Reasons For Personal Evangelism
Reasons for Personal Evangelism,
What is evangelism?
One of the best definitions of evangelism comes out of the story I heard an evangelist tell our church.
A young ministerial student was informed that he had to deliver his first sermon in chapel.
He lived in mortal fear of having to preach to his peers in a chapel service.
He tried every way he could to get out of it.
He asked his professor, "Let me do extra work or anything, but please don't ask me to preach
the sermon for chapel.
I just can't handle that."
The professor said, "You must! It is required to graduate.
Tomorrow will be your time to preach in chapel."
The next morning came.
The young preacher was filled with fear.
As he stood before the chapel, he asked, "Brothers, do you know what I am going to say?"
They all shook their heads, "No".
He said, "Neither do I. Let's all stand for the benediction!"
The professor couldn't believe what this young man had done.
He went to the young man and informed him that he will preach again tomorrow.
The second day arrived.
They were all back in the chapel.
The chapel was filled.
The young preacher began as he had the first day.
"Brothers, do you know what I am going to say?"
The students, knowing his fear, all nodded their heads, "Yes".
With a sigh of relief, the young preacher simply commented, "Since you already know
what I'm going to say, there is no point in saying it.
Let's stand for the benediction."
The professor was really upset this time.
He told the young preacher, "I'll give you one more chance.
You preach the sermon tomorrow. If you don't, you will not pass."
The third day and all were back.
He began as he had the first two days:
"Brothers, do you know what I am going to say?"
Some nodded, "Yes", and some nodded, "No".
With a smile on his face, he said: "Let those who know, tell those who don't.
Let's stand for the benediction."
What is evangelism?
"Let those who know, tell those who don't!"
Personal evangelism is carrying the good news of Jesus Christ person to person.
Here are some reasons for personal evangelism:
It has been estimated that only three percent of those who are unsaved ever attend a preaching service.
That means that personal evangelism would reach 97 percent.
Pastors do not have time to do all the evangelism that is necessary to reach the lost in our communities.
Therefore, it is necessary that every Christian be prepared to go out into the highways and hedges
to reach people who need Jesus.
Every Christian must be ready to witness to those without Christ wherever they are.
Luke 14: 23: "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges,
and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
Acts 20: 20: "... I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you,
and have taught you publicly, and from house to house."
Paul said that he had gone house to house to tell others and to teach others about Christ.
We must do the same!
Personal evangelism is the foundation of all our work.
If we don't lead others to know Christ we will have no one to teach in Sunday school.
We will have no increase in our youth, women or men's group.
Our churches will not grow!
If we don't lead others to Christ, we will die!
Personal evangelism is the Biblical method of missions.
Matthew 28: 19-20 is our commission.
It is our duty! It is our joy! It is our privilege!
These two verses tell us that we must go.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
This is God's method!
Jesus did this everywhere He went.
And so must we!
If we are not witnessing, we are displeasing our God.
The value of a soul makes it imperative that we be personal evangelists.
Mark 8: 36-37: " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Going out to witness to a person without Christ is like searching for a gold mine.
That person's life is more valuable than anything else in all the world.
The fact of hell should send all of us to our loved ones without Christ.
It would be horrible to think that your mother -- your father – your children -- your grandparents
-- your relatives -- your friends – would die and spend all eternity in hell separated from God
forever and forever -- and we did nothing to warn them or tell them of the gospel of Jesus.
Hell is something horrible!
Read what the Bible has to say about hell.
In Luke 16: 23: "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment..."
The rich man was in torment.
In verse 24: "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
How can we sleep at night knowing that our friends and loved ones without Christ could die and be in hell forever?
In Mark 9: 43-48, Jesus said, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee
to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet
to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God
with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Surely, not one of us would ever want our loved ones to go to a place like hell!
Revelation 20: 15: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
This is urgent!
We must go quickly to our loved ones and witness to them about Jesus before they die without Him,
and spend all eternity dying forever and forever in hell.
This should cause all of us to be witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ constantly!
There are some advantages of personal evangelism.
It can be done by all.
Anyone can witness, if Jesus lives in your heart.
