In The Old Testament Gods Gospel Promised A Kingdom And A King
The gospel was first announced in Gods promise to Abraham of a kingdom bringing blessing to all nations . The history of Israel provides an earthly picture of this future Kingdom through which wonderful heavenly blessings will come.
God again announced his Gospel in Isaiahs repeated promises of a King for his Kingdom . They announce that the Lord himself will come like a shepherd gathering his lambs. He will reveal his salvation to all nations. And he will liberate his people from their captivity in exile from God and gather them into his Kingdom. Astonishingly, this mighty deliverer will be the LORDs suffering servant, punished in the place of sinners in death and rising to life to justify them for heaven .
But then there was silence for centuries. Until the explosive moment when Jesus emerged in Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, The time has come he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel
The Reality Of Gods Wrath In Evangelism
You must tell people about Gods Wrath. God must judge sinners. A good judge cant let criminals go free.
8. Zephaniah 1:14-15 The Lords great day of judgment is almost here it is approaching very rapidly! There will be a bitter sound on the Lords day of judgment at that time warriors will cry out in battle. That day will be a day of Gods anger, a day of distress and hardship, a day of devastation and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dark skies.
A Culture Of Evangelism Is Strengthened By Right Practices And Right Attitudes
We need to make sure that we see evangelism as a spiritual discipline. Just as we pray for our non-Christian friends, we must be intentional about sharing our faith with them. Furthermore, we must never assume the gospel in conversations with non-Christians lest we lose it. We need to view the gospel as the center of how we align our lives to God as well as come to God in salvation.
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What Is Evangelism And Why Is It So Important
Read a transcript of this video by Bruce Finn about Evangelism below:
Well, evangelism, simply put, is telling the good news, that’s what the word evangelism means, to simply share with another person good news. And it could mean any good news, but in the biblical sense, the word evangelism refers to the good news about Jesus. So evangelism, when I think about evangelism, I don’t necessarily think of a method, or a program, or some area of the church’s ministry, I think simply of an individual follower of Jesus telling their story in such a way that they’re telling Jesus story too, the good news of Jesus.
So every believer is called to be an evangelist, in a sense, in a personal one-on-one context with neighbors and friends and coworkers, and that they’re doing evangelism when they simply become available in the course of conversations as the Holy Spirit prompts and gives opportunity to talk about the good news of Jesus, that Jesus Christ is the son of God, who was sent by the father to live a perfect life in our place, to die on a cross for our sins, and by his resurrection, give us eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and the power to change. So that’s evangelism to me.
Evangelism Promises Immediate Results
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” .
The gospel isn’t something that only pays dividends in the sweet by-and-by. If we simply share the benefits of the gospel as something that saves people after they die, we’re doing it a disservice. The gospel has immediate benefits to those who are weary and broken, and we need to make sure that we are communicating the supernatural strength available to those who submit to the Lord.
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The Definition Of Evangelism
Many people use the word evangelism in different ways. However, what does the Bible say about this important word? When we look to Scripture, we run into a problem: there is no direct-equivalent word for our English word evangelism in the New Testament. Its origin is rooted in three Greek words:
- euangeliongospelto describe what is said
- euangelistesevangelistto describe the person who is telling the gospel
- euangelizo to proclaim the gospelto describe the activity of telling the gospel .
Evangelism, then, is the English term for the act of communicating the gospel, an act conveyed in the New Testament by the verb euangelizo .
The best way to understand the term evangelism, Chan explains, is that it is our attempt to describe what happens when someone tells the euangelion or gospel, which is the good news about Jesus Christ. Chan goes on to give a fuller answer to What is evangelism:
Sometimes we need to rethink and re-define what it means to evangelize. The essence of evangelism is the gospel, which is the good news of Jesusnot methods or the kinds and sizes of audiences. Which means we are free to make this unbelievable* good news about Jesus more believable in any number of ways: through urging or encouraging blessing or warning and even activities for children such as singing, puppet shows, and drama.
Other Bible Verses About The Importance Of Evangelism
In addition to the above, here are a few more verses about why evangelism is important:
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ .
For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! .
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God .
This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples .
