Importance of Personal Evangelism
By Nick Bibile
Why is it that God wants us to witness?
God made a covenant in heaven.
Ps 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn
unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.
We need to go the very root. Before the earth was made. God in his own sovereign grace elected some to be saved.
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…
There is a universal call of the gospel to all creatures but only the elect will respond to the gospel and only the elect will be saved.
We don’t know who are the elect and we need to preach the gospel to all.
Ac
God chose Abraham so he and his seed would be a blessing.
Ge 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of
thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
God chose
Ex 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.
Let us see the big picture.
Let us presume that God did not elect anyone to be saved. If that is the case why is it that God gives the sunshine, rain, crops for food, shelter, jobs, money? If none are elect then we live on this earth for a short time with some physical blessings and we die and go to hell. Does that make sense?
Why is it that there are governments as the Lord said in his word that God has ordained earthly authorities on this earth.
Ro 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Do you know that for the sake of the elect of God, he gives, rain, sunshine, jobs, appoints presidents, prime ministers, kings, judges, policemen, provide roads, airplanes, boats, ships. Gives knowledge as all wisdom comes from God for the sake of the elect even computers, hi tech for the sake of the elect. All these things are given to the elect of God so we will use all what God has given for evangelism.
Yes God gives rain and sunshine for the just and unjust. For the unbelievers too. But we don’t know who are the elect among unbelievers God provides these things for us to enjoy these things for our pleasure? Unfortunately many Christians who do not realize they use what God has given for their pleasure for their selfish gains.
Why is it that God has spared nations without bringing
judgment and calamities even though people are living in disobedience to God. Look at our own nation. There is sexual immorality,
people living together, adultery, pornography, crime, abortion,
we can go on and on. We are like
Ac 18:9 Then spake the Lord to
Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but
speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I
have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Remember how the Lord appeared to Abraham and the Lord was
going to destroy
Ge
Then Abraham brought the number down to ten righteous.
Ge
Yes my friends, God is patient that none of his elect will perish but all will come to repentance.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God does not want even one if his elect to perish he will send his servants to them. Jesus said:
Lu 4:25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in
Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six
months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of
them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of
27 And many lepers
were in
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.
Jesus went all the way to
When Jesus came to Jericho, Zachchaeus the tax collector who was rich and cheated people from taxes climbed a sycamore tree so he can hid from Jesus, he was convicted when he heard the Lord is coming and being a short man he thought he can hide well on top of a tree from Jesus. But Jesus came directly and spoke to Zachchaeus and he could not resist the effectual calling of God, he became a new man. Jesus said:
Lu 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This
day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he
also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
If you say God saved me as he elected me before the foundation of the world, then you are called to be a witness.
Mt 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as
ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Because the Lord commanded. Mat 28:18-20
Power in Greek - exousia /ex·oo·see·ah absolute, unrestricted, jurisdiction (the power is not from the earthly court but from the Most Highest God)
Go ye – Follow the order.
Nations - ethnos /eth·nos Gentiles, heathens, pagans, unbelievers in different ethnic groups.
Baptize – they would be converted to Christ and make a public confession of their faith.
What to Evangelize?
The true gospel of Christ. People would be convicted of their sins. Their sins need to be exposed. Lost on their way to hell. God will send his wrath to all sinners. How they can flee the wrath of God by coming to Christ, trusting in him by faith. Salvation by grace without any works, merit. The result – Their nature will change, new person in Christ. Access to the Most Holy God, living God through Christ in prayer. Join a Christian fellowship, read and study God’s word.
Why many are not doing personal evangelism.
They are too busy in their earthly matters. No time to be obedient to the Great Commission. The number one priority is for the flesh.
They are following their flesh instead of Christ.
Matt
Do you realize the time is short
Ps 90:12 So teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
“Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)
Are you investing time for the
Mt 25:30 And cast
ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
Proverbs
They are not comfortable in witnessing.
Why? Afraid that people will make fun, afraid that people will not believe what they say, afraid that they will get a negative response, afraid of persecution, afraid that they will lose their friendship, relationships. Afraid of speaking.
Ex
11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
You will go through a lot of hardships when you witness as you are putting God’s priorities first and not your comforts. Also you are denying your flesh, coming against Satan and the world witnessing against popularity and against the will of the natural man.
2 Corinthians 4:6-15
We cannot witness of the Lord without the power of his spirit.
God gives us the boldness.
Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in
What if you do not witness and follow not his commandment of witnessing and making disciples?
1Co
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth
me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
1Jo 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments.
1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth
not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him.