EVANGELISM
Evangelism is the subject of propagating the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what the Bible is all about, isn’t it? After a perfect creation, man rebelled against God. The entire Old Testament is centered on the promise of the Messiah through a people (the Jews) who were entrusted as the oracles of God’s word. The New Testament is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Each of us is a sinner in need of a Savior – not complicated, is it? Once you become a follower of Jesus Christ, then what? The principle “work” of the Christian is the Great Commission. The Bible indeed gives much instruction on marriage, the raising of children, stewardship, business, and the general conduct of life. But the purpose of a Christian’s life is to sow seed which bears fruit (Prov 11:30, John 15). (Please see “Discipleship” for the balance of this discussion.)
The Lord Jesus began His ministry by preaching repentance (Matt 4:17). As did John the Baptist (Matt 3:2) and Peter (Acts 2:38). Paul’s summary of his own ministry cited “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:20-21, Acts 26:18,20). Jesus commanded His disciples and others to follow Him (Mark 1:17-18, Luke 9:59). What was the purpose of the Son of God in coming to earth? Scripture is clear: It was to call sinners to repentance, provide forgiveness of sins through His shed blood on the cross, and provide for life everlasting through the resurrection – defeating death (Matt 1:21, Luke 5:32, Luke 19:10, John 12:32, 1 Cor 15).
Mahād So how can you claim to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and NOT be about what He was doing on this earth? In the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, it is recorded that He spoke to His disciples at least five times to provoke them to preach the Gospel. To love the Lord is to obey His commandments (John 14:15). To love your neighbor and not warn him of the judgment to come is no love at all. Jesus taught that the whole of God’s law is contained in two commandments: loving God and loving your neighbor (Matt 22:34-40). If you don’t share the Gospel with the lost, you break the two greatest commandments continually.
Many claim to preach the Gospel, but do so unscripturally. The intent of the articles attached to this page is to be a help for preaching Scripturally. American churches are filled with false converts due primarily to preaching of false Gospels. Many would like to “accept Jesus” or “ask Jesus into their heart” or other such unscriptural nonsense. The Bible’s message to a lost sinner is to repent from the sins in his life and believe/trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The transition from lost to saved changes everything in the conduct of your life! The articles listed under the heading of “Evangelism” offer specific applications on the Biblical practice of preaching the Gospel.
– Dr. Dave