Recently I addressed a group of Africans about evangelism. Many Africans have come to Ireland over the past several years and established congregations, but they are at a loss as to how to spread the gospel in an alien culture. Because I am Irish and have been...
How do we begin? Where do we go? What do we say? Who do we start with? Beginning our evangelism among those who already believe in God is a good place to start; that was the apostolic practice. Many of the Jews to whom the apostles preached the gospel were God-fearing...
Sometimes, what is taught as gospel bears no resemblance to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I recall once attending a "gospel meeting". The preaching lasted an hour, with much emphasis placed on what people need to do to be saved. We were never told why the Son...
Not only must the gospel be proclaimed to the lost, the lost must be persuaded to believe what God has done for them in the atoning death of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The label of a fanatic is quickly placed on those who speak passionately and persuasively about...
Commissioning his disciples to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15), their task was far more than imparting correct religious information, though it involved that: The gospel contains God's expressed desire to have a relationship,...
Jesus experienced something on two occasions that I have never experienced in thirty-five years as an evangelist: He was asked, "What must I do to have eternal life?" (Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25) When such encounters occur they are the exception rather than the rule. So...
Evidence that a genuine conversion has occurred will always display itself when evangelism has been carried out along apostolic lines. Conversion to Jesus has nothing to do with making a few minor changes in one's beliefs, or tidying up some sloppy departments in an...
We are called ambassadors for Christ. These words are found in the context of evangelism: “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,” Paul says, “as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians...
Jesus has told us to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), but he also told us, in the context of preaching the gospel, "Do not give what is sacred to dogs; do not throw your pearls to pigs." (Matthew 7:6) What did he mean? The...