The Essence of Evangelism – Greater Light

We have so far explored the question of what evangelism is or isn’t. We have asked the question of how does one know that an evangelist is doing what he is called to do.

Now, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. What does true versus false evangelism look like?

I have a few biblical foundational verses for you. First let's just be radical for a moment and see what JESUS says about who he wants to concentrate on:

• Matthew 19:14 - But Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them: for to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:14 - But when Jesus saw it, he was very displeased, and said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them: for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
• Luke 18:16 - But Jesus called them to him, and said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them: for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
• Matthew 21:16 - And said to him, Do you hear what these say? And Jesus said to them, Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have brought perfect praise?
• Matthew 18:5 - And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me.
• Mark 9:37 - Whoever shall receive one child such as this in my name, receives me: and whoever shall receive me, does not receive me, but him who sent me.
• Luke 9:48 - And said to them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name receives me: and whoever shall receive me receives him who sent me: for he who is least among you, that one shall be great.
• Matthew 18:6 - But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a great millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.
• Mark 9:42 - And whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
• Matthew 18:10 - Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you, That in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
• Matthew 18:14 - In the same way, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
• Matthew 18:3 - And said, Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted, and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
• Matthew 18:4 - Therefore, whoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:15 - Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter it at all.
• Luke 18:17 - Truly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall by no means enter it.

Evangelism is best exercised and most effective when the children are reached young. The world ,the flesh and the devil are doing all they can to evangelize the little ones via the media, advertising, public school and music. The church owes nothing less than all it can give in effort toward bringing little children to Jesus. I won’t rehearse all the statistics about a child coming to Jesus, or Bible passages about raising up a child etc. I will say this, that unless the passion of a Church and of a Christian is any less than working hard and harder to see to it little children get grounded and sealed at the earliest age possible everything else we do as Christians is doubly difficult, expensive and mostly ineffective.

Then, once we have done what we can till the child is 10-13 years old, we must do what we can to disciple them, ground them, fire them for Jesus, see them filled with the Holy Spirit. We must do everything possible to see to it the great commission takes place in the lives of these young ones the Devil is trying to strip away from Jesus.

By the time that child grows to 18 or 20 years old the pattern of the next several years of that child’s life is set, for good or bad; Toward or away from Jesus.

They go away to College or work, get married, try to fit in, party down, and find it hard to become the man or woman of God they hoped to become. Unless they go off into this battle with the full armor of God they will go naked and are beaten in the battle.

True evangelism must focus primarily on the young. When I see the budget of a ministry I have a measurement I make, unless the bulk of the ministry money is being spent for children and youth, it’s wasted. Sorry to be blunt, it’s the truth. I think you knew that. It’s just not popular.

I have become close personal friends with some powerful men of God who led great Churches. Every one in reflecting on what has happened in the years previous has at one time or another said, "I wish we had invested more in youth and Children than we did". I never ever have heard ONE say, "I regret what we spent on Children and Youth. It was a waste of time and money".

After adulthood reaching people for Jesus is a losing crap game at best. Oh a few come in but the bulk of the people coming to Jesus are people coming back who were once discipled as children. So in reality, we are reclaiming the evangelistic efforts expended years before.

I have worked Billy Graham crusades. The bulk of the responders are moderate backsliders looking for fresh assurance of salvation.

That means, in a world of pagans, sinners, atheists, agnostics, and just plain passive unbelievers not practicing any faith, real conversions from that point are few and far between. Sadly this means that the bulk of money spent on trying to reach the lost in adulthood is a waste of time, energy and money. I’m not saying give up. I am saying, in resource allocation this is a new perspective. Reaching the lost is a one on one exercise in adult evangelism. More on that later.

There is one opportunity, when a couple has children and that couple was raised in some form of Christianity (early evangelism paying back again), there is a guilt complex that causes them to seek a little Christianity for the kids. If they come and bring the kids to church and Sunday school MAYBE they might stick. One can only hope.

Otherwise, the idea that an unchurched couple are going to come to church just because OK, Because of, of, of, WHAT? To join Club Jesus? Not too likely.

There is only ONE reason that anyone comes to Jesus as an adult. I'm talking about someone who doesn’t know Him now. They come because someone they knew personally was lost and destroyed, came to faith in Jesus, life got better, the light went on and the person watching all this said to themselves, “I would like to have what they have”. When they saw this light come on in the other person’s life they said, “I want what he has”.

Hence the question, “how many evangelists does it take to change a light bulb”. Answer, “Only one, but the light bulb must WANT to be changed and the wattage the Evangelist is offering must always be brighter”. If you have a working but dim lighted bulb, why would you put another in just as dim, or dimmer? You would always want to see things more clearly, more light, more wattage.

Men are like moths, given a choice they are drawn to the light. Conversion as the result of proper evangelism is always showing the light you have and then leading people to want more. Evangelism is showing the light:

“I have made you a light to the nations, a means of salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 26:17-18)

Jesus tells us to take the light in us and place it on a tabletop, “so that those entering the room can see” (Luke 11:33) Like a city on the mountaintop, shining like a beacon light at sea, leading people to the safe harbor, Jesus Christ.

In the heavenly Jerusalem, where “there will be no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light and the light was the Lamb and the nations shall walk by that light” (Revelation 21:23).

“Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Do you know what hope means? It means I’m going to have a great tomorrow. I am walking in greater light. I have HOPE. LIGHT!

Isaiah 9:2 will come to pass as we let the light shine out of us: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. And on those who live in the shadow of death, light has shined.”

We are light bearers. Light is the essence of true evangelism for reaching adults. We know how to do this for little children. They are open, hungry and ready. We can almost not do it wrong. But with adults it is infinitely more difficult; we must let our light so shine before men that when they see the Good Works God does thru us they will Glorify HIM.

Church Hopping is off limits for both hoppers and church outreach efforts. Much of what we call evangelism is nothing more than borrowing sheep till they get frustrated and move on to another pasture. I believe Christians must commit to a body they can treat as a ministry and exercise the gift God put in them until they are no longer able to do so. That excercise will cease only with death and darkness on the part of the person or on the part of the Church. The only reason for anyone to ever leave a Church that has died or gone dark is for more light. Greater Light must always be the goal. The only reason to leave a dark and sinful life is for more light, greater light. The Church of 2007 must meet the culture with relevance. That's what this series is all about. Things are about to change, I'm preparing you.

Tomorrow: Shining the Light - a HOW-TO Primer