Evangelism

 The work of an evangelist is crucial in the body of Christ. Though every believer can evangelize, there are those who are called to be evangelists.

The evangelism that ordinary believers do is to fulfill the command that Jesus gave us; to preach the gospel to all creatures baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Evangelists on the other hand are crafted from birth to carry out a specific assignment related to God’s kingdom.

Whether you are called to be an evangelist or you are a believer who considers doing evangelism, there are three things you need to know about the work of an evangelist.

The Work of an Evangelist

1. Lead People to Christ

Evangelists are gifted in leading people to Christ. While any believer can lead someone to Christ, evangelists have an easier time doing it than average believers.

For an evangelist, God takes them through a training that makes them good at winning souls. The main work of an evangelist is to lead people to Christ.

Each evangelist has his own specific way of leading people to Christ but all of them lead people to Christ. Some evangelists do their work through street preaching, others reach out on social media and others hold crusades. I have my social media account dedicated to my studies on Jesus and the work the Holy Spirit has me doing behind the scenes... I am also a server (literally lol) and I try to witness to everyone I can. I boldly and openly confess my faith and share Jesus with others. 

Mark 8:38

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

The Holy Spirit then reminds me of this verse whenever I get that feeling like I don't want to declare my faith, or deal with am unruly customer trying to lie about being 12 when they are like 65 trying to get a cheap meal... lol. Lying is SIN and sometimes I have to witness AGAINST others. That is its own calling lol. 

2. Declare the Oracles of God

While leading people to Christ is the main assignment of evangelists, a great part of their work involves declaring the good work of the Lord.

The salvation of men is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Among many other things that evangelists are called to do, they are required to declare the work that Jesus did on the cross.

3. Warn against Evil

The work of warning against evil was for the prophets until when Jesus came. In the Old Testament, we read of countless instances where God sent prophets to warn His people against worshipping other gods.

John the Baptist finalized the role of prophets warning God’s people against doing evil. We see John warning tax collectors not to collect more tax than what is stipulated.

The work of warning people against evil and of the coming judgment was given to evangelists. From the time of Christ until now, evangelists have been on the fore front warning people against doing evil and the judgment that will come on all.

Some evangelists are specialized in warning people against the punishment that awaits people who deny Jesus. These evangelists often have a good grasp of heaven and hell.

To them, they see people in terms of where they will spend their eternal life. No matter who you are, they will ask you where you are planning to spend your eternity.

Their approach seems hard and they can be uncomfortable to deal with but that is what God designed them to do.

