THE CALL FOR SPIRITUAL LABORERS
INTRODUCTION
Christ calls all His followers to go out and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19; Matthew 9:37-38) However, to effectively evangelize, we must first understand what evangelism is and what it isn’t. When one hears the word evangelism, they probably think of a door-to-door salesman-like person who goes everywhere telling people that they need Jesus and asking if they have accepted Him into their lives. One would probably imagine a street preacher yelling at passersby, holding up signs that read “heaven or hell? Jesus loves you, and/or do you know Jesus?” While yes, these are considered methods of evangelism, they miss the actual point of evangelism.
Evangelism isn’t a sales pitch to get people to believe in Jesus, but the urge to share the overwhelming love of Christ one has experienced. We all evangelize about something, whether it's sports, our favorite movie or TV show, or almost anything we're passionate about. It is essential to recognize the significance of prayer and the role of the Holy Spirit when sharing the gospel and the love of Christ with others. There are certain guarantees that the Lord offers when we seek to follow in His will.
Throughout the New and Old Testaments, we are introduced to stories and people who don’t conform to the fear of man but the fear of the Lord. These stories include popular ones like the story of the exodus with Moses. The story of Jonah being called to preach at the city of Ninevah, and the story of Paul and his undying, unwavering, unashamed faith in Christ. That even until certain persecution and death. He knew His ultimate reward was in heaven with Christ, and that the Trinity would equip him and other believers to speak on behalf of the Lord. Understanding the fact that the Lord will be there with them throughout thick and thin. Even when one might not know what to say or when to say certain things. One must learn to trust the Holy Spirit and let it guide their lives and their desire to evangelize.
I have learned a lot about evangelism through experience and research. I can say without a doubt that when one applies these “new” ways of evangelizing, they will experience a passion and desire to share the love of Christ like never before. I call these “new” methods because the church seems to have forgotten what evangelism was always meant to be and is unintentionally extinguishing wildfires in many souls.
DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF EVANGELISM
Evangelism is often thought of as a method of door-to-door knocking and street preaching to people about the gospel. While yes, that is a form of evangelism, it’s not the true meaning of it. In the book Wildfire by Ed Waken, he writes about ways to evangelize that aren’t your usual door-to-door or street preaching methods. However, to discuss those methods, one must first understand what evangelism truly is. Evangelism is not what most people think it is. It’s not a sales pitch to persuade someone to believe in Jesus, and it’s not an open invitation to debate anyone and everyone who disagrees. Simply put, evangelism is sharing the love of Christ through an authentic and relational way.
“When we think of evangelism in broad terms, all of us ‘evangelize’ others about our favorite restaurants, reality shows, shopping places, or sports teams. We naturally talk about topics that we are passionate about. The gospel is something every believer ought to be passionate about.” Waken is right, everyone evangelizes about many things, it’s just not about Christ. He claims that we should be just as eager to share the gospel with others as if it were anything else we had extreme love and passion for. The problem isn’t about sharing the gospel because we must. It’s about sharing the gospel because we have this fire in our souls that wants to spread the word. The whole purpose of evangelism isn’t to get one to convert in an instant, but to share the love of Christ that we have. It’s about loving others and wanting everyone to experience the same fire that we feel as Christians. Waken also writes, “We are 100% successful 100% of the time when we share the gospel.” He is once again right, it’s not about getting anyone to convert instantly, but about simply showing the love and truth of Christ and being passionate about Him that we share out of love. The Lord can and will use any amount of evangelism for the glory of His kingdom. Just because we may view our attempt as a failure because a person didn’t convert or pay much attention, doesn’t mean the Lord didn’t ordain that conversation to happen. (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12) He uses believers to plant seeds that He works and grows in others’ lives. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER AND PASSION
It is also important to pray and know the Lord has your back, and you don’t need to have all the answers or know what to say ahead of time, because the Lord will supply you with what to say by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Luke (Luke, like Mark, is widely considered an apostle due to his writings, was one of the 70 Jesus had sent out, and close relation to the 12 and Paul) writes in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth.” This indicates that all believers are empowered to evangelize. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:2-3, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” This verse supports the statement that all believers are equipped to share the gospel. The Lord gives His followers knowledge through His divine power. Christ supplies us with the right words and knowledge at the right time by the Holy Spirit in us. (Matthew 10:19-20)
Prayer and passion work simultaneously in the world of evangelism. Prayer is the way we Christians connect with Christ. Before one goes out to evangelize, they must seek the Lord in prayer. Not because we will be unsuccessful if we don’t, but because it is our way of surrendering our will to the Father’s. It’s one’s way of simply having a conversation with the Lord. We need to give up our will and way of doing things to the Lord. When we surrender out of love and passion for Christ, we will see that we are 100% successful 100% of the time. It is also important to remember that man’s idea of success and God’s idea of success are two different things. However, one cannot pray earnestly without passion. It is one’s passion for Christ that drives them to want to share the Gospel. Much like one’s passion for sports, TV shows, and movies.
