Spiritual Disciplines: Evangelism

If you read through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) you’ll quickly see that Jesus expects quite a bit from those who follow Him. There are many expectations that we won’t just learn about what is good and right, but that we’ll actually do what is good and right and helpful for us to become more like Him. Repeatedly through this section Jesus uses the phrase, “So when you . . . [give, pray, fast],” to let us know that these actions aren’t options for followers of Christ. He didn’t say, “If you . . .” but rather, “When you . . .”  If we are calling ourselves Christians, then we’d better be doing what Christians are called to do.

The final instruction that Jesus gave His disciples also still applies to us today. The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28, instructs us to go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has taught us. There is no “if” included in the command. We are called to go! But we don’t go alone. I actually believe the Great Commission starts the verse before where Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to me. Therefore go!” We go in God’s strength and power, in the authority that has been given to Jesus, and therefore God’s will will ultimately be accomplished. That means that it’s not up to us to save or convert anyone, that’s God’s role and responsibility. The only thing we have to worry about is to actually go and tell others about the Good News of Jesus! God will do the rest.

This coming Sunday we’ll be continuing our series on Spiritual Disciplines as we look at evangelism. John L’Allier will be sharing about going and telling, and how we can grow in this area in our Christian lives. Our gathering starts at 4pm with a time of prayer before the service.

Pastor Mike