DAY 5 - 31 Days of Evangelism Tips and Training

Now, that we have it settled in our hearts and minds that we are indeed a child of God, we are now equipped to go into all the world preaching (proclaiming or making known) the gospel to every person...and we can go in the power of Jesus’ name!!!

Let's put it this way...here are the power tools we need to be effective:  

A Changed Life (and Heart)

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The life can only be changed to the extent that the heart is. It is the heart that God looks upon (1 Samuel 16:7), for it holds who we truly are. We can go through life with a mask on and fool the world, but what’s inside is laid bare before an all-seeing Creator and we will be held accountable for its content (Hebrews 4:13). 

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

When the Holy Spirit comes to reside within the believer, every single one of these fruits are planted within our hearts. Every one of them will be present, and no matter how slow, there will ALWAYS be growth. By using the example of a tender plant to describe a believer, we can see that our new birth in Christ has sprung us into life. We are new plants that have sprouted up out of the earth and as long as the plant is alive it will grow. Now, we know that when God gives us life, it is eternal, so we will be ever-changing and growing until the harvest comes (when He brings us home). (Philippians 1:6)

God will do His part to guide and nourish His tender plants, but we must make sure we are staying in the light of the Son and keep remembering that even the rain is for our good.

The Holy Spirit

John 16:8-11 – And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged.

Roger S. Oldham says, “The Holy Spirit has the role of convincing and convicting the world (mankind) of sin. The conviction of sin exceeds all human ability. Only the Holy Spirit can do this, even though He can and will use us as instruments in His hand.

The Holy Spirit, using the biblical message of the Cross, "awakens in man that deeply hidden awareness of guilt. He convinces man of sin, even where previously no consciousness of sin was apparently present. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God and touches the heart of the hearer, making it accessible to the Word."

When the Holy Spirit convinces people of their sin, of Jesus' righteousness, and of certain judgment, He awakens the human heart to hear and see truth in a new way. Upon seeing and perceiving (cf. Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:15), the human heart cries out for God.

The Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Romans 10:13-17 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Our words, especially when they are backed up by a changed life, can be very powerful, but only the Word of God can pierce the souls of mankind. His message will either anger people and they will resist or it will humble them and bring faith and repentance. Do not take it personally when scripture is rejected. They are not rejecting you, they are rejecting God. They are rejecting His standard…His holiness…and, therefore, will not understand, nor accept His mercy. God resists the proud, but He will give grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

Let God’s Word and the Holy Spirit produce the change in a person’s heart. Your job is to share His life-giving, heart-changing message! Their faith will come through hearing the Word!

A Lot of Prayer

James 5:16 – Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

It is harder these days to find someone you trust enough to admit all your faults to. From scripture, we know that it is God’s intention that we have other people to confide in. Knowing that we have someone to lift us up in prayer and give us good counsel is like a healing balm. We do not need their judgment or betrayal of trust, for that can destroy. It will not only change our countenance, but can also render us ineffective.

If you have believers in your life who are mature in the faith and will lift you up, then you are indeed, fortunate. I am afraid that it is a sign of the times that we live in that these people are becoming few and far between. However, do not fear. Even if you don’t have one single person you can confide in, you can ALWAYS go to your Father and find grace.

Confession and repentance restores the Father / child relationship and opens up the flood gates of heaven. God will withhold nothing from an obedient son or daughter.

Jesus said in John 14:13-14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” But, He also said in the next verse, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

It is obedience that God rewards. Un-confessed sin in the life of a believer can hinder prayers. When we are trying to win the lost we must rely on the Lord. We need His power. Souls are hanging in the balance and God has chosen men, women, boys, and girls to go and tell! So, in essence, when we live contrary to God’s Word we not only hurt ourselves, we also may be hurting others when our prayers for them go unanswered. To me, that is serious business!

Precious friend, again, I really appreciate you hanging in there with me. We have had to do some hard examining of our hearts and minds and standing in Christ. I hope you have seen the importance of that. You also may have read and/or heard some things that you are still trying to wrap your head around. You may even be blown away like I was, but please, just buckle your seat and hang on…we’ve got 26 more days to go! Lol!

If you have any questions at all, please leave me a comment and I will try, to the best of my ability, to give you an answer. May God bless you today and may He give you souls for your labor!!