 100%, or what do you think?

Pastor Olu T:

It means i agree with you 100%, or what do you think?

k i now get you

It is not compulsory that A born again christian must know the bible from Genesis to revelation before he can preach no! Don't shouldn't be an excuse. Even if you don't have anything to say, your salvation testimony would do

Good evening bro yooguys

I am sorry i have been faithful on your thread as we earlier discussed, my laptop charger is having problem and its difficult typing with phone.

Just keep up the good work, i will join fully soon!

Re-Visiting

i MUST work the work of Him that sent me. We need labourers

Weldone Op,these are the kind of threads we need on the fp,not all the threads that are not edifying,not all the d threads that cause division and unnecessary arguments.

Yooguyz: the empowerment of the holy ghost is wat distinguishs a 'man of God' from a 'pastor'
'witnessing' from 'preaching'

You're right! The shameful part of it is that majority of Christians today don't seek for this empowerment of the Holyghost instead they fast and pray for success and prosperity; good as those things are but it can't bring the power of God down.

@Op, nice write up!

I pray the power of evangelism will come upon us IJN. Amen!