EVANGELIST
A lesson about the role of an Evangelist.
Introduction
Evangelist
Conclusion
As you read this lesson, be sure to hover over the the Bible verses to read them or look them up in your own copy of the Bible. When the Bible passage is longer, you need to click on “more” in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window.
Introduction
Welcome! The Bible has much to say about this interesting topic. You may find it helpful to invite a mature Christian from your church to study this topic with you. You may have a lot of questions that are not answered here. Maybe there are ideas here that seem hard to understand. Do not get overwhelmed! You can contact us with any questions that you may have. The elders of your local church can help you as well.
Remember that learning the content about this topic is helpful, but knowing the information will not truly change you. For you to benefit fully from this topic, you must…
Become born-again by securing a personal relationship with God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith by grace. This information cannot change you until the Holy Spirit of God gives you a new heart that is able to apply it to your life. To begin a personal relationship with God, it is imperative to understand and believe the following:
God is separated from you, because He is good, pure, and holy. 1 John 1:5-6
You are sinful, impure, and unholy because you do not measure up to God’s holiness. Romans 3:10-12 You are a descendent of Adam and Eve who rebelled against God. Romans 5:19
Your sinfulness provokes God’s anger and separates you from Him because He is holy. Romans 5:12 As a result, you deserve to be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Revelation 20:14-15
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Jesus is God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life. He was nailed to the cross, shed His blood, and died in your place for your sins. He was buried, rose again, and went to Heaven to prepare a place for all who believe. He will return one day for those who believe. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is enough for you to be accepted forever by God the Father the moment you believe. John 3:16 God does not accept you on the basis that you try to be a good person and do good works. Romans 4:5 He accepts you fully and forever the moment you abandon your sins and call on Jesus to save you. John 3:36
As you understand, meditate on, and believe the information presented here about this topic, you must also do what the Bible says. James 1:21-22 Only by trusting and obeying God’s Word regarding this topic will you experience the full benefits of this information. James 1:23-24 Trusting and obeying God’s Word will change you as you learn this. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 You will be happy as a result of your obedience. James 1:25
Seek and heed the advice of your church leaders regarding this topic. Hebrews 13:17
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to change you. Galatians 3:1-3 You cannot change without Him enabling you. John 15:5 He will change you in His time and way; but not apart from your faith and obedience to God’s Word. Trust Him to do His work in your heart. Philippians 2:12-13
Allow the joy that you experience from obeying God’s Word to transform how you interact with others. James 2:12-20
ARE YOU AN EVANGELIST?
The following questions may help you confirm if you are an evangelist at heart.
Questions about your heart:
Do you ponder routinely the reality that people are separated from God now and destined for the Lake of Fire?
Do you feel you have to share the Gospel with others out of sheer concern for their soul?
Are you oftentimes saddened by knowing that your unsaved loved ones are on their way to the Lake of Fire?
Do others’ lifestyles bother you less than the thought of their being eternally separated from God?
Do you sometimes feel alone in your concerns for the lost?
Would you try (or have you tried) to share the Gospel without first being taught how?
Do you feel naturally compelled to share the Gospel?
Do you feel guilty if you haven’t shared the Gospel for an extended time?
Do you feel guilty sometimes for valuing your temporary safety more than the destiny of the lost?
Would you rather share the Gospel yourself with your loved ones instead of having someone else do it for you?
Would you rather meet with an unbeliever who desires to hear the Gospel from you than with a believer?
Do you think sharing the Gospel on the streets with random strangers is radical compared to what most Christians do? Do you think that it should be what all Christians are willing to do?
Questions about how you perceive others:
Do you enjoy showing compassion, patience, and understanding to unbelievers?
Do you think that most Christians tend to have a temporary, rather than an eternal focus?
Do you feel like Christians owe an apology to the lost for how they act and speak toward them?
Are you ashamed of how Christians sometimes talk about the lost with other Christians?
Are you regularly frustrated by how Christians represent Christ in their attitudes toward the lost?
Do you feel like many Christians would do well spending more time reaching the lost?
