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EVANGELISM & MISSIONS

Jesus the Evangelist

 

Dr. Alexander Kurian   

 

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES

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  1. The material on evangelism in the Gospel of John is so strong and informative. John’s book is distinctive in that it includes material focusing on Jesus’ evangelistic ministry, accounts that are missing from the other Gospels. The key chapters are 1, 3 & 4. We can learn evangelism from the Master Himself.

  2. It will enhance our zeal and embolden our witness.

  3. Many who are interested in theology show little zeal for sharing the Gospel. John’s evangelistic material may change their perspective.

  4. Those who are already zealous witnesses would profit from the strong biblical reflection on Jesus’ own approach to evangelism.

  5. In this School of Evangelism, we are ONLY studying the Word of God and the clear mandate for evangelism.

 

GOSPEL

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  1. Gospel is the evangel (good news) - the good news of salvation through God’s gift of His Son. This is what we proclaim to the world.

  2. This activity and mission of bringing the Gospel to the people is called evangelism.

  3. Christians are those who believe the Gospel. They are already evangelized. Their faith is designed to be shared with others. The evangel is evangelistic.

  4. A true Christian Church is not only evangelical (in that it holds to the Gospel), but it is evangelistic – it zealously spreads and shares the Gospel.

  5. To be a Christian is to be called as an evangelist.

  6. But sharing the Gospel is a very difficult thing for most Christians. They have many genuine questions.

  7. Jesus is our primary model of evangelism. He went about among the people proclaiming the Gospel (Matt.4:23). Evangelism is the purpose of John’s Gospel (20:31). The Master’s message and method in evangelism should be of utmost importance to us.

  8. Evangel, evangelical, evangelistic and evangelist should be part of our favorite vocabulary.

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THE THREE KEY CHAPTERS FROM JOHN’S GOSPEL

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Chapter 1: Biblical Principles of Evangelism: The significance of being a “witness” and “witnessing.” How Jesus’ disciples are called and gathered; also provides essential insights into evangelism through the ministries of John the Baptist and of Jesus Himself.

 

Chapter 3: Theology of the Gospel: The emphasis falls on the accurate content in our Gospel witness “ the new birth, the love of God, faith, savior, salvation, and eternal condemnation. These are indispensable themes to making an accurate presentation of the Gospel.

 

Chapter 4: Practice of Evangelism: Dealing with barriers to the Gospel, making a personal connection, being sensitive to the sense of need.

 

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF EVANGELISM

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John the Baptist: A Witness to the Light (John 1:6-9)

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  1. John’s introduction (prologue) is theological in its content, and historical in its progression. The message is summed up in 1:14.

  2. John is not presenting certain ideas about God. He is proclaiming truth grounded in certain facts of history – God’s actions in history to save lost sinners. Something wonderful happened in the coming of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was the forerunner and witness of the Messiah.

  3. Our message is also the same  not ideas, philosophy, motivational principles about life and God; but what God actually did in history to save mankind from their lost condition.

  4. The world’s greatest need: Education? Eradicate starvation? Feed the poor? Self-esteem? Love? Care for the environment? NO; but belief in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name (20:31; 3:16).

  5. Like John (1:6-7a), God has sent us as witnesses to Christ (witness-14 times in the Gospel of John).

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Witnesses in the Gospel of John:

 

John presents a most impressive array of eight witnesses:

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  1. The witness of God the Father. The Father who sent me bears witness about me (8:18)

  2. God the Son bore witness to Himself. He said, if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true(8:14)

  3. The witness of God the Holy Spirit. .the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me (15:26).

  4. The marvelous works Jesus performed demonstrate His deity and bear witness of Him. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me (10:25)

  5. The witness of Scripture. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me (5:39).

  6. John the Baptist is the sixth of John’s witnesses. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light (1:6-7). Everything that John said about this man was true (10:41).

  7. Jesus’ disciples. You also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning (15:27).

  8. The men and women who personally encountered Jesus:

 

The Samaritan Woman: Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? (4:29). The Man who was born blind: One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see(9:25).

 

Three Key Features of a Faithful Christian Witness

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  1. The Content of our witness - A Christian witness is first and foremost about Christ (1:7, 29, 32, 34). His message was not about his experience or what he felt about God. It was all about Jesus. Remember what the early church enshrined in the Apostles Creed: that Jesus is God’s only Son and our Lord; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin May; that He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; that He experienced death for three days and then rose from the grave; that He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and that from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. These claims make up a Christian witness.

