CE 1 YEAR: 38 Evangelism I: God’s Part

Week 38

Evangelism I: God’s Part

In the first Christian church, the Lord was adding to the number of those being saved every day (Acts 2:47). He was doing this through the preaching of the Apostles and the church members (Acts 2:14-40). As a result of being forced out of Jerusalem because of persecution, the believers communicated the Gospel wherever they went (Acts 8:4).

Communicating the Gospel to unbelievers is a primary desire of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 24:14; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Rom 10:14-15). All Christians have the great privilege and responsibility to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:18-20). This work is called evangelism (Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5).

The word “evangelism” comes from a Greek word (evangeliō) that means “Good news.” Unfortunately, this meaning can be obscured because it is usually translated as “gospel.” Whenever you see the word “gospel” in the NT, think of “good news”!

What is evangelism according to the Bible? Telling people the good news about Jesus Christ. That should be easy. Even fun. Don’t you like to tell people good news? So why is “evangelism” a scary word for many Christians? Because they believe a lot of wrong things about evangelism.

This week and next, you will read about God’s part and your part in effective evangelism. When you better understand these things, evangelism will become easier for you.

Does the salvation of people depend on me?

Some Christians believe that if they do not speak the Gospel to someone, and they go to Hell, that it will be their fault. This false belief is that the salvation of others depends on us. Fortunately, this is not true. Why? Because God has already chosen who will be saved.

Even before the world began God chose who would be a Christian and predestined who would belong to Him (Eph 1:4-5, 11; Rom 9:10-24; 11:5). This is why in Acts we read that those who were chosen for eternal life believed (13:48; 1 Thess 1:4-5).

Theologians can debate about how and why God made His decision of who to save. But the Bible is clear that God chose and predestined who would be saved.

Unfortunately, sin entered the world and all of God’s chosen children were separated from Him. Sin made them spiritually dead and they belonged to the Devil (Eph 2:1-5; 5:8; Col 1:13-14; Rom 5:12; Acts 26:18). In this way the chosen children of God were “lost.” This is why Jesus said He came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The “lost” are the chosen but spiritually dead children of God.

Because Jesus came to save God’s lost children, He came to give His life as a ransom for them (Matt 20:28), and to shed His blood for their forgiveness (Matt 26:28; 1 Tim 2:6; Heb 9:28).

Therefore, what is evangelism? Like Jesus, it is seeking to rescue the chosen but lost children of God. It is a search and rescue mission for our chosen and paid for, but lost brothers and sisters. If your young brother or sister was lost, how hard would you work to find them? Likewise, Jesus wants us to diligently pursue finding the chosen but lost children of God.

Luke 15 gives us several parables illustrating the biblical story of God’s lost children being found. The most famous one is the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-24). A father has a son who is lost. But when the son returns, the father says: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v. 24). God does the same whenever one of His chosen but lost children are found through the communication of the Gospel. And like the people in the story, we too can celebrate this!

The Apostle Paul understood that he was not trying to save everyone in the world. On the contrary, he said he endured everything for the sake of “the elect” so that they would find salvation (2 Tim 2:10).

God has already chosen who will be His children. This fact results in several things that illustrate God’s ultimate control over salvation. First, only the chosen children of God will be saved. As Jesus said, “many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matt 22:14). We are commanded to invite everyone in the world to be saved, but only the “chosen” will be saved.

Secondly, everyone that God chose before the creation of the world will be saved. Jesus said that every person the Father has given to Jesus will come to Him to be saved and He will lose none of them, but will raise them from the dead on the last day (John 6:37-39; 10:26-29; 17:2, 6, 9, 24). Every chosen child of God will be saved.

The question is not will all of God’s chosen children be saved. They will be. The question is do you want to be a part of seeking and finding the lost children of God? Do you want to be a part of finding your lost brothers and sisters?

God wants to give you the privilege of being a part of finding and rescuing your lost brothers and sisters. But if you choose not to, He will send someone else (Rom 10:14-15). God’s determination to reach all of His lost children is illustrated in miraculously guiding Philip to speak the Gospel to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40). It is illustrated today when God gives people in remote areas visions of Jesus Christ telling them to be saved.

The Bible says that God has chosen when and where people will live so that His children will seek and find Him (Acts 17:26-27). Why do most Christians grow up in a Christian family? Because God put them there. This is why Christian parents have good reasons to hope that their children will be saved. Every chosen child of God will be saved. God will make sure of it.

Therefore, we need to abandon the arrogant claim that people’s salvation depends on us. God ultimately makes this decision, not mere humans. Some point to the warning God gave Ezekiel that the blood of others would be on his hands (Ezek 3:16-22). But Ezekiel was a Prophet of God who received direct revelation from God about specific people that he was supposed to warn (v. 18). If you are not receiving such divine revelations, then this warning does not apply to you.