The passion for Christ and His love is necessary for evangelism and connection to God through prayer. Without passion, prayer is not earnest, and without prayer, there is no passion.
ALL ARE EQUIPPED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY TRINITY
Christ calls all His followers to be disciple makers and to go everywhere to everyone, spreading the word. However, the modern-day church has become somewhat like a “fire extinguisher.” All believers are called to spread the wildfire within them, but not all believe or act on that calling. It’s not entirely their fault or the church’s, though it’s the result of many not understanding the promise God has given to all regarding evangelism. However, I personally believe that all church leaders should be biblically literate to understand the true meaning of scripture and not lead any astray or become fire extinguishers.
A big problem with the modern-day church in the West is the fact that there are too many illiterate church leaders. Many of which may be well-meaning and have bright intentions. However, due to their inaccuracy in interpreting scripture, they become fire extinguishers to those who have a bright wildfire inside them. The church could benefit extremely well by simply reminding all that they have the power to go and evangelize. It’s not strictly the pastor’s job or the evangelist's job. Christ calls all to go out and spread the Gospel to all nations. Even if one doesn’t believe in themselves to spread the word, it is important to remind them that it is not they who speak, but the Holy Spirit who speaks through them for the glory of God and His kingdom. Leaders are responsible for guiding and leading those to live more like Christ. However, when we start to forget the promises of God and become biblically illiterate, we lose sight of how to lead and become the very thing we don’t want to become. A fire extinguisher.
Many believe they are either not called or incapable of sharing the gospel. It didn’t always used to be like this. The early church leaders were well aware of their capabilities and the followers’ capabilities through the Holy Spirit. However, somewhere down the line, the church lost this idea that believers ARE capable of sharing the gospel, even if they don’t know much about scripture. When we take away the ability of the Holy Spirit to speak through the believers, we take away the ability to spread the gospel entirely. Due to this, many believe that they are incapable of sharing the Gospel. However, when examining what Scripture says about evangelism and the believer, it may shock many. For example, many are afraid of not having the right words or knowing when to speak when trying to evangelize. Yet, in passages like Matthew 10:16-20, Luke 21:12-15, and Mark 13:9-11 God encourages believers to speak, especially when they don’t fully know what to say or when to say it. He promises that He will provide the words in every situation through the Holy Trinity. Whether facing persecution like Paul or evangelizing to a passing traveler like Philip, God assures believers that He will equip them with the right words through the Holy Trinity, and their efforts will always be successful when they evangelize. In all the following scriptures, we see the Trinity working together and is with us when we evangelize. Mark 13:9; Luke 21:14-15; John 16:8; Acts 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Mark 1:17; 1 Corinthians 1:18. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work for the benefit of His kingdom.
It’s also important to understand that people’s idea of success often differs from God's. God isn’t asking believers to convert as many as possible but to plant as many seeds as possible. Believers do the planting through the Holy Spirit, and Christ works in those who receive the seed, reaping in His perfect timing. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). The Holy Spirit speaks on the believer's behalf and provides the right words to say according to the Lord’s will.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
I have learned a lot about evangelism through experience and research. I can say without a doubt that when one applies these “new” ways of evangelizing, they will experience a passion and desire to share the love of Christ like never before. I call these “new” methods because the church seems to have forgotten what evangelism was always meant to be and is unintentionally extinguishing wildfires in many souls.
When I look back and re-evaluate my once understanding of evangelism, many questions I once had about evangelism have been answered. I realize I had a great misunderstanding about what Scripture teaches and instructs about evangelism. I once thought not everyone was meant to evangelize, because I had the idea that not everyone had the gift of evangelism. I realize I was wrong and had a misunderstanding of that. Yes, there is a gift of evangelism, but it’s not what I thought. The true gift of evangelism is that certain people are evangelists, yet they aren’t the ones responsible for strictly sharing the gospel. The gift of the evangelist equips believers to be "evangelizers.” All believers are responsible for sharing the gospel. Christ tells us to make disciples of all nations. After reading what Ed Waken had written and portrayed through his life, I realized that everyone is called to evangelize. We aren’t supposed to know what to do or say; rather, we have faith that the spirit will guide us. This is one of the main takeaways I've had, and if I were to write all I have learned, I would be writing for ages. However, I can say that I have taken a lot away from not only this book, but this course as well. It has really opened my eyes to what evangelism truly is and how to be sensitive to the Spirit’s callings. It has also taught me how to lead and send others out to go evangelize. They don’t need to be trained or have a master’s in theology. We just need a heart for Jesus and the desire to start a wildfire everywhere we go.
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