Evangelism:
Every Member, Every Day
It is obvious
that, starting with its establishment on the day of Pentecost, the church
Christ died to establish grew by leaps and bounds.
On that
day there were about 3000 souls added to the body of Christ (cf. Acts 2:1-47;
esp vs 41- "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and
that day about three thousand souls were added to them.").
Consider the
following passages which give an indication of the church's continued growth:
"...praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)
"However,
many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be
about five thousand." (Acts 4:4)
"And
believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and
women, ..." (Acts 5:14)
"Now
in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a
complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were
neglected in the daily distribution." (Acts 6:1)
"Then
the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."
(Acts 6:7)
"But
when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of
God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." (Acts
8:12)
"Then
the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were
edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy
Spirit, they were multiplied." (Acts 8:31)
"So
all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord." (Acts
8:35)
"And
it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord."
(Acts 8:42)
"
'Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received
the Holy Spirit just as we have?' And he commanded them to be baptized in the
name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days." (Acts 10:47-48)
"And
the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the
Lord." (Acts 11:21)
"For
he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many
people were added to the Lord." (Acts 11:24)
"Then
the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the
teaching of the Lord." (Acts 13:12)
"Now
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the
Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts
13:48)
"Now
it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews,
and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks
believed." (Acts 14:1)
"So
the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number
daily." (Acts 16:5)
"And
some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and
not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas." (Acts 17:4)
"Therefore
many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as
well as men." (Acts 17:12)
"However,
some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman
named Damaris, and others with them." (Acts 17:34)
"Then
Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his
household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were
baptized." (Acts 18:8)
Why The Church Grew Then - Why The
Church Grows Now
"And
daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching
Jesus as the Christ." (Acts 5:42)
"But
the word of God grew and multiplied." (Acts 12:24)
"And
they were preaching the gospel there." (Acts 14:7)
"...he
departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of
Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard
the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." (Acts 19:9b-10)
"So
the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." (Acts 19:20)
"how
I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you
publicly and from house to house, ..." (Acts 20:20)
A RECENT
SURVEY ...
|
INDICATES
THAT THE AVERAGE CONGREGATION
baptizes only 5% of its membership annually... If children of
members are deducted, the figures drop to 2%.... Elders, deacons,
teachers in 184 congregations averaged only one visit to an outsider per
week, per congregation!.. Less than
one-third of the congregation (288) had any kind of systematic program of
visitation... The same number of
congregations had no working program for working with new converts. . Less than 10% had
an active prospect file... The number of
personal classes that members had with non-Christians averaged less than 1% of the membership... Members gave less
than 4% of their estimated income to the church and all works related to
Christianity... And here is the SHOCKING FACT, less than 5% of us won
a soul to Christ last year (See Proverbs
11:30). EVERY MINUTE 156 PEOPLE IN
THE WORLD DIE WITHOUT HOPE! It would appear
obvious from these STARTLING
STATISTICS that we need all of the "stirring
up" we can get. The Mormons of Salt Lake City surpassed us in total
membership in the late 1970's for the first time in history. WE HAVE REACHED A SORRY HOUR INDEED when
people do a better job of selling Joe Smith that we are doing in presenting
Jesus Christ as THE SAVIOR OF OUR SOULS
AND THE LORD OF OUR LIVES! |
The
institute for American Church Growth asked over 10,000 church-goers this
question: What was responsible for your coming to Christ and this church?
2%
I had a special need
3%
I just walked in
6%
I liked the minister
1%
I visited here
5%
I liked the Sunday school
1/2%
I attended a gospel meeting
3%
I liked the programs
79% A friend
or relative invited me
THE CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH
TWO PRIMARY MEANS TO WIN THE WORLD TO CHRIST...
1. First and foremost is the message of the gospel of Christ - Ro 1:16
2. But there is also the manifestation of the gospel in the life
of the Christian - cf. 1 Pe 3:1-2
AN IMPORTANT
KEY TO LEADING PEOPLE TO CHRIST IS CONSTANTLY
KEEPING THEM ON YOUR MIND AND IN YOUR PRAYERS - cf. Ro 10:1
1. Consistent success in any venture depends upon...
a. Setting goals (which gives DIRECTION to your life)
b. Keeping those goals constantly before you (which
provides
MOTIVATION to your actions)
2. To be successful in evangelism...
a. We need goals to give us a direction
b. We need to be constantly reminded of those goals to
stay motivated
BEGIN PRAYING
FOR THESE PEOPLE DAILY...
1. Asking God for OPPORTUNITY to be of service to these people
- cf. 1 Co 3:5-7;
Co 4:3
2. Asking God for WISDOM to make the most of the opportunities you
have - cf. Co 4:4-6
3. Asking God for BOLDNESS to share the gospel when the right
opportunity avails itself - cf. Ep 6:18-20
Keys to successful evangelism:
1. Faith to pray
(to God)
2. Diligence to
look (for God's answer)
3. Courage to
ask (for a Bible study)
4. Knowledge to
teach (the gospel)
5. Wisdom to
persuade (bring them to a point of decision)
The Fellowship of the Unashamed:
I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I am strengthened in the Lord and the power of His might. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple and a soldier of Jesus Christ.
I won’t look up, let us, slow down, back away, or be still.
I’m not all I ought to be, all I want to be, or all I am going to be; but, thank God, I am not all I used to be.
My past is forgiven, my present makes sense, and my future is everlasting.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame service, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be first, tops, recognized, praised or rewarded.
I now live knowing God is present, leaning by faith, loving with patience, lifting others in prayer, laboring with God’s strength.
My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the polls of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I have preached up, prayed up, stored up, and stayed up the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until everyone knows, and work until He comes.
And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.