  2. The Manner of our witness “ It is not what we have to offer to others. Our testimonies about ourselves should not form the heart of our witness. Our witness must center not on our experience but on the facts of Christ coming into this world (1:8; 26-27; 5:35). John was not the light, but only a lamp. A great light is shining on us, and we are to reflect that light into the world.

  3. The Goal of our witness “ John came as a witness that all might believe through him(1:7). Our goal is for others to believe through our witness.

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May we commit to this pattern of faithful witness, as modeled by John the Baptist, we will find that God will cause people to believe through us. The summary statement that should focus our witness to Jesus is found in 1:9: The true light, which lightens every one, was coming into the world. Jesus is the true (genuine) light. The great need of the world is to believe in Jesus Christ, the true light and our obligation is to tell all people that they need to do so. Christians have an equal need to believe on Jesus. Faith in Christ is once for all in its effects, eternally reconciling us to God. But faith in Christ is not a once for all event. We have to convert our belief into a living practice and habit.

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Four Key Elements in John the Baptist’s Witness to Christ (1:19-28)

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  1. A Living Witness “ The religious leaders were curious to know who he was and what he represented who are you? (1:19-20).The delegates tried to guess his identity. John led a powerful life and taught God’s truth. So great was the excellence of John that men might have believed him to be the Christ.

  2. A Witness Not to Self  He called attention away from himself. He said, he was only a voice to make known the word (1:23, 29). I am here to point you to the savior.

  3. A Witness to Christ – He did not get tied up in a personal defense. Instead he pointed every one to Christ (1:23, 26, 29). It is less important for us to debate the issues of the Bible, than to tell them about Jesus. John counted it as an awesome privilege to be a servant of Jesus.

  4. A Call to Repentance and Faith (1:23).

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Our witness does matter. No witness is wasted. Many believed in Jesus because of John’s witness (see 1:35-37; 1:28: 10:40-42). If Jesus is the word your voice brings, then your witness is mighty.

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Conclusion:

John the Baptist witnessed to Jesus’ work as the Lamb of God, as the sender of God’s Spirit, and John exalted the person of Christ. The Person and Work of Christ was the center of John’s witness. Who is Jesus Christ? What Jesus has done for sinners? What is it about Jesus that so fascinates us?

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Three Types of Witnesses in John Chapter 1

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  1. John the Baptist’s Witness (1:35-36): Biblical Proclamation

  2. Andrew’s Witness (1:41; 6:8-9; 12:20-22): Personal Testimony. Andrew is listed as one of the first four disciples (Matt.10:2; Mark 3:16-18; Luke 6:14). He is most noted for bringing people to Jesus: all three times he is singled out in John’s Gospel, it is for this reason.

  3. The Witness of Jesus (1:38-39): Personal Invitation. If you come, you will see. This promise is still valid today. If you sincerely seek to learn about Jesus, He will reveal Himself to you.

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Our witness must always have this aim: not to win arguments, not to present an interesting philosophy or a helpful lifestyle, but to bring people to Jesus. He is seeking and saving the lost today (Luke 19:10) just as in prior times, and He does so through our witness that brings people to Him.

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THE THEOLOGY OF THE GOSPEL: JESUS & NICODEMUS (JN.3)

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Nicodemus the Man

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  1. He was a Pharisee

  2. He was a leader, a ruler of the Jews (a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest governing body)

  3. He was a scholar; may be an admirer of the Greek philosophers. Nicodemus is a Greek name. He was an upper-class Jew, learned in religion and philosophy.

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Rebirth: Born Again

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  1. Another. The new birth is from above (3:3, 31; 1:12-13); it is from God.

  2. It is necessary (3:7)

  3. It is the supernatural work of God (3:5 compare with Ezk.36:25-27). We are spiritually dead (Eph.2:1) and spiritually blind (3:3, 5). Like Lazarus in the tomb, we must hear the voice of Jesus - only then can he come forth and live. It is not your decision. You have to be the object of God’s supernatural work on your heart.

  4. The new birth is revealed by its effects (3:8). We cannot see it , but we can observe its effects in our lives.

  5. The new birth must be personally experienced (it must not be explained but experienced).

  6. Mankind is ignorant of the divine truth of born again (3: 9-10). Scriptures are not enough without the regenerating work of the Spirit. The problem is not that the Bible is unclear or inherently difficult to understand. The problem is you do not receive our testimony (3:11). Evangelists have the responsibility to pray for unbelievers, so that the Lord may enlighten their mind and open the heart to His Gospel.

