Why Must We Evangelize? (Mark 16:15-20)
Today, Why Must We Evangelize? We have to have to have healing regarding this aspect in order for evangelization to take place within us. Is this just one request out of many Jesus Bcirys gave to us? Or is this simply that’s just optional? Is this aspect God is telling us about something we must do? I would like it if you thought deeply about evangelism healing.
1.Why do we have to evangelize?
There are many misconceptions regarding evangelism. There are some people who think evangelism is irrelevant to them. In other words, evangelism and I must be aligned. If evangelism and I are aligned, it means Christ and I are aligned. If evangelism and I are not aligned, it means Christ and I are not aligned. If I’m not aligned with Christ, it means I’m not aligned with God. Then where must I align myself to? May you receive the blessing of healing regarding evangelism. The church must be aligned with God’s word. But the churches are not aligned with evangelism. People say that it’s something that only a specific person does, that’s church isn’t aligned with God. All people and children must be aligned with evangelism. In other words, our field must be aligned with evangelism.
When you stand in front of God, what would be the most important event in your life. The most important event in your life is the moment you received the gospel and became a child of God, there’s nothing more important than that. If someone says there’s something more important than this, it’s possible they didn’t receive salvation, or did not know the value of the gospel.
If this is the most important thing, then what do you think is the work of me relaying this to others? That’s why God entrusted the most important thing, evangelism to us. There’s nothing more important than this. If the fact that becoming a child of God is the most important thing in my life, it means that’s the most important thing in everyone else too. Then if I am running the errands of the most important things in the world, what is going to happen to this person’s life? That’s our life. But because we have these misconceptions regarding God, regarding evangelism, and the church, things that are not aligned with God’s word keep on taking place within our lives. Paul received the gospel, and said recovering the gospel was the most important thing in his life. But we misunderstand evangelism because we misunderstand the gospel.
People know that the gospel is important, they know the gospel is important to me, but the gospel doesn’t go beyond me, this person doesn’t actually know how important the gospel is. They just think they think that by themselves. If you know how important the gospel is, you’ll know how important it is to relay it. Then how important is the person’s life that is used to relay this. They are the ones God is most interested in. If somebody says that they think the gospel is important but not evangelism, that means they don’t understand the gospel well. This gospel has set us free from darkness, it doesn’t matter what we try, there’s no way to escape from darkness and Satan. This gospel liberated us from our curses and sin. This gospel liberated us from the background of hell, there’s no other way to do this. So the people who know this gospel, truly set their life enjoying testifying the gospel. But the forces of darkness hold everything so that this gospel isn’t proclaimed. So again, Satan deceives and controls this person making them think you already know the gospel, “You already know the gospel, so instead of relaying it, waste your time doing something else.” This person doesn’t know they are seized. They think “Oh now that I have the gospel, the darkness is irrelevant to me.” How cunning is the devil, he makes you seized by making you think you know. So that you don’t relay this gospel. You have to confirm this in yourself.
Then why must we evangelize? People who don’t know this gospel say, “Should I evangelize or not?” Because they don’t know the answer yet. This person just knows the word Gospel, Christ but they don’t actually know. Why must we evangelize?
(1)Matthew 4:19
i. The works of evangelism naturally arise as a result of following the Lord.
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Just going toward Jesus Christ is evangelism. So the very fact that you’re asking, “Do I have to evangelize or not?” Means that you are not facing the Lord. It naturally takes place if you follow the Lord.
ii. Fruit is evidence that a branch is connected to the vine
John 15:5-7, if the branches are connected to the vine, then the fruits of evangelism naturally take place. So if evangelism isn’t taking place, it means we are not following the Lord, nor remaining attached to the Lord.
(2)Evangelism breaks the forces of Satan, who holds people in the state of sin
Acts 10:38
Evangelism is the way to heal all those who are under the power of the devil. Even now, there are people in the field that are seized by the devil and are oppressed but they don’t know of it.
1 John 3:8
“The reason the son of God came to earth was to destroy the work of the devil.”
