If we are going to remain healthy and strong as the body of Christ, we should encourage and practice Biblical evangelism.
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11
The scripture tells us that God places the five-fold ministry gifts in our midst, so the body of Christ can grow to maturity. The people who function in various five-fold ministry gifts are called to do it Biblically with the purpose of ensuring each person is growing up in a healthy manner in God.
One of the five-fold ministry gifts is the gift of evangelism. While all of us have been called to reach people for Jesus and disciple individuals, God has also placed special people with this unique gifting. These individuals are not called to just draw a crowd and make people feel good about themselves. Some of the evangelists may not have a pulpit ministry, but they know their call in life is to reach the lost.
People who have the spiritual gift of evangelism are anointed and able to reach people effectively. They become the gateway for the unchurched and unsaved to come to church. Generally, Evangelists have certain characteristics that make them effective in reaching people.
Evangelists love people and are generally outgoing people. These individuals are not afraid of individuals who don’t look like them or act like them. They are comfortable going to uncommon places and sharing the love of Christ with others.
Some evangelists may not be deep or scholarly, but they know the very essentials that someone needs to know before they begin their walk with the Lord. Evangelists don’t overwhelm people with a lot of Bible knowledge or a to-do list. They keep things simple, as a result, they are non-intimidating. They don’t analyze things or try to figure out their next move. They are able to be led by the Spirit and allow the Lord to take the lead in reaching people.
In addition to bringing new people to the fold, they are also inspirational to the body of Christ. We can learn much from an evangelist. Maybe that is the reason God has assigned evangelists as one of the five-fold ministry gifts. The church needs to learn how to reach the lost.
Evangelists can have a conversation with someone without intruding too much or being overbearing. At the same time, they are ready when the conversation takes a turn and a door opens for spiritual matters. They know how to step into it without being pushy.
The longer we have been in church, the harder it is for us to reach those who know nothing about Jesus or the Bible. Over the years, our vocabulary changes, and we add a lot of Christianese to our conversations. This is something we need to be mindful of to make sure we can easily talk to someone without sounding super-spiritual.
We all need to Look around us and find people who are strong in evangelism. It would be helpful to share our desire with them and learn how they reach people. Watch these individuals and take note of how they do what they do.
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