We do not have a definition of Evangelism in the New Testament, but that should not disturb us; we don’t find a definition of love. We find one little word about faith that we might call a definition, but we find something better about Evangelism. We find it described in action in the second chapter of Acts which is really where it began. It began on the Day of Pentecost. Many people completely misunderstood the Day of Pentecost. They look at it as a time when a man preached a sermon; people spoke in tongues and they never related to the fact that it was really the beginning of Evangelism in the New Testament church and that the Holy Spirit came to Evangelize.
Many people have got the wrong idea about the Holy Spirit. They think He comes to fill, just to give a thrill. Something to talk about, something to exalt the ego and yet, He’s come to empower us to witness and to win people to Jesus Christ and wherever churches follow this pattern, God blesses and where the depart, fanaticism and foolishness enters and the church withers on the vine.
- New Testament Evangelism Is People . These are redeemed, spirit-filled people, witnessing of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s not just preachers, or deacons or those with the spiritual gift of Evangelism, but really the whole body of Christ should be involved in Evangelism. If you are a Christian, you ought to be involved in Evangelism. Notice in Acts chapter 1, there were 120 members of the church and they were in the upper room. In Acts 2, we read that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and were speaking the wonderful works of God. It was the WHOLE church, not just a part of the church. Evangelizing is people!
- New Testament Evangelism Is Presentation. It’s presentation of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter preached the sermon but the whole church was involved. Acts 2:14 says that when Peter stood, the eleven stood up with him, as if to say, “We’re with you in this message you’re preaching.” He preached on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus was Lord and Christ and the summary of the whole thing is in Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” The presented the Gospel of Christ. They stayed right there with the saving Gospel and if we stay with it, we’ll also see people won to Christ, but if we inject other things in, we don’t win the people to Christ. It has been proven many times.
- New Testament Evangelism Is Persuasion. Peter appealed to their hearts to receive the message. He says, “This Christ you’ve crucified, Gods made Him Lord and Christ, and they were pricked in their hearts.” This means that their hearts were laid open. They were convicted of their sins; they were broken hearted and no doubt many of them were weeping. And they said, “What shall we do?” And Peter replied, “Repent.” People must repent to be saved but they are not going to repent until they see they are sinners, lost and need Jesus. Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you because of the forgiveness of sins and you’re going to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
- New Testament Evangelism Is Profession. Where there is no profession, you really don’t have New Testament Evangelism. I have been told by people all my life that they won a person in the elevator, in the hall, or on the bus, but I have never seen anyone walk down the aisle from these. When you don’t see people professing Christ publicly – that is, taking a stand for the Lord publicly, you don’t have New Testament Evangelism. Notice verse 41 says, “They that heard it were baptized. And that same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls and they were baptized immediately.”
- New Testament Evangelism Is Preservation. New Testament Evangelism does not stop with people receiving Christ and people being baptized. After this, they are inducted into the University of Christ, which is the Church where they are taught and made a part of the fellowship. Evangelism is never completed until the Evangelized becomes an Evangelist. That is until the person who wins people, wins people. Notice in verse 42, it says, “Steadfastly, which means they persevered with all strength, in doing four things: “And they continued steadfastly in the
- apostles’ doctrine
- and fellowship,
- in the breaking of bread,
- and in prayers.”
In the Apostles Teaching. What did they teach those young converts? It says, “They”. Who are they? The three thousand that have just been saved and mentioned in verse 41. They taught them evangelism and they were to go out and win people to Jesus Christ. In Acts 4:4, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” If there were 5000 Men who believed, that would be at least 20,000 if you count men and women and children. In Acts chapter 6, there were so many people being saved that they stopped talking about additions; they talked about multiplications. Do you think that eleven or twelve people or just a hand full of people who claim to have the Spiritual Gift of Evangelism had won all those people to the Lord? No, not at all, they were all soul winning. It was a church wide affair.
- New Testament Evangelism is Productive. Acts 2:43, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”