Confrontational Evangelism

Christ Cleansing the Temple

The Lord’s mandate of the Great Commission is urgent and we mustn’t delay.  The Bible should be the standard for our evangelistic approach, and not some other means. Our goal is not to get men to like us but to preach the good news of the kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, call them to repentance, and ask them to turn to God. 

There are more examples in the Bible of Jesus and the apostles confronting people with Truth than of the friendly, indirect, long-range approach. In fact, we are hard-pressed to find any example where they did not confront people boldly and lovingly with the Truth, when they had the opportunity. Keeping silent about the gospel and delaying or neglecting direct evangelism is not taught in Scripture.  In fact, when the apostles were commanded not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they refused to remain silent, saying that they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard (Ac 4:20; 5:40-42).

It was only at Jesus’ trial before Herod that He refused to say anything at all. But He had already previously delivered a message to Herod that was very bold, regarding the Lord carrying out His mission fully without interference from Herod, who wanted to kill Him. (Lk 13:32).

There are those instances recorded in the gospels, in which people came to the Lord without much said to them beforehand on His part (e.g., the thief on the cross, Zachias, etc). But when He did address people with words, He confronted anything in their lives that was not of the Kingdom of God.

God is love and requires us to love our neighbor. Yet Jesus taught us that if a town or village does not welcome or receive us we are to shake the dust off our feet as we leave there, as a testimony against them (Mat. 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5). That is a loving response, since Jesus would never command us to do anything unloving.

We are first disciples of Christ and then business men, not the other way around. That means our obedience to Him, our love for Him, and our commitment to Him take priority over any business transaction or opportunity to make money. Even our businesses must have as a primary goal of reaching the lost with the Gospel. If you have a price at which you can be bought, the enemy will surely pay it.

We should treat a customer or prospective client with love and respect, but we cannot treat them differently than anyone else or show favoritism because they are clients, or because we hope they will become one.

I ask you: Is friendship evangelism an enemy of soul winning, and is it actually friendship with the world?  In many cases, it can be. The Scriptures say, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (Jas 4:4).  Let us be careful that what we call evangelism is not hostility toward God.

For the Lord commanded the prophet Ezekiel to warn people boldly, so that they might turn from sin and be saved. He told Ezekiel that if he failed to warn them, then their blood would be on his hands (Ez 33:1-6).  This is very serious, so we must be careful not to conduct ourselves in such a way as to have men’s blood on our hands (Ac 20:36).

Every Plant the Father Has Not Planted Will Be Uprooted
The Lord Jesus always warned people boldly.  One such instance was when he said that the Pharisees worshiped God in vain, that they worshiped with their lips but their hearts were far from God, and they taught as doctrines the precepts of men.  He said that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the man but it is what comes out of the mouth that does so.

"Then the disciples came and said to Him, 'Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?'" (Mat 15:12)

Matthew Henry, the seventeenth-century, English holiness preacher and Bible commentator, commented regarding this passage:

“The disciples thought it strange that their Master should say that which He knew would give so much offense; He did not use to do so: surely, they think, if He had considered how provoking it would be, He would not have said it. But He knew what He said, and to whom He said it, and what would be the effect of it; and would teach us, that though in indifferent things we must be tender of giving offence, yet we must not, for fear of that, evade any truth or duty. Truth must be owned, and duty done; and if any be offended, it is his own fault; it is scandal, not given, but taken…if we please men with the concealment of truth, and the indulgence of their errors and corruptions, we are not the servants of Christ… The doom passed upon the Pharisees and their corrupt traditions; which comes in as a reason why Christ cared not though he offended them, and therefore why the disciples should not care; because they were a generation of men that hated to be reformed, and were marked out for destruction.”

But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Mat 15:13-14). The Greek for for "let them alone" is "aphiēmi," meaning "forsake, lay aside, leave, let alone, let be, let go, put away." The Lord instructed his disciples to leave the Pharisees alone, since they were blind guides.