Ephesians 2:2
People are still following the rules of the kingdom of the air, and this comes all the way to the church to seize them, so they do not follow Christ but concentrate on something else instead. So if you look at someone carefully, there are people who concentrate on things that will leave them no choice but to get depressed. It doesn’t matter whether this person goes to church or not, it means that the very center of their heart is always in the direction that gives them depression. If someone has a mental problem, it means that everything in their state is already centered on that, so they have no choice but to get that mental problem. That’s where Christ must be established; everything else you give them is useless. You have to give them the answer to the most central thing to them.
(3) Evangelism is God’s greatest concern (Acts 7:56-60)
i. The gates of heaven opened
ii. The Lord stood at the right hand of God
When Stephen was martyred for evangelizing the gospel, God was seated at the throne of heaven. Right before Stephen was stoned to death, he gave the original gospel to the pharisees. The gospel is not easy. You cannot even open your mouth in the field; the devil makes it so that you cannot even open your mouth. If you’re just trying to open your mouth and all you have is theory, Satan is going to make you close your mouth. If you open your mouth, you’re going to get stoned to death.
It’s not like that nowadays. Now, Satan seizes people with the fear, “What’s going to happen to my career if I talk about this?” So Satan oppresses people so they can’t even bring out the words. Then, can we do this with our own strength? Can we do it with a lot of training? Maybe it’s possible if that training gives us spiritual strength, but regular training will not do. Evangelism delights God so much that He opens the doors to heaven, and He is standing at the throne of heaven.
(4)The power of the Holy Spirit works specifically through evangelism
Acts 1:8
Evangelism is the place where the power of the Holy Spirit is specifically working. Evangelism is the place where the Holy Spirit actually works.
Acts 3:1-12
Peter goes to the beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful, and he is filled with the spirit, he says, “in the name of Jesus Christ, stand up!” which means he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:4-8
The Holy Spirit led Philip into the region of Samaria. We cannot evangelize unless it’s the working of the Holy Spirit. How would they know who was in Samaria at that time? Even when you do evangelism camp, it shouldn’t be random, it should be the place God has prepared. For such people, Samaria is like their enemy, it’s impossible for them to go in. With their limited thinking, Samaria is the place that could never be reached, but the Holy Spirit leads them there, so evangelism is something that can only overcome myself with the working of the Holy Spirit.
They saw the crippled beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful, every day, but they just saw it, only when the Holy Spirit worked did they see. If you want to do evangelism camp every day, then the Holy Spirit’s power has to come upon you as you hold to the covenant every day, because the filling of the Holy Spirit’s power comes upon those who relay this evangelism every day.
To what extent do we have to train? There are a lot of different kinds of training, but it takes place if a person is able to put themselves into evangelism, prayer, and God’s Word. Not in a special event every few months, but every day may the person confirm that the person is within God’s Word, prayer, and evangelism. It’s not about being within the Word, prayer, and evangelism, but someone who is within evangelism, prayer, and the Word. That person no longer needs training because we receive training to evangelize; it’s evangelism training and that person is fixated on that every day.
Every day is an evangelism camp. Every day is Christmas, every day is camp. You say 24 hour Christmas, and that’s a 24 hour camp. If this takes place for someone, they can train someone else. Until the remnants get to this point, even if you leave this person alone, they do not act on their own volition but it is always about evangelism, prayer, and the Word.
(5) The purpose of Jesus coming was to evangelize? (John 14:6)
(6)Evangelism defeats the devil, and is the means by which we help people find the only way to God (John 15:6)
The purpose of Jesus’ coming was to evangelize. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. This means he is the way to God, he is evangelism. So what’s the reason Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross, resurrected, for evangelism, and when that comes upon somebody else, that’s evangelism.
(7) Evangelism is the secret channel by which the Lord powerfully abides with us (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:20)
Evangelism defeats the devil and is the way by which people can find their way to God. Evangelism is the secret channel by which the Lord powerfully abides with us. The One Who has all authority in heaven and on earth is with me forever, upon the one who makes disciples of all nations. God is with His children 24 hours a day, but there’s no need to work upon His children who are not working for world evangelization, but they are wasting their time on unnecessary things. People who are saved have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but the filling and working of the holy spirit are different. The working of the Holy Spirit will establish God’s kingdom and cast out demons.
