Introduction

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001? All of us who were alive and old enough to remember know exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard or saw that airplanes hit the World Trade Center towers in NYC and that the United State was under attack by an evil, foreign power. Since then there have been great measures to improve security. Two wars have been and continue to be fought in order to destroy the enemy. Yet, the result of all these efforts hasn't been peace. There is more divisions and hatred today than 15 years.

If we are serious about peace and reconciliation in the world, then we realize that it is going to be governments and walls and wars that will bring these things to pass. It is not going to be armies or air strikes, but the Church of Jesus Christ armed with the Gospel of peace that bring reconciliation to the world.

Eight years ago we crafted an 8-part vision for our church that stated what we would like our church to be in the area of evangelism.

A church that does not have a zeal for evangelism is a church that has lost its first love. The propagation of the Gospel is of the essence of the church. Therefore, it is our desire for our church that we be actively involved in introducing people around us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We envision a church where every member witnesses to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by how he or she lives, but also with his or her words. A Biblically informed, organized and mobilized evangelistic endeavor will be a constant ideal to grow in.

The task of evangelism is to bring all nations under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Mt. 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

The task is, then, to disciple the nations. Isn't the desire of the psalmist in Psalm 67?

I. Salvation to All the Nations

A. Notice that the psalmist asks the Lord to bless his people so that the nations will know of God's salvation, 1-2.

1. How would the nations know of the salvation of the Lord?

2. By God's people pointing to God as the source of all their blessings.

B. Notice that the bulk of the psalm is a prayer that all the nations will turn to the Lord, 3-5

1. This prayer is included in the prayer our Lord commanded us to pray: your kingdom come.

2. WLC 191 says that when we pray your kingdom come "we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world…"

C. The psalm ends with the blessing of the Lord upon his people because of the work of evangelizing the earth, 6-7.

D. Converting the nations seems to be such a big job! It is hard to know even where to start!

1. Well, the nations start at your house with your kids, next door with your neighbors, at work or school with your colleagues, with your extended family, there is no lack of opportunity.

2. However, we as a church are not very obedient in this area.

a. Two converts in 24 years.

1) It is good for the church to grow via children being born into it and by people who were already Christians joining it.

2) But it must also be reaching out those who are outside of Christ, who are condemned to eternity in hell.

b. This is not with the purpose of making you feel bad, though we should feel guilty of sinning in this area and repent and move on.

c. But to show that this must be an area of emphasis in our church.

d. The Ephesian church forgot her zeal for evangelism and the Lord gave her a severe warning.

Rev. 2:4-5 – Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

1) They had done everything else.

2) But this one thing they had forgotten: their zeal for the salvation of lost souls, their excitement to proclaim the gospel outside the walls of their church.

E. Where the nations are in regards to our church.

1. I did a little research to see where our mission fields are.

2. We have 12 cities and 5 counties regularly in attendance here.

a. Olympia – 45,514

b. Lacey – 39,250

c. Tumwater – 12,698

d. Tacoma – 197,181

e. Puyallup – 36,330

f. Centralia – 14,742

g. Chehalis – 7,057

h. Winlock – 1,166

i. Montesano – 3,312

j. Shelton – 8,442

k. Dupont – 9,266

l. Yelm – 7,636

3. These 12 cities together have a population of roughly 382,594 people.

4. That is really where the nations are for us primarily.

5. It would be great if some of us would sense a call from the Lord to go to foreign fields to do cross-cultural missions.

6. But it is equally great if we evangelize our neighbor, or classmate, or friend.

II. Stepping Back and Defining Evangelism

A. Making disciples in the context of the local church by introducing people to Christ and teaching them to follow Christ.

B. Rescuing people from certain and eternal damnation in the hand of an angry God by verbally confronting them with what the Scriptures say about sin and imploring them to turn away from their sins by faith in the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

C. Proclaiming the gospel to those that are around us.

1. The Greek word from which we get the English word evangelism is euangelionand it means to proclaim the good news.

2. So in order to proclaim the good news, one must know what the good news are.

1 Cor. 15:1-4 – Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….

a. Christ died for our sins – Christ died on behalf of our sins, to cover our sins.

b. If that is the case the good news include bad news as well.

1) The Law

2) Sin

3) Punishment

4) Redemption

III. Who Should Be Doing Evangelism?

A. Our Vision Statement says, "We envision a church where every member witnesses to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by how he or she lives, but also with his or her words."

B. Is that a biblical desire? Is everybody supposed to be involved in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ?

