EVANGELISM: DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES

DEFINITIONS OF EVANGELISM:

1918 ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOPS' DEFINITION OF EVANGELISM: “To evangelize is so to present Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men and women shall come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their Savior, and to serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church.”

JOHN STOTT'S DEFINITION OF EVANGELISM (1979): “The Nature of evangelism is the communication of the Gospel. The Purpose of evangelism is to give individuals & groups a valid opportunity to accept Jesus Christ. The Goal of evangelism is the persuading of men and women to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to serve Him in the fellowship of His Church.” 
P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4, P-5, P-6, P-7 EVANGELISM: 

P - 1, Prayer Evangelism, win the battle first in prayer & spiritual warfare, Matt. 12:29; Eph. 6:18-20.

P - 2, Presence Evangelism, being salt and light, Matt. 5:13-16.

P - 3, Proclamation Evangelism, proclaiming Gospel, Phil. 1:18; Mark 16:15.

P - 4, Persuasion Evangelism, persuading people for Christ, Acts 18:4; Acts 19:8-10; 2 Cor. 5:11. (Conversion)

P - 5, Power Evangelism, demonstrating God=s greater power over demons & Satan, Mark 16:17-18,20.

P - 6, Propagation Evangelism, continuous discipleship, evangelism and missions from disciple to

disciple, Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2. 

P - 7, Planting Church Evangelism, training new leaders & establishing new churches, Acts 14:21-23.

THE SPONTANEOUS EVANGELISM OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Evangelism in the New Testament tradition is the vocation of every believer.  Evangelism never seemed to be an "issue" in the New Testament. That is to say, one does not find apostolic urging, exhorting, scolding, planning and organizing for any evangelistic program.  In the apostolic church, evangelism was somehow "assumed", and it functioned without special techniques or special programs.  Evangelism spontaneously happened.  Issuing effortlessly from the community of believers as light from the sun, evangelism was authentic, spontaneous, continuous, and contagious. (Acts 2:46-47; Acts 6:7; Acts 16:5; Acts 9:31). 

--Evangelism was Jesus' first command, Mark 1:17.

--Evangelism was Jesus' last command, Acts 1:8.

--Evangelism was Jesus' Great Command / Commission, Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20,

Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:8.

John Wesley -- "You have only one business, and that is the salvation of souls".

PRINCIPLES OF WITNESSING & EVANGELISM:

1.  Witnessing is an act of telling about what we know, sharing our knowledge & experience, 1 John 1:1-3.

2.  Witnessing is an act of obedience, Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.

3.  Witnessing is an act of gratitude to God, 2 Cor. 5:14.

4.  Witnessing is an act of compassion.  We see perishing souls in sin, we have been delivered from that position, and so we tell that person the way of salvation, Rom. 9:1-3.

5.  Witnessing is a way of life.  Our lips and life must agree together.  Our lips ought to be silent if our life does not speak well of Jesus.  1 Thess. 1:7.

6.  Witnessing has to be done in the Holy Spirit, Acts 1:8, Luke 24:49.

7.  Witnessing is to the glory of Jesus Christ.  A witness has no glory in himself.  We are his witnesses for His glory, 1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 1:12.

WITNESSES/EVANGELISTS/MISSIONARIES MUST HAVE/BE:  (The 10 Cs of evang.)

1.   Compassion.  Matt. 9:36, Jesus had compassion on them (crowds).

2.   Conviction -- about sin, lostness of the unsaved.  1 Thess. 1:5, preaching with power and deep

conviction.

3.   Communication with God.  Mark 1:35, Jesus prayed often, alone, all night, etc.

4.   Conversant with the Word of God.  Luke 4:1-13, Jesus quoted the Word of God three times.

5.   Consecrated to the task.  1 Cor. 15:58, Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord...

6.   Consistent.  1 Peter 3:15, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone...

7.   Contact, make contact.  John 4, Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

8.   In Competition or spiritual warfare with the enemy.  Eph. 6:10-20.

9.   Courageous.  Joshua 1:6,7,9, Be strong and courageous...

10. Confident and full of faith in God.  Matt. 17:20, mustard seed faith will move mountains.

The Harvest of Evangelism: John 4:35, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields" indicates it is possible to be in the midst of an abundant crop and not know it.  John 4:35 is both a natural & spiritual law; you plant a seed, naturally, and under the proper conditions in a certain time you reap a harvest.  Dormancy is a God-created protective mechanism in seed which keeps it from sprouting under the wrong conditions.  So keep faithfully sowing, and in due time, when the conditions are right, there will be a harvest!  (In the West average 9 times of witness is required for conversion; in the East many more times is required.)

Matt. 9:36-38, The harvest is not reaped due to a labor shortage.   The harvest is reaped in direct proportion to the number of qualified laborers deployed in it.  And the key to laborers is prayer. 

Labor is the key to the harvest, and prayer is the key to labor.  So Pray.  Psa. 126:5-6.