"Then Jesus came to them and said, `All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"
(Matthew 28:18-20)
(Matthew 28:18-20)
This is known as the "Great Commission," not "The Great Suggestion.
Evangelism is to preach or proclaim the good news. The good news that proclaims that God has not abandoned us to our sin, but God, through Jesus Christ, has rescued us from death and given us eternal life. So not only are you saved from death, but that you have life and resurrection in Jesus.
John 6:44
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ..." (NIV)
Revelation 3:20
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in ..." (NIV)
SEVEN STEPS TO EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM
(For the complete reference see http://jesusblogger.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/7-steps-to-effective-evangelism/)
1. Know your audience and tailor the message to them, don’t just do things the way you always do. Take the gospels as an example of this, there are 4 accounts each tailored to a specific audience, addressing the needs of each group. But the message remains consistent (i.e. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World).
2. Be led (Acts 16:6, 9-10). Paul wanted to go to Asia but the Spirit forbade Him. He was led to Macedonia (Europe) and that’s where the ministry was effective. Likewise, Philip was led into the desert to the Ethiopian (Acts 8), it seemed crazy to leave a thriving Samaritan revival and go into a desert of Gaza, but that’s where he was led and as a result the gospel traveled down into Africa with the Ethiopian.
3. Be burdened. According to 1 Corinthians 13 the gifts work by love. Without love and a burden for souls we won’t reach them.
4. Preach Jesus. Be single minded in your message. It should be Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Don’t preach your pastor, your church rules, politics or anything else – focus on Jesus and esp. what He has done / means to you.
5. Be empowered (Acts 1:8). Without the indwelling Holy Spirit you can not be an effective witness for Christ.
6. Be agreed. Imagine if Peter & John did not agree at the Gate Beautiful, imagine if Peter wanted to go to get some cash, while John wanted to pray for him. Thanks be to God they both said: silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we freely give, rise up and walk in Jesus Name. Make sure you are walking with people who agree on doctrine when you go out to share the faith.
7. Have faith (Mark 16:16-18). Believe that souls will respond to the call. There’s nothing worse than an unbelieving evangelist… why bother? The excuse that ‘we told them so they can’t say they didn’t hear the gospel on judgment day’ simply is not good enough. Everyone won’t respond positively to the call, but as good stewards we should be of the view that with God NOTHING shall be impossible.
John 6:44
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ..." (NIV)
Revelation 3:20
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in ..." (NIV)
SEVEN STEPS TO EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM
(For the complete reference see http://jesusblogger.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/7-steps-to-effective-evangelism/)
1. Know your audience and tailor the message to them, don’t just do things the way you always do. Take the gospels as an example of this, there are 4 accounts each tailored to a specific audience, addressing the needs of each group. But the message remains consistent (i.e. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World).
2. Be led (Acts 16:6, 9-10). Paul wanted to go to Asia but the Spirit forbade Him. He was led to Macedonia (Europe) and that’s where the ministry was effective. Likewise, Philip was led into the desert to the Ethiopian (Acts 8), it seemed crazy to leave a thriving Samaritan revival and go into a desert of Gaza, but that’s where he was led and as a result the gospel traveled down into Africa with the Ethiopian.
3. Be burdened. According to 1 Corinthians 13 the gifts work by love. Without love and a burden for souls we won’t reach them.
4. Preach Jesus. Be single minded in your message. It should be Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Don’t preach your pastor, your church rules, politics or anything else – focus on Jesus and esp. what He has done / means to you.
5. Be empowered (Acts 1:8). Without the indwelling Holy Spirit you can not be an effective witness for Christ.
6. Be agreed. Imagine if Peter & John did not agree at the Gate Beautiful, imagine if Peter wanted to go to get some cash, while John wanted to pray for him. Thanks be to God they both said: silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we freely give, rise up and walk in Jesus Name. Make sure you are walking with people who agree on doctrine when you go out to share the faith.
7. Have faith (Mark 16:16-18). Believe that souls will respond to the call. There’s nothing worse than an unbelieving evangelist… why bother? The excuse that ‘we told them so they can’t say they didn’t hear the gospel on judgment day’ simply is not good enough. Everyone won’t respond positively to the call, but as good stewards we should be of the view that with God NOTHING shall be impossible.