Matthew Henry made the following comments about this response of Christ to His disciples:

“Christ bids his disciples let them alone. ‘Have no converse with them or concern for them; neither court their favour, nor dread their displeasure; care not though they be offended, they will take their course, and let them take the issue of it. They are wedded to their own fancies, and will have every thing their own way; let them alone. Seek not to please a generation of men that please not God (1Th_2:15), and will be pleased with nothing less than absolute dominion over your consciences. They are joined to idols, as Ephraim (Hos_4:17), the idols of their own fancy; let them alone, let them be filthy still,’ Rev_22:11. The case of those sinners is sad indeed, whom Christ orders his ministers to let alone…Christ rejects the wilfully ignorant who care not to be taught…If the Pharisees, who made void the law, be offended, let them be offended…”

I think these are keys for us to remember as we proclaim the truth to people. We must not evade any truth or duty for fear of giving offense to others. We must own the Truth and do our duty and if anyone is offended by it, that that is his own fault; if we please men by hiding the Truth and indulging their errors and corruptions, we are not the servants of Christ. Christ did not care that He offended the Pharisees, because of the doom passed upon them and their corrupt traditions; and therefore we as disciples should not care if we offend others by proclaiming the Truth. For we live in a generation of men that hate to be reformed, and are marked out for destruction.

Confrontational Language of the Gospel
There are many instances in Scripture where Jesus and His followers used confrontational language to address people’s sin. Here are a few such examples:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat 4:17b; 3:2)

"Repent and believe in the gospel." (Mar 1:15b)

"...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luk 13:3b)

"You hypocrites.” (Mat. 15:7; 22:18; 23:13,14,15,23,25,27,29; 24:51; Mark 7:6; Luke 12:56; 13:15)

"You serpents, you brood of vipers…” (Mat. 12:34; 23:33; Luke 3:7;)

"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Mat 23:24; cf. Mat. 23:16)

"You blind fools!" (Mt 23:17a)

"You blind men..." (Mt 23:19)

"You are like whitewashed tombs…” (Mat 23:27)

"You are like concealed tombs…” (Luk 11:44)

“Woe to you…” (Mat. 11:21; 23:13,14,15,16,23,25,27,29; Luke 6:24,25,26; 10:13; 11:42,43,44,46,47,52).

“But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.” (Joh 5:42)

"You are of your father the devil…”  (Joh 8:44a)

"...The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." (Mt 21:43, NIV)

"How will you escape being condemned to hell?" (Mt 23:33b)

“You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” (Act 13:10)

"You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it." (Act 7:51-53)

Here are some more examples of confrontational evangelism in Scripture:

Mt 4:17; 7:21-27; 8:19-22; 9:4-6; 10:7-8,14-20,22-27; 11:21-24; 15:3-13; 16:1-4; 17:15-17; 19:21-22; 21:12-16,23-45; 22:17-46; 23:13-39; Mk 7:6-13; 10:17-23; 11:15-18,28-33; 12:1-40; Lk 4:16-30; 5:21-26; 6:1-11; 7:39-47; 9:2,6,38-43,57-62; 10:10-16,25-37; 11:15-26,29-54; 12:1-12,49-59; 13:1-5,14-17,23-33; 14:1-35; 16:14-31; 18:18-25; 19:39-48; 20:1-19,21-47; Jn 2:18-21; Jn 3:1-21; 4:7-26; 5:16-47; 6:25-59; 7:4-8,15-38; 8:13-59; 9:35-41; 10:1-42; 12:34-36,42-50; 18:4-9,19-23,33-37; 19:10-11; Ac 2:14-41; 3:12-26; 4:1-20; 5:25-33; 7:2-60; 8:4-6; 13:6-12,15-50; 14:1-3; 22:1-22; 23:1-10; 24:10-21,24-26; 26:1-29; 28:23-29.

I encourage you to read through all the Scripture passages cited here, and see for yourself how the Lord and His disciples confronted people with the gospel lovingly. It often resulted in persecution.  It often resulted in people rejecting the gospel. It often resulted in people being insulted, offended (Mt 13:57; 15:12), enraged, cut to the heart, and humiliated (Lk 13:17; Act 7:54). It often resulted in people blaspheming, gnashing their teeth, covering their ears, arguing, and saying things that contradict God’s Word (Ac 6:9; 7:54,57; 13:45).  It also resulted in people becoming hardened and disobedient, even speaking evil of the Way publicly (Mt 26:65; Ac 19:19). But it also resulted in thousands of people, who were appointed to eternal life, putting their faith in Jesus Christ (Ac 2:41; 4:4; 13:48). And it resulted in the Word of the Lord reaching many people groups (Ac 2:9) and spreading throughout entire regions of the world (Ac 13:49; Rom 15:19,23).  That is what the Lord wants, so let us be obedient to Him.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB. Christ Cleansing the Temple, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1875

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Rescue Souls!, Persecuted or Popular?, Give Me Children or I'll Die!, Here I Am, Send Me, Life is Short. Eternity is Not, Compassion for the Lost (poem), Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, The Rise of Antichrists, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Give Me Children or I'll Die!