God is ultimately in control of who His children are. No one is going to Hell because you failed to communicate the Gospel. God wants you to be a part of finding and rescuing our chosen but lost brothers and sisters. But He wants you to be motivated by love for Him and His lost children, not by fear or guilt.

Some may ask, “If we cannot change someone’s eternal destiny, then why should we do evangelism?” This is a silly question. We do evangelism for the same reason we do everything: To obey and love God and love others. If your motivation for evangelism is fear or guilt instead of love, then your evangelism does not please God (1 Cor 13:1-3).

Is it my responsibility to persuade people to get saved?

Fortunately, the answer to this question is “No.” Unfortunately, some believe otherwise and describe evangelism as “winning souls.” This implies that we have the ability and responsibility to convince people they are sinners and need Jesus Christ. This is not biblical.

The Bible is clear that God must do something before anyone can believe the Gospel. If the Spirit is not working in someone, they cannot believe spiritual things like the Gospel (1 Cor 2:14). Their “darkened minds” will think the Good News about Jesus is foolish (Eph 4:17-18). People are spiritually blind. Until God makes someone able to spiritually “see,” they will not see the truth about their sin or Jesus (2 Cor 4:3-6). People are spiritually deaf. Only those who belong to God will be able to understand Jesus (John 8:42-47). This is why the Lord opened Lydia’s heart so she was able to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14).

Therefore, even our saving faith in Christ is ultimately the gift and work of God (Eph 2:8-9). Paul said when he was converted, it was because the grace, love, and faith in Christ were poured out on him (1 Tim 1:13-14). If we remember our own conversion experience, we will testify that it began and ended with the supernatural work of God in our hearts.

It is intimidating to believe it is your responsibility to convince people they are sinners deserving Hell. This is a very unattractive part of evangelism that many think they have to do. But what did Jesus say? He would send the Holy Spirit to convict people they are sinners deserving judgment (read John 16:7-8). People need to feel guilty about their sin, and convinced they need God’s forgiveness because they are under His wrath. Jesus said the Spirit was sent to do all of this. Do you recognize that the most difficult and distasteful thing about evangelism is God’s work, not yours? Isn’t it great that you do not need to make people feel guilty about their sin? This is God’s job.

All of this is why Jesus said no one can come to Him for salvation unless the Father drags them to Him (John 6:44, 63, 65). The Greek word here (elkysē) means to forcefully pull a fishing net (John 21:6, 11) or drag people against their will (Acts 16:19; 21:30; James 2:6). God must overpower someone and change their mind and will before the Gospel will be effective.

Can you convince a dead person they are a sinner and need Jesus? No. Likewise, you cannot convince a spiritually dead person of the Gospel either.

There is another unnecessary burden that is placed on people to do evangelism. It is called “apologetics.” This is the effort to refute arguments against Christianity. Many claim that we need to persuade people to believe God exists, that evolution is wrong, that the Bible is divine revelation, and that Jesus rose from the dead. It is implied that we must be very knowledgeable about these things to be effective in evangelism.

But what did the Apostle Paul say about his approach to evangelism in Corinth (read 1 Cor 2:1-5)? He purposely did not use impressive speaking or convincing arguments. He decided to act as if he knew nothing except who Jesus was and what He had done. Why? Because he did not want to hinder the convincing work of the Spirit. He did not want them to become Christians because he had convinced them, but because the power of the Spirit had convicted and persuaded them.

It is not your job to make the Gospel seem wise to people. The Gospel is supposed to sound foolish to those who are not being saved. But the “foolish” Gospel will be the power of God to convert those who are being saved (1 Cor 1:18). We must be careful of trying to “win souls” with human power and techniques. Such things actually produce false conversions.

You do not have the responsibility to persuade people they are sinners under God’s wrath, need Jesus to save them, and Christianity is true. This is not your responsibility because it is not your ability. You cannot do these things. God has to do them.

In your small group meeting this week, share praises and prayer requests and then discuss these questions:

1) What are some Bible verses that tell us to do evangelism?

2) What does evangelism mean?

3) Does the salvation of others depend on us? Why not?

4) What did Jesus mean when He said He came to seek and to save the lost? (Luke 19:10). Who are “the lost”? How does this effect the goal of evangelism (see 2 Tim 2:10)?

5) How does God’s predestination in salvation make evangelism easier?

6) What Bible verses tell us that God must do something before anyone can believe the Gospel?

7) What Bible verse indicates it is not our job to convince people they are sinners?

8) What is “apologetics”? Why is it unnecessary for effective evangelism? Why didn’t Paul use “apologetics” for evangelism in Corinth?

9) It is not your ability or responsibility to persuade people of their need for the Gospel or its truth. How does that help you be more motivated to do evangelism?

10) What was most meaningful to you about this chapter? Why?