Christian Academy for Leadership Studies

PERSONAL EVANGELISM

Purpose of the Course To prepare the Christian Leaders and Believers, based on the Word of God, to proclaim the Good News that there is Redemption to every sinner through Jesus Christ. Objectives of the Course

1. The students must know the true meaning and message of the gospel.
2. The students must be able to distinguish between the true gospel and false gospel.
3. The students will know how to share the gospel to the unreached and unsaved.

Brief Outline of the Course I. Evangelism II. Evangelist III. Sharing the Gospel to Others IV. Methods of Evangelism I .EVANGELISM 1. Definition of Evangelism Evangelism is derived from the Greek word ’Evangelio’.The meaning of this word is ‘Good News’. The same was preached by all the Apostles and Paul. The good news proclaimed (preached) by them is that “Christ, according to the Scripture, died for our sins, buried and was resurrected (1Cor:15:3-4)”. Yes, He died for our sins and resurrected, and He saves us. This is the Good News ! 2. The Necessity of Evangelism God created Adam, and wished that Adam should obey Him in all things. But he trespassed the Will of God and sinned (Rom: 5:12). The sin born out of the disobedience of Adam rules over his descendents, according to the similitude of Adam’s transgression (Rom:5:14). So all have the sinful nature (Rom:3:23). It is written that the wages of sin is death (Rom:6:23). Here, in this verse, the word ‘death’ does not directly imply bodily death (physical death); rather it implies being separated from God permanently’. Everyone is destined for hell, because all are sinners. Jesus died for the sinners (Rom:5:7,8) that no one should go to hell but all to be redeemed by Jesus and to receive everlasting life (Rom:6:23). This is the ‘Good News’ to every sinner that Jesus died for the sinners and became the Saviour of sinners. Hence Evangelism is necessary for sinful Humanity 3. Evangelism in the Plan of God

•  It reveals the Love of God (Jn:3:16)
•  God wants that everyone should repent ((2 Pet:3:9)
•  It is the Will of God that everyone should be saved (1 Tim:2: 2-4)

God has revealed His plan to the world through Jesus that all sinful men should be saved. 4. The Power and Result of Evangelism

1. Gospel is the Power of God for salvation (Rom:1:16)
2.  It reveals the Righteousness of God (Rom:1:17)
3.  It gives eternal life.(Acts:13:48)

When we believe and accept the Gospel, it gives new strength in the inner man (Eph:3:16). A. Historical evidence for the proclamation of Evangelism

• Jesus evangelized (Matt:11:28, Jn:5:39,Jn:7:37, 38)
• The Apostles evangelized (Acts:2:40, 4:12, 13:33, 38, 39)
•  Early Christian evangelized (Acts:5:42, 8:4)

Jesus, who commanded us to evangelize, evangelized during His earthly ministry and became our model in evangelism. B. The Command for Evangelism

1.  Worldwide Evangelism (Matt:28:18-20, Mark:16:15)
2. Witnesses to the end of the world (Acts:1:8)

According to this command of Jesus, the Apostles and the early church believers evangelized (by teaching and preaching). We too should evangelise to the end of the world. C. Evangelism is the duty of every Christian

•  We are indebted to do evangelism (Rom:1:14-15)
• It is a necessity to Preach and to Teach the gospel (our duty – 1Cor:9:16)
• It reveals our love towards Christ ((2 Cor: 5:14)
•  Need not be ashamed of the Gospel or Evangelism (Rom:1:16)
• Dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto us (1 Cor:9:17)

Being faithful in our responsibility of preaching the gospel would certainly bring spiritual growth in a Christian and growth in his ministry. D. The importance of preaching the gospel hastily and zealously

1. The soul is precious (Matt:16:26, Mk: 8:36)
2. The life is short ( Job:14:1, James: 4:14)
3. The certainty of eternity (Dan:12:2)
4. The warning against Judgement (Heb: 9:27)
5. The Coming of Christ is certain (2 Pet:3:9, Rev:22:20)
6. The intercession from hell (Lk:16:19-31)

