Three Threads of Evangelism

We’ve now come to the VERB portion of our Bible Study; the part where we learn to DO Something. We’ve looked at what the Gospel is and its complete context, which is necessary to be able to share. In college I learned that if I could explain something to someone else, then I knew it well enough to pass the exam or paper we would have to write, so I would lead review sessions and study groups for my classmates; and if I could effectively lead the review session, then I knew I would do well on the exam and if I did it right; so would they. I’ve found this to be true for biblical study as well. Something I heard Francis Chan say about discipleship helped take that lesson from something simply secular and apply it to my walk with Christ. To paraphrase what he said: we should be studying Scripture with the intent to share what we learn. Don’t just read until you understand, study until you understand it well enough to share and for that very reason I added in the REAP session to this Bible study (Part 3 of this Bible Study). If we can effectively communicate what we know to someone else and then they can communicate it to another, we together, are fulfilling the Great Commission and making disciples. So we study Scripture all our lives, taking in as much as the Holy Spirit will pour out, until we can explain the story of Jonah to a room full of Kindergartner or room full of pastors.

Now, the privilege of telling people about Jesus is not just given solely to pastors, but all who follow Christ. And personally, I feel if I’m going to do something for my King, I want it to be my very best and to the Glory of God; “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). So in order for me to give it my best, I aim to be ‘effective”. I want to be used in a way that makes a difference to others. Although God does not need us to help Him save souls, He has given us the privilege of introducing the One who does.

From the outset of our lesson, I want to be very clear, this is not a magic formula, the only formula or a formula at all. God is the One who does the work. Like I said before, we are simply given the privilege of making the introduction. Paul puts it like this, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6). He continues to say that we receive our reward for what we have done (v7). So we get “graded” on what we do, not what happened because of what we do. Also, I want to remind us that Evangelism is not typically a short process. We will look at a few examples from scripture that are less than a chapter long and if we are not careful, could be misled into thinking from the introduction of Jesus to their salvation is always so quickly accomplished. Know that sometimes it may be that quick, but it also could take months, years or an almost complete lifetime. We need to speak up as the Spirit prompts, trusting Him to know the timing of things.

Now to Scripture, God graciously gives us examples of how to be effective. Again,we will look to Peter and Paul. We will see three common threads of Evangelism throughout the passages we will examine. If you’ve got your Bible handy -and I encourage you to always have your Bible with you as we study together- please read Acts 2:1-39.

First thing I want to draw your attentions to are the questions the men of Judea ask the disciples. Verse 6 shows them to be confused about what is going on and verses 7, 8, 12 are their questions based on what they have observed and verse 13 is their assumption about what’s happening. Peter hears these questions and begins to answer each of them, as he gives the first New Testament Sermon. The first of the three common threads is Listening/Observing to those around you, whether that be friends, coworkers, classmates, the lady on the train next to you during your commute, etc. So often I think we (and I am loudly including myself in that “we”) want to jump right to the telling about Jesus part of Evangelism and I believe that’s partly due to the lack of training and instruction in the American churches. We tell people to go out sharing the Gospel but that usually is taken as “tell them about Jesus and their sin”. Sadly, this isn’t how we see Jesus, the disciples and other is Scripture do it. They walked alongside those they intended on sharing the Good News with. Jesus went and ate in their homes, Paul stayed in different town for months at time, Jesus sent the disciples out with the instructions of stay in their homes with them (Matthew 10:11-12). They did not practice “drive by evangelism”; shouting “You need Jesus!” as they ran through the towns. They walked among, lived with and listened to the people around them.

Paul gives us a glimpse into how he helped share the good news of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 9:9-23-

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under the law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak that I might win the weak, I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

It is important to note, that he did not become them, but like them. This is a very important distinction, because we are to always act “under the law toward Christ”, as Paul puts it. He did not sacrifice his own walk with Christ for the sake of others, but befriended those he shared the Gospel with in order to be in a position to introduce them to the One who saves. Something that sums this passage up well came from the pastor of Life.Church, Craig Groeschel, who said earn the right to be heard by those around you. And that’s exactly was Paul was doing as he came alongside the different people he shared the Good News with.

