Sunday, March 22, 2015 pm
EVANGELISM 2015
Characteristics of a
Personal Worker - 2
This year, we are (typically) devoting the 4th
Sunday evening of each month to a study of evangelism.
In these studies we hope to examine some motivations and
qualities that will help us and encourage us to seek the lost.
We also want to provide some practical tools to help us in this
as well. Last month we
examined some of the characteristics of a personal worker.
We noted that a personal worker is one who is: 1) Committed, 2)
Sure of his salvation, 3) Convicted, 4) Godly & pure, and 5) possessing
various qualities of a Christian such as love, concern, humility,
unselfishness and patience.
In our lesson tonight we want to notice some more characteristics
of the personal worker.
a.
Christians need hope in
their lives. As we have
noted in many occasions it is the anchor of our soul (Heb. 6:19).
Our hope of our eternal reward can be a quality that 1) We share
with others – that is they see us living with expectation –
2) Keeps us from quitting – Heb.
6:11-12.
b.
He is optimistic –
optimism is to put best possible light on a situation and to pursue with
a belief that it will happen. As
Christians, we need optimism (but not a blind optimism).
There are many words we use that demonstrate optimism –
assurance, confidence, faith, etc.
Phil. 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ…, Rom. 8:31, 37 – If God
is for us, who can be against us?
2 Cor. 9:8 - “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good
work.”
1 Cor. 13:7, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things – we approach every situation anticipating
the best. Of course it is
not a blind hope (or optimism), but it is there.
c.
In seeking to evangelize
we need this hope:
-
We believe there are still good and honest hearts out there
– Just as Jesus said the fields are white unto harvest, so we believe
they are out there.
Therefore we keep our eyes open and looking.
-
We believe that as one sows, so he will reap
– Gal. 6:9. We don’t grow
weary because we believe that in due season we will reap, if we don’t
give up.
-
He believe that we will be successful and win souls
– we have to believe it is possible!
d.
“For what is our
hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19,
NKJV)
a.
Disdain means to view
something as unworthy of your consideration.
To view something with contempt.
b.
Just as we need positive
attitudes for that which is good, I am convinced we need to be equally
repulsed with that which is evil.
It is no secret that this world is broken.
It is increasingly more amoral and anti-God.
And even more so, anti-Jehovah and anti-Jesus.
The Bible is being rejected more and more.
And our communities at all levels are affected by it.
How do we feel about such things?
Are we saddened? But
is our disdain for wickedness so great that we determine to do something
about it?
c.
Jude 22-23 – speaks of
rescuing those in sin. On some we have compassion, but on others we act
drastically “pulling them out of
the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Matt. 6:24 tells us we need to choose who we will serve.
You CANNOT serve God and mammon at the same time.
To the degree you are loyal to one, you need to show contempt for
the other.
d.
We need to despise Satan – he is the enemy and we need to act like it!
We need to view him as the enemy.
We need to fight him – Eph. 6:10-13 – put on the whole armor so
you withstand him.
Eph. 4:27 – give no place for the devil; James 4:7 – resist him and he
will flee from you.
e.
We need a hatred of sin and evil and the damage it does to our lives and
the lives of others.
Look at how much suffering sin causes.
Look at the moral bankruptcy around us.
Are we indignant with Him?
f.
Is our disdain for
ungodliness great enough that we will do something about it? We may not
be able to drastically change the world right now, but we can do what we
can do – one person at a time.
Every soul won to Christ is also a soul snatched out of the
clutches of Satan.
We shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation -
Phil. 2:15
a.
There are so many ways
prayer is important in evangelism.
In time we will discuss these in more detail.
Virtually every detailed study on evangelism addresses the
importance of prayer.
b.
Satan is a powerful
force. For one to be
successful we need God on our side to deal with him.
When it comes to planting the seed, we are reminded that it is
God that gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
He calls for us to pray (1 John 3:22, James 5:16).
c.