Do you feel like Christians tend to care more about their family and church than they do the lost?
Do you desire to help Christians to better represent Christ to the lost?
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, then you might likely have the heart of an evangelist.
The following questions may help you confirm that you are not an evangelist at heart.
Questions about your heart:
Would you rather have someone else verbally share the Gospel with your loved ones for you instead of you doing it yourself?
When you are speaking to those without Christ, do you forget that they are lost?
Do you prefer to focus more on helping believers to understand their position in Christ than on their need to be engaged in evangelism?
Do you forget that all believers need to be engaged in evangelism?
Are you prompted to share the Gospel verbally only when someone reminds you of your responsibility to do so?
Do you feel like you have to protect your loved ones from the lost?
Are you more concerned about what happens within the church than what is happening outside the church?
Are you more concerned about your safety than where someone else will spend eternity?
Are you more concerned about your community’s view of you than their eternal destiny?
Have you verbally shared the Gospel only occasionally in your lifetime?
Are you content not to share the Gospel verbally with a stranger?
Is it difficult for you to enjoy being with unsaved loved ones, because their lifestyle offends you? Does their lifestyle bother you more than the fact that they are on their way to the Lake of Fire?
Do you tend to have more compassion, patience, and understanding for believers than for unbelievers?
Questions about how you perceive an evangelist:
Do you think street preachers are crazy and ineffective?
Do you think sharing the Gospel on the streets with random strangers is extreme, only expected of an evangelist?
Do you hear of the experiences of the evangelist on the streets and think that you would never put yourself in that position?
If you answered “yes” to the majority of the above questions, then it is likely you are not gifted as an evangelist.
The rest of this lesson is geared to understanding an evangelist’s role and how he can best work together with the local church. The evangelist needs the church for his own accountability, maturity, and ministry fulfillment. The body of Christ needs the evangelist toward the same ends.
WHAT IS an Evangelist?
An evangelist is a believer who has been spiritually gifted by God to share the Gospel with the lost and to motivate the church to do the same.
The calling and gifting of an Evangelist
The evangelist is called by God to…
…share the Gospel with people who have yet to accept the message.
…help to develop believers to be more effective in their evangelism.
The evangelist is gifted by God to…
…intentionally share the Gospel with people that are not likely to hear the message directly from most other believers.
…be an example for other believers to follow.
what is the Role of An Evangelist?
The role of an evangelist is to equip local churches to fulfill the Great Commission individually, collectively, locally, and globally in a biblical and effective manner.
An Evangelist’s Ministry within the church
To pray for believers and unbelievers.
To preach the Gospel.
To teach the Gospel.
To train believers to make evangelism a normal part of their lives.
To shepherd the sheep that are wandering from the fold.
An Evangelist’s Ministry OUTSIDE the church
To pray for believers and unbelievers.
To preach the Gospel.
To encourage other local churches likewise.
Understanding an Evangelist
From the perspective of the lost:
They could view the evangelist as…
…someone who understands and cares about them.
…someone who is extreme and out of their mind.
…someone who reminds them that they are not saved and that they should desire to be saved.
From the perspective of the evangelist:
They could view themselves as…
…caring about the lost the way God does.
…ordinary, simply doing what God requires of all believers.
…more devoted than others.
From the perspective of other believers:
They could view the evangelist as…
…extreme, but admired for their courage.
…strange.
…taking things too seriously.
…unrelatable.
…prideful.
…gifted to do something that not all Christians can or should do.
From the perspective of a pastor:
They could view the evangelist as…
…a fellow minister who does great work and shares the Gospel clearly.
…a blessing to them personally and to their ministry.
…creating converts, but not disciples.
….expecting too much from believers.
…not caring about believers who are not “serious” about Christ.
From the perspective of the Scripture:
God gave the evangelist the amount of faith that he needs in order to exercise the gift.
God gave the evangelist to the church to equip her; not for the evangelist to distance himself from the church.
ABOUT THE EVANGELIST
Sometimes the evangelist may get discouraged by the apathy of believers and unbelievers toward the Gospel.
