Pastor John shared that our mandate for evangelism is a very important one, just like the yeast when bread is being baked. Without the yeast, baking would be virtually impossible. We are like speckles of leaven in dough. Each individual speckle, during the process of baking, would raise the dough and in the end bread is produced. The importance of the speckle can never be underestimated. Pastor John shared from 2 Corinthians 5:18 – 19 that because God reconciled with us through Jesus, He wants us to be partners with Him in the Ministry of reconciliation. This is the most urgent task at hand of everything that God has called us to do, because winning souls can only be done on this side of the world.
Sin separated us from God and trapped us in eternal damnation but it is God’s will that ALL should be saved. Hence, the ministry of reconciliation is the mandate God has given to us to bring the Gospel to the lost. The heart of God is such that God yearns for them to “come home” and as long as anyone believe that Jesus was raised from the dead (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9), they will be saved. On behalf of Christ, we are to “beg” people to “…believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” Acts 6:31).
As we who are saved start to live a changed or transformed life, we become witnesses and ministers of the Word. You do not have to be a Bible scholar to be a witness for Christ. In Acts 1:8, Jesus instructed us to be “witnesses” for Him. Witnessing is sharing what God has done in your life that points to His reality. We are to reach out to others and bring them into the Kingdom as well. We are not by-standers but co-laborers and partners with God in this ministry of reconciliation.
Pastor John shared how he led others to Christ and this includes reaching out to a mute person through simple sign language and to a rich Taiwanese lady through simply tearing a piece of paper artistically to share the gospel. Do not worry about how and when to reach out. As long as we are ready, God will give us ideas and empower us as long as the seed of God is planted.
It is our mandate to preach the Gospel! This is why the Great Commission is a command and not a request. It is also known as “co-mission” because we are partnering God in this ministry. In John 17:18 it clearly tells us that Jesus send us to preach the Gospel and that even Jesus came to serve and not to be served (Mark 10:45). Jesus came sent by God on a specific mission – to give His life as a ransom for our redemption. Therefore every Christian is a missionary! All of us are missionaries and ambassadors by faith. We do not become missionaries by crossing the sea; we become a missionary by seeing the cross. God has made us representatives of Christ in whatever we do and wherever we are.
Let us start introducing other people to Christ and with the mandate in Luke 4:18 – 19, it is promised that God empowers us with His anointing to preach and demonstrate the good news. That is the first sermon of Jesus Christ – it is good news for hurting people, such as the poor, the sick, the blind, the oppressed and those who are bound. We have a life-saving message and the world is far more ready to hear it than we are willing to share it.
In closing, Ps John Koe shared that we need to overcome our inertia and fear. Work takes on new meaning when we understand that we are first a missionary. Our jobs and the places we are at, are but part of God’s “packaging” for us to reach those in our proximity or sphere of influence. Our mission is to preach the Gospel anywhere and anytime. All we need to do is to be ready to give an account of the hope that is within us in gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15). Let us be ready to share the gospel anytime and anywhere.
Discussion Questions
1. What caught your attention from Pastor John Koe’s sermon on evangelism? Why? [5 min]
Leader’s Notes: A recap question to settle the group down for the discussion and hopefully members can still remember the key points from the sermon.
2. Paul says in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the Good News about Christ. If evangelism is so important, why is it one of the least activities that Christians partake in? What are some fears associated with outreach and how to overcome? [15 min]
Leader’s Notes: A relate question. Members to share their apprehension on why they do not share the Good News often. Many of us have not fully grasped what is at stake as far as eternal death is concerned. We are so caught up with this world that we have pushed this important mandate to the back of our minds. Perhaps, in the first place we do not care for lost souls as much as Jesus cares for them. We are so comfortable with the knowledge of our own salvation and pursuing our own earthly agenda that thinking for others is secondary. 2ndly, we are sometimes ashamed of our own testimony when we fail to live up to what the righteousness of God demands of us. We are afraid of what others might say when they see that our lifestyles are not much different from theirs. This makes us subconsciously avoid speaking to others about Jesus. 3rdly, we take our salvation very lightly and this reflects on how we view salvation for other people. We lack depth in our relationship with God and therefore do not have His heartbeat. We therefore need to get right with God and delve deep into our relationship with Him. There is no easy way but through discipline and spending valuable time with Him, we begin to understand His heartbeat.
At the same time, we also need to acknowledge that we are not perfect, just forgiven. We cannot wait until we are fully “sanctified” or perfect in our behaviors before we evangelize. Then we will never do it in this lifetime. Last of all, we need to learn how to be grateful in everything we have and recall frequently what Jesus had done on the cross for us. Gratefulness for one’s salvation is a hallmark of a worshipper. Once we are grateful of our own salvation, we begin to understand the perilous position we once were. This enlightenment of our own salvation will translate to the act of evangelism as we begin to see how salvation is as important to those around us.
3a. What if you see yourself first as a missionary where you are now in your work, in the marketplace or in your school/institute – how would your perspective be different with the people around you, your superiors, your fellow colleagues or college friends? [10 min]
3b. What can cause your perspective to change? How would the change in perspective change the way you think, say or act? What will motivate you to make this change to be a witness for Christ? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: a. Relate how this change in our mindset is necessary so that we will have a paradigm shift on the way we look at life and people. Sometimes unknowing to ourselves, we ignore defining moments for us to share the gospel or to reach out and care for someone. What are possible tell-tale signs when someone needs encouragement or when people need the Lord?
b. Reflect what will help you to make that change – to be more conscientious of those around you who need the Lord. What will help you to step out and be an active participant of His ministry of Reconciliation? Share and commit in prayer how to overcome your own fears, inhibition so that God will reveal His glory and power at work through you.