(8)Evangelism is the only way to change the world Romans 1:16
Education, philosophy, and politics cannot change people
Evangelism is the only way to change the world. Romans 1:16. I’m not ashamed of the gospel, because there’s no way to receive salvation outside of this gospel. Why am I ashamed of proclaiming this gospel? Because this gospel is the only answer, but it has not yet come to me as my “only.” There’s no way for this person to be saved other than the gospel. But because we’re not certain in the fact that this is the only way, we’re wandering, wondering if we should or shouldn’t. Without this, this person cannot live. They can never escape from Satan, hell, and curses.
Even education is important, but that cannot give salvation. There are a lot of great things like philosophy, but with those things, we cannot overcome the three curses. People come against this, the people who really have felt why they need evangelism, prayer, and the gospel today. Evangelism isn’t done by many people; it’s done by the minority. Everyone else plays the side role so there are those who can evangelize, but some specialize in evangelism.
Based on my experience in the field, it’s the person in the place where a lot of people gather, because God gave them a role to evangelize. If there’s nobody around you, how can you evangelize? Either that or be led like Philip into evangelism camp to someplace like Samaria, or if you’re someone like Lydia and your business allows you to meet many people, then evangelism will take place greatly.
Like Simon the Tanner, he was in modern-day construction and his job was connected to many different people. So just by his job, he doesn’t have to go out to evangelize, but he can just meet people. Such people evangelize a lot. But if someone is always alone and don’t meet anybody else, they must be led in prayer to go to camp to Samaria because their job doesn’t have that and they don’t meet people. Then, I have to go to a place where I can meet people.
I’m a pastor, for pastors, our job is just inside the church, then we’re falling behind in the field. Then, we have to go into the field and that’s how our mission doors have opened. It’s the same with Navajo, and Mongolia. All of those things opened in that way. So, if you don’t receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these doors don’t open.
How would we open doors to Navajo? How would we know to open doors to Mongolia? But God gives these meetings when someone is sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I’ve said this before, and it’s true. Or, for the people who are working, your job is an incredible place for evangelism. God opens doors of evangelism there.
(9)Jesus testified that evangelism is the way to receive God’s true blessings (Mark 10:29-30, Isaiah 60:1)
Jesus Christ testified that evangelism is the way to receive God’s true blessings. Mark 10:29-30, as we evangelize, we have to throw a lot of things away, that’s just what happens when we evangelize, things like farming or our families. Back then, they needed farming and their families to survive, and once they received the gospel, they changed into evangelists and the gospel was more important to them. The gospel became their first priority. In the past, they thought their parents were everything but now they realize their parents are everything, so they start reacting in a way they haven’t before.
Now they receive persecution. In Mark 10:29-30, it says that though we’ve received persecution, we will receive 100 times more in the afterlife. God gives us the evidence because people think that the physical life is everything. The physical things aren’t everything, but you’l consider everything you have as rubbish. It doesn’t mean you purposely throw them away, but it feels like rubbish as it’s not important to you anymore, but all of that will be used for evangelism.
As God gives you more blessings, they’re used. Paul had the most intellect, he thought that was the way to live a good life. But after receiving the gospel, Paul confesses in Philippians 3 that everything he had before the gospel was rubbish because everything he knew in the past could not overcome the darkness, the curses, and the background of hell. Then, why do I hold onto the gospel and proclaim it even now? Because today, forever, 24 hours a day, nothing can overcome the curses without the gospel.
Therefore, everything I thought was the greatest treasure in the past, I now consider as rubbish, but it turns out that God uses those things more. Paul never tried to succeed, but even now, we talk about Paul. “I will make your name great,” it was the same for Abraham and all the evangelists. I proclaimed the gospel to this family line once, and that family line will talk about it. We still talk about the missionary from America who brought the gospel to Korea. After many generations, there’s this influence, and God made it happen.
