Evangelism
Written by Trisha Winter
This week we continue with gifts, specifically that of sharing Jesus through evangelism. What is evangelism? The basic definition is: the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness. Romans 15:16–21
What if evangelism is not one of our top gifts? How do we use it, even when it is not something we are called to do/serve in this way? The easy way to answer this is: Can I add this gift to another? and to this I would say Yes.
For myself, my top gift are:
Shepherding
Mercy showing
Administration
How do I add any of these gifts together, (and how do I add a gift that is so low on my scoring)?
Evangelism was low for myself but shepherding was my highest. When I look into these and read a little more about the definitions we were given, they look like they could go hand in hand, side by side. Evangelism is showing Christ to others, and shepherding is leading others. One is to non believers and the other is to those who believe already, adding them together is taking those who might believe and continuing to teach them so that someday they become full believers in Christ.
For me, evangelism is taking my Bible everywhere I go. When I am at the doctors, in the waiting room I am reading my Bible and not on my phone. When I go have coffee, I sit with my Bible and read. This has given me many opportunities to talk with people. Some will ask why I’m reading my bible. Some will ask what I believe and why. Some will ask about the passage I’m reading. Reading my Bible in public for everyone to see is how I share my faith and God to others, it's how I evangelize to others.
We must always remember, Jesus did not come to just save the Jews but the world and all (Gentiles) who would come to Him; Matthew 8:11. We can also look at Matthew 9:37 & 38 - Jesus uses the word harvest. The word harvest is used as a metaphor for the disciples to go out into the world and make more disciples and Christ followers. Evangelism is sharing the Gospel with others and bringing them to Christ: creating more disciples. We are called to do this as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. We must remember that even if evangelism is not a gift we have high on our list it is the one gift we should all work on, by adding it in some way or another to a gift we do have.
Reflection Questions:
1) How can I use evangelism within my own gifts?
2) What does sharing my faith with others look like?
3) Can I bring my Bible with me everywhere?
4) Who around you can you start up a relationship with?
Bible passages:
Romans 15:16–21, NIV = to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
Matthew 8:11, NIV = I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 9:37 & 38 NIV = Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
