For saved believers, preaching the gospel is not only God's will, it is the Lord's Great Commission. Preaching the gospel was also the Lord's last request of His beloved disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." Now let's look into how the forefathers of faith loved God and bore abundant fruit of evangelism.
First: the Holy Spirit's Fullness
In Acts, after the Lord's resurrection, Peter received the fiery baptism of the Holy Spirit and was devoted to prayer every day. When he preached the gospel, there were added about three thousand souls. When he raised up a man who had been lame from his mother's womb, the man came to walk and jump. He proclaimed so eloquently with authority that Jesus is the Christ that the high priests and scribes could not make rebuttals to his preaching. He boldly preached about what he had seen and learned when he was with Jesus.
Before he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire, Peter denied Jesus three times even to a servant-girl out of fear. After he received the Holy Spirit and the power, however, he became the Lord's witness to boldly preach Jesus Christ at every corner of the earth.
When we evangelize others, we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ about the message of the cross and Heaven. It is spiritual warfare through which we take back God's children who were taken away by the force of darkness due to Adam's transgression. Thus, we should receive the Holy Spirit and become filled with the Holy Spirit by fervent prayer. Only then can we save many souls through God-given wisdom and power.
Some people say they are not good at evangelizing because they are introverted. However, if you are full of the Holy Spirit, you may find you cannot hold it and refrain from proclaiming it! Thus, we should first become filled with the Holy Spirit and preach the gospel with a burning desire in our hearts.
Second: the Holy Spirit's Voice, Urging, and Guidance
We should preach the gospel to others by the Holy Spirit's works and in the will of God. If not, no matter how hard we try to evangelize people, we cannot bear enough fruit or we may go the opposite way to the will of God. Therefore, to guide people to church in God's will, we should hear the Holy Spirit's voice in our hearts and receive His urging and guidance.
We don't have to think about whether the person we want to evangelize would believe what we have to say or not. We need not think, 'Would this work to help guide him?' We should just boldly preach our Savior Jesus and the power of God the Creator as the Holy Spirit leads us. It is also very important to receive wisdom from God in the Holy Spirit's works depending on situations. It is sometimes better for us to preach about Heaven and Hell, or sometimes to talk about believers' testimonies of healing, or in some cases to testify to financial blessings. Then, they will open their hearts.
Only when we preach the word that is the most necessary for each person in the Holy Spirit's guidance and urging will they open their hearts quickly and receive faith and life. It leads to bearing the fruit of evangelism. For this, we as preachers should first become sanctified by means of the word and prayer (1 Timothy 4:5).
Three: an Exemplary Life in Everything
Titus 2:7-8 reads, "In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." Believers should be exemplary people so that they can have confidence in sight of God and other people and Satan cannot bring accusation against them.
The believer who often preaches the gospel may try to give out the fragrance of Christ in his area of influence and win over other people's hearts. He may not just show love with words and speech, but in deeds. He may show good examples of loving neighbors, helping those who are in need. He may want to serve all people humbly and seek others' benefits. When such a believer who practices virtuous generosity and loves in deeds preaches the gospel, people are much likely to listen to him.
And some people may learn the will of God from seeing the preacher's life and follow his example. They may learn the truth, increase their faith through him, and become wheat-like believers. As a child grows by learning words and behaviors from his parents, newcomers are likely to learn from the person who guided them to church. Thus, we should set a good example in everything.
Four: Earnest Faithfulness with Life
Apostle Paul preached the gospel under harsh persecution and hardship but his zeal for souls' salvation never cooled down. Jesus said, "I am thirsty" to express His earnest heart for saving souls, even dying miserably on the wooden cross. He is still praying for souls' salvation without eating anything. If we feel His heart, we may be able to earnestly preach the gospel just as Apostle Paul did.
In the Bible, some were mocked and whipped, and some others were bound and imprisoned, or still others were stoned or starved. Others were beheaded or sawn in two, or became the prey of beasts, or were crucified or burnt to death. Countless people have been martyred. God will repay our time and money we spent to save souls and cover our earnest hearts with glory.
Therefore, let's enter the glorious position shining like the sun in Heaven by leading many people to the righteousness through evangelism. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
|
Manmin News 
8446
