As you think that yesterday's reading, hopefully you are struck by the all-encompassing purpose of God: the redemption of his people. Since we are the church, and the church is the body of Christ; the people of God, and the all-encompassing purpose of God, must be the all-encompassing purpose of the church. We are God's royal priesthood; we are the hands that God has chosen to carry out his mission on earth. The mission of the church, as given in the Great Commission, is to make and train disciples; to carry the message of God to the peoples of the earth. This is commonly known in the Christian world as evangelism. The following is from Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church; Seattle, WA):
Evangelism is the speaking and showing of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to people who do not yet know Him. Evangelism is the natural overflow of a life lived in joy as a worshiper of God. Sadly, evangelism is often portrayed as something that Christians must do as a duty, rather than something that they get to do as a delight.
Personally, I see evangelism as a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of God to people. I spent the first nineteen years of my life not knowing Jesus. I can count on one hand the number of times I remember anyone ever seeking to explain the person and work of Jesus to me. Ever since God saved me in college, I remain continually astounded by the love, grace, mercy, forgiveness,
and new life that has been extended to me through Jesus. I shudder to think at the devastation sin would have caused in my life had it not been for Jesus both forgiving my sin and keeping me from much more sin…
As Christians, our love for Jesus and people should cause us to delight in speaking and showing the transforming power of Jesus’ grace at every opportunity… Regarding evangelism, it is Jesus Himself who set an example for us as The Evangelist. In Luke 19:10, Jesus explained His earthly mission in evangelistic terms saying, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” In calling His first disciples, “He said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!’” (Matt 4:19). Among His final words after the resurrection and just prior to His heavenly ascension, we read [the Great Commission] in Matthew 28:18–20… Therefore, as we “go” to work, school, the grocery store, and elsewhere, we are to assume that Jesus is always with us, preparing people to hear the gospel because His work of evangelism has not ceased, but has
expanded to include us…
Practically, this means that by understanding that God is already at work on the elect, we are able up to do evangelism with the greatest amount of freedom and joy. We can share the gospel of Jesus in full confidence that God will use it to save some people because they are elect. On the other hand, if some people should not respond to the gospel in faith, we should not take that personally but rather pray that God would open their blind eyes to see His love and also humbly
trust God’s will and timing in all things.
Personally, I see evangelism as a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of God to people. I spent the first nineteen years of my life not knowing Jesus. I can count on one hand the number of times I remember anyone ever seeking to explain the person and work of Jesus to me. Ever since God saved me in college, I remain continually astounded by the love, grace, mercy, forgiveness,
and new life that has been extended to me through Jesus. I shudder to think at the devastation sin would have caused in my life had it not been for Jesus both forgiving my sin and keeping me from much more sin…
As Christians, our love for Jesus and people should cause us to delight in speaking and showing the transforming power of Jesus’ grace at every opportunity… Regarding evangelism, it is Jesus Himself who set an example for us as The Evangelist. In Luke 19:10, Jesus explained His earthly mission in evangelistic terms saying, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” In calling His first disciples, “He said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!’” (Matt 4:19). Among His final words after the resurrection and just prior to His heavenly ascension, we read [the Great Commission] in Matthew 28:18–20… Therefore, as we “go” to work, school, the grocery store, and elsewhere, we are to assume that Jesus is always with us, preparing people to hear the gospel because His work of evangelism has not ceased, but has
expanded to include us…
Practically, this means that by understanding that God is already at work on the elect, we are able up to do evangelism with the greatest amount of freedom and joy. We can share the gospel of Jesus in full confidence that God will use it to save some people because they are elect. On the other hand, if some people should not respond to the gospel in faith, we should not take that personally but rather pray that God would open their blind eyes to see His love and also humbly
trust God’s will and timing in all things.
In addition to the great promise that Jesus is the one who does the work and evangelism, there is also great comfort in knowing that there's no one right way to share God's message. Often the most effective way of sharing the truth of Christ is simply by sharing what he has done in your life. We want to use the rest of the time in today's reading to give you a chance to reflect on your own story, in hopes that God might give you the opportunity to share that story with someone you encounter this week. There is no story that's better than any other; it's not about having the biggest life change; it's simply your story of how God has brought you from sin and death into the beloved family of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you write, and don't try to be fancy; in fact, try to avoid big “Christian-y” words! This is just your honest story of what God has done your life.
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