If you don't have Him in your heart -- you can't tell others how He can live in theirs!
Could it be that you are not sure of your salvation, and that is why you don't witness?
Is it possible that it would be a great surprise to others that you are a Christian?
If you are a Christian, and don't live like one -- that could be a big reason why you are not a witness of Christ.
When we witness to those close to us -- it must be real.
They know us!
Our life must be lived for Christ before them.
We cannot act – we cannot put on!
The best actors and actresses are not in the movies or on TV.
They are in our homes.
For instance, look in on this household.
Mother is up early.
She cooks breakfast for the entire family.
She gets her husband up from his sleep, and helps him get ready for work.
She gets her children up, feeds them breakfast, and sends them off to school.
The little ones at home are under her feet all day all day.
Now all she has to do is wash the dishes, makeup the beds, wash the clothes.
Then, she has to clean house, run after the little ones, feed the little ones lunch.
Then, she cleans up after lunch, and a dozen other things.
She is bone-tired!
She would like to take a nap -- to take a break!
But there is no relief for her.
Late afternoon comes too soon!
The children come in from school, and they want to know where their play clothes are, and where is their snack.
Mother takes care of all these things.
Now she must iron, and then prepare supper.
It won't be long until her husband will be home, and he will expect his dinner to be on the table.
While she is trying to finish ironing, she hears, "Mother, the pastor is coming up the walk to our door."
An exasperated mother exclaims, "Why does he have to come at a time like this? Look at me! I am a mess.!
I haven't even brushed my hair. I don't have any makeup. This is so aggravating.
Why couldn't he come some other time?"
Somehow, she gets herself together and answers the door, and with such warmth and sincerity:
"Pastor, it is so good to see you! We were just talking about you."
Now – that is acting!
We cannot act in front of those who know us.
They know us!
They know how we behave!
They know how we talk!
They know how we react!
I believe that many Christians do not witness to close friends and loved ones because they do not
live consistent, Christian lives in front of them.
But anyone who has Christ in his heart can witness.
You don't have to take courses.
You don't have to have a degree.
Anyone who has Christ can be a personal evangelist.
A farmer, without a high school education, led many his friends to Christ.
A businessman plowed for a farmer, so he could attend a revival meeting.
The farmer found Jesus.
One of the greatest witness for Christ that I knew was a man in my home church.
This man had just a fifth grade education.
Every Tuesday night he would go into the neighborhood and visit people who needed Jesus.
One could look around in our church, and count many people that he had led to Christ!
Every Christian can be a witness for Christ!
I had the opportunity to preach in a revival meeting in East Tennessee.
God was truly blessing that revival.
The church was packed every service.
Decisions were made for Christ in every service.
People all over that little town was talking about what God was doing!
One Saturday night,after the meeting, a man came forward and introduced himself
as the principal of the elementary school.
He belonged to another church in another city, but he said that he had to come and see what was happening.
He explained that early in the week he saw several girls in a circle on the playground.
He said that when you see children in a circle – there is usually a problem!
He said that he walked over close to where he could hear their conversation.
He was amazed to hear one little girl telling the others how she had trusted Jesus as her Saviour
in a revival meeting at her church.
She wanted every one of those girls to trust Jesus also.
The principal said that he wanted to see what God was doing that would cause a little girl
to witness to her friends about Jesus.
Personal evangelism can be done by all -- even children!
It can be done anywhere.
As a little boy, I remember going with my mother, other church members, and our pastor to the prison at Petros.
This is the same prison where James Earl Ray was imprisoned for the slaying of Martin Luther King Jr.
I remember my pastor going inside the bars and preaching to the prisoners.
More than 50 prisoners received Christ as their Saviour that afternoon.
Several of our church members witnessed to many of the prisoners that day.
Personal evangelism can be done in prison.
It can be done anywhere.
Look at Paul.
He told how he met Jesus everywhere he went!
Watch him in the marketplace!
He walks up to a group of men: "Did I ever tell you about the day I was on the road to Damascus.
A light came out of heaven and blinded me.
I heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why art thou persecuting me...'"
