Sunday, June 28, 2015 pm
EVANGELISM 2015
The Church and Evangelism
a.
In our emphasis on evangelism, our focus has been toward the individual.
That is where teaching others is going to happen.
Every example of conversion in the New Testament involved
personal teaching in one form or another.
Consistently, statistics show that our greatest source of growth
is individuals being Christians and looking for opportunities to share
the word with others.
b.
Yet, the church has a
vital part in reaching the lost. By
its very nature and purpose it is interested in the saving of souls,
both locally and abroad.
The church depends upon teaching others for its survival.
Many churches today have lost their desire to reach the lost.
They have become complacent and in many instances are just
waiting to fade away.
c.
Churches grew in the
first century – As we read about congregations of Christ throughout the
Bible, it becomes clear that it has a part in evangelism.
While we may not understand all the details of what they did, we
know that they grew as a result of evangelism.
i.
Consider Jerusalem –
Acts 2 – began with some 3000 souls (Acts 2:41, 47).
Acts 4:4 says that the number of the men came to be about 5000,
so we see the church growing.
Acts 5:14 says believers were increasingly being added to the Lord, both
men and women.
ii.
Consider also that
wherever disciples went and taught the gospel, churches were
established.
For example: On Paul and Baranabas’s first missionary journey, after
initially teaching in cities when they return we read that they
“appointed elders in every church.” (Acts 14:23)
Example: Philip went to Caesarea (Acts 8:40), later we read there is a
church there (Acts 18:22) and Philip is still there.
iii.
Most of the New
Testament epistles were addresses to churches, indicating their
importance. Included in
these letters is their need to be proper examples within their
communities. Worship is to
be conducted in such a way that a visitor (unbeliever) is convinced or
convicted (1 Cor. 14:23-25).
iv.
1 Thess. 1:8 speaks of
how from them the word of the Lord sounded forth
v.
These churches would not
exist if it were not for evangelism.
d.
1 Tim. 3:15 – the church
is the “pillar and ground of truth.”
It is this passage that gives us authority for many of the things
we do concerning evangelism – Gospel meetings, correspondence courses,
classes - both public and
private, creating a bulletin, publishing or purchasing tracts and other
teaching materials to distribute, provide a website (and/or Facebook
page, etc.), have radio or television programs, write in newspapers,
etc. Notice that ALL of these
have to do with making the word of God available to a lost and dying
world.
e.
Clearly churches have a
part in reaching the lost.
But what is it?
a.
The byproduct of
Christians teaching others is the church will grow (as seen above).
Why? Because the
church IS the Christians that make up its membership.
Conversely, the church builds up the saints so that they can teach
others. The collective
responsibility of a church in this area is to support the preaching and
teaching of the word. That
is what they did in the first century.
b.
They built up the body
through teaching - Ephesians 4:11-16 – leaders build up the body so that
they will be firmly grounded.
Notice the emphasis was on soundness in doctrine.
Brethren were built up so that they were not easily deceived by
false teachers and teaching.
c.
They sent out preachers – Acts 11:22 – when Jerusalem heard that brethren in Antioch
had received the gospel, they sent forth Barnabas to preach at Antioch.
Acts 13:3, the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to preach
throughout the world.
IN Acts 15:3, to help clear up doctrinal error, the church at Antioch
sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (where the false teachers came from
(Ac 15:1-2). In so doing it
is determined that the church had nothing to do with sending those
teachers.
d.
They supported the
preaching of the gospel
– 1 Corinthians 9:14 – Paul notes that those who preach the gospel can
live by the gospel. For
personal reasons, while in Corinth, Paul did not take wages from them,
but he did receive wages from other congregations (2 Cor. 11:8-9).
An example of a church supporting Paul in a foreign field is
Phillip – Phil. 1:3-5, 4:14-18.
e.
There were located
preachers
– Paul stayed in Ephesus for at least 3 years (Acts 20:31)
He stayed in Corinth for 18 months (Acts 18:11).
NOTE: In our previous point, Paul could have been justly
supported by them.
Philip was in Caesarea for a number of years (cf. Acts 8:40, 21:8)
f.
They prayed for opportunities and those preaching the gospel
– Acts 13:3 – as the
church at Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas, they prayed
for them.
Colossians 4:2-4, “Continue
earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile
praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to
speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may
make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”
Ephesians 6:19, prayer for boldness
Luke 10:2, even Jesus told us to pray the Lord send out laborers.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 – pray for good political conditions to be able to
teach.
g.
What churches did NOT do –
1) They did not provide recreation, athletics, social activities and
social benevolent programs, etc.
There were no dramas or “praise teams” to attract visitors.
They were not using material attractions to “buy” members.
2)
In reaching the lost, they
maintained their independence and autonomy.
They did not create para-church organizations to do their work
(i.e. missionary societies, etc,).
Nor did they surrender their responsibilities by sending money to
another church to evangelize (i.e. sponsoring churches).
The church was spiritual and emphasized relationship with God.
h.
Christians, being good
citizens did engage in such activities, (Acts 2:44-45, 1 Cor. 11:34) but
there is no evidence they did so as the church.
And that accords with scripture.
One of the best ways YOU can create opportunities to reach the
lost is by helping your neighbors.
You can do that which the church is prohibited from doing.
As
the Lord’s church, we must be interested in reaching the lost by
building up the saved to teach them.
Are we?