Today I want to talk to you about the kind of attitude and prayer that touches the heart of God and moves His mighty hand to save.

In the book of Genesis, we find that while Jacob's wife Leah bore him many children, his wife Rachel, whom he loved, bore him no children.  For she was barren. But she was not content with staying that way! "Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or else I die!'" (Gen 30:1)

The Lord spoke to me through Rachel’s prayer, “Give me children or I’ll die!”  He did give her Joseph, who was the most important of all Jacob’s children in that he became a great ruler and saved the whole family in famine.

"Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, 'God has taken away my reproach.' She named him Joseph, saying, 'May the LORD give me another son.'" (Gen 30:22-24)

Again the Lord answered her prayer and gave her another son, Benjamin, whom she died giving birth to (son of my trouble), yet who was so dear to both Joseph and Jacob (son of my right hand).  Although she only had two children, she gave everything, including her own life, so that they may have life. 

The Lord Jesus Christ
This is what Jesus did.  He said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (Joh 15:13).  And He willingly laid down His life on the cross, taking the punishment in our place, so that you and I could be forgiven, receiving the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven, if we repent and believe in Him.

And the Holy Spirit spoke of Him through the prophet Isaiah saying, “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” (Isa 53:10).

He did sacrifice Himself as an offering to God for our sins, and now He is able to see and have a personal relationship with His millions of children.

He taught us to live like He did, saying, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat 16:25)

The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul also had the same attitude in that he considered his life worth nothing, so that He might preach the gospel of God’s saving grace.  "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” (Act 20:24).  He said, “But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1Co 9:15-16).  And he said, “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.” (1Co 9:22)

We know that the Lord used the apostle Paul mightily.  He could say,

"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” (Act 20:26)

Paul did not only preach to a few people, he preached to everyone he could.

"Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:4-6).

"If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Colossians 1:23).

The Apostles Peter and John
Likewise, the apostles Peter and John had the same kind of attitude.  They preached the gospel, no matter what the cost, even when they were threatened.

“And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;” (Act 4:18-21)

Since they continued to preach in Jesus’ Name, they were put in jail, but that did not stop them either.

“They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, ‘Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.’ Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach…” (Act 5:18-21a)

“When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'” (Act 5:27-29)

Not only did the Jews persecute them, but also King Herod, who had James put to death by the sword and wanted to please the Jews by doing the same to Peter.

“When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.” (Act 12:4-5)

And the Lord sent His angel to the prison during the night to release Peter, so that he miraculously escaped.  He continued to preach the gospel after that for the rest of his life. 

“But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.” (Act 12:24)

Modern Missionaries
Likewise, many modern missionaries, evangelists, and pastors have been inspired to do the same, laying down their lives for the gospel. A couple of examples are Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, who were killed by the Waodani (or Auca) Indians of Ecuador that they so lovingly went there to reach.  But in the 50 years that have passed since that time, the Lord has used their sacrifice to bring about the reconciliation and transformation of the tribe. 

For example, one of those Indians, who took part in the now infamous 1956 attack on the five missionaries during Operation Auca, is Mincaye Enquedi. He was one of the killers during the attack, and is now a preacher and church elder.  This took place, because Jim Elliot's wife, Elisabeth, and the other missionary wives did not hate those who killed their husbands.  Instead they went back to those same people and evangelized them. (You can see the interview of Mincaye and Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint here).

During Jim Elliot's lifetime he would say, "Only one life, twill soon be past.  Only what's done for Christ will last."  Certainly the work that he and his fellow missionaries did for Christ in Ecuador has made a lasting impact with eternal value.  This story has inspired thousands to serve Christ.

Putting it All Together
Therefore, we have several, great examples from Scripture, as well as modern history, of the kind of attitude about souls that pleases the Lord.  Rachel exemplified that in her desperate plea, “Give me children or I’ll die!”  And she really did die giving birth to her second child.