Sometimes the evangelist may think he is wasting time sharing the Gospel with the lost or by trying to equip unwilling saints to share the Gospel.
Reading and studying the Word of God deeply helps the evangelist stay motivated.
At times of deep discouragement, he may need a gifted pastor to remind him of what he already knows regarding the Gospel.
Insights for Evangelists
You need a proper perspective of yourself, the local church, believers, the lost, and God.
The pastor and other believers are greatly encouraged by your example and challenged by your faith. They are rooting for you and your work!
You are not crazy! God does care about the lost! He does actually expect every believer to care enough about Him and the lost to communicate the Gospel to them verbally.
God gifted and called you to care about the lost to the extent that you do.
Other believers are called to share Christ as well, but they are not gifted like you, so understand that it is genuinely harder for them to care as much as you do.
Some believers’ limited concern is not necessarily the result of their disobedience. Sometimes it is simply the result of immaturity. Therefore, you do well to remember to lead them along gently as they grow.
Just like believers have to work hard at caring enough to share the Gospel, you as an evangelist need to work hard at genuinely caring for immature believers.
God is patiently overcoming others’ apathy for the lost and your impatience with immature believers to make you all more like Christ. God is teaching you to love people the way that He does. You are called to do good to believers expecting nothing in return, just like you would with the lost. You do what’s best for them, because it is right and you genuinely care for them. Thus, you do not simply serve believers just because you want them to share the Gospel with the lost.
Not all believers are called or gifted by God to be teachers or evangelists. Some may never become mature enough to share the Gospel biblically. They are of no less value to Christ. As such, they should be of no less value to you.
God wants you to get your hands dirty by patiently discipling immature believers. He also wants you to encourage pastors so that evangelism becomes a normal part of their lives…even if going out to share the Gospel with random strangers never becomes a normal part of their ministry.
While no one needs to remind you to share the Gospel with unbelievers, it is good to remember to love people regardless of their response to the Gospel.
Don’t grow tired of doing what’s right. Remember it’s godly to do the proper thing even if it seems that God is the only one who notices.
Strike a balance while being passionate about the Gospel and still enjoying everyday life.
Just because a believer refuses to share the Gospel does not mean that he is unsaved or uncommitted.
Help the church and individual believers use their gifts for evangelistic and discipleship purposes.
Learn from other believers who have different spiritual gifts.
Be a blessing and encouragement to the church leadership.
Help the local church identify the spiritual gifts of her members.
Questions pertaining to the evangelist’s role in the Local Church
How are you enabling the local church to take part in your ministry?
How are you allowing the local church to benefit from your ministry?
How are you inviting the elders of your church to shepherd your heart?
How are you humbly encouraging the church to be evangelistic?
Insights for Churches Concerning the Evangelist
The church needs a proper perspective of herself, the evangelist, individual believers, the lost, and God.
The evangelist thinks his desire to share the Gospel with the lost is normal. He might not fully understand that he has been gifted by God in a unique way.
The evangelist experiences no greater joy than being used by God to share the Gospel. He enjoys seeing an unbeliever profess faith and someone who is not an evangelist sharing the Gospel with the lost. He simply wants you to experience that same joy. For the evangelist, all other joys in life are incomparable to evangelism ministry. This is why he may seem so weird. He is extreme and might not even know it.
A very immature evangelist could doubt your salvation, thinking it strange that you are unwilling to share the Gospel. He might think it strange that as he sees it, you are apathetic to the Gospel. He could think his zeal is normal and your perceived apathy is not. He may doubt his own salvation or calling if he is surrounded by people who do not care.
Just as he is gifted as an evangelist, so you are gifted in other ways that he is not. The evangelist might need to learn to be more “human” by learning from your example as you use your spiritual gifts. How are you inviting his mentorship into your life, while helping him to grow through the display of your spiritual gift?
Take an interest in the evangelist’s passion, teaching, example, and work. Join him in his ministry whenever you get a chance.
He truly loves the Bible and theology. Enjoy them with him!
Model his heart and techniques in your everyday life.
Share with him how he has encouraged you. Listen to his stories of being out on the streets.
