Are You an Evangelist?

Scripture helps us define this.

Only one person holds the title of "evangelist" in the New Testament—"Philip the evangelist" (Acts 21:8)—and he was an outlaw.

In Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles were told in no uncertain terms to cease and desist their work. But their desire did not wane, and the men continued to minister. After a stint in the city slammer—and a miraculous jailbreak—the apostles were brought before the highest court.

"We gave you strict orders not to teach," the judge told them. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching." The response was not what his honor expected to hear.

"We must obey God rather than men!" cried Peter. "The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His own right hand as Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

One can only imagine the fury that erupted in the courtroom. How dare Peter and his fellow apostles blatantly defy the law? Cries rang out for the death penalty.

One man saved the apostles from death. Gamaliel, a Pharisee, spoke in their defense. "Leave these men alone! Let them go!" he urged the court. "For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men—you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

The apostles were flogged, warned once again to refrain from speaking in the name of Jesus, and then released. But nothing could keep these good men down. In fact, so much work was still to be done that the apostles decided to bring seven more employees on board. And so Philip became a fellow outlaw.

From Samaria to Caesarea, Philip never stopped preaching the gospel, performing miracles in front of large crowds, and teaching the Bible to searching souls. Although the Bible does not specifically detail all that Philip accomplished, Acts 8 covers the highlights. Philip's life can instruct us in the purpose of evangelism and the role of the evangelist.

What Is Evangelism?

Evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through word and deed, through preaching and living, and through telling and showing. Followers of Jesus are witnesses of their faith in Christ as Savior and Lord (see John 15-16). A "witness" is one who tells what he or she has seen and heard.

As believers, we should be daily witnesses of our faith and the good news upon which our faith is founded. What exactly is the good news? The biblical content centers unquestionably around the person and work of Jesus Christ—He is the good news. His salvation work makes it possible for the Holy Trinity to commune with those who, by faith, receive the gift of eternal life. There are consequences—immediate and eternal—for those who turn away from this good news.

The good news of Jesus Christ deals with the ultimate issue—physical death. What a powerful message is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all who believe in Him! Resurrection power conquers sin and death, and by faith one is justified (see Rom. 3:21-24; Heb. 11:6).

The gospel is a message of hope about a relationship that connects people with a saving God who has done for them what they cannot do for themselves. The good news is all about a relationship once destroyed but now restored. The Bible calls this "eternal life" (see John 17:3-4) and a relationship that comes as a gift from God (see Eph. 2:8-9), and it transforms our human experience by the presence of God within us (see Col. 3:1-4).

In Christ, we are made children of God (see John 1:12; Heb. 2:11). This relationship is possible because God the Son paid the redemption price—His death for our sin. His life was given for us, and our lives are lived because of Him (see 1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24). Now the Spirit of God can indwell us, living within and through us to impart grace and truth so that others can see Christ in us, the hope of glory (see Col. 1:27-28).

The message of this good news is God's power made available to all who hear, bringing God's deliverance to them. God's power comes through the gospel of Christ. Therefore, the Church is called to preach Christ, crucified and raised from the dead! Sharing this good news with those who are lost is the essence of evangelism.

Who Is an Evangelist?

Evangelists are God's gift to the Church to empower and mobilize her mission of announcing the good news of Jesus Christ. Yet many in the Church have shunned evangelists for a variety of reasons and have dropped the term "evangelist" for other, more acceptable, terms. Today, we have church planters, church growth experts, communicators, missionaries, musical artists … but dare we say evangelists? There are a few like Billy Graham, Luis Palau, Greg Laurie and Franklin Graham who are well known. But it seems that we have reserved this biblical term for only a fraction of the many God-gifted evangelists given to the Church for the purpose of winning the lost and equipping and motivating the Church in the ministry of evangelism.

Yes, evangelistic methodologies need to change and address the culture in a contemporary way. Yes, evangelists, like pastors, give the gospel and the Church a black eye from time to time. But the Church does not need to abandon the term nor those whom God has given to the church as evangelists. What does it mean for a football team to play a game without a running back? What would it be for a basketball team to play without a key shooting forward? The team may play the game, but not very successfully.

The Church needs to realign itself with biblical teaching. We need to seek God and identify those given by Him for the purpose of spiritual harvest. We need to position those harvesters for effective ministry with, through, and for the Church. We need to identify, train and position these gifted ones from God for the purposes He has given them.

Evangelists equip the Church in strategic methodologies for winning the lost to Christ. They exhibit a unique creativity and keen insight as to how to win people to Christ. They promote boldness within the Body of Christ to reach out to those who need Jesus as Savior and Lord. They inspire new ideas, new ways and new approaches for presenting the gospel to each generation. They are on the cutting edge of culture and have unique insight into the changes in culture, often serving as the bridge between the Church and the world.

Are all evangelists the same? It is a popular view to believe that all evangelists are sanguine personalities who love people, love the spotlight, talk continuously, meet people easily and seem to be natural communicators. Often, these personality types do make great evangelists. But the real question to ask concerning who is a called and gifted evangelist has to do with how the Spirit of God uses that person over a lifetime of ministry. Is the major impact of that individual's life winning the lost or equipping the Church to win the lost?

Ephesians 4:11-12 indicates that all evangelists are given to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Along with a reaping ministry, evangelists are used by the Spirit of Jesus to prepare the Church in its witness for Christ, giving information, illustration, and inspiration.

