Prerequisites to Evangelism

1. Paul says that he was a debtor to Greeks and Barbarians, to the wise and unwise.

1) A debtor is someone who is in debt–who owes another something.

2) To whom does Paul owe? The description is all inclusive–there is not one to whom Paul was not a debtor.

3) He recognized that all were in sin and in need of the gospel. He owed it to them to preach the gospel to them.

4) He wrote in Romans 3:10 “There is none righteous, no not one.”

5) He wrote in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

6) Do we have this same urgency regarding the gospel about us? Do we feel indebted to all the lost around us to preach the gospel to them?

2. John 7:37,38

1) In the midst of the last great day of the feast of tabernacles, we find Jesus.

2) He is surrounded by thousands of fellow Jews — all in need of His salvation.

3) At the beginning of this feast, priests would go to the pool of Siloam and draw water to be offered as a drink offering to Jehoavah.

4) After the pouring out of this drink offering the multitude would together chant the 118th Psalm. Part of this Psalm contains the words, “Save now, I beseech thee, O Jehovah: O Jehovah, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”

5) At the end of this Psalm there was a pause.

6) During this pause Jesus raised his voice and cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

7) Would it not have been the great multitudes of men lost in sin that so greatly moved Jesus to utter these words of salvation?

8) Would it not have been His realization of all the lost around Him who were in need of the great water of life that spurred him to proclaim these words of hope and promise?

9) Do we see the souls of men today as Jesus saw the souls of men?

3. What would it take for us to understand this great need?

1) During the attack of Pearl Harbor, nurses used lipstick to write on the names of the foreheads those who could be saved and those who were going to die.

2) Can you imagine walking in front of that infirmary and seeing the veritable sea of lipstick marks with the terrible letter “L” on the forehead? LOST! What a great tragedy.

3) Now imagine every person you meet in your daily life has a letter on their forehead “S” or “L.”

4) Would this impress upon us the great need to become debtors for the sake of the gospel?

4. Paul was a debtor to the lost; would you be a debtor?

5. Before we can engage in evangelism we must recognize that we owe the world the gospel.

1. Paul says further in Romans 1:15 that in light of the fact that he is debtor to the gospel, that he is READY to preach the gospel.

1) Being ready means both being prepared and making the commitment.

2) It is possible for one to be prepared, but not to make the commitment.

3) The one talent man is an example of this. He would not have received the one talent if his master did not think him prepared, but he failed to commit.

4) It is also possible for one to make a commitment yet not be prepared.

5) The parable of the ten virgins is an example of this. They had made the commitment to be at the marriage feast, but they were not prepared.

6) We must both be prepared and make the commitment to evangelize those around us.

2. Our greatest challenge today lies in the area of commitment.

1) Some of us answer the call to evangelism like Moses. He said, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Exodus 4:10).

2) Do you remember what God said to Moses? He said, “Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:11, 12).

3) While we are not inspired like Moses, we stand in the equal position of one having been taught by God!

4) In Isaiah 6:8 God asks the eternal question, “Who will I send and who will go for us?”

5) Will we answer as did Isaiah, “Here am I, send me.”

3. Have we made the commitment we need to make to be pleasing to God?

1) Luke 14:27-33 “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

2) We stand before God as those having counted the cost and made the decision to follow through.

3) Will we live up to the decision we have already made?

4) We cannot make half-hearted efforts at evangelism and expect God to be pleased with us.

5) Let’s not be hearer’s of the word in this regard, but doers also! James 1:25

4. Before we can start evangelism we must commit ourselves to the effort.

1. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation . . . .”

1) The word “ashamed” means to be embarrassed by something so that you will avoid it.

2) Paul said that he would NOT avoid preaching the gospel.

3) He told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;”

4) Jesus said that if we were ashamed of his words that he would be ashamed of us in the judgment day: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

2. Do we REALLY believe that the gospel is God’s only message of salvation for men?

1) If men are going to be saved today, the gospel is the ONLY way. We must be about the business of preaching it!

2) Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

3) In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

4) Hebrews 2:1-3 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”

3. When others see us, do they believe that we believe this is the only way to heaven? This is the money question.

1) Philippians 1:27 “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel.”

2) 1 Peter 2:12 “Having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

4. Let us behave in such a way so as to reflect our deep and abiding belief that the gospel is God’s power to save!