As I have worked with churches and pastors over the past forty six years. I have found that there are some missing pieces in Evangelism.
Personal Evangelism – The first missing piece for so many churches and Christians is personal evangelism. It seems that many feel “That’s what we hired the pastor for.” The problem with that thinking is that the pastor is not a hired gun. Of course he should set an example for others to follow. But, the pastor does not know the same people you know. The most important word in personal evangelism is – personal. Each believer sharing what Christ has done for them. To do that effectively it is important to know the one you are sharing with. This leads to the second missing piece
Passion For Evangelism – If I know the lost one, it should make me passionate in my witnessing. I want those whom I know and care for to be with me in heaven. If I believe that Heaven is real, then I must also believe that Hell is real. Why? Jesus talked more about Hell than He did about Heaven.
He told us about the reality of the torment and the flames when He introduced us to the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. There is one truth that cannot be avoided in this passage. Once the rich man found that there would be no relief from his torment, he became passionate about making sure his brothers didn’t come there. This leads us to our third missing piece.
Priority of Evangelism – Evangelism became a priority for the rich man. There was urgency in his plea for Lazarus to go back to earth and warn his brothers. Is there urgency in your heart to reach those you know and come in contact with? If not, why not? If there is even the slightest possibility that your loved ones and neighbors might suffer for eternity in the flames of Hell, why would you not make it a priority to tell them of the path to Heaven? The next missing piece is…
Persistence in Evangelism – We should not be satisfied with one attempt to persuade the lost to trust in Jesus. Time and again in my ministry I would see people, accept the Lord only after I had planted, cultivate, watered, and fertilized the seed. Many times it was seed someone else had planted that sprouted and took root in the heart. Other times I planted and someone else gathered the harvest. Finally the last missing piece we will discuss here is the glue that holds it all together. It is the fuel that drives the engine.
Prayer for the Work of the Holy Spirit – Only the Holy Spirit can convict a person of his/her lostness. The seed can only sprout after the Lord of the Harvest has prepared it. Just as the rich man prayed for his brothers, we pray for those we come in contact with.
Prior to the 2015 Oklahoma State Evangelism Conference I attended the prayer vigil on Sunday night. My heart was moved in a marvelous way. After the vigil I stopped at a small restaurant on my way back to the hotel. As I sat eating the Lord spoke to my heart, “Talk to her.” I looked around and saw the young man who had prepared my meal, but no one else. Again the Lord said, “Talk to her.” As I turned from my table there was a young lady arranging potato chips in a rack. I dumped my trash in the bin and introduced myself to her. Her name was Laticia. I asked if I could talk with her for a moment. She agreed. About five minutes later she asked Christ to come into her heart.
I had prayed at the vigil, “Lord lead me to some ready soul.”
Don’t let these five pieces be missing from your life. Souls are in danger. We ALL must “do the work of the evangelist.”
Prior to the 2015 Oklahoma State Evangelism Conference I attended the prayer vigil on Sunday night. My heart was moved in a marvelous way. After the vigil I stopped at a small restaurant on my way back to the hotel. As I sat eating the Lord spoke to my heart, “Talk to her.” I looked around and saw the young man who had prepared my meal, but no one else. Again the Lord said, “Talk to her.” As I turned from my table there was a young lady arranging potato chips in a rack. I dumped my trash in the bin and introduced myself to her. Her name was Laticia. I asked if I could talk with her for a moment. She agreed. About five minutes later she asked Christ to come into her heart.
I had prayed at the vigil, “Lord lead me to some ready soul.”
Don’t let these five pieces be missing from your life. Souls are in danger. We ALL must “do the work of the evangelist.”
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