The first child she had was Joseph, and as a type of Christ, he brought salvation to the Jews.  So while she may not have had many children like her sister Leah, the one son made a huge impact that has been remembered for thousands of years. 

Our Lord Jesus was the greatest example, because nobody had any greater love than He did.  He laid down His life for us on the cross, although He had no sin.  And now He has many children. 

The apostles Peter, John, and Paul followed in Jesus’ steps, by preaching the gospel at all costs, so that they could bring more souls to Jesus.  People who have this attitude pray prayers like, “Give me spiritual children or I’ll die!” and “Give me souls for Christ or I’ll die!”  Is that your heart's cry to God?  Is that your prayer and your desperate attitude?  If so, I know the Lord will be pleased and will answer your prayer. 

As you are faithful to preach to others, whom the Lord puts in your path, even if you don’t lead thousands to Christ, you will know that you have been obedient to God.  And even if only one comes to Christ, he could be a chosen instrument of God like the apostle Paul that could reach untold thousands with the gospel that would otherwise have never heard.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "One Solitary Life" paintings © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Compassion for the Lost (poem), Be a Star for Jesus, Fishers of Men - the 419 series, International Impact of Pentecost, Life Transformation Groups, Multiplication, and the other posts available through the Home Page of this blog.  If you would like to become a disciple who multiplies disciples, please prayerfully consider enrolling in Doulos Training School, our international, distance education ministry. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Fishers of Men - the 419 series

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, Jacopo Bassano, 1545

For all who are called to follow Jesus and become fishers of men, these are words of encouragement and strength. It’s a series of 4:19 verses from the Bible that I call the 419 series or "FM419" (Fishers of Men 4:19).

People Living in Darkness

The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. (Pro 4:19)

The Lord loves those wicked people living in darkness and does not want them to perish. 

Becoming Fishers of Men

He calls His disciples to follow Him.  And all who obey the call, He will make fishers of men.  And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Mat 4:19)

Unfruitful Hearers

"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mar 4:18-19)

The fishers of men cast the gospel net to bring men into the kingdom of God.  But they are also sowers who sow seeds.  Yet sometimes those seeds are sown among thorns, and those who hear the Word are unfruitful.  They allow the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word. 

Labor Until Christ is Formed

The fishers of men labor to see Christ formed in those who come to Him.  But often they do not continue to grow in the Lord.  They sometimes fall backward. This is what happened to the Galatians.  After they came to Christ by grace through faith, preachers led them astray.  These preachers told them they would not be justified by God, unless they did the works of the Law.  Paul wrote to the Galatians, “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal 4:19).  He felt that he must labor once again for them like little children until Christ was formed in them. 

If you’re a fisher of men and those you care for have gone backwards, don’t give up on them or become discouraged.  Continue to labor to see Christ formed in them. 

The Time of the Lord’s Favor

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." (Luk 4:18-19)

Now is the day of salvation.  Now is the acceptable time to come to Christ.  Later will come the day of vengeance of our God, but now is the time of God’s favor.  The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus and anointed Him to preach the gospel to the poor, release captives, give sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free.  His disciples are to walk as Jesus did, and do even greater things.  We must work while it is yet day, for the night comes when no man can work.

Prophetic Evangelism

When Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, He asked her to go call her husband. When she said she had no husband, He validated her answer and said that she had previously had five husbands. The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. (Joh 4:19)

In sharing the gospel with people, we need the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit upon us.  We need the gifts of the Spirit in operation, so that we can demonstrate the power of the Spirit, confirming our message.  Just as Jesus told this woman everything she had ever done, the Spirit of Prophecy wants to be powerfully involved in our evangelism.

Obey God Rather Than Men

But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; (Act 4:19)

Peter and John had been preaching, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12).  And the religious leaders of their city tried to stop them.  They were told to preach no more in Jesus name. 

The enemy hates it when we preach the message of salvation only in Jesus name.  He will try to stop us, and even use religious leaders to do so.  But we cannot fear men.  We must obey God rather than men, just as the apostles did.

Without Being Weakened in Faith

God had promised Abraham that He would become the father of many nations, and that his descendants would outnumber the sands of the seashore.  Even though Abraham was elderly and his body was as good as dead with respect to having children, his faith was not weakened. 

“Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb;” (Rom 4:19)

In hope against hope he believed.  With respect to God’s promise to him, he did not waiver in unbelief.  Rather he grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully assured that God was able to perform what He promised.

The fishers of men, who are following Jesus, also desire to have many spiritual children.  And this is the promise of God to them.  They are children of Abraham by faith and the same promise given to him applies to them also.  They are called to do greater works than Jesus Himself (Jn 14:12).

Fishers of men are often met with what seem to be little results.  They sow seeds but do not see the harvest.  Very few accept their message.  Yet they mustn’t waiver in unbelief.  They must not despise the day of small things.  Instead they need to give glory to God with their mouths, as well as their actions, and believe that God is able to perform what He promised.

Power of God

Paul told the Corinthians, “But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.” (1Co 4:19-20).

After Paul had laid a foundation in Corinth, other men came along, who were critical of Paul.  They were polished speakers and criticized Paul.  They won the hearts of people and drew a following among the Corinthians.  But Paul said that he would come and find out what power these arrogant preachers really had.  He knew that the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 

There will be arrogant talkers today who criticize the fishers of men, but have no power to back up their talk.  We mustn’t allow them to discourage us.  The fishers of men today must not simply be talkers, but demonstrate the power of the Spirit.

Divine Provision

Another obstacle to the work of the gospel is provision.  The fishers of men have needs and so do their families.  They need to trust God every day to supply all their needs.  The promise of God to them is this: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phi 4:19)

The Father is rich, and He is able to supply all our needs as we go about spreading the gospel. 

Entrust Your Soul to a Faithful Creator

The work of the gospel is not easy.  There are many trials and hardships.  Peter knew this first hand.  When we suffer for the sake of the gospel, that’s the will of God.  “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1Pe 4:19).  Don’t quit, but commit your soul to God and keep fishing for men.  Keep sowing seeds, and making disciples.

Our Reason for Loving

“We love, because He first loved us.” (1Jo 4:19).  Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners.  He laid down His life for us.  And all those who follow Him should love others with that same kind of love.  We love others, including lost sinners, because He first loved us. This is always the heart of why we fish for men.

I hope that this "FM419" series has been an encouragement to you in your labor for the Lord.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1Co 15:58)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Photograph of painting in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA by Alexander R. Pruss. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, Jacopo Bassano, 1545

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend Give Me Children or I'll Die!,  Rescue Souls!, and Here I Am, Send Me. You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Being a Witness for Christ

Often times you hear people use the term "soul winner." First, I don't use that term, since Jesus never used it. The term implies that one person can actually convert another into a Christian.

I think (as Paul said) we can plant and water, but God gives the increase (1 Cor 3:6). We can share the gospel, but we need to leave the results to God. It's the work of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners and bring them to a place of repentance, and we cannot do that. We should never think it is our responsibility whether the person gives their life to Jesus or not. If we have shared the gospel with the person, then we have been obedient, even if they reject Christ!

Being a witness for Jesus
Now that I have clarified that, let me use another expression that is more compatible with Scripture than soul winner. Every disciple of Christ is supposed to be a witness who is making disciples. That includes sharing Jesus with people. Every disciple should do this and can do this with the Lord's help. Even if the disciple does not own a Bible or know how to read, he or she can testify to the glory of God with his words and actions about how Jesus has changed his life. And if he or she gives a witness for Christ under the power of the Holy Spirit, this can have a powerful impact on those who hear it.

Right before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:8). This is still His plan today that his disciples be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses both where they live and even to the remotest parts of the earth.

The Greek word in Scripture that we translate as “witness” is martus. The same word can also be translated martyr or record. So when we are a witness for Christ, we are also martyrs, because we must die to ourselves -- our own desires, preferences and plans -- so that we can do the Master’s bidding. We testify of what the Lord has done in our lives and what we say goes on record for others to hear and understand.

On the other hand, when the Lord ascended on high, he gave gifts to men. He gave five gifts to the church, which are apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists (Eph 4:11-13). These gifts are given to equip the Body of Christ and prepare God's people for works of service. God has works for every disciple to do, and these gifts will prepare the people to do those works for the Lord. So God specifically calls certain people to be these gifts -- this is who he has made them to be.