Concerning evangelism
there are many things we need to pray for
-
Pray for courage and boldness - Eph. 6:18-20, Acts
4:29-30, part of a longer prayer after being released for preaching in
Jerusalem.
-
Pray for wisdom
– Prov. 11:30, “The fruit
of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.”
James 1:5-6, if you lack wisdom ask of God, with faith.
Colossians 4:5-6 – walk in wisdom toward those who are outside –
seasoned speech – that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
-
Pray for opportunities – Colossians 4:2-3 - open doors.
2 Thess. 3:1, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be
glorified.
-
Pray for others
– Matt. 9:36-38 – pray for laborers to be sent out.
Paul frequently asked brethren to pray for him.
Again in 2 Thess. 3:1-2 Paul says, “pray for us…”
-
Pray for conditions to be right for us – 1 Tim. 2:1-4 calls for us to pray for our leaders so
that we have opportunities to teach.
Again, 2 Thess. 3:1-2 that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and that
they be delivered from unreasonable men, for not all have faith.
Romans 15:30-31 again Paul requests prayers to be delivered from those
in Judea who did not believe.
d.
I recommend any time you
set out to study with someone or do something related to evangelism that
you pray first and consider the above subtopics as needed.
a.
One of the points that
has been made as we address this subject is that you don’t need perfect
knowledge before you get started.
But you do need to know
enough of God’s word to have convictions and know where to start.
b.
As we continually
emphasize, you need to be able to give a defense for the hope in you.
1 Peter 3:15
c.
More than an in depth
knowledge, you need to know HOW to find answers.
We are trying to do some things to help us facilitate that
ability.
But nothing will replace dedication to learning God’s word for yourself.
2 Tim. 2:15.
Strive to be like Philip who when asked what Isaiah 53 was about by the
Eunuch, he was able to begin with that passage and teach Jesus. (Acts
8:31-35, cf. Isa. 53:7-8).
d.
Some recommend
committing certain passages to memory.
1 suggestion is determine to memorize 1 verse a week.
Think of this – to do so, in 1 year you will know 50 verses.
In 2 years you will know 100+ verses.
What could you do with that.
We will address that more in later studies this year.
e.
There are also resources
out there that you can familiarize yourself with – books that guide a
basic study of first principles.
Use it and learn it.
f.
Again let it be
emphasized, ignorance may be a legitimate hindrance at first, but how
long is that a valid excuse?????
a.
When all the things we
have discussed thus far are developed, you should have pretty good
confidence.
b.
Ephesians 3:12 says, “in
whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.”
Philippians 1:6 – Paul had confident that God would complete their good
work
Phil. 1:14,
“and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become
confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without
fear.”
1 John 3:21, If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward
God
1 John 5:14, confidence in our prayers.
c.
The bottom line is if
you are living the gospel it will be something you believe in.
If you believe in it, you will grow as a result of it.
And the more you grow, the more you will be willing to defend
your faith before others, because you will be confident with the gospel.
d.
Like a salesman, you
need to believe in your product – the gospel.
Cf. Romans 1:16.
a.
The final quality we
want to notice is busyness.
We actually discussed this in our morning lesson, and the same applies
here.
b.
1 Corinthians 15:58
speaks of us always abounding in the work of the Lord.
c.
Jesus is an example of
this. In John 9:4 He said, “I
must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is
coming when no one can work.”
Acts 10:38 describes Jesus saying “He
went about doing good.”
d.
Most fail in evangelism
because they are not working at it or working at it enough.
They allow everything else to stand in their way of this work.
Sometimes the works are good and even necessary works, but do we
reach a point where we do so much in other areas in an effort to avoid
doing what is needed in this area?
e.
We need to redeem the
time - Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,
redeeming the time.”
Time devoted to teaching others.
And
thus we can see some qualities that will help us be successful
evangelizing to others. What
about you? As you look at
your life, are there qualities we have discussed that you need to work
on? If so, let us resolve
that in a reasonable time we will be prepared for the defense of the
gospel Phil. 1:17.
Think about it.