The term evangelist is a very interesting word. We tend to think of it as somebody who goes out into the world and "preaches the gospel to the world," much as an apostle does. However, there is only one example in the Bible of an evangelist doing that? Philip did this, and many commentators believe that he later was an apostle. The general conclusion regarding an evangelist is that their evangelizing was to the church. One commentator says, "Except for Philip, called 'the evangelist', no other evangelist is shown in the Bible preaching to the public." The same commentator also says, "The evangelist preaching the gospel was within the church." The term evangelist begins in the Bible as a function (for example, Philip's preaching), but it ends as an office (for instance, Timothy's position). It began as a function of preaching to the public, but somehow, during the course of the first century, "evangelist" became the title of a man who was a "supervisor" over other ministers. So should an evangelist go to the world preaching the gospel? As we have seen, there is no definitive, biblical answer. Nevertheless, the evidence seems to indicate the answer should be, generally, "No," or "Not as a matter of course." 1 Corinthians 3:9-10 If God places us within an office in the church—as an elder or a deacon—it must be looked upon as a blessing that is a responsibility, not a reward! It is given for God's purposes. Paul even had his office as apostle because it was given to him. It is implied that all the powers to perform it were also given. He used them to lay the foundation. Everybody else is the same way. The important thing is that each one of us must use our gifts to build. Paul says, "Be careful how you build." The foundation that was laid is Jesus Christ. When we begin to expand on it, it consists of the apostles and the prophets as well—the things that they wrote and the examples that they set. Everybody is to build on the same foundation! God gives everybody the gifts to enable them to do so. To some, God gives gifts to be apostles; to others, He gives gifts to be an evangelist, pastor, teacher, or whatever. They are given, though, and every time God gives an office, He gives all that is needed for the person to fulfill that office—including overcoming sin. The Bible consistently teaches that an office is not a place from which to exercise power, but a position from which to exercise service. The authority is certainly there, since God gives it. He always gives the authority to go with the office, but having it means that the elder or deacon must also have the right perspective on how to use the office God has given him. The office is given, not earned. Hebrews 10:23-25 Stir up love means "to arouse to love." We have an obligation to do this because of both love and faith. We see it in two different contexts: In Hebrews 3:12-14, the subject is faith or belief. In Hebrews 10:23-25, the subject is love. In both cases, exhortation within our fellowship can increase either one or both of them. The writer says that we have to confess our hope. Confess means "to make it known, to reveal." We must make our hope known. Undoubtedly, he means the great hope of the resurrection of the dead, but it is probably not limited only to that hope but includes other hopes that we have. It is the accomplishment of these hopes that we are to exhort our brethren about: "Hang in there!" "Hold fast!" "Have you tried praying about that?" "Have you sought the advice or counsel of this person?" "Do you think it would help for you to do this or that thing?" "I had a problem like that one time." By doing this, we begin to pool our resources and experiences, and there is wisdom, God says, in a multitude of counselors. It cannot help but build people up, and our fellowship becomes stronger as we share one another's hopes and dreams. Hebrews 10:25 Exhorting one another - Exhort means "to aid, help, comfort, encourage, and beseech." In the Babylon of this world—with all its pulls and distractions to neglect our calling—every one of us needs exhortation to strive harder to stand. We live in what can best be described as a Laodicean environment, just as did the Hebrews to whom Paul wrote. Many today challenge the foundation laid by God through His leaders, and sadly, many call into question even the commandments of God. In such an atmosphere of doubt and distrust, we all need exhortation to be faithful in all we have learned. 1 John 2:27 Clearly, he is not saying that these people had no need for someone to teach them the difference between truth and error. They did need it! That is why John wrote his epistle! What they did not need was for anyone to teach them the church's basic doctrines, nor did they need human logic or philosophy to help them understand God's nature. John had known, seen, heard, and touched Jesus Christ personally. Christ had taught him intensively for three-and-a-half years, and in turn, the aged apostle had taught them the same truth throughout his own ministry. The members of God's church had no need for any heretic to teach them. As true sons of God, they had received His Holy Spirit, which had opened their minds and led them into the truth (John 16:13). They had been thoroughly grounded in the truth regarding the nature of Christ and God and the very purpose of life itself. God's truth had not changed, so what need did they have to relearn it? In the rest of I John 2:27, John encourages them to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them and keep them faithful to what they had been taught from the beginning. Their original knowledge was true and no lie: "But as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." Do we need teachers? Of course! John's epistle is an excellent example of why teachers are needed in the church. When false doctrine threatened members of the true body of believers, John found it necessary to spell out to them the dangers in it, even though the brethren had been thoroughly grounded in the truth. To reassure them that their foundational beliefs were true, he felt he needed to explain the truth to them again. He also saw that they could use some encouragement to trust the Holy Spirit to lead them into the truth. This is exactly what a true minister of God is to do! The author of Hebrews instructs us to respect the ministry because they are given to us to protect us. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). Many New Testament examples show us our need for teachers. Philip's experience with the Ethiopian eunuch clearly illustrates how we need experienced and educated teachers to explain and expound the Word of God (Acts 8:26-38). As Philip approaches him, the eunuch is reading an Old Testament prophecy that foretold Christ's sufferings. When asked if he understands the passage, the eunuch has the humility to admit he needs help. He replies, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" (verse 31). Philip then explains to him how this prophecy was fulfilled in the suffering and death of Jesus of Nazareth. This results in the eunuch's baptism (verse 38). In dealing with the many problems in the Corinthian church, Paul had to send Timothy to refresh them in the truth that Paul had preached. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (I Corinthians 4:16-17) In his letters to Timothy, Paul instructs the young evangelist about various principles that he should teach the people. "These things command and teach.... Teach and exhort these things" (I Timothy 4:11; 6:2). In addition, the apostle tells him to train others to be teachers. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (II Timothy 2:2). Besides this, an elder must be "able to teach" (I Timothy 3:2). The very purpose of the ministry is to help in perfecting the saints (Ephesians 4:11-12, KJV). Throughout the New Testament, God continually emphasizes the need to provide spiritual food to the church. Jesus says that His servants will be providing "food in due season" to His people (Matthew 24:45). "Feed My sheep" is one of the last things Jesus tells Peter (John 21:17). Paul writes to Timothy, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (II Timothy 4:2). Strong's #3870: parakaleo (pronounced par-ak-al-eh'-o) from 3844 and 2564; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation):--beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort(-ation), intreat, pray. Thayer's Greek Lexicon: ́ parakaleō 1) to call to one' s side, call for, summon 2) to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc. 2a) to admonish, exhort 2b) to beg, entreat, beseech 2b1) to strive to appease by entreaty 2c) to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort 2c1) to receive consolation, be comforted 2d) to encourage, strengthen 2e) exhorting and comforting and encouraging 2f) to instruct, teach Part of Speech: verb Relation: from G3844 and G2564 Citing in TDNT: 5:773, 778 Usage: This word is used 108 times: Matthew 2:18: "and would not be comforted, because they are not." Matthew 5:4: "are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Matthew 8:5: "there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him," Matthew 8:31: "So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out," Matthew 8:34: "Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of" Matthew 14:36: "And besought him that they might only touch the hem" Matthew 18:29: "at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with" Matthew 18:32: "that debt, because thou desiredst me:" Matthew 26:53: "thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and" Mark 1:40: "a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him," Mark 5:10: "And he besought him much that he would not send them away" Mark 5:12: "all the devils besought him, saying, Send us" Mark 5:17: "And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts." Mark 5:18: "the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with" Mark 5:23: "And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death:" Mark 6:56: "in the streets, and besought him that they might touch" Mark 7:32: "one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon" Mark 8:22: "a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him." Luke 3:18: "many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people." Luke 7:4: "came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That" Luke 8:31: "And they besought him that he would not command them to go out" Luke 8:32: "the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them" Luke 8:41: "at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his" Luke 15:28: "therefore came his father out, and entreated him." Luke 16:25: "but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Acts 2:40: "words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this" Acts 8:31: "some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit" Acts 9:38: "unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come" Acts 11:23: "of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto" Acts 13:42: "synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them" Acts 14:22: "souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and" Acts 15:32: "prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many" Acts 16:9: "there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over" Acts 16:15: "and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me" Acts 16:39: "And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out" Acts 16:40: "when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed." Acts 19:31: "sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into" Acts 20:2: "those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came" Acts 20:12: "and were not a little comforted." Acts 21:12: "we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to" Acts 24:4: "that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou" Acts 25:2: "against Paul, and besought him," Acts 27:33: "the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat," Acts 27:34: "Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is" Acts 28:14: "Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven" Acts 28:20: "this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with" Romans 12:1: " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God," Romans 12:8: "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth," Romans 15:30: "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake," Romans 16:17: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and" Consider another factor. For whom is the Bible written? For whom is its message intended? Who does it feed? Certainly not the world! Christ Himself said His parables were given so they would not understand (Matthew 13:10-17)! Paul later wrote that the world cannot understand godly principles because they lack His Spirit (I Corinthians 2:6-16). Ultimately, all of mankind will be instructed from the words of the Bible, but each in his own order (I Corinthians 15:23). Regarding his work, the apostle Paul makes an interesting statement in Romans 1:15: He yearned to preach the gospel to already-converted people! He said this because in a major way the entire Bible is the gospel. The good news encompasses far more than the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ or His return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. The Bible's instruction is about God's whole purpose and way of life for mankind until God the Father comes and New Jerusalem is established on earth as His headquarters. Add to this Jesus' statement in John 8:31: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed," receiving and growing in truth from God's Word. This abiding or continuing in His Word requires that the disciple be continually fed, which, according to Ephesians 4:11-16, is why Christ gave the ministry as a gift to the church. The ministry's purpose is to help perfect the saints "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Preparing to Preach Effectively If any portion of Christ's ministry epitomizes His Work, it is the Sermon on the Mount, preached to His disciples and recorded in Matthew 5-7. The entire discourse expounds the attitudes we need as His disciples, our relationship with God, preparing for His Kingdom, our conduct and our witness for God by our conduct. Why these things? Because these areas make the preaching of the gospel to the world effective. Preaching the gospel is an outgrowth of the preparation of God's people from His Word. Without preparation, our witness by our lives and our preaching of the gospel would be no more effective than ancient Israel's. It would be like sending a ragtag sandlot team against professional