Evangelism is for all

Accelerating Evangelism

Evangelism is for everybody. It’s not something to be carried out only by a few specialists.
 
When Jesus called his first disciples, his invitation was demanding. He told his would-be-followers, “Repent ... believe ... come ... follow” (Mark 1:15,17). He did not sugarcoat his invitation to discipleship. He used no promises of heavenly blessings to entice them into obedience. Rather he stressed the cost of following (Mark 8:34-38). His demands were unqualified and the response on their part was total and radical. His purpose in calling them was absolutely clear. It was so “that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14). To this end he made one promise – and one promise alone – to his initial followers. He promised that he would transform them into something which they were not, he would make them into “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). This promise still holds true for those who follow Jesus today. If you pursue him he will change you and no matter what your vocation, you will be equipped by his Spirit to share the good news with others.
 
We should take great heart in the indisputable fact that Jesus is winning. All around the world the evidence is overwhelming. A little over a century ago very few in Africa had even heard his name. Today, south of the Sahara, over half of the population attend church! A similar phenomenon has happened in Latin America. For every one committed follower of Jesus a hundred years ago there are now 1,500 in his or her place! The gospel is being proclaimed, the Spirit is moving and Jesus is winning! In 1900 there were just a handful of believers in the Korean peninsula. Today nearly 1 out of every 3 Koreans the world over is a follower of Jesus. At the end of the second world war there were only 3 million believers in China; a number which has exploded to some 150 million today! And the stories of his victories extend to country after country ... Nepal ... Indonesia ... Bhutan ... Cambodia ... Egypt ... India ... and many, many more. Indeed, Jesus is winning!

Child Evangelist

But even though these victories encourage us, there’s still much to do. Be encouraged, but don’t relax! It is time to pick up the pace. The greatest time of gospel proclamation lies yet before us. But it will require a new measure of commitment and focus, a new degree of zeal and passion. It will be characterized by fresh innovations in our strategies and technologies in order to harness every means possible to communicate the hope-filled story of redemption.
 
Why has the age-old dream of world evangelization eluded the Body of Christ for so many generations? I think that in part it is because we have not aimed high enough. We have thought that the goal is to preach the gospel message at least once to everyone in the world in our generation. This sounds great. In fact it sounds audacious. But the reality is it is not audacious enough! Why? Consider the following facts. First: most people commit their lives to Jesus by the time they are 18. Some become believers later in life, but the vast majority are followers of Jesus by their teens or early twenties. Second: Most people need to hear the gospel message at least three times before they make a commitment to follow Jesus. Conclusion? Take these two facts together and do the math. People come to Jesus by 18 or 24 years of age. They need to hear the gospel at least three times. 18 ÷ 3 = 6. 24 ÷ 3 = 8. Therefore we should be trying to reach everyone on earth with the gospel message every 6-8 years! This approach will put us over the top in seeing God’s Great Commission dreams fulfilled. But to do so we cannot proceed with business as usual. We must intentionally accelerate our evangelistic efforts.
 
May God’s good hand be upon us like it was on Elijah so that in this crucial hour we may “gird up our loins” and run like never before (1Ki 18:44-46). Like Olympic athletes we must “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1Co 9:24). This is the ultimate race and this is the time to set an all time record of gospel growth around the world so that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14).Source:call2all.org
 

Trends Maestro:

Why Should You Subscribe To: Trends Maestro

• ✔
  Trending Stories
• ✔
  Headlines News
• ✔
  Breaking News
• ✔
  Straight into your ✔ Inbox