Tell him about the times you have shared the Gospel. Ask him to pray for your Gospel-sharing opportunities.
Invite others to learn from him as well.
Don’t look at him as if his job is to share the Gospel for you.
Help meet his needs so that he can be free to minister on the streets as much as God wants.
Encourage him not to neglect discipling and enjoying his family. Teach him how to have fun in his personal life.
Just because he is gifted as an evangelist doesn’t necessarily mean his spouse and/or children are also gifted as such.
Insights for Pastors Concerning the Evangelist
The evangelist admires your genuine humility. He also admires your sincere love for believers which enables you to be patient with them. Your perseverance with the flock encourages and challenges him.
The evangelist cares about you and wants to see your ministry succeed!
The evangelist needs you to shepherd his heart. He needs you to remind him of what he already knows. Encourage him with your unique insight.
The evangelist wants to assist you, helping believers to become more mature in the faith and to reach the lost. The evangelist can be tempted to care more about the mission than the people, while a pastor can be tempted to care more about the people than the mission.
The immature evangelist may think you should have the same zeal for the lost as he does. If you are not regularly sharing the account of Christ with people who come to the church, then he may question your integrity with the Gospel. He may not understand that God’s will might determine that you are on the streets less than him.
The immature evangelist may not realize that God wants to use you to help him to develop a shepherd’s heart for the flock. Because you have differing gifts, the evangelist may not have sufficient patience to disciple the spiritually immature, or he may think that you are giving milk to someone who needs meat. Discuss these things together. God wants you to work as a team to enhance and learn from each other’s ministry. This will mature the body more than if each of you did your own thing.
Just as it is not God’s will for you to neglect the flock for the lost, it is not God’s will for the evangelist to neglect the lost for the flock. While you are called to share the Gospel with the lost, you also are gifted to shepherd God’s people. The evangelist is called to equip God’s people by helping them reach the lost with the Gospel. While there is overlap, it is important for the pastor and the evangelist to prioritize their respective roles.
You and the evangelist are on the same team for the same purpose. You are not in competition with one another. Rather, you are to compliment each other.
Allow the evangelist to work in unity with you toward raising up local church leaders.
Building relationships through small talk can be difficult for the evangelist. He thrives on the opportunity to pour into others intentionally with the Scriptures.
The evangelist would prefer sharing the Gospel with someone who has not yet heard or understood it. As such, he usually finds it necessary to move around to “where the fish are”.
An evangelist can be a great help in developing leaders within the church.
The evangelist needs you to remind him to focus on “being”; not just “doing”.
Help the evangelist to enjoy having fun with his family.
An immature evangelist can tend to have strong doctrinal opinions. Depending on his temperament, he may voice his opinions too dogmatically or loudly, thus alienating himself from the flock. It’s good for you to be loving and patient as you teach him biblical communication and conflict resolution principles. On the other hand, he may wrongly assume that “no one really cares” what the Bible says, since “they don’t share the Gospel”, so he may likely keep his opinions to himself. Encourage him to add value to the conversation by humbly and lovingly contributing Scripture.
Honor the evangelist by…
…allowing him to conduct routine evangelism training at the church.
…attending and participating in the training.
…joining him on the streets from time to time.
…encouraging him to help make sure that the various church ministries are sharing the Gospel in a biblical and effective way.
…brainstorming with him about ministry.
…challenging his strong opinions with Scripture.
…encouraging others to follow his example.
…encouraging him to continue in his work.
…enabling him to share the Gospel on the streets as much as possible.
…giving him opportunities to preach and teach.
ADDITONAL THOUGHTS
All evangelists love the Gospel and want to share it with others, but not all evangelists are the same.
Some evangelists are gifted speakers, while others are not.
Some evangelists are gifted teachers, while others are not.
Some evangelists love sharing the Gospel in a private setting but do not prefer to preach publicly.
Some evangelists love to preach the Gospel publicly, but not privately.
Very few evangelists enjoy public and private preaching of the Gospel to the same extent.
Some evangelists prefer sharing the Gospel on the streets