C. There is a currently a movement in Reformed circles that deny that it is the duty of every Christian to be evangelize, but I declare to you that the Bible teaches that every last one has met Jesus Christ is to propagate the good news.

"Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minister; indeed, it should be the main pursuit of every true believer." Spurgeon

1 Pt. 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim [shout out] the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1 Pt. 3:14-16 – But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always beready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Acts 8:1, 4 – Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles…. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

Acts 11:19-21 – Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

1. Proclaiming the good news was the first instinct in those who met Christ in the gospels.

a. The Samaritan woman left everything behind to go tell her village about Christ (the entire village was saved).

b. The man born blind in John 9 didn't know much, but what he knew he told others.

c. The Gedarene Demoniac, once he wasn't a demoniac anymore, he went to his town to tell everybody about Jesus (Mt. 8)

d. Often Jesus commanded them not to say anything to no avail.

e. Even in the book Acts, Peter and John heal a lame man in the temple and Luke tells us that nobody around him had any doubt about what Jesus had done for him (Acts 3)

2. You might say, "If Jesus had done something that amazing for me, I'd have no problem telling people about it."

3. Yet, Jesus has done something more wonderful for you; he saved you.

4. Jesus tells us that our love for one another will draw people to him and at the same time Paul says that people will come to Christ through the hearing of the gospel; thus, both must be present in everyone's life.

Jn. 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

IV. Why Are We So Afraid?

A. We are not convinced of the power of the Gospel.

Rom. 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

B. We don't really understand the seriousness of the human condition.

C. We think to highly of ourselves.

1. We are concerned about what other people will think of us.

2. We are concerned about making fools of ourselves.

D. We do not understand God's sovereignty.

1. God already chosen who is going to be save.

2 Tim. 2:10 – Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

2. God knows those who are his because he determined who they are.

3. God promised that those that are his, he will draw them

Jn. 6:44 – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

4. We forget that God is the one that does the saving.

a. We get scared that we might fail to save somebody.

b. We go on our own strength.

E. We do not want to get out of our comfort zone.

1. Once we confront somebody with the Gospel, our own lives become exposed.

2. Sometimes we prefer keeping our idols of the heart than to get rid of them and proclaim the gospel.

F. We don't know how (at least we think we don't).

V. Evangelism Jesus's Way.

A. In propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you will only two types of people: those that want to talk with and those who don't.

B. Our Lord Jesus shows us how to interact with both types.

1. The Rich Young Ruler

Mk. 10:17-22 – Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'" And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

a. The first thing you need to see here is that Jesus loved this man, 21a – so, whatever he does here is a demonstration of love.

b. Notice that Jesus did not allow anything to take the focus away from the gospel, 17-18.

1) The flattering words did not change his focus.

2) He immediately corrected some false assumptions the man was bringing with him.

a) Jesus is just a good man.

b) The man could do something to get eternal life.

c. He immediately used the law of God to help the man see he was a sinner and he continued doing so till the man realized that he couldn't do anything by himself to earn eternal life, 19-22.

d. This may look like a failure because the man didn't drop to his knees right then and there, but the seed of the gospel was planted. There was more hope for this man now then ever before.

e. Some people believe that people in our society no longer know what right and wrong, sin is, but the Bible teaches that they know and must use that innate knowledge of right and wrong to prick their hearts.

2. The Samaritan Woman – John 4:1-25

a. Jesus kept his composure even when the woman was making fun of him, 9.

b. He used whatever he knew about the woman to establish a point of contact with her: water and the labor of getting water, 10.

c. He used the law of God, 16-18.

d. He was flexible. When she tried to change the topic he rolled with the punches, but kept his focus on the gospel.

e. The law of God convicted her, and she and her entire village were saved, 39.

C. Summary of Jesus's method

1. There are no true atheists.

2. Don't be afraid, the gospel is the power OF GOD.

3. Love the people you witnessing to.

4. Do not allow false assumptions about God or self to go unchallenged.

5. Focus on the gospel even if the person you are witnessing to tries to change the subject or uses flattery of some sort.

6. Use the law of God.

7. Present the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation.

Conclusion

People of God, please remember that a church that does not have a zeal for evangelism is a church that has lost its first love. The propagation of the Gospel is of the essence of the church. Therefore, it is our desire for our church that we be actively involved in introducing people around us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We envision a church where every member witnesses to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by how he or she lives, but also with his or her words.

http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2016/09/evangelism-discipling-of-nations-ps-67.html