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His Priority Was Evangelism
Jesus came not only to be the gospel but to proclaim the gospel and train others to do the same. For as God in his Trinitarian holiness is self-giving love, so in his relationship to sinners he is righteous in grace in evangelism before he returns one day to be righteous in his wrath. So when God took flesh, he came as an evangelist! Notice the scale of his mission: he went through all the towns and villages: there were over 200 of them. This wasnt a casual stroll but a determined and demanding effort. To be holy like Christ requires us to be both separated from sin and committed to evangelism. Indeed, Jesus preaching, small group discussions and conversational counseling were not primarily about parenting or marriage but salvation. Indeed, he avoided being distracted by his healing ministry in order to preach the gospel . Clearly, godliness is evangelistic. So while the defining activity of a church is bible-teaching the purpose of Bible-teaching is equipping believers to follow Jesus in lives of holy evangelism. Congregations are not to be like passengers on a cruise ship dedicated to their own comfort but like crew on a lifeboat dedicated to saving people who are drowning in sin. Because Jesus priority was evangelism!
Bringers Of Good News
In the Bible, the word evangelist comes from the Greek word “evangelion,” which means “to bring good news.” While evangelistic ministries use a wide range of methodologies, they all focus on one basic task: proclaiming the gospel — or “good news.” Christian denominations differ in their exact definition of what proclaiming the gospel entails, but all evangelism — regardless of the denomination — is designed to draw people to follow Christ.
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Characteristics Of Biblical Evangelism
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says biblical evangelism is characterized by four key practices proclamation, community, service, and witness. Focusing on these practices can demystify the concept of evangelism and strengthen a congregations evangelistic efforts.
Many churches struggle with evangelism. For some, evangelism is an important objective, but the methods of pursuing it are vague or ineffective. For others, the term itself is uncomfortable, bringing to mind doctrinally rigid or manipulative ways of leading people to faith. Focusing on the characteristics of biblical evangelism can help demystify evangelism and strengthen our evangelistic efforts. Four key practices proclamation, community, service, and witness are rooted in scripture and proven effective in the history of the church.
1. Proclamation
The Greek word kerygma is often used for proclamation. In Romans 10:14, Paul writes, How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? The key is the ending where Paul says, And how can they hear without someone preaching to them or in some translations proclaiming to them. This is the meaning of kerygma.
2. Community
3. Service
4. Witness
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Was There Evangelism In The Old Testament
In order to consider Old Testament Evangelism properly, well have to define evangelism. Evangelism is not soul-winning. Evangelism is simply announcing, declaring, or preaching the good news, glad tidings, or the person of Christ Himself. The Gospel is sometimes expressed as the embodiment of a person, namely the Messiah, but never expressed apart from him. The God Message and the God-Man are always connected. The Gospel is always the person of Christ, and His message. To proclaim Christ and His message is evangelism.
When discussing Old Testament Evangelism however, some may suggest that they , and us , are at a disadvantage because the Whole Gospel didnt exist yet. In other words the story of Jesus resurrection and victory over death are critical components of The Gospel, and those Old Testament folks were missing those components. Further, some may suggest that without the Full-Gospel, its impossible to evangelize because evangelism requires the full gospel. To them, Evangelism or Gospelizing, is the announcing of the completed message of the good news.
- They were to be a Kingdom of Priests AND a Holy Nation with a message. Exodus 19:6
Much the same for us today in the New Testament era, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
there is no God in all the world except in Israel
And later
A few questions:
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Evangelism Entails Teaching The Gospel First And Foremost
God teaches us the gospel through his Word we can’t just “figure it out” on our own. So it stands to reason that we must speak and teach the gospel to others: the truth about who God is, why we’re in the mess we’re in, what Jesus came to do, and how we are to respond to him. Its no wonder that Paul often described his evangelistic ministry as a teaching ministry.
What Is The Gospel
The Gospel Literally means good news. The good news of the Gospel needs to cover 3 major things:
- Why we need to be saved Our sin and separation from God
- How Jesus can Save us: Who he is, his death, and resurrection
- What we must do to be saved Repent and Believe
Or as GotQuestions.com puts it:
These, then, are the essential elements of the gospel: the sin of all men, the death of Christ on the cross to pay for those sins, the resurrection of Christ to provide life everlasting for those who follow Him, and the offer of the free gift of salvation to all.
Now that you know what the Gospel is, check out these creative ways to evangelize to the people around you.
