The mission of the church is to teach and preach the Gospel, making disciples of Christ (Mt. 28:18-20), who then contribute to bringing other souls to Christ (Lk. 19:10; 2 Tim. 2:2). Ultimately, the work of the church is in regards to what will happen on the day of our Lord (Col. 1:28; 2 Cor. 5:9-10, 18-21). The church makes an eternal difference in the lives people or, in reality, it makes no difference!
So evangelism is much more than a part of the work of the church… it is the work of the church! This is not to say there aren’t other facets of the work of the church, but evangelism certainly is the marching orders of our Lord (In addition to passages already noted, see Mt. 4:19; 5:13-16; Lk. 19:10; Acts 8:4).
Since souls are saved through the Gospel (see Romans 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1; 2 Thes. 1:8-9), and that is the mission of the church, our work is to see that the world hears the Gospel (see Jn. 6:45; Rom. 10:14-17). Through what means? Any that are available! Obviously, the more effective the better.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” Especially notice the words there, “all means.” Paul used “all means” to bring salvation to lost souls. Of course, that does not mean that He used ungodly or unbiblical means to do so. He actually argued strongly that he did no such thing (see 2 Cor. 4:1-2). Trickery is what is used in desperation… like a team that clearly does not match up to the opponent. The Lord’s church is in no such situation! When we engage the mission of the church, our Lord has promised to be with us! (Mt. 28:18-20).
IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL!
Imagine the potential if everything possible in the church revolved around evangelism or was made more evangelistic. Imagine if evangelism was reflected more on the church calendar, in the church budget, in Bible classes, in sermons, in members being taught how to teach others, and given tools and opportunities. Imagine if humanitarian efforts were designed to open doors to spiritual teaching. Imagine if the Bible School was designed, in part, to reach lost souls. Imagine if the normal activities of the church were used as soul-winning occasions. If we stop and think a little, the opportunities we have are nearly limitless!
TWO MAJOR HINDRANCES
(1) One of the greatest hindrances to evangelism is the church majoring in the minors. It reminds me of the “thorny soil” in the “Parable of the Sower” (see Mt. 13). The thorny soil is the heart that crowds out the Word of God. In a similar manner, it is easy for the church to be busy with many good things, but give little priority to evangelism, the life-blood of the church!
(2) A second hindrance is stopping just short of where we ought to stop. So many of the activities of the church could be so powerfully used for soul-winning if we would carry them one step further. We often invest a lot into the Bible School, VBS, and other events, but we don’t really have any definitive plan to reach people with these efforts. The same could be said of humanitarian efforts.
A FEW PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:
1. Brainstorming can be a great way to come up with ideas. Begin with good things the church is doing and how they can be used more effectively to reach souls.
2. If we really take these things to heart, it can seem overwhelming. Set goals or areas to prioritize, and go from there. It is easy to spread yourself too thin. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!
3. Understand that there is no perfect plan. We want to be prayerful and wise in proceeding (but realize that we can always adapt our plans in the future. An imperfect plan is far better than no plan!
4. Keep in mind that no soul will ever be saved that is not taught the Gospel! (See Rom. 1:16; Mk. 16:15-16.) We must always give consideration as to how we cultivate soil and get to that point.
5. We can multiply our efforts by working together in evangelism. All of us have differing abilities and opportunities (see 1 Cor. 3:6-9).
6. Remember that the Lord can work in the lives and hearts of those we are seeking to win to the Lord; and ultimately, it is between them and our Lord. Our task is to present “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
Do what you can to help the church to be more evangelistic in all that it does and keep your eyes open to personal opportunities!
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Matthew 9:37-38
Daren Schroeder