athletes. Preparation, training and improvement never stop. By their very nature, the deep things of God require more time and attention than just preaching the gospel. Jesus spent three and a half years training His disciples. The central group was with Him night and day for concentrated instruction. In a statement immediately after Jesus' command to feed His sheep, John recalls, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25). Jesus' efforts, as He also did as the God of the Old Testament, were concentrated on His disciples, not the world. Those in the world will get their concentrated teaching in their order, as they are called. This explanation is necessary because of the current state of the church of God. At least three former WCG ministers claim to be the successors of Herbert W. Armstrong, or claim they are "reviving the Work of God." Has God chosen three men to do what one formerly did? Did He choose one? If so, which one? Doctrinally, the choice between them is moot. They essentially believe the same things. Did we not once believe that God chose Mr. Tkach? Did God make a mistake? Has He now changed His mind? If He did change His mind, which of these other men has He chosen? If God wanted to continue His Work as He did it under Mr. Armstrong, why did He not just allow him to continue living? Why did He not replace him with someone just like him? Why did He not choose one of these other men originally? I write this, not because it is wrong to leave the WCG to protect one's relationship with God, but because these men are actively proselytizing both the public and the WCG. Is this right in God's eyes? What has this state of affairs set up within the church? God-Appointed "Spheres of Accomplishment" Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding his authority over them: For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not extending ourselves beyond our sphere (thus not reaching you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment. (II Corinthians 10:12-16) By comparing this passage with what these three men are doing, we can see what is happening in the church of God. The first-century apostles divided the world into spheres, or areas, of responsibility, and did not encroach into another's sphere. In doing so, they avoided throwing the church into needless confusion about whom members should look for authority. We often hear people say, "I think I should go with So-and-so because he is doing this." Another says, "No, I think we should go with Mr. So-and-so because he believes this and is doing that." I Corinthians 1:12-13 says, "Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,' or ‘I am of Apollos,' or ‘I am of Cephas,' or ‘I am of Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" Division and confusion are the order of the day for those who are thinking about what to do with their spiritual lives. These men did not begin this trouble, but they are adding to it. Is God the author of confusion? Is God the author of what is going on? Today, these men are competing with each other for proselytes, primarily fallout from the WCG as it continues to slide back into the world. Should brothers of the church of God be competing like this? The content of one man's messages is such that only a member of the WCG or any who have left it would relate to it. Another man sent out over twelve hundred invitations to WCG members announcing he was starting his own church! It sounds like the fox is in the hen house! He claims to be following what Mr. Armstrong did, but I do not recall from his Autobiography that he ever did anything like that when he left the Church of God, Seventh Day! Although Mr. Armstrong's primary preparation for his ministry was in advertising, and he was a master of it, he did not solicit the membership of the Church of God, Seventh Day to gain a following so he could preach the gospel. Does the end justify the means simply because of the stress of the times? Have ethics flown out the window in the name of getting a following so one can preach the gospel? When David was "disfellowshipped" from Saul's court and sent fleeing for his life, did he try to steal the kingdom from Saul, reasoning that Saul was not doing a good job anyhow? We know better than that! The Bible gives no indication that David did anything overt or covert to attract people to him. Instead, I Chronicles 12:1 indicates people just came to him while he was a fugitive. Absalom's approach, entirely different, makes an insightful contrast (II Samuel 15:1-12, notice verse 11 especially). Ministry Censured Concerning the preaching of the gospel to the world, from this one man's perspective, no one at this time is qualified or sufficiently prepared to represent the great God of heaven and earth in a way that will really glorify Him. Just because we can preach is not sufficient reason. We have all left a church organization that has been in spiritual decline for a long time. Malachi, written during a similar period in Judah's history, has a powerful theme that applies to the end-time church. God charges the priests (ministry) with giving Him disrespectful service and despising His name (Malachi 1:6). The priests ask, "How?" God replies that they consider His altar contemptible, as their poor quality offerings plainly show (verse 7). God calls their actions evil! The altar represents the service they performed as ministers in behalf of God for the people, and the "food" is the Word of God. So bad is their attitude, the priests call their responsibility to offer up the best to God "a weariness" and sneer at it (verses 12-13)! In a modern context, too much time and effort are required to prepare meaty and true sermons. God makes clear where the ministry has fallen short. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law" (Malachi 2:7-8). This launches Him into details of a major social evil that results from a lackadaisical approach: marital problems and divorce. God's concern in Malachi is that His sheep are not being fed by a ministry careless in its duty to Him. In measuring ourselves among ourselves, we mistakenly reach the conclusion that, based on what we see in comparison to others who themselves are part of or have come out of the same declining organization, we are sufficient to do the job. Are we as well-prepared as the early first-century church? Hardly! I feel that the times we live in will require a similar measure of spirituality, faith, love, zeal, dedication and endurance to make a witness approved by Christ. We have not reached that level by a long shot. There is still much preparation to do. At this time we need to concentrate on the primary commission, to feed or prepare the flock so the real end-time witness can be made. Let Christ choose who will do the job without presuming that, just because we can preach, have the financial resources and get on the radio or television, we are it. It takes more than these to validate a true representative of God. Evangelism comes from the Greek words euaggelion — a good message, or gospel — and euaggelizo — to announce, declare, bring, or preach this good news. Notice the word “angel” tucked inside the word — an angel is a messenger. Those who practice evangelism are indeed delivering a message: One of extraordinarily good news, life-giving and transformative, with eternal ramifications.