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From those very first weeks and months after the Pentecost, people were being saved every day (Acts 2:47). Part of the apostles’ teaching that the newly Spirit-filled church devoted themselves to (Acts 2:42) must have been the normal and regular sharing of the gospel with family, friends, and strangers. Only a few days later Jesus said that they would be his “witnesses…to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 9:35) and trained his apostles to do the same (Mk. But we also need to be clear that “making disciples” necessarily involves helping people who are not yet disciples to become disciples-that is, evangelism. And we’ve taught those around us that they should be disciple-makers themselves. Many of us have heard and even preached sermons that rightly focused on the Great Commission’s theme of “make disciples” (Matt. From the brand new Christian to the wizened old saint, sharing the gospel is necessary and integral to a growing life in Christ. Or we think evangelism is only for the most zealous and “spiritually gifted” in our churches.īut the New Testament paints a picture in which every disciple of Christ is normally and naturally involved in evangelism as much as in Bible study, prayer, and corporate worship.
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Yet how often have we thought of discipleship and evangelism as two separate and unconnected aspects of our life in Christ? Even more harmful, we often consider discipleship necessary and evangelism optional. John’s testimony to the spiritually invigorating effect of sharing one’s faith resonated with everything I have experienced in my own walk with Christ and in 22 years of student ministry and church leadership. It’s like you can’t stop! There’s nothing like it!” And, boy, after you lead someone to Christ you never forget it. It has made me work through things I had never thought about before.
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He explained: “Learning to share my faith brought so many important issues into focus. He meant that doing evangelism had changed his life. “What do you mean?” I asked, fully expecting him to explain how someone had led him to Christ. Our conversation had quickly turned to faith when he discovered I had not come to Orlando for Disney World like most of his passengers. “Evangelism changed my life.” John, my taxi driver, told me this as we drove down the Orlando freeway toward the conference I was attending.