  7. The new birth is possible because of the sacrifice of the Son of Man (3:14; Num.21:4-8). This is the cause of the new birth.

  8. The love of the Father as the reason for the new birth (3:16) : The measure of love is how much it gives.

 

So What Happened to Nicodemus? The encounter ends without any definite conclusion. But he shows up again in Ch.7 speaking up for Jesus in the Sanhedrin. He must have recalled Jesus’ words (3:14-15) as he watched Him dying on the cross. He saw upon the cross the Savior of his soul. He was born again. How do we know? We know because of what happened next (19:38-39). He publicly identified with Christ. What an exciting ending to Nicodemus’s story! Our witness is never wasted. How powerful are the seeds of the gospel !

 

JOHN 3:16: The Gospel of Love

 

Agape (Giving Love) Storge (Family Love) Eros (Romantic/Sexual Love) Philos (Friendship Love/Brotherly Love)

God’s Love

  1. Divine Love

  2. Agape Love

  3. Amazing Love (Great Love)

  4. Giving Love

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We are called on to receive and pass on this love. Living out God’s amazing love will be our strongest testimony to a loveless world. This giving love should beautify our marriages, enliven our friendships, glorify God in the church, and inspire in us a loving fervor in evangelism (1John 4:11). Since God has given us His Son and loved us, we may be confident of receiving every other help and mercy we need to endure this life and arrive safely in heaven. This confidence should give us peace in every storm and trust in the face of life’s trials (Rom.8:32).

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The Gospel of Faith

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  1. Our Greatest Possession - whoever believes in Him (knowledge, assent/conviction/assurance, trust/commitment - notitia, assensus ,fiducia. Instead of trusting in ourselves, trust God fully. “Believes” is equivalent to saying amen those who give their amen to Jesus, embracing him as a trustworthy Savior and committing themselves to Him (see Isa.7:9b).

  2. Our Greatest Need - should not perish

  3. Our Greatest Blessing - but have eternal life“ Not only the quantity of life, but the quality. Eternal life is a life of spiritual joy, understanding, vitality, a life in which God’s own Spirit moves within us, a life of seeing and even entering God’s Kingdom.

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JESUS THE EVANGELIST & THE WOMAN AT THE WELL (JN.4)

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The Evangelism of Jesus:

  1. Caring for the lost

  2. Crossing the boundaries (national, religious, social and gender barriers)

  3. Connecting with people on a personal level

  4. Communicating good news

  5. Offer of living water

  6. Spiritual need - the unquenched thirst

  7. Dealing with sin - God knows our sin, sin separates us from God, Jesus is the Messiah-savior who came to deal with our sin

The Cry of New Life:

  1. Confession of faith in Christ (4:28-29)

  2. Change in life

  3. Concern for the lost

  4. An Invitation to come (see Come: Acts 7:3; Matt.11:28; 28:6; Mk.10:21; Rev.22:17).

Her Witness:

  1. It proved her new birth (4:28-29)

  2. It excited Jesus (4:31-34)

  3. It encourages us (4:36)

  4. It revealed Jesus as savior of the world (4:42)

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God’s Sovereignty & Evangelism

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  1. Our evangelism should be biblical, both in its message and method. It should conform to the teachings of the Bible. Resistance to the Gospel should not surprise us in a dying world in bondage to the devil (2 Cori.4:1-6). We should be committed to God’s ways as taught in the bible. We must clearly and lovingly explain the facts concerning Jesus as taught in the Bible. Our evangelistic action must serve the WORD, not the WORLD.

  2. We must refuse to employ unbiblical methods, persuasive techniques and deceitful manipulation. We should not induce the public testimony by long appeals to raise hands (altar call).

  3. Our evangelism should be prayerful (e.g. Paul)

  4. Our evangelism should be zealous and creative (living water, bread of life, etc). Use creative vehicles to present the Gospel. But it should not marginalize serious bible teaching and never take the place of gospel truth.

  5. Because God is sovereign, we should never lose heart in evangelism.

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(Notes based on Jesus the Evangelist by Richard D. Phillips, Reformation Trust Publishers, 2007, Orlando, FL.).

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