Then, what is success? Isaiah 60:1 says to arise and shine the light. The light has already come upon you, so all you have to do is arise. In other words, have the posture of shining. There’s no need to try to shine the light yourself, all you have to do is arise. The gospel is already upon you so all you have to do is have the posture to relay it. The gospel is already upon us but Satan oppresses us so we cannot shine the light. As evidence that he has oppressed us, we do other things. We say, “We don’t have time, we’re too old, we can’t speak the language.” If you ask kids, they’ll say the same things. They can speak the language but they have other excuses, this is evidence that they are remaining oppressed by Satan. All we have to do is arise and to have the posture to shine, and the Lord gives us the rest.
As we shine this light, all our sons and daughters will gather from afar. If you want to shine the light, you have to go up a hill, you cannot do it in a valley. You have to do it so that many people can hear. If you want to fight in a battle, you have to go out on the battlefield. If you’re sitting at home, then that means you’re not going to fight. Make it so that all people can hear. What do you think is better? That’s why now, we go online, God is giving us this online age so this can be spread all over, simultaneously.
How else would you meet people? We’re not even allowed to meet people during COVID so we have to be led such that even if we don’t meet people, we can shine the light. For the people who renew themselves quickly, they flow within God’s time schedule. So, all people should be able to utilize zoom; if you’re not able to do that, you’re not able to evangelize. That’s the age God has made today.
Even on Thursday, there was a young adult from Nigeria studying in Kenya, and he brought a friend from Burundi. I researched that small nation and it has only a 70% literacy rate, but the fact that he is studying abroad in Kenya right now, means he is very elite. How could I meet him without zoom? So, forget about talking about evangelism. If you just utilize zoom, you can meet people all over the world. If you want to meet people personally, you would spend all your time going back and forth. That’s why God made everybody in the world go online so we wouldn’t have any more excuses.
For people who don’t do that, they have the evangelism where they just send YouTube videos. That’s the age we’re in, you shouldn’t just be walking around. This is the time when all nations are gathered here. If you’re still talking about gathering to church, who should come and who shouldn’t come, are you wearing a mask or not, then you’re not at the same pace as God, we can’t even meet our children so you can give them the word through YouTube. You send them so many other things, you send them news articles about coronavirus but you don’t send them messages. “My kid isn’t going to like it if I send them messages,” that’s someone oppressed by the devil. If God says to arise and shine, then arise and shine.
Even now, I had to go to the doctor to get a checkup because of my age. I thought, “I don’t have to do this.” If I want to go to an optometrist, I have to see the doctor first, but it’s hard for me to ask them, “Do you believe in Jesus?” So I went home again and brought a church pamphlet. Because if you give them the church bulletin, there’s a QR code that links them to all the messages. There’s also the way of salvation in three languages. So, as a parting gift as I left the hospital, I gave it to him to look over and I left. That’s the evangelism I can do.
According to our thoughts, we may think they don’t like it but that’s just Satan oppressing us. They don’t think anything of it, we just make up illusions in our head because we’re oppressed. “What happens if I talk to my neighbor about this and they get mad at me?” You’re just oppressed by yourself, so just be nice to them every day. If you’re doing your best every day to not be disadvantaged by your neighbor, of course they won’t like it. It’s the same at your workplace, you have to do your work well every day in order to give them the answer in the critical moment, but if you work poorly every day, they’re not going to receive the gospel from you.
(10)God will reward and prepare a crown in heaven for those who evangelize (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:1-2)
Evangelism will give you the crown or reward in heaven because this world is not the end. In 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, it says God will judge us later on based on what we did while in our bodies, good or bad. If there’s no such thing as heaven or hell or God, we can just live however we want on earth. If possible, we can just do whatever we want, but there is a Kingdom of God and there is hell.
If that’s true, then what remains when we go to the kingdom of heaven? Your Ivy league diploma will not remain. “I won Miss USA!” That does not remain. “I had an excellent global business,” that doesn’t remain either. Nothing remains. Only the souls you’ve evangelized to save are there, but then you go to the kingdom of heaven and you’re all alone? You didn’t save anyone? Then you’re going to be afflicted on earth, and even though there’s no affliction in heaven, you will not have a reward.
