Evangelism is a very important mark of a healthy church, it concerns the
growth of the church, it is also the command that Christ gave to all that
would be His disciples. Evangelism is more complex than most think it
requires sacrifice. It will be costly but it will also be worth it, the evangelist
has to be honest about the change choosing Christ brings. Evangelism also
requires interaction with the Bible and being vulnerable with others. The
most important thing the evangelist needs to understand is it’s God’s plan
that they commit to the great commission. This means they take God with
them everywhere they go, to work, to the grocery store, to the sporting
event you have planned this weekend. “If God's plan is that the whole world
should know about this good news, and if he's committed the task of telling
others into our hands (Matt. 28:18-20), then we must send (Rom 10:15) and
we must go (Rom 10:14)!”[1] It is every believer's job to evangelize others
for the kingdom of God, therefore, believers must take the gospel to the
whole world so everyone has the opportunity to repent and be saved.
Sharing the word of God is an important task in the believer's life. Those
that have been set free due to evangelism should want to evangelize others
and share what they have found. Thank you for reminding us all of this
with your post.
Let me preface by saying that I will be keeping you and your situation in
my prayers. I understand the importance of securing and maintaining
employment and the dilemma you are encountering. However, and I think
you realize this point, what is more, important to you, evangelizing or
conforming to the world? Mark Dever states, "We should recall as well the
admonition of Peter: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet. 3:15).
Peter wrote this to the whole church, not just to its leaders. All Christians,
not just the professional clergy, are to spread the good news."1
Understandably, I do not know your work environment or job description, but
I believe that God has placed you in this position for a purpose. Dever,
further, states, "Obedience typifies true Christians. The legitimacy of our
claim to follow Jesus appears in our obeying him. He has instructed his
disciples to bring the good news about him to all, so we are in sinful
disobedience if we are not evangelizing."2
Mark Dever devotes a whole section on biblical and church discipline. One
area of discipline speaks about how it is a corporate witness of the church.
However, it is equally a personal witness of the Christian. Mark Dever
states, "When churches [or Christians] are seen as conforming to the world,
our evangelistic task becomes all the more difficult. We become so like the
unbelievers they have no questions they want to ask us. May we so live
that people are made constructively curious."3 It can be a daunting
experience, especially with job security and family support concerns.
However, it is comforting to know that no matter how difficult the situation
that we are not alone in our evangelistic endeavors. Christ told his disciples,
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea,
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)4
You state that you have been provided with a wake-up call. Seek God's
counsel through prayer and depend upon His will and purpose for your life,
not the world's will and purpose. I will be praying for you.
God bless,
Brian C. Corn
d d 1 Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 3rd ed. (Wheaton:
Crossway, 2013), 137.
d d 2 Ibid., 139.
d d 3 Ibid., 202.
d d 4 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the
King James Version (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1994).
Bibliography
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway
Publishers, 2015.
[1] d Mark Dever. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway
Publishers, 2015, 148.
