FIVE VITAL SIGNS OF A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN PART V
Preaching The Good News In An Age of
Skepticism
We have been studying five vital signs of a healthy
Christian and a Church by looking into Acts 2:42-47. They are:1. Worship (Vs.
46-47) 2. Fellowship Vs.46. 3. Service (Ministry) Vs. 44-45. 4. Discipleship,
Vs.42. 5. Evangelism (Preaching the Good News)Vs. 47.
We learned that a healthy Christian grows in
worshipping God, maintaining his vertical and horizontal fellowship with God
and others. A healthy Christian serves others as Jesus did. A healthy Christian
grows in discipleship by living a life of self-denial by identifying with
Christ’s sufferings. Today we will look at the fifth vital sign, which is
Evangelism. Acts 2:47
One of our Core values at Hope Church is that we are Outreach-Focused
“We believe all people are made in God’s image and are precious to God.
Members of Hope Church seek to build bridges through creative and intentional
efforts to share the Good News with others. We recognize that much of the
Scripture portrays God’s passion for the poor and needy and endeavor to have
our desires in line with His.” In other words, “We align ourselves
with God’s will.”
In the last two weeks, we have examined how God’s will
manifested in Christ’s followers’ lives and the cost they had to pay. In his
sermon on the mount, Jesus explained what that cost looked like. Matthew
5:11-12, “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie
about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my
followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in
heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”
After warning them about the impending persecution,
Jesus made two outstanding pronouncements of his disciples: “You are the Salt
of the earth and the Light of the world. Then commissioned them to let their
good deeds shine among the people. The early Church tried to live out that
Mission. I title this sermon Preaching The Good News In An Age of
Skepticism.
I.
What is Evangelism?
If you have attended any Church long enough, you may
have heard the words Evangelism, evangelist, and evangelize. But what do these
words mean? Evangelism is the term we use to refer to the preaching of the
Gospel. It comes from the Greek word for Gospel (euangelion) and literally
means “gospeling.” When we evangelize, we are spreading the Gospel.
What is the Gospel? The word Gospel means “good
news,” so the Gospel of Christ is the good news of His coming to provide
forgiveness of sins for all who will believe. The Apostle Paul told his
spiritual son, Timothy, to do the work of an Evangelist (II Timothy 4:5).
What does an evangelist do? The Greek Word “euaggelistes”
means the one who proclaims the glad tidings or the good news. In that sense,
anyone who brings good news to another is an evangelist. Romans 10:13-15, For “Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on
him to save them unless they believe in him?
And how can they believe in him if they have never
heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And
how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures
say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” The
work of an evangelist is to take the Good News to those who have been waiting
to hear someone tell them so that they can respond. How will our neighbors and
friends hear the good news unless we tell them? Let’s heed Paul’s words and do
the work of an evangelist.
II.
Why must Christians preach the Good News?
We established what Evangelism is and who is an
evangelist. Let me now clear up some misunderstandings about Evangelism. We
often think of Evangelism as a planned event of our Church. It is done and
completed when the event ends, and we wait for another occasion. Evangelism is
not an organized event but a lifestyle, a part of who we are as Christ’s
followers.
Another misnomer is that I must be an eloquent speaker
like Billy Graham or dramatic as Benny Hinn to be an evangelist. You don’t need
all that. Just be yourself and tell others how God changed you, forgave your
sins, and how they, too, can receive forgiveness and hope in Jesus.
Some think being an evangelist is a special calling
from God and is not meant for everyone. Yes, God sets aside some like Billy
Graham and others with such calling and anointing where they reach thousands
for Christ, but all of us are called to do the work of an Evangelist.
Let me give a few reasons why all Christians must
preach the good news. First, Preaching the Good News is not an option but a
directive issued to all believers from the Lord Himself. Mark 16:14-15,
“Still later, he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating
together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to
believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then
he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
I hope none of us have a stubborn and unbelieving heart.
Secondly, when we preach the Good News, we do the will
of God. II
Peter 3:9, “The
Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is
being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants
everyone to repent.”
Thirdly, we hasten the Lord’s return when we preach
the Gospel. Matthew 24:14, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be
preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it; and then
the end will come.” Jesus’ return depends on all Christians doing the work of
an Evangelist, that is, preaching the Good News to all people in the world.
III.
Preaching the Good News In An Age of Skepticism.
The disciples were initially stubborn and unbelieving
when Christ gave the commission to Go and preach the Good News to the world.
But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, everything changed. As a result
of Peter’s preaching, a church community
was formed.
How
did the early Christians preach the good news? Acts 2:47, “all the while
praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day, the
Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” This verse sounds contrary
to the persecution we have been discussing. Initially, the early Christians may
have enjoyed the goodwill of all the people until the intense persecution broke
out against them in Chapter 8.
We don’t see early Christians verbally
proclaiming the Gospel in this verse. But it was demonstrated by how they loved
one another in the Church family and cared for the needs of the poor in the
larger community. In other words, they let their good deeds shine among the
people.
Like the early Christians, we are living
in an age of skepticism. For many, there is no absolute truth. They say truth
is relative. Many skeptics doubt and even challenge the claims of Christians
based on their personal experience of change and God’s word.
The Apostle Peter, one of the early Church’s pillars,
gives us clues on how to preach the Good News in An Age of Skepticism in II
Peter 3:1-14. Here are a few truths: First, in the last days, skeptics scoff at
the truth about the promise of Jesus’ second coming because of its delay. Jesus’
return is delayed not because he forgot his promise but because he is patient
for our sake.
Second, no
one could predict when Jesus would return, and no one could protect the current
earth from destruction. Vs.
10, But
the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will
pass away with a terrible noise, the very elements themselves will disappear in
fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”
Third, as we wait for these things to happen, we will
make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless
in God’s sight. One of the better ways to preach the Gospel in an age of
skepticism is to live the Gospel through good deeds and attitudes than mere
words. People must see that we love them before they can hear the Gospel’s
truth. Amen!
