WORK OF EVANGELISM

Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the lost house of Israel (Mk.1:14-15,38). He later appointed 12 men to assist him (Mk.3:14; 6:7). “And they went out, and preached that men should repent” (6:12). After the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection, he sent them out on the great commission of preaching the gospel to the world (Mk.16:15-16). “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42). Even the church that was “scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Jesus, the apostles, and the church, all did the work of evangelism. The evangelistic work of God, the Lord’s primary mission, was something Jesus said he must do (Jn.9:4; Lk.19:10). But they had the same problem then that we have now. The Lord said there were plenty of souls that need saving (Jn.4:34-35), but not enough workers to save them (Mt.9:36-38). We have enough folks in the church to do the work, but not enough that willing or able to do the work.

    Some Christians do not involve themselves in the work of evangelism because they do not care enough about lost souls. Jesus commanded that we love others as we do ourselves (Mk.12:30-31; Mt.7:12). David said he looked on his right and “…no man cared for my soul” (Ps.142:4). We have the means of helping lost souls through the gospel of Christ (Rom.1:16; 2Tim.1:10). To have it and not share it is unloving and wrong. We sing the song, “You Never Mentioned Him to Me.” “You met me day by day and knew I was astray, yet you never mentioned Him to me.” How utterly sad.

    Another reason some Christians are not in the work of evangelism is because they are unable to do the work. They do not know what to tell folks. They can tell and inform people about the newest movies, latest sales, outcome of football games, what transpired on their favorite tv shows, what the President said, what the ladies on The View said, but not what God said about New Testament salvation. If you know it, but cannot biblically explain it, it is simply your opinion. We must be able to show folks what “Thus saith the Lord.” “Prove all things” (1Thess.5:21). This means we must study our bibles to give bible answers (2Tim.2:15; 1 Pet.3:15; 4:11). This is the way the seed of gospel is planted and watered (Lk.8:11; 1Cor.3:6,9).

   This is the work of all Christians (1Cor.15:58). Think about this, if you still refuse to do the work of evangelism, how will you one day rest from works you do not have (Rev.14:13)?

Richard Stevens III