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Hell Is Everlasting Banishment
Eternal separation from God is probably the most well understood aspect of Hell. However, banishment is much stronger than separation. Banishment involves the active and ongoing judgment of God. The Bible describes this aspect of Hell in strong terms.
As we saw above in Matthew 25:41, Jesus doesnt just say Depart from Me. He makes it clear that they are banished to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In Revelation 22: 14-15, the wicked are forever excluded from wondrous fellowship with God. Jesus describes the experience of those who are banished when He says, There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth .
It is banishment to a place where there is conscious torment, an awareness of guilt, and a loathsome understanding that their punishment is just because of their sin.
Many are not aware that the future punishment, destruction, and banishment of non-believers is one of the few topics addressed by every single author of the New Testament. It was of critical importance to them, and it should be of the same importance to us.
When we think about our neighbors, loved ones, and others who do not know the Lord, lets be respectful in our talk, lets be authentic in our witness but also, lets be urgent in our outreach. Lets not forget about this oft-forgotten motive for evangelism.
May God grant us numerous opportunities to save some by snatching them from the fire as we seek to bring others to Him.
Community Health Evangelism Is A Grassroots Movement That Has Revolutionized The Way Evangelism Is Carried Out Around The World
For 40 years, Medical Ambassadors International has been working to heal communities and transform lives. Jesus ministry on earth revealed that he cares for the WHOLE person. He was moved by peoples spiritual AND physical pain. At MAI, we strive to follow the example Jesus set for holistic healing. To do this, we use a development process called Community Health Evangelism .
CHE promotes Christ-centered holistic development through empowerment strategies that avoid unhealthy dependencies. CHE concentrates efforts on long-term solutions that break the cycle of poverty and disease.
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We Must Finish Our Task Of Evangelism
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given methe task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace .
If you’re looking for inspiration, tape up this verse all around your home. Paul’s single-minded focus to fulfill his responsibility of sharing the gospel as widely as possible should energize us all.
Making And Multiplying Disciples
Now before multiplying, one must first make a disciple, and the passage in John reveals to us the process that Jesus used to accomplish this first and basic step of personal evangelism, and that is to convert one soul.
In this passage we are able to identify 7 steps in the making of a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is a follower, a learner, one who is committed to following, learning and obeying Christ and only Christ.
There are 7 steps to making one of these disciples:
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What Is The Meaning Of An Evangelism Ministry
Within Christianity, evangelism ministry is any ministry whose chief aim is to win converts to Christ. Different Christian denominations go about evangelism ministry in very different ways. A minister who is involved primarily in evangelistic ministry is called an evangelist. In addition to vocational evangelists, many churches encourage their lay-people to become involved in evangelistic ministry by sharing their faith with others.
Evangelism Flourishes In A Culture Of Evangelism
Much instruction is given about personal evangelism. And thats right and good since we’re each called to testify to our own personal encounter with Jesus. But when people are pulling together to share the gospel, when there is less emphasis on getting a decision, when the people of God are pitching in to teach the gospel together, a culture forms that leads us to ask “Are we all helping our non-Christian friends understand the gospel?” rather than “Who has led the most people to Jesus?”
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Evangelism Is Wise Work
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and the one who is wise saves lives .
When this Proverb was written, the idea of “saving lives” had more to do with delivering them from evil paths which lead to death. In light of the gospel story, it takes on a whole new significance. When considered within the context of Christ’s work, the fruit of the righteous is quite literally a tree of life and the work of saving lives!
What Is Evangelism And What Is Its Purpose
Evangelism, which is spreading the gospel, is important to Jesus. As the Bible tells us, Jesus came so that we may live. Jesus wants everyone to know this truth so they, too, can be part of Gods holy kingdom. His directives to evangelize are peppered throughout Scripture.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells us, 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. We are to spread this good news everywhere to the ends of the earth secure that He is with us always.
Jesus says much the same thing in other verses: Matthew 9:37-38, Matthew 10:7-14, Matthew 12:30, Luke 19:10, and Luke 12:8, to name a few. In , Jesus tells us to preach the gospel to all creation. The purpose is so others will know, too, and believe and in that believing also receive eternal life.
As Jesus tells His disciples in John 5:24, Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. It is a gift available to all.
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