The Goal is Whole: One Together, Part 1 Community Witness, O1.4: Evangelism

FULL STUDY:

⁸ Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; ⁹ and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Luke 10:8-9)

Witness and evangelism work very effectively where proclamation follows demonstration. We earn the right to proclaim when we have first demonstrated the reality of the Kingdom, just like Jesus instructed the seventy.

Demonstration occurs at a basic level as our lifestyle causes us to stand out as lights in the darkness, and the salt of the earth:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

We might also demonstrate Jesus through deliberate expressions of love and compassion, such as an act of kindness, or use of the power-gifts in healing and deliverance. Often when people experience an encounter with the love of Jesus, they open up to know more. It then becomes easier to proclaim His name so that they might receive Him.

This is what happened in the Acts 3 healing we studied yesterday. After explaining how the healing had happened, Peter went on to share with the people the message of Jesus (Acts 3:17-26). This was the response:

“Many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” (Acts 4:4)

Demonstrating the Kingdom is empowered outworking in some form, just as Jesus leads. This may be very varied, and give rise to creative acts and expressions being carried out by the INN. It might be mercy ministry, or language help, or working on a project together or forming a start-up company. Perhaps something to do with the arts, or education, or music. However He leads!

One of the most powerful ways to demonstrate Jesus is through a missional model, where the INN-community presences themselves inside an existing community. Perhaps a parent support group, or a sports club, or a photography shoot. Anywhere there is a common interest, people gather and assemble already. This is simply participating with them, with the heart to see Jesus manifested there in His love, kindness and power.

The key to knowing what to do is to listen to Jesus together, exercising shared discernment. Let Jesus motivate the focus and the action! This will lead to INNs taking on a certain emphasis or form, on a short term or longer term basis. All the time, the primary goal is the same. Keep listening to Jesus and follow His lead.

There is another element of demonstration that is very important, especially as it overlaps with proclamation. That is the use of prophecy. The Prophet Joel saw this as a primary outworking of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, as quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost:

“this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; 18 Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-18)

Although an element of this began to be fulfilled in the early church, today there is an explosion of prophetic ministry across the earth. Hearing the Holy Spirit as the basis for conversations can be so powerful. Sometimes this includes the “word of knowledge”, especially related to a healing need. Speaking this out often opens up the person to receive. It is easy after these kinds of demonstrations to then move into proclamation. “Let me tell you about Jesus. Would you like to receive Him?”

Evangelism literally means “telling the good news”. It is not a heavy thing, but a joyful thing. It is important that we have the right message, and this might be a topic of discussion at your next group time. Here are a few keys to explore:

a. Sin is not the central theme, because it is no longer the problem in God’s eyes. It should not dominate the message:

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

God dealt with the sin issue at the cross. It is no longer a barrier for Him. Our message is one of reconciliation, freely and joyfully offering forgiveness of sins. The underlying message should be “Welcome Home”.

b. The goal is to help people receive Jesus personally:

 “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

One day I was ministering with someone on the streets who was so good at this. He simply said, “If you were to die would you like to have Jesus with you, or not with you?” The person said, “with me”. OK, my friend said, shall we pray now and ask Him to come in? She agreed, and prayed to receive Christ on the spot. My friend made it so joyful and so simple. That’s a good model.

c. “Welcome home to Jesus” is also “Welcome home to His community”. It is good to build relationship with the newcomer on a community level, more than a religious level, or personal level.

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)

This is one of the strengths of the INN vision, because community witness (including evangelism) is an extension of an active new creation community that is ready to welcome and nurture all those receiving Jesus. We can bring them home to the Inn!

d. Pray! People who do not respond to Jesus are blinded by the devil. Praying and proclaiming the victory and freedom of Jesus opens the way for people to receive Him:

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 2:3-4)

When someone receives Jesus and enters the new creation, they are delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and immediately become a target for the enemy to retaliate. We need to be in prayer immediately for new believers to help shield them, especially before they have understanding of these things themselves. It is good to encourage the person to be baptized in water and the Holy Spirit as soon as possible, and begin to teach them how to stand in Christ.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)