Evangelism

Isaiah 52:7a (ESV)

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news” 

 

What is evangelism?

"Evangelism is not salesmanship. It is not urging people, pressing them, coercing them, overwhelming them, or subduing them. Evangelism is telling a message. Evangelism is reporting good news." – Richard C. Halverson

The word "evangelism" comes from the Greek word "euangelizomai", which literally means "to bring Good News."
The Bible defines what Good News means in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV):

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..."

Evangelism is sharing the Good News that Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection conquered sin. Sin separates us from a holy God. The Good News is that we can be reconnected to God and be assured of an eternity with Him in Heaven when we believe in Jesus Christ. This gift of a never-ending relationship with God is available to everyone...but not everyone has heard this Good News...which is why evangelism is so important!

Remember "the Fonz,"

Acts 26:9-11

"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them."

 

 

Thoughts for Today:

 

 

Remember "the Fonz," Henry Winkler's character from the 80's television show "Happy Days"? Fonzie had a problem admitting he was wrong, because he was so convinced he was always right. The Fonz would first disappear, but when confronted about his errors he could never finish the sentence or pronounce the words to admit it. He would say, "I was wroooooo..... I'm sorrrrrrrrr...."

In our devotion today,

Paul recounts how he too was convinced beyond doubt that he was right, and he went to extreme measures to prove it by punishing Christians at every opportunity. I don't think Paul was anything less than sincere in his previously held beliefs; the only problem was -- he was sincerely wrong. I wonder if sometime before his Damascus Road experience, that Paul began to doubt his rightness. But Paul didn't go silent like my wife, or disappear like the Fonz, instead I believe he intensified his attacks on Christians because he so desperately did not want to be wrong. The Bible records Saul/Paul's most aggressive behavior against Christians began with the stoning death of Stephen (Acts 8:1-3). Saul now had blood on his hands and he couldn't go back or afford to be wrong -- it would take a miracle and an act of grace to turn him from his path -- stay tuned.

 

 

Questions to Ponder:

 

 

In most cases it takes an admission of error before healing can take place. Sometimes we can be so blinded by our own errors that we can't see the Lord's truth. Unfortunately, many of us have a tendency to compound our errors rather than admitting and seeking forgiveness. Understanding or analyzing the myriad of reasons why we may do that is less important than changing our behavior.

 

Do you know right now of an area of your life, that you need to turn over to God's grace ?

 

What is it?

Admit it !

It can't be worse than what Saul/Paul was doing and God forgave Him and used him in miraculous ways.

 

Isn't God good?

Trust Him !

Becoming an Impact Person

 

Acts 21:30a

The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions.

 

 

Thoughts for Today:

 

No matter where Paul went he always made an impact: There was either a revival or a riot. In our passage today there was a riot.

Paul was absolutely unforgettable -- he stirred strong emotions, and as a result he changed lives. He was one of those people that if you only met him briefly, you would remember him vividly. Paul had that kind of an impact on people. There was no mistaking the relationship he had with Jesus Christ, because it influenced every aspect of his life.

However, sometimes the impact we make when serving Jesus can be negative for us personally. If I was Paul, I would have been a little concerned if the "whole city was aroused," and an angry mob was "running from all directions" toward me looking for blood. Do you ever face that kind of danger right there in your city or town? If not, and we truly believe that Jesus is the answer to our friend's, neighbor's and community's problems, what kind of fear prevents us from witnessing our solution more aggressively? Think about it.

 

Questions to Ponder:

 

How courageous are you?

How much of an impact do you want to make in this world?

 

All of our earthly accomplishments will eventually turn to dust, so the only real evidence of our life is the spiritual legacy we leave behind and the lives that are changed as a result. Then why do we work harder at the gym, at work, on the yard, on the car... than we do for the Kingdom of God?

 

Philippians 2:13:

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

 

God is working in you right now to get involved in a Kingdom project.

Will you respond?

Stop reading right now and yield your agenda to the Lord's purpose.

Write down just a few of the things He is saying to you.

Resolve to take a step in the right direction -- choosing courage instead of fear

Sharing the Gospel with people of another language

Don't let language barriers keep you from sharing the Gospel!

1-in-5 people in the U.S. don’t speak English at home

While you may not speak Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, or other languages – God does. As Christians we are called to share the Gospel with every nation, tribe, and tongue. And the nations are all around us!  Your neighborhood, your city, and your state are a mission field. How can you share God's Word with people who speak other languages? By carrying and sharing Pocket Testaments. Did you know Pocket Testament Gospels of John are available in 8 languages?  Whether you encounter someone that speaks German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, or Spanish. . . you can be equipped with an effective tool that will allow you share the life-changing message of the Gospel.

Mountains of Evidence

Acts 28:23

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

 

 

Thoughts for Today:

 

Paul probably started with Genesis 22, when Abraham took his only son Isaac up one of the mountains of Moriah. Isaac asked his father, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the sacrifice?" Abraham spoke prophetically when he answered, "God will provide Himself a lamb." Not "God will provide a lamb," but "God Himself will be the lamb." [King James translation used.]

Paul might have taken them to Exodus 12 where each family was instructed to place blood on the top of their doorway and on each side -- depicting a cross.

He probably took them to Psalm 22:1, which quotes Jesus' very words from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And verse 18 which describes what happened to His possessions, "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."

Paul spent from morning until evening explaining in great detail how the Old Testament pictured and prophesized about Jesus. I would have loved to attend that study! What are the odds that 300 plus prophesies about the Messiah would be fulfilled in one man? After listening to Paul and reviewing all the facts, it would take more faith to not believe in Jesus than to recognize Him as the Messiah.

 

 

Questions to Ponder:

 

Google "Old Testament prophesies fulfilled by Jesus".

The mountain of evidence is simply overwhelming.

 

The odds of one man's life fulfilling every prophesy is 1 in "100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000".

That's pretty convincing.

 

Are you living a life fully convinced Jesus is Lord?

Are you telling your friends and loved ones about Him with confidence?

what would you say?

If you were asked to express your views on Christianity, what would you say?

 

What would you say if someone asked you why you followed Christ?

 

How would you answer someone who wanted to know if Christ had made a difference in your life?

 

Take a moment right now and write down five things you believe.

 

Can you support what you would say with Scriptural references?

 

Write those down as well. Now you are prepared.