Here in this passage (Lk:16:19-31), the rich man in hell wants that his brothers at least be saved from hell fire. So he pleads that his brothers need to be evangelized. E. The Extension of Evangelism (Acts:1:8) Acts:1:8 explains briefy the strategy for evangelism that Jesus gave to the Apostles. It may be applied to us in this present time as following:

• Jerusalem – Home or Family
• Judaea – Neighbours
• Samaria – National
• The end of the world – Other Nationals (universe)

Our family should be saved first, then the neighbours, our town people and nationals should be evangelized. Folowing this strategy of evangelism would certainly bring many fruits. F. Evangelism and Church Ministry

1. The opportunity for the growth of ministry (Eph:4:12,13)
2. The growth of church depends on evangelism (Acts:5:14)

Only when we do evangelism in right earnest way, the growth of the church is guaranteed. II . THE EVANGELIST Hitherto, we have discussed what is evangelism. Now let us see whose is an evangelist. The qualities of the Apostles who preached the Gospel

• Complete (or full ) piety in Christ
• Humility of the mind
• Courage in preaching the gospel
• Sympathetic approach
• Truthfulness
• True obedience to the Word of God
• Waiting on the Lord in prayer
• Being filled by the spirit of God

Apostles were very successful in evangelism since they possessed these spiritual qualities. A. The spiritual characteristics of an Evangelist – (Spiritual Qualities)

1.  Having accepted Jesus as the only Savior (Acts:4:12)
2.  Having the assurance of salvation (Jn:1:12, 6:37, 10:28,29)
3. Meditating on the Word of God regularly (Acts: 17:11)
4. Being steadfast in prayer (Acts: 9:11, 2:42, 6:3, 1 Thes:5:17)
5. Depending on the Holy Spirit’s guidance (Acts:8:29, 30)
6. Having true burden for souls (Rom:1:14,15)
7. Being steadfast in the fellowship of church (Acts:2:42, Heb:10:25)
8. Having earned good reputation or witness or men of honest report(Acts:6:3)

Note: Everyone may start evangelism right from the day of his salvation, as Paul started to witness for Jesus, soon after he was saved (Acts:9:19,20). We need not be of the mind that it is the duty of only the Pastors and other evangelists to teach and preach the Word of God. All believers should be evangelizing because Christ may come at any time. B. An Evangelist’s mental qualities

• Fullness of the heart and soul (Phil:4:11) – Having contentment
• Not yielding to unnecessary worries (Matt:6:31-34)
• Patience (2Tim:2:24-26)

Note: Spiritual and mental qualities are connected to each other. C. The talents that an evangelist acquires by being an effective evangelist

• Receives Wisdom (Pro:11:30)
• He starts yielding good fruits spiritually (Jn:15:16)

When an evangelist does his work truthfully and sincerely, his spiritual abilities (gifts) start revealing themselves. D.The goodness awaiting an evangelist

• Christ shall witness for the true and honest worker (Matt:25:21)
• Shall receive the crown (1 Thes:2:19,20, Dan:12:3, James:5:19,20)

E. The greatest evangelist of the world Who is the greatest evangelist of the world? It is not difficult to answer this question, because Jesus remained the greatest evangelist. “The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to preach the good news (gospel) to the poor (Lk:4:17-20, Is:61:1,2). Jesus read these prophetic words of Isaiah and started His ministry. It is written in these words that Jesus was appointed or anointed for the proclamation of the gospel. Moreover, Jesus proclaimed the gospel to many. In about 35 places of the four gospels, it is written that Jesus preached the gospel to individuals. Eg: Philip – John:1:43 Nicodemus – John:3:1-21 Samaritan Woman – John:4:4-41 F. A very gifted evangelist in the history of the church Jesus our Saviuor is the greatest evangelist of the world. But who is the greatest evangelist in the history of the church? It is a little difficult question to answer. Anyway it is fitting to say that it is Paul who is the greatest evangelist of church history, The secret of Paul’s success is that he followed the footsteps of Jesus fully (1 Cor:11:1). Because he followed Jesus whole-heartedly, Paul could establish churches in many cities and towns. In Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippia and Thessalonica cities, he established churches. He ministered in Asia and other European continents. So Paul is the greatest and powerful evangelist next to Jesus. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost and guided 3000 people into salvation. But he couldn’t establish many churches as Paul did. On these accounts Paul was a talented evangelist. If we want to become efficient evangelists like Paul, we should follow Jesus very closely as Paul did (1 Cor:11:1). Particularly we should follow Jesus because Jesus is the greatest evangelist. G. The Evangelist and the Church In the early churches, the evangelists were sent by the churches and they worked through churches (Acts:13:1-3), They established new churches through believers who were saved through their ministry, Or they committed new believers to the nearest churches. In the same way, we should add believers who become believers through our evangelization to a church of good faith that walks according to the Word of God. Or else we can start a new branch of church near the place where the new believers are residing. H. The Persons who cannot be the Evangelists

