Evangelism has slowly turned into a dirty word among many people in our culture. Even those who follow Christ shirk away from what we consider to be “modern” styles of talking to others about Jesus.
A few weeks ago I asked Facebook to tell me the first thing they think of when they hear the word evangelism. The answers were sobering. Some had a positive view, but many didn’t. You can read the comments here.
While we can try to dance around the idea, I believe we have a Biblical mandate to practice evangelism. Matthew 28 gives us these words of Christ.
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
One thing is unchangeable, the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the vehicle, the medium, is part of an ever moving contextual adventure. The Holy Spirit is with the church has we prayerful discover the best ways to talk with people about the love of Christ. The job of the church is to be part of this task of deliberate sharing of the gospel in ways that resonate with the individual cultures they are part of.
Join us Sunday at 11am. If you are interested in a deeper look into the scripture passages, you can read the rabbit trail posted tomorrow. Below is our sermon preview video. Feel free to share it with your friends.
Chad Brooks is a United Methodist Pastor serving in Louisiana. Married to Meredith, he is currently starting a new church in northeast Louisiana. Host of the Productive Pastor Podcast and lover of motorcycles, Chad would love to find Bigfoot one day.