By Alwyn Matt at Coffee and the Word
We are all evangelists. What do I mean by that?
Do we really all need to take on this role? What if your church has a really skilled evangelist, for example? Wouldn’t it make more sense to let that person handle the work that needs to be done?
Living in Kuwait, I’ve been in some very good hotels and restaurants. I’ve noticed that, often, the manager will step in if the waiter or barista is away even for a moment. Why? Because the manager values every customer!
A few years back the Holy Spirit challenged me to take my ministry outside the church. I was shocked. I replied, “But Lord, we need music for preparing the souls. We need the atmosphere. We need the booklets, we need men in suits….” Where did this idea come from? Christianity started with men whose hands stank of fish, but when they laid them upon the dead, they were brought back to life!
Since then, I have responded enthusiastically! Living as a Christian in a Muslim country has brought many challenges, but I continue to lay hands on the sick and rejoice to see them healed.
Preaching the full Gospel
I believe the spreading of the gospel has been limited because we are not preaching the full gospel. You may ask, ‘What is the full gospel?’
Romans 15:19 says ‘by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.’
This is the full gospel of Christ: we must step out, lay hands on people and preach the gospel. The Spirit of the Lord will not step out until we step out!
It is when we release the full gospel that we bear the full harvest. I don’t know about you, but I want to preach the full gospel of Christ to bring full glory to His Kingdom.
I dream of the day when I minister at packed auditoriums and stadiums. When I watch soccer games and I see the huge crowds, and I cry out “Jesus, this is what I want for you!” What has happened to mass evangelism? I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of truly effective mass evangelists. What has happened?
We need an army of ‘on fire’, anointed evangelists who walk in integrity.
On one occasion, mass evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was invited to a group meeting which turned into a two-hour discussion. Finally Bonnke said, “I need to go.” The top officials said to him, “What’s happening? We are in the middle of a huge theological discussion. What we’re talking about can change lives.” To which Bonnke replied, “Sorry, but I do not have time for these discussions. Souls are perishing each second; the nations need the gospel.”
We must never forget that Christianity was introduced during a time when the Roman gods were considered powerful. Why is it then that their mythology did not spread despite the Roman empire conquering half the globe? And why is it that Christianity has spread, despite persecution?
Again, because the full gospel was being preached.
Evangelize or fossilize!
You may be a mass evangelist or a person called to share the gospel one-on-one to your newspaper boy or the person who serves your meals at the café. But you will never know which you are until you start with one soul. I like to put it this way: at least preach to the cat or dog on your street! Get moving!
The nations are waiting; see you at the field of harvest!
It’s funny how evangelism online works. It’s so easy to set up and do a blog like we do. It just take a lot of patience and time to get them going. Thank God for Internet Ministries!