WK 38-JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR EVANGELISM

WEEK 38

JESUS SETS AN AGENDA FOR EVANGELISM

KEY VERSE: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. MATHEW 9:36

SCRIPTURE LESSON: MATTHEW 9:35-38; 10:1, 5-16
MATTHEW 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send outworkers into his harvest field,”

MATTHEW10:5-16 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
“Do not go among the gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, preach this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Freely you have received, freely give.
9Do not take along ay gold or silver or copper in your belts;
10Take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13If the home is deserves, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

INTRODUCTION
Success or effectiveness in any venture depends on the leader’s ability to sense when there is a need for change in strategy in order to achieve a vision. Such a change in circumstances is described as a paradigm shift, and is important that such a change is quickly recognized to avoid stagnation and failure.

The Methodist Church Ghana is facing a number of challenges in the areas of evangelism, missions and church growth. Since the last two or three years, the Church has set itself the target of doubling its membership in five years. How is this going to be achieved in the face of the many ‘competitors’ who are in the field? The ‘competitors’ include: increasing secularism and materialism among Ghanaians, increasing numbers of other religions and false Christian sect and the many Christian denominations that are now on the market.

What can the Church do in the face of these competitors? We can learn a lot from the way Jesus handled a similar situation.

EXPOSITION
It Cannot Be Business As Usual (Matt. 9:35-36)
Until this time in his ministry, Jesus was following a routine. He had been moving through towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing the people. Was Jesus reaching enough people by this strategy? He was made more sensitive to the enormity of the task facing him when he saw the crowds. There were still more people to be reached with Gospel. He had fed the five thousand, but additional relief services had to be provided; poverty, disease, famine and other calamities were still rampant and many needs had to be met. Could it continue to be business as usual? New strategies had to be put in place and that is precisely what Jesus did. What were these strategies?

STRATEGY I: Recognize the nature of the task-it’s a harvest (Matt 9:37-38)
Jesus described the work of evangelism as a harvest. We often do not recognize that there are lots of people who are waiting to be told the good News and who are indeed ready to accept it. It is a harvest, for the Lord has already planted ‘eternity in the hearts of men’ (Eccl.3:11b). There is a longing in the heart of man which only the Gospel can satisfy. It is not as if we are starting a new farm and sowing new crops; the crops are fully grown and ready for harvest.

STRATEGYII: Pray for more workers (Matt.9:38)
We also need to recognize that the one in charge of the whole enterprise of evangelism is God himself. It is God’s desire that none be lost (11 Pet. 3:9) The implication is that any evangelistic effort that is not backed by serious prayer to the Lord of the harvest is bound to fail. What did Jesus ask us to pray for? Workers!

Paul argues that unless one is sent or called or feels compelled to tell unbelievers about the Gospel, they will not be effective workers for the Lord (Rom. 10:12-15) Therefore, it is not every church member who would be a willing and faithful witness for Christ. Otherwise, the Methodist Church Ghana could double its membership in a year if every member went out and brought a new convert in. That is why Jesus asked that we should pray for God to call and send his workers to the harvest field; in other words we should pray for Methodist to have a passion to win lost souls for Christ.

STRATEGY III: The workers must be spiritually empowered (Matt. 10:1)
Before Jesus sent out twelve on the evangelistic exercise, he gave them ‘authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.’ According to Mark’s account of the Great Commission, miraculous signs, healing of the sick, driving out demons, etc., could not be separated from the spread of the Gospel far advanced and the effect of scientific advancement is seen everywhere, people cannot fail to recognize the reality and the power of God when miracles accompany the preaching of the Gospel. Some refer to this as ‘Power Evangelism’ and it is important that we recognize the place it has in our effort to spread the Gospel. So we should prepare ourselves and not be afraid to pray for people with needs and believe God for answers.

STRATEGY IV: Targeting (Matt. 10:5-6)
Jesus taught the important principle of targeting in evangelism when he instructed the Twelve as follows, ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel ….’ It is not as if Jesus did not care about non-Jewish groups, for he gave instructions about them just before his ascension, but for now the unbelieving Jews were his target.
Congregations need to define who their targets are in their evangelism as this will define the most effective method to adopt. Is it the teenagers, the youth, adult males or females, some ethnic group we are targeting or what? Targeting also helps us to evaluate the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts.

STRATEGY V: Identify the most receptive group (Matt. 10:11-15)
Jesus further taught that within the targeted group, the apostles were to identify the most receptive people. Sometimes, in our church planting and evangelism, we waste too much time bringing up churches in some unresponsive localities and evangelizing unresponsive individuals. Jesus taught that, it is better to move on and identify those who are ready to receive the gospel.

STRATEGY VI: Trust God to provide the resources (Matt. 10:9-19)
We often use the unavailability of money and other resources as an excuse for not embarking on evangelistic campaigns. Jesus taught his apostles to move on and trust God to provide the needed resources. This is not to say we should not plan or budget for evangelism, but we can never have enough for our evangelism before we set off. When Abraham obeyed God’s command and set off to offer a sacrifice without having a sheep but only a son, he learnt that, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’ (Gen. 22:14). God will always provide the needed resources if we obey the Great Commission and set off.

STRATEGY VII: Remember that you are in enemy territory (Matt. 10:16-25)
Any evangelistic effort is an attack on enemy territory. Therefore, it will be naïve for Christians or churches to think that Satan will easily give up his hold on unbelievers.

Jesus therefore warned his apostles to be aware of the fact that they go out as sheep among wolves and so they must be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. This calls for discernment so that we can identify the schemes of the Evil one and nullify them in the power of Christ.

Our innocence as doves will ensure that the world does not have the opportunity to point fingers at us and thus discredit our witness.

STRATEGY VIII: Don’t be afraid (Matt. 10:16ff)
Paul described the Church as ‘the pillar and foundation of the truth’ this is the mystery of godliness, which is the Gospel (I Tim. 3:14-16). The church therefore has a duty to hold this truth up as a pillar, but in a pluralistic society, the church has often been cowed to either keep its mouth shut or water down its message.

To be effective and successful in our evangelism, we must shed off fear of individuals, groups of people, other religions, humanist groups, atheists etc, and proclaim the unadulterated truth of the Gospel. It is only then that the world will respond to the Gospel.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The most recent census showed that about 70% of Ghana’s 22 million people claim to be Christians. Do you think these are all committed Christians? Why or why not?
What factors show that even in the Church, there are a lot of uncommitted Christians?
a. What strategies have your church or congregation been using to gain new converts?
b. Do you consider the strategies effective? Why or why not?
4. What aspects of the strategy outlined by Jesus must be seriously adopted by your
Church/congregation if you are to succeed in your evangelism?

BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
At you next Society Meeting/Quarterly Meeting, discuss thoroughly the evangelism strategy you have so far adopted. Assess its effectiveness.
Review your Church’s evangelism strategy taking into consideration the issues raised by Jesus.
Implement your new strategy and monitor and evaluate its progress from time to time.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Acts 13:4-12 Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus
Tuesday Acts 13:13-17 Paul and Barnabas in Perga
Wednesday Acts 14: 1-7 Paul and Barnabas in Iconuim
Thursday Acts 14:8-15 Paul and Barnabas in Lystra
Friday Acts 14:21-25 Paul and Barnabas in Derbe
Saturday Acts 14:26-28 Paul and Barnabas Reports to the Disciples in Antioch
Sunday Matthew 10:1-23 Jesus sets an Agenda for Evangelism