Some are evangelists. That word "evangelist" comes from the Greek "euaggelistes". It comes from the word for the “gospel,” which in Greek is "euaggelion" -- "eu" meaning good and "angelion" meaning news or message. An evangelist is one who proclaims the good news to others, a preacher of the gospel. Not everyone is called to be a preacher of the gospel. An evangelist also equips people for works of service, usually equipping them to share Jesus with others. An example of an evangelist is Philip of Caesarea (Acts 21:8).

Here are some biblical examples of people sharing Jesus with others and being a witness, even though they were not necessarily evangelists:

The man delivered from a legion of demons
Jesus cast out many demons out of one man who lived near the lake in the region of the Gersasenes. Afterward, the man was clothed and in his right mind once again. Then the time came for Jesus to leave that area. “As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. And He did not let him, but He said to him, ‘Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.” (Mar 5:18-20)

You see how that man shared Jesus with the people he knew? This is what God wants each of us to do.

The woman at the well
Jesus met a woman at a well one time. In their discussion, he asked her to go call her husband. She said she had no husband, and Jesus told her that was correct, because she previously had five husbands, and the man she was currently with was not her husband. “So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, ‘Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?’” (Joh 4:28-29)

“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.’” (Joh 4:39-42)

Again, this woman shared Jesus with the people in her life and it impacted them in a great way. They later came to know Jesus personally as a result of her bearing witness.

Man healed of leprosy
During Jesus earthly ministry, he always ordered people not to tell others that He was the Christ, because the time had not yet come for that. But when He healed people, He would often tell them to go show themselves to the priest and make an offering to the Lord. He explained that this would be a testimony to the priest. “And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately the leprosy left him. And He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.” (Luk 5:13-15).

So even when people were told not to tell anyone but the priest, the news about Jesus spread. This shows the power of your testimony. When you share with one person, it spreads.

Now that Jesus has given Himself as a sacrifice on the cross and ascended into heaven, He wants those who know Him to tell others about Him without reservation. In other words, we are not under any orders to keep silent about the gospel. Can you see how effective your testimony can be at spreading the good news about Jesus, when you share Him with others? News about Him will keep spreading even farther!!

Commanded to Make Disciples
Every disciple is commanded to make disciples.  The Lord Jesus Christ, the one with all authority in heaven and on earth has commanded us to do so.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them [the Eleven apostles], saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20)

This was not the "great suggestion" but the Great Commission given by the holy Son of God.  First He commanded His eleven apostles to make disciples of all nations.  Secondly, He commanded them to teach their disciples to observe all that He commanded them -- the apostles -- to do. Therefore, one of the things their disciples were taught was that, just as the eleven apostles were commanded to make disciples, every disciple must also observe that command.  And as those disciples of the apostles made disciples, they taught their disciples likewise.  This has continued right on down to the present day, and as Jesus said, it will continue even to the end of the age.

That requires preaching the gospel, as Mark recorded that "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'" (Mar 16:15). You don't need to be a pastor to preach.  The Greek word for "preach" is kērusso, meaning "to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel): - preach, proclaim, publish."  You don't even need a building or a pulpit to preach.  You can herald the good news in buses, trains, planes, shopping malls and streets.  You can proclaim the good news to your neighbor, and tell the sinner he needs to repent.  The gospel can be published on tracts and blogs that you can give to people to read.  The main point is that we are all commanded to make disciples, therefore it is a sin to disobey the Lord's command to do so.

Putting it All Together
So we know that God calls some people to be evangelists and they go about preaching the gospel. This is one of the gifts Jesus has given, and not everyone is called to be an evangelist.

But every disciple should be sharing Jesus with the people in their lives. Do not fail to evangelize! Just like the woman at the well, the Gerasene man delivered from demons, and the leper that was cleansed, we must testify to people about the good things the Lord has done for us, how He has healed us and set us free from sin, as well as anything else He does for us as we go through life. When we do, it will touch the lives of the people with whom we share. The good news of Jesus Christ will spread even further, and many will come to know Jesus personally.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar.  I recommend Give Me Children or I'll Die!, Confrontational Evangelism, Rescue Souls!, and Compassion for the Lost (poem). You are invited to visit the Home page of this blog, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.