Why Should I Evangelize?
Evangelize to be wise
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. – Proverbs 11:30
“Soul-winning is a service which brings great benefit to the individual who consecrates himself to it.” –Charles Spurgeon
Evangelize to be compassionate
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 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 9:36–38
“Witnessing is that deep-seated conviction that the greatest favor I can do for others is to introduce them to Jesus Christ.” –Paul Little
Evangelize to be obedient
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:19–20
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” –Hudson Taylor
Evangelize to be a messenger
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” – Romans 10:14–1
“God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.” –George Whitefield
How Should I Evangelize?
Evangelize practically
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.” –Elton Trueblood
“Spend more time in study and prayer. That’s the secret of successful evangelism.” –Billy Graham
Evangelize with gentleness and respect
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect – 1 Peter 3:15
When Should I Evangelize?
Evangelize today
I 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, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:1–5
“God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” –Augustine
Is There a Need for Evangelism?
Jesus said Yes
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
Less than half of churchgoers say they have shared with someone in the past six months how to become a Christian (45%).
Will Evangelism Make a Difference?
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. – Luke 19:10
“Every revival in the history of the modern world has been grounded in an explosion of prayer and evangelism.” –George Barna
*All Scripture references are from the English Standard Version
According to Worldmetrics.org:
- 32% of Evangelical Christians say they have never shared their faith with anyone else.
- Only 12% of churchgoers say they have shared how to become a Christian with someone else in the past six months.
- Research indicates that only 9% of churchgoers invited someone to church in the past six months.
According to Lifeway Research:
- More than half (55%) of those who attend church at least once a month say they have not shared with someone how to become a Christian in the past six months.
- A majority of churchgoers (56%) say they pray for opportunities to tell others about Jesus at least once a week, with 23% praying for such moments every day. More than a quarter (27%) say they rarely or never pray for those opportunities.
According to Barna Research:
- Almost half of Millennials (47%) agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith.
According to NAMB’s SEND Network:
“Louisiana’s population is 4,648,794 people, and 2,884,112 (62.04%) do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
With so many lost people in Louisiana, we must take evangelism seriously. If we all take part in sharing the gospel, we can have a tremendous impact on lostness in Louisiana. Please let us know how we can serve you in assisting with personal evangelism, small group evangelism, large group evangelism, and mass evangelism. We are here to serve you and to help you be more effective in your evangelistic efforts.
We’re here to encourage and help you Seek the Lost.
Kevin Ulmer, Evangelism Strategist
Kevin.Ulmer@LouisianaBaptists.org
318.446.5821