There are, however, a broad array of evangelists and evangelistic styles. Some evangelists are effective communicators through their preaching, writing and use of mass media. Some are used of God to support the work of evangelism with their gifts of administration, personal work, resource development and management. Though an evangelist, D. L. Moody spent a significant amount of his time and energy the last 20 years of his life raising funds and starting four schools to train workers in evangelism. Some evangelists are tremendous musicians.

The question to ask yourself is whether the Spirit of God is using you to bring in the harvest. If the answer is yes, to whatever degree, then you are part of the evangelistic work.

Many are called to work with the evangelist or an evangelistic ministry in strategic and fruitful roles. Cliff Barrows serves along with Billy Graham. Phil Comer, Dave Luben and other musicians serve alongside Luis Palau. Music evangelists such as Jeff Moore equip the Church for evangelistic ministry and effective preaching of the gospel in their music-oriented ministry. Youth With A Mission uses multiple musicians, actors and power teams to present the gospel in a variety of ways as they preach Christ worldwide. God has given to the Church many who have a calling for evangelism, many who are anointed evangelists, and many who are workers in evangelism. As the Church accepts, affirms and supports this host of workers ministering for the Church, we will see a growth unparalleled in human history

God has given evangelists, pastors who do the work of evangelism (see 2 Tim. 4), all believers as witnesses (see John 15-16; Acts 1:8) and many as workers (Matt. 9:37-38), along with the host of workers to whom the Lord Jesus Christ also assigns areas of specific ministry in evangelism (see 1 Cor. 12:4-7). Believers are not only gifted by the Holy Spirit but also given specific ministries in which to use those gifts.

For example, some are called to evangelize children, such as Mark Thompson and Christian Holtz, who are part of the Next Generation Alliance, or those who serve with Child Evangelism Fellowship. These men are evangelists who have a unique passion and effectiveness in reaching children for Christ. Other ministries such as Youth for Christ, Young Life, and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship focus on reaching the youth (13 to 21 years of age). Many who identify with these ministries have a special assignment from the Lord to work with the younger generations. Some are called to work in the recovery movement, chaplaincy ministry or the military. So along with gifting, one needs to identify and focus on the specific areas of ministry. For some, such as Luis Palau, the field of service is the whole world.

Evangelists are the "sales force" for the good news. This worldly metaphor may carry some negative baggage, but in fact, that is how God uses evangelists. They communicate clearly and convincingly that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. They help those without Christ confront their need for the Savior and embrace the One who can deliver them from themselves. Evangelists who love the Church will serve the Church as reapers in the harvest.

Am I Called to Be an Evangelist?

Do you feel that you're an evangelist? What do other people say? (Do not listen only to close friends and relatives.) Where is the fruit of your ministry? Are people coming to Christ? Are people going on with Christ as committed disciples? These are sobering questions.

To be an evangelist worthy of the Cross, one must live a righteous life. This is not to say that any of us are perfect or that we preach a message of condemnation. This is to say we are marvelously saved by the wonderful love of God through Jesus Christ and that we are different because of that good news. We have a high and holy calling, which calls for our utter dependence on the Spirit of Christ within to guide, empower, correct and use us for His glory. Let none of us quickly say, "I am an evangelist sent by Jesus Christ." Let the fruit of our ministry show that God has chosen us.

Evangelists who will be guardians of the gospel in the twenty-first century must walk in holiness before Jesus Christ. The Church cannot afford to promote, affirm or support in any way those who do not live and serve with integrity. But the issue is not a one-way street. How will the Church know whom to support and minister if there is no relationship with the evangelists? How will the evangelists in the twenty-first century have credentials and credibility if there is no interaction with the Church? In what ways is the Church actively identifying, training, affirming, utilizing and supporting gifted evangelists?

To understand if you are called and gifted as an evangelist to serve the Church in ministry, there are several essential questions you must answer: Do you have a desire to minister as an evangelist? Does your passion consistently burn for winning people to Christ? Do you seek out the lost? Are you excited about speaking, preaching, or praying for the lost?

Do you see people coming to Christ through your ministry? Does the Spirit of God use you as a reaper of the harvest? As you interact with people, do they come closer to a commitment to Jesus Christ?

Do others in the Church say you have this gifting? Do Church leaders affirm your gifting and call you an evangelist? Do others seek your counsel and mentoring in reference to evangelism? Are you asked to lead in the area of evangelism in the context of your Church or sphere of influence?

Some theologians, Church leaders and pastors question the value and role of the evangelist today. Just recently, a prominent seminary president responded to my question concerning the role of the evangelist in the twenty-first century with these words: "I believe the pastor fulfills the role of the evangelist today." For some, today only pastors and teachers are operative leaders for the Church. Yet the Bible and history clearly demonstrate the vital role of the evangelist. I believe evangelists have a strategic and irreplaceable work with, through and for the Church.

Frequently, students raise the question, "What do I have to do to become an evangelist in the twenty-first century?" As the director of the Next Generation Alliance, it is exciting to know that many Christians today are concerned and committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Because God is a God of love and relationship, He desires to make Himself known to people. He wants to connect with those He has created in a personal way, and He uses His chosen children to be the instruments of this communication. So today, in ever growing numbers, I believe the Spirit of Jesus is raising up a whole new generation of evangelists to share the transforming message of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Adapted from Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation by Luis Palau and Timothy Robnett. Published by Regal Books,www.regalbooks.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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