• Those who consider the mission as a profit making business (Acts:8:9-24)
• The fearful (wavering) – these will not tell the Word of God in purity (2 Tim:2:21).
• The unsaved – Acts:19:13-17
• Those who go after name and fame (Acts:12:21-23)
• Those who have no assurance of salvation (2 Pet:3:16).

Such people cannot become fruitful evangelists. I. Basics of becoming a good Evangelist.

• A pure heart with the Joy of Salvation (Psalms:51:1-13, 2 Tim:2:21)
• A Loving Heart (2 Cor:5:14) – A heart where the Love of God abides.

One can become a good evangelist with the above mentioned qualities, if he has a heart cleansed and made holy by God and if he is a man who shows love towards sinners. III. SHARING THE GOSPEL TO OTHERS We have learned the Biblical facts about an evangelist and the Gospel in the first two lessons. Now we can analyse as to how the people are saved through faith in Jesus and how we can preach the good news to others. A. Man’s sinful condition of the Spirit Since Adam fell into sin, all those who came through him and his descendents are sinners before God. Following scriptures prove this truth.

• All are sinners (Rom:3:23)
• Man is spiritually lost (Lk:19:10)
• Man is spiritually dead (Eph:2:1-3)
• Man is a slave to sin (Jn:8:34)
• Man is spiritually blind because of Satan (2 Cor:4:3,4)
• Man thinks of God as enemy (Col:1:20-22, Rom:5:10)
• Man transgresses the commandment of God (Rom:5:14)
• Man’s heart is wicked and deceitful (Jer:17:9)
• Man’s heart is evil right from his youth (Gen:8:21)

Thus man is separated from God spiritually right from Adam’s sin of transgression. Man is a sinner but God is holy (Lev:11:45). Because the sinful man is at variance with the holy God, he becomes his enemy(Rom:5:10). Till a sinner accepts himself as a sinner, he will not accept that he needs a Saviour. Neither will he realize the importance of salvation. B. The result or consequence of Sin

• Spiritual death (Rom:6:23, 5:12, Eze:18:20, Matt:25:41, 45)  Eternal Condemnation in Hell (Psalms:9:17, Rev:14:11, 20:15)

Man is separated from God and is going towards hell, daily, because of the spiritual death due to sin (spiritual separation) C. A sinner cannot save himself

• You cannot do anything without God (Jn:15:5)
•  Man’s righteousness (merits) are as filthy rags (Is:64:6)
•  Marked stains, which cannot be removed (Jer:2;22; 10:23, 13:23)
• Man cannot be righteous in the sight of God (Job:25:4, 14:4)

A dead man cannot get his life back himself. In the same way, a sinner of spiritual death cannot save himself. C. Jesus the only Saviour saves the sinner Jn:3:16, 14:6, 1:18, 5:39-40, 10:9 Acts:4:12,13:38,39, 1 Jn:5:11,12 2 Cor::5:21, 1 Tim:1:15, 2:5 Heb:2:9, 12:2, 1 Pet:3:18, 2:24, 1:18,19, Rev:1:5 Only the resurrected Jesus can save a sinful man from his spiritual death. E. Man’s spiritual Need A sinful man must be reconciled with the holy God – that is his foremost spiritual need. Sinful man should get reconciled with the holy God (Job:9:32,33). There is a big gap between sinful man and the holy God. Man cannot have fellowship with God because of this spiritual gap. Jesus came into this world as a mediator to reconcile man with God peacefully.