Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – Structural Necessities for the Evangelistic Enterprise of the Church

By Jerry Root
June 2006

I have had the privilege of teaching evangelism for many years. The topic is complex for at least four reasons. First, it is central in the biblical narrative. Second, it is fed by two thousand years of Church history and tradition. Third, there are a variety of ways the good news in Christ can be made known (personal evangelism, proclamation evangelism, mass communication, etc). And fourth, every encounter where the gospel is presented is unique. Nevertheless, there are at least four basic elements that are as structurally necessary to the evangelistic enterprise of the Church as a foundation is to a house, or roots are to trees, or pylons are to a bridge.

1. Evangelism is a necessary feature in personal spiritual growth.
It could be said that nobody reaches spiritual maturity if sharing the good news is not part of his or her character. One may be wise, one may be a brilliant biblical exegete, one may be a leader in prayer and worship, but one is still underdeveloped spiritually if telling lost people about Jesus is not part of the individual’s life.

Luke’s Gospel contains the account of Jesus coming to the country of the Gerasenes (Luke 8:26-39) where he meets a demon-possessed man who is living like a madman among the tombs. Jesus speaks a word and immediately the man is delivered. The restored man wants desperately to follow Jesus. However, instead of inviting the man to join him in his travels, Jesus says, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you” (v. 39). Jesus’ follow-up method was to encourage this healed man to start sharing his new-found faith with others. It appears that Jesus believed evangelism is vital if a person is to grow in their faith.

Similarly, Paul also argues that telling others about Christ Jesus is necessary for spiritual development. In a letter to his friend Philemon Paul writes, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you may have a full understanding of every good thing you have in Christ” (Philemon 6). According to Paul, the person who puts his or her trust in the Lord and then begins to share Jesus with others will grow. Such advice is still true today; anyone who tells another person about Jesus will be asked many questions by seekers. As the evangelist studies and searches for answers, his or her faith will certainly grow. The questions that other people ask can lead to growth in our own faith.

Furthermore, people will scrutinize the life of the evangelist. Have you ever had a perfectly pure motive for anything you have ever done? My guess is that nobody has had a perfectly pure motive; indeed, if we wait until our motives are pure, nobody will ever do anything which is kingdom worthy. Our best efforts are like Andrew’s five loaves and two fish for the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:8-10). Andrew’s efforts appeared miniscule in light of the large nature of the task at hand. And though the need was great, God took Andrew’s feeble offering and did something great with it. So too, our efforts may seem very small in light of the work that needs to be done; however, God will use us—flaws and all—to do his work. Indeed, in the very act of sharing the gospel with others we will learn about our own failures and deficiencies, as well as those of the Church throughout history. People will scrutinize our lives whenever we share the gospel, but in the midst of criticism we can grow. We can correct our failures, confess our sins and thereby adore the gospel with authenticity. Such growth often eludes those who neglect to share the gospel with others. Every student of evangelism can benefit by remembering these things.

2. Evangelism is sacramental.
Throughout Church history there have been some who believed that the sacraments are those practices of the Church in which it is believed God exhibits his presence in a unique way and thereby ministers grace to the participants. In light of this, evangelism can also be viewed as a sacrament. We do not take Jesus to anyone; he is already there. We go to make known what he is already doing in a person’s life. Evangelism is participating with Jesus in a work he is already doing, much as we find the disciples doing in John 4. After Jesus ministers to the woman at the well, she returns to her village to tell others about what she has experienced. As people stream out of the village to meet Jesus, he says to his disciples, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white unto harvest…in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor” (vv. 35-38).

Dr. Jerry Root is associate director of the Institute for Strategic Evangelism at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. He has taught in the evangelism masters program for the past eleven years. Root has invested nineteen years in student ministry, evangelism, and discipleship.