Now back to Peter and Acts 2-

After Peter heard the men of Judea asking questions and observed what they were saying, he got up and began to explain. In other words he took the time to introduce the truth of what was going on (Acts 2:16). This is the second thread in Evangelism- Introducing the Truth. After we have spent time listening, walking alongside those around us, opportunities will arise where we will be given the opportunity to share Truth with them. That truth may be that there is a God, or that no matter how “good” a person in they still need a Savior, or that Jesus is the answer to the questions they have been asking, there will be too many scenarios to count. The truth that needs to be shared will them will arise from the questions they ask, the conversations you have with them, by life in general, but we won’t know what to speak or when to speak if we do not first listen.

When we get the opportunity to speak truth into the situation we need to be conscious of the fact that the way we says things is just as important as what we say. There is nothing more frustrating to me than a person that sees me struggling with something (currently in the office we are implementing a new computer system so I’ve been observed struggling more often than usual lately) and have them step in and take the task from me and do it for me; as if to say, “move out of the way you are doing it wrong, I’ve got it figured out so let me do it for you”. I am much more appreciative of someone when they come alongside me and say, “do it like this, let me walk you through it so you can learn how to do it on your own”. It is the same when we share truth, it needs to come from a place of humility and desire to see the other person get it for themselves.

A second point that must be considered when we share truth with people is there will probably be a language barrier. I’m not talking about speaking English or Spanish, but a barrier between the “Christian church language” and those that have not grown up in church. BuzzFeed did a short video on this subject, it's pretty funny you can watch it here (warning-mild language): People Guess What Christian Phrases Mean. Just like trying to communicate with someone from a non-English speaking country, we will have a hard time getting details and fine points across the Church terms barrier. So we want to make sure we are speaking in a “language” they can understand.

Even though Paul is talking specifically about speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:9-11, I believe the principle of being understood for the benefit of others applies.

“9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be know what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.”

In order to effectively share the Gospel we must be understood by those whom we are sharing with. This is why we must constantly be in the Word and seeking the truth for ourselves, we cannot, and definitely should not, be sharing what we do not know.

To this end, Peter uses excerpts from the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16-21) and King David (verses 25-28 and 34), both parts of Scripture the men of Judea should have known, to explain the truth of what was going on that day. As Peter shares the truth, notice he is doing so with a purpose; he speaks truth leading to the point where he can introduce Jesus Christ.

Which conveniently leads me to the third thread of Evangelism; Introducing Jesus Christ. Peter has set the table so to speak and once it has been set through the listening to the men of Judea and the sharing of truth, he introduce them to Jesus Christ. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). As part of the introduction, he tells who Jesus is, and what Jesus is. In this case Peter used the terms Lord and Christ; introducing Him as Savior. Peter did this by using the term “Christ” which means Messiah in Hebrew. The people of Judea would have understood this and were looking for their Messiah, or savior and Peter tells them Jesus is whom they were seeking.

As we listen and live alongside those we are intending to share the Good News with we will learn how best to introduce Jesus to them. If your friend is weary they may need to be introduced to Jesus the One who is able to provide rest (Matthew 11:28) or if they are heartbroken they might need to know Jesus who is our Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3&4) or maybe they are lacking knowledge, they would need to be introduced to the the God who gives wisdom (James 1:5); the list will go on and on. But remember no matter how they are hurting or what they are seeking we all need to know Jesus Christ as Savior first and foremost (Matthew 1:21). Next week will see two more examples of how the three threads of Evangelism are woven together to draw people to Jesus Christ. I want to stress again, that this is not a magic formula and circumstances might not dictate the use of this exact pattern because we don’t know when and where people have encountered Jesus in their past. I want this to be a helpful guideline for those that are unsure of how to go about sharing the Hope they have within. If the idea of sharing the Gospel inspires cold sweets and fear of what to say, remember Luke 12:12.

"Don't take my word for it, be like the church at Berea, “[They] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11