2. What is the status of evangelists? (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
What is the status of the evangelist? We have the role and position to reconcile the people of this earth to God, as they are the enemies of God. The world and God are enemies because they have Satan and sin. So, we are playing the role and also the position to reconcile the world and God through Jesus Christ. We have been given the position as ambassadors, He has entrusted this role to us entirely.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as thought Yod is making his appeal through us.” We are ambassadors who have been commissioned by heaven. An ambassador is like an antenna, they have the spiritual blessing of constant communication with heaven. Ambassadors don’t act upon their own volition, but they act upon the commands of heaven, so we live our lives like ambassadors. For us, we don’t care about money or success or such petty things. All such things follow for ambassadors. But if we lose hold of the role of the ambassador, we live our lives following money, success, and things like that. That’s how the devil deceives us so we don’t know. How regrettable is that? God has given us the position of being an ambassador, but instead we’re enslaved to success, money, and ultimately Satan.
3. What happens when we neglect the work of evangelism?
What happens if we neglect the work of evangelism? We have to know this as well. Yes, I’m a child of God, and you’ll have status and authority, but what happens if you’re not aware of this authority? As a child of God, you have the authority. If you’re not a child of God, you do not have the authority and you are seized by the devil, but now because you are a child of God, you have to utilize the authority to break down the devil, and that’s evangelism.
(1) Ezekiel 3:18-20
What happens if you do not declare this gospel? Then the price of the person’s life will be upon the one who has the gospel. We’ve received the gospel by God’s grace. Is that the end? All of problems are finished, but there’s something we must do, going forward. We have to tell this to people who do not know this and set them free. If I have this mystery alone and I do not do this, what will happen? God says the price of this person’s blood will be upon me. That’s why Israel was dragged into wars, colonization, and captivity as the price of not declaring this gospel.
We need to have, enjoy, and testify of this gospel, otherwise we will be afflicted. Even now, the Israelites are enslaved, captives, and colonized. There’s no need to be dragged off into a faraway nation like Babylon now, because wherever they are, they are dragged around and seized by Satan. During the wars, they lost all their houses and their families were torn apart, why is that? It’s because they lost hold of this.
(2) 1 Corinthians 9:16
Paul says, “When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast for it is rightful, and woe to me if I do not.” Rightfully so, because I know the gospel I have to relay to people because I do not. No need to boast about that because it’s rightful, don’t you think that’s true? If someone goes somewhere, then it is rightful for them to direct the way for other people to go to, there’s no need to boast about it, you just teach other people the way as well. If you’ve received salvation, then you teach the way to salvation to others.
(3) Luke 9:26
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in glory. To be ashamed of the gospel means to not know the gospel. No matter where people go, without the gospel, they cannot escape from three spiritual curses. Even now, if they go to church without the gospel, they cannot be freed from the three spiritual curses. I must always be enjoying the gospel and rightfully proclaim this gospel.
Therefore, remaining every day within evangelism, prayer, and God’s word. That’s the greatest blessing because that’s how God is working even now, then you can do training. Ultimately it means your three todays, everyday evangelism. Evangelism isn’t something you muster up your strength for, but it’s something that rightfully takes place every day. Every day, prayer, then God gives you His Word, the Word you must relay to others.
There’s some people who have their word, prayer, and evangelism every day, but it will take a long time for such a person to evangelize. But if you’re evangelizing and praying every day, God gives you His Word. Even today, if I’m praying for and planning for evangelism, God gives you His Word for that.
We’ll conclude the Word, why must we evangelize? Even right now, people are diseased and seized by demons. If other religions give them an answer, it’s not the answer, so that’s why we must evangelize. This is something that only the children of God, those who remain within the line of the covenant, can do. May you enjoy this blessing every day.
That should be comfortable for me, the Word of God must be comfortably fitting with me. However, if daily evangelism, prayer, and God’s word do not fit with me, that means I’m fitting with Satan’s plans and that person’s interior are aligned so they will have no choice but to have mental problems. If you look at people with depression, their internal state is always geared towards getting depressed. The Word of God must go there.Word, prayer, evangelism, that’s how healing takes place. May you and I have this blessing.
Prayer
God, we thank You. Why must we evangelize? Allow us to enjoy this with rightfulness, necessity, and absoluteness every day. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.