Everywhere he went, Paul told about his experience on the road to Damascus when he met Jesus.
When Paul was brought before King Agrippa, he said, "Oh, King, did I ever tell you about the day
when I was on the road to Damascus...
Everywhere Paul went, he told about that day when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
One day certain Jews were traveling from Antioch to Iconium.
They came upon this man who had just been stoned.
They saw how battered and bloody and beaten he was.
They said to each other, "Poor fellow, he must be dead!"
But then, one man said, "Look! His lips are moving!"
They bent to hear what he was saying.
He said, "Fellows, did I ever tell you about the day when I was on the road to Damascus..."
Paul witnessed everywhere he went!
And so must we!
We must go everywhere telling people that Jesus saves.
Have you told anyone your testimony of how Christ save you?
If not, why not?
How can we be quiet about the most important event in our life?
It can be done anytime.
(Any reasonable time)
Anytime the Holy Spirit leads us to witness is the right time.
If you visit someone to witness to them about Jesus, and they will not turn away from the television;
then, politely, thank them for allowing you to visit and come back some other time.
Dr. C. A. Autry was my professor of evangelism in seminary.
Dr. Autry stated to our class that he went to bed one night with a man on his heart.
He said that he couldn't sleep.
His statement was, "That lost soul was marching through the corridors of my heart."
After tossing and turning, he got up from his bed and began to dress.
His wife asked him what he was doing.
He told her that he had to go and visit that man.
She said, "It is one a.m. in the morning. Those people are asleep.
You can't go over there in the middle of the night and wake them up."
He said, "I have to go!"
Dr. Autry arrived at the house.
He noticed a light on in one room.
He knocked on the door.
The wife opened the door and said, "Dr. Autry, I am so glad you have come.
My husband is in the floor of the living room crying, and I don't know what is wrong with him!"
Dr. Autry said, "Please, lead me to him. I know what is wrong with him!"
In the middle of the night that husband quit crying, and found Jesus as his Saviour.
Personal evangelism can be done any time.
It reaches all classes of people.
It reaches shut-ins.
It reaches people who work on Sundays.
It reaches people who will never enter a church.
It gets the largest results.
D. L. Moody found time to lead 150,000 souls to Jesus, personally.
This number did not include those who walked the aisles in revival meetings or in churches.
It is a matter of history.
With all his activities he made time to witness person to person.
Do you realize that if 25 of your members would consistently witness and lead one person a month
to Christ that your church would baptise 300 souls for Christ?
Any Christian that will witness, day in and day out, can lead one soul a month to Jesus.
The horrible truth is -- most of our church members will go all year and not witness to one person for Christ!.
Not only is that shameful -- that is sinful!
Personal evangelism also hits the mark!
Preaching is general -- personal evangelism is direct -- person to person.
It meets the definite need of the person dealt with.
It avails where other methods fail.
It shows we care!
An evangelist was preaching in a revival in East Texas.
Every afternoon, the pastor would take the evangelist to visit the unsaved and unchurched.
One afternoon, as they walked by a certain house, the pastor said,
"The man who lives there, lives by himself. His wife died some years ago.
They never had children.
It won't do any good to visit that man.
He has run every pastor and church member away who has ever tried to visit him...
I have heard that he has been sick."
As they walked by the house, the evangelist said, "Since you have heard that he has been sick.
Let's try to visit with him."
They went to the door and knocked.
They heard a voice say, "Come in, the door is open."
They went in through the house to the bedroom where the man was.
He was sick.
He had been sick and in bed for over a month.
The pastor and evangelist visited with the man.
After a short visit, they started to leave, and the evangelist said, "We are sorry that you have been sick,
and we hope that you will be feeling better, soon.
We wanted you to know that the people up at the church love you."
As they turned to walk away, the man asked, "What did you say?"
The evangelist said, "I said that we are sorry that you have been sick, and we hope
that you will be feeling better, soon."
The man said, "No, what was the last thing you said?"
The evangelist said, "I said that the people at the church love you."
With tears swelling up in his eyes, the man said, "I wish that I could believe that!"
Do our friends and our loved ones know that we really care?
Do we?
Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White
