It's jokingly said that the average man's idea of a good sermon is one that goes over his head and hits his neighbor. By that standard I don't want to deliver a good sermon if I do I have failed God and wasted all of our time. I want to speak in the spirit with my mouth from my heart and hit between the eyes.

If I speak a little long please forgive me, God called me as a Sunday School teacher first and then as a preacher so I'm used to having an hour not 20 minutes.

Anyway today I want to talk about evangelism. Evangelism is the spreading of the Gospel. The word gospel comes from Anglo-Saxon Godspell meaning God's spell or God's story. So evangelism is the telling or sharing of God's story. Today I want to speak on the M's of Evangelism

Read Matthew 28:18-20

This passage of scripture is one of 4 known as the Great Commission. If you'd like to read the other 3, they can be found in Luke 24:46-49, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:7,8

Skipping the first few words, the first thing I want to look at is...

Jesus is our maker. In this passage, Jesus is the speaker. He is the author and finisher of our faith according to Hebrews 12:2 ("Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;") Without him there would be no Gospel, without him there would be no faith. All things were created through him but thankfully he loves us and has mercy on us.

We see here that Jesus is all powerful. He has it all and is willing to give the power to us as we need it. What as shame that the old battle cry - "Win the lost ant any cost" - has become - "Win the lost unless it costs". Why? Because we have forgotten the power of God. And what incredible power it is. It is the power to remove obstacles or to move mountains, the power to convict and to move men's souls, and the power to compel and to move men's hands and mouths.

Beyond that, it is the power of restoration. John 1:12 says "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name". It is promised power. According to Acts 1:8a, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…" And lastly it is heavenly power. As Luke records the words of Christ in his gospel, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

I took a course on evangelism a few months back - the final exam worried all of us. We had to go out and knock on doors. It was scary but Jesus said in John 16:33b "be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." If He overcame the worst the world could do, He can overcome my fears. And He did with all of us in that course, many lead souls to Christ that night. He also has the power to take the most botched words coming out of one mouth and bless them as they get heard by someone else.

Philips Brooks in Lectures on Preaching wrote: 

There is a power which lies at the center of all success in preaching, and whose influence reaches out to the circumference, and is essential everywhere. Without its presence we cannot imagine the most brilliant talents making a preacher of the Gospel… [but] where it is… present, it is wonderful how many deficiencies count for nothing… The power is the value of the human soul, felt by the preacher and inspiring all his work.

Adding to that a man named Bill Bright said, "Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy spirit, then leaving the results to God."

...Go…

Go is really a simple command. Don't wait for them to come to you; go to them. Go is translated from a Greek word poreuomai (por-yoo'-om-ahee) meaning go forth, go one's way. In other words, as you go - as you go about your lives or as part of your daily routine. Nothing out of the ordinary here; Jesus doesn't say go to a foreign land; He says go wherever you normally go in your day to day life.

Also notice this is a command not a suggestion. It isn't something we can do it is something we should do. It is an order from the Master to the servant and from the King to His foot soldiers. A cartoon I've seen shows a man with his feet propped up on his desk. He's kicked back and relaxed looking yapping on the phone and he says, "Boy I haven't done a thing since I discovered this new boss judges us by faith and not works." Funny as that may seem that is the attitude of many today. The great thing about Mormons and Jehovah witnesses is that they are eager to tell others about their religion because they are judged by their works. Whereas, we sit back and think well God's taken care of it all, I'll come to church on Sunday mornings since he saved my life but I don't want to do anything more than I have to.

According to legend, after Jesus ascended back to heaven all of the angels gathered around to welcome him home. They all talked for quite some time. Finally Gabriel asked, "Master, you suffered terribly down there. Do they know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice?"
   "No," said Jesus "Not yet. Only a handful in Palestine know"
   "Then what have you done to let everyone else know?" asked Gabriel
   "I've asked Peter, James, and John and a few others to spread the news. They will tell others who will tell others who will tell others until the message spreads to the ends of the earth."
   Trying not to doubt Jesus but still knowing the nature of man, Gabriel asks, "So what's plan B?"
   "I have no plan B," replied Christ. "There's no alternative strategy. I am counting on them"
2000 years later there's still no plan B. He's counting on you and me! Do you want to let down the one who died for you?

...ye…

Who is this ye? He was not addressing the 12 apostles, nor was he speaking just to the leaders. He was addressing all His followers, every believer. He has given this message to everyone that receives Him as Lord and Savior from that day forward. As A.T. Pierson puts it, "Witnessing is the whole work of the whole church for the whole age." We are all called but only a few answer. You know it breaks Christ's heart but He knew while he was alive that not every one would have the faith to face their fears or the courage to take a stand for their beliefs or the compassion to share the plan of salvation. In fact Luke 10:2 records Jesus saying, "...The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

In the Southern Baptist Convention there are over 40,000 churches. Last year 10,000 of these churches had 0 baptisms - that's 0 people coming to know God. I did not say that these churches didn't grow as members moved from one church to another but they had now new growth only grafts from one tree to another. Doing a little math here that's 10,000 preachers preaching at least 2 times a week or 1,040,000 messages. Figuring at 5 deacons per church, that's another 50,000 people - deacons not bearing fruit in their lives. Even just a mere 6 Sunday School teachers per church means that 60,000 teacher teaching 1 lesson per week taught 3,120,000 lessons without stirring the soul of a single person. 120,000 people "working" and not a single soul won. Exactly what are they working for - their own glory or the glory of God? 

All Christians are willing some are willing to work others are willing to let them. What group of willing will you be in?

continue to part 2