Personal Evangelism

1. Personal Evangelism Matthew 28:18-20- “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” Mark 16:15,16- “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.” Go YE means GO ME. The great commission charges us with the responsibility of teaching all nations. There is only one gospel and it is a preached (proclaimed or spoken) gospel. That gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe (Rom. 1:16).

2. How Well Are We Doing? • How many members are active in personal evangelism? How many have studied the Bible with their neighbors or co-workers? How many have ever engaged in door to door canvassing? How many have ever taken the time to write a letter to all their relatives to teach them the truth? How many have ever set up a Bible class in their home for someone else to come and teach? How many have had continuing classes in their homes for the weak and babes in Christ? We place deacons and elders over everything from changing light bulbs to mowing the grass but how much emphasis do we place on continuing personal work in the local church? Much needed among us as Christians. Most brethren can use this study. Our main job is to carry the gospel to lost souls.

3. Concerned If Not Alarmed • We should all be concerned and alarmed about the lack of emphasis generally placed on getting the truth to our neighbors in the towns in which we live. Too few alien sinners are visiting services (in large part to not being invited). • Unless we can bring the sinner into contact with the gospel, we cannot teach him the way of salvation. If he will not come to the building to hear the gospel we are going to have to take the gospel to him. • If we do not follow the command to reach the lost and sow the seed and warn the wicked of his way, we will be held accountable and be lost on the day of judgment. This should frighten and alarm us to action. • Ezekiel 3:18- “when I say to the wicked you will surely die, and you give him not warning nor speak to warn him of his wicked way; to save his life, that wicked man will die in his sin, but his blood will I require of you.”

4. What Can We Do? • Come to grips with the reality that those we love are lost in sin and facing a devil’s hell. We cannot candy coat. I am afraid that too many Christians do not really think their neighbors are that bad (consequently they feel little urgency to help save their souls from the fires of hell). The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). All have sinned (Rom. 3:23) • Hell is a real place and many are heading there. Hell is the most unpleasant fact revealed in the Bible. It’s reality was taught most about by Jesus Himself. It is a place where the worm dies not and the fires are not quenched (Mk. 9:48). All who die in sin will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone forever (Rev. 20:10; 21:8). Your neighbor, friend and relative is lost and heading to hell. They are treasuring up for themselves “wrath in the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5). All those who do not know God and obey not the gospel shall suffer punishment even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord …” (2 Thess. 1:7-9). The very nature of sin requires spiritual death and the sinner must pay for his actions. Sin weakens (Rom. 5:6). As a sinner one is an enemy of God (Rom. 5:9). He can not be saved in such a state. What will you and I do about that?

5. Isn’t It Astounding? • Millions are in the world and lost forever without Christ. Mothers, fathers, children, spouses, neighbors, friends and citizens that we are aware of. • The lost need you to be aware of their need and become involved in personal evangelism today. Perhaps one of our greatest sins is failing to admit the fact of the need and diligently follow through with the God-given remedy. When it is done it works – historically the 40’s- 60’s. Stronger unapologetic preaching. The Truth will irritate and inflame some (that is not bad). Someone who does not care shows no response. Anger is a response. • We must all face our responsibility to the lost. Until we come to grips with lost state of others we will stay apathetic and inactive. If we are unconcerned how can we expect the sinner to be concerned? • The most astonishing fact is that those of us who have been delivered from sin and Satan and who know the joy of salvation as well as the destiny of the lost- can stay silent about the gospel of Jesus and be cold to the needs of others. Do you remember what it felt like to be lost? Others feel that way! Were you upset with truth?

6. Comfortable, Careless And Indifferent • As the fires of hell have been dimmed so have the fires of evangelism been snuffed out. In the church today we have become accustomed to our easy way of life and have grown comfortably careless toward those lost in sin. • In Acts 4:20- those who are told to be quiet about Jesus reply, “we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard…” • We must reignite that fire of evangelism in the hearts of every Christian. The enthusiasm and success of the first century occurred because of brethren who were on fire to teach others what they had learned about salvation in Christ. • Luke 10:30-37 teaches us about concern for those unfortunate. Which of us would not be a Samaritan when we see the physical needs of someone? How many of us are like the priest Levite who saw the need but failed to become personally involved when it comes to spiritual needs of the lost? Brethren, we are the priest and Levite when it comes to teaching the lost today! How sad!

7. How Do We Fix This? • Repent of our sin of negligence in these matters and resolve to accept personal responsibility to take the gospel to the lost. Paul said in 2 Tim. 2:2- “the things you have seen and been taught in me, the same commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This is God’s personal work program. EACH ONE TEACH ONE! Like the early Christian, those of us scattered about need to “go everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4). We cannot excuse ourselves from this task by passing it off on the preacher to do for us. We must take personal responsibility for teaching those we know who are lost. Start with family then next door and then your street, then your neighborhood, then the next neighborhood and then your town, state, nation and the world. Let the light of the gospel shine from you so brightly that others will wonder at your zeal and enthusiasm. Roll up your sleeves and WORK

8. Room For The Small Things • Set up a home study at your house. Get neighbors together to pray for our nation and society and study the Bible together. • Pray for the spread of the gospel. Ask for doors to be opened and then be ready to walk through those doors yourself. • Look for opportunities to do good for neighbors (Matt. 5:13-16). These things can lead to a class. • Live a life consistent with the gospel. • Quit focusing on how many you baptize and focus on how many are you teaching. We get discouraged and stop when we are rejected so much. I hate to think that our reason for not reaching someone was our unwillingness to work or our negative attitude about some scriptural method not working. • Make time to teach others. Do not let the affairs of this life smother your fire of evangelism. • Renew your zeal for taking the gospel to the lost. The fields are still white unto harvest. There is still good soil out there. • Remember the soul we save in taking the gospel to others may be our own (Ezek. 3:17-19).

9. Biblical Solution • Acts 5:42- “daily in the temple and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus.” • Acts 5:28- “you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” • Acts 4:24; 3:1- “…They spoke the Word of God with boldness…” • Acts 6:2,4- “…we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” • Acts 8:4- “…those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.” • Acts 20:20,27- “I kept back nothing that was profitable to you but have showed you and taught you publicly and from house to house…for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” • New Testament evangelism requires WORK, more preaching, more Bible studies, more gospel meetings, more debates (private and public). This work will not be done by increasing our attendance, giving more or reading more books about it. Conversions are the product of pointed preaching and teaching. Friendships may open doors, but they do not save souls from death. Confronting error and evil was at the heart of all successful New Testament teaching. People must know the path they are following is wrong. Conviction and Conversion is always personal and often painful. Leaving father and mother and the religion of our ancestors is hard and painful but it must be done in order to be saved. We must carry the gospel with love and compassion but not dull the edge of the Sword by failing to let people see where they are headed. THE SEED WORKS- Sowers need work!

10. Discouragements • See little response to our efforts—resulting in thoughts of “what’s the use- no one wants to hear the Bible anymore.” Weary in our well-doing we are tempted to agree and we try to convince ourselves that we can do all our personal work by just being a good example. This results in us growing silent and apathetic. Our pulpit preaching grows weak, we settle for a sweet and fluffy inoffensive gospel and settle to watch our numbers dwindle and wring our hands in despair at the lack of growth in the church. Statements like, we live in a different world, people are too busy, no one cares and the preacher isn’t too good at this- we need to get another one, become the scapegoat for our laziness and lack of faith in the old Jerusalem gospel. • Nothing wrong with the gospel- so where does the blame lie? God’s plan of a taught Truth is flawless. We must work God’s plan. No one can sit on the sidelines.

11. Motivators • Heb. 3:14- You cannot lose them all. • Eccl. 3:11- someone wants to know more- work for that one percent. • Matt. 7:13-14- point people to the narrow way • 2 Tim. 4:1-5- our efforts will please God even if the world does not respond. • Rev. 2:10- keep trying- something you say may lead someone to Christ even after you are dead. • Mk. 10:17-22- Rich ruler did not heed Christ – we will not have 100% response through obedience. Every time we teach the gospel there will be a response- positive or negative. • Seeing one obey the gospel is worth all the trials. • You are doing lasting good whether or not other know it. • God rewards diligence- not laziness (Heb. 11:6). • How can we be idle when Jesus suffered and died for us (Mt. 26:46-27:56; 2 Cor. 5:14)?

12. Look At Bible Successes • Zaccheus (Lk. 19) • Nicodemus (Jn. 3) • Woman at the well (Jn.. 4) • Paul (Acts 9) • Apollos (Acts 18:24-26) • The Apostles ( • Pentecost (Acts 2) Personal Successes You- Someone cared enough to teach you- Do you remember them? Are you grateful to God they took time with you? The fields are white unto harvest (Mt. 9:37,38)-All of us must become laborers to gather in the harvest- THIS IS GOD’S PLAN FOR PERSONAL EVANGELISM.

13. Ezekiel 3:17-21 • “son of man, I have made you a watchman unto the house of Israel, therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked thou shall surely die: and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life; the same man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand.” Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turns not from his wickedness he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. Again if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity and I lay a stumbling block before him, he will die because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sins and the righteousness he has done will not be remembered but his blood will I require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he shall live because he is warned, also you have delivered your soul.”

14. You Never Mentioned Him To Me • When in the better land before the bar we stand, how deeply grieved our souls will be, if some poor lost one there should cry in deep despair, you never mentioned Him to me. You never mentioned Him to me, you helped me not the light to see- You saw me everyday and knew I was astray yet never mentioned Him to me. • A few sweet word may guide some lost one to His side, or turn sad eyes on Calvary, so WORK as days go by that yonder none may cry – You Never Mentioned Him To Me- • Let us spread the word wherever it may be heard, help groping souls the light to see, that yonder none may say you showed me not the way- You Never Mentioned Him To Me. • Make a list of those you will Mention Jesus to now and work thatlist- make it one of your priorities!