Day 2 Airs June 4th Tuesday
Review what we mean by “Evangelism” and the Previous 5 things
evangelism. The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
The goal of evangelism is to participate in God’s work of ringing *salvation through *faith in Christ as enabled by the Holy Spirit. Traditionally, Reformed theologians see no contradiction between God’s *predestination of the elect and the necessity of sharing the gospel with unbelievers through *preaching, conversation and relationships. Reformed evangelism has historically emphasized God’s *sovereignty, the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit and the responsibility of God’s people to invite others to hear and respond to the call of the gospel. 4 2
Continue discussion of the Ten things we should know about Evangelism:
6. Evangelistic programs will kill evangelism.
We need to replace evangelistic programs with a culture of evangelism. Programs are to evangelism what sugar is to nutrition: a strict diet of evangelistic programs produces malnourished evangelism. So, we should feel a healthy unease with regard to evangelistic programs. We must use them strategically and in moderation, if at all.
7. Evangelism is designed for the church and the church is designed for evangelism.
A healthy church with a culture of evangelism is the key to great evangelism. Jesus did not forget the gospel when he built his church; in fact, a healthy church is meant to display the gospel. Think of the ways that the gathered church displays the gospel: we sing the gospel, we see the gospel in the sacraments, and we hear the gospel when we preach and pray. A healthy culture of evangelism does not aim at remaking the church for the sake of evangelism. Instead, we must highlight the way God designed the church to display and proclaim the gospel simply by being the church. 8. Evangelism is undergirded by love and unity. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). In that same discourse, he prayed that his disciples would be unified “so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20–21). Jesus says the love we have for one another in the church is evidence that we are truly converted. And when we are unified in the church, we show the world that Jesus is the Son of God. Love confirms our discipleship, and unity confirms Christ’s deity. What a powerful witness!
9. A culture of evangelism is strengthened by right practices and right attitudes.
We need to make sure that we see evangelism as a spiritual discipline. Just as we pray for our non-Christian friends, we must be intentional about sharing our faith with them. Furthermore, we must never assume the gospel in conversations with non-Christians lest we lose it. We need to view the gospel as the center of how we align our lives
to God as well as come to God in salvation.
10. Evangelism must be modeled.
One of the greatest needs in our churches today is for church leaders to boldly model what it means to be an ambassador of the gospel. Pastors and elders must lead the way in sharing their faith, teaching others how to be ambassadors for Christ, and calling their congregations to do the same.
For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com.
Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA.
If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them.
Phone: (208) 991-3526
E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.com
Podcast website: https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/
