Faith in Action
Evangelism may be one of the most daunting activities for people in the body of Christ. Often, people experience anxiety when it comes to communicating the gospel, coupled with the fear of rejection. Questions arise concerning the need to tell people about the gospel because some believe the Gospel principles, displayed through their lives, should be enough.
But it is not enough to display actions if we do not communicate the source of our actions. I want to encourage you. I want you to know that you are qualified for the mission that Christ has called you unto.
Jesus told every person to “go into all the world to preach the gospel,” - Mark 16:15. This is not solely a job for the pastor of your church, missionaries, and itinerant speakers, but a command for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. A vital component of evangelism is not necessarily your strategy of sharing the Gospel, but that you obey His command and “go.”
As a Christian, our goal should be to express the love of Christ at all costs and preach the Gospel to people within our spheres of influence. We must realize the Holy Spirit is at work on our behalf. As long as our motive is love, “love never fails” - 1 Corinthians 13:8. Our goal is never to force anyone to believe something, but we can plant seeds of the Gospel into the hearts of men and women.
Anytime I go to the grocery store, talk to my neighbor, or go on an outreach, these truths are established in my heart. When I am established in these basic truths, it removes all pressure on my performance and capabilities, and it places my heart in full dependence on the Holy Spirit working through me.
Recently, I had the opportunity to see the Holy Spirit at work in a community at Apollo Beach, Florida. A local church in this region had a desire to send people into their neighborhood. With a desire to bless the community, teams of people from the church walked to each home to let them know about a community picnic they were hosting in the next few days. I was on one of those teams.
We walked down the street and knocked on a few doors to offer prayer. A team member and I approached a woman working in her garage, and we introduced ourselves to ask how we can pray for her.”
She responded, “I’m good,” so we told her about the picnic event, then asking, “What’s your name?” She replied, “Connie.” Then my team member asked again, “Is there anything that we can pray for you about, Connie?” Connie responded again, “No, I am fine.” But in this time she had tears in her eyes, and I knew that the Holy Spirit was doing something in that moment. So, I asked a third time, “Are you sure there isn’t anything that we can pray for you?” Finally, she responded, “Yes, pray for my grandkids,” and we prayed for her.
After praying, we transitioned into the gospel with a bracelet band. The bracelet displays five colors and represents five verses in the Bible. So, we asked her, “Do you have a few minutes for us to explain these five colors?” With tears in her eyes, she said, “Yeah that would be great.”
So, we talked with her about the meaning of the colors on the bracelet. Yellow represents Romans 3:23, or sin. Black represents Romans 6:23, death, which is the bad news. Then we transition to the good news, the red. Romans 5:8 represents love, which removes the sin and death that we deserve. Then blue: Ephesians 2:8-9, faith, in the work of Christ on the cross and the resurrection. Lastly, green: Romans 10:9-10, or life, which is found in making Jesus the Lord of our lives.
We explained the meaning of a Lord, or a “boss” of her life. We asked her if she believed if Jesus died and rose again for her. She responded, “Yes.” Then we asked, “Have you ever made Jesus the Lord of your life?” Her response was, “No, I have never done that in my life.” In that moment, we explained she could make that choice. Connie, with tears running down her face, talked to God and professed, “Jesus, be the Lord of my life.”
It was a special moment for Connie and we were honored to be a part of it. We gave her hugs and encouraged her in the faith, and got her contact information for future discipleship with someone from the church.
As we were about to leave Connie’s garage, she confessed her reason for crying was because she felt a “vibe” coming from us as we spoke with her. “This is the presence of the Holy Spirit,” we explained, “and now He lives in you.” The Holy Spirit in John 14:26 is a “Comforter” and a “Helper.” It seemed clear to us that God was using the Holy Spirit to “help us” share the gospel and to “comfort” her in her situation, and urge her to take this step of faith.
God in his beauty and power drew Connie to Himself, in her garage. Two days later, the local church hosted the community picnic. I went back to her house to see if she was going to attend, and I found that she was bringing her grandkids. I asked her if we could baptize her at the park, because we had brought our baptismal with us.
Before we baptized her, I explained the significance of baptism from Romans 6, about dying to sin and becoming alive in Christ with the newness of life. She agreed to be baptized. About two hours later, I had the great privilege to baptize Connie at the park. At this event, I was able to connect her to a woman from the church who was excited to disciple her. Connie was equally excited to meet with her, especially because she lived close. Their friendship has continued to this day.
It’s an incredible experience to be able to witness the entire process, from death to life, baptism, and discipleship. This could be your experience, as well. Bring a friend with you and find a way to love your neighbor. Simply pray for them and then share the gospel. If you are a part of God’s body, God has qualified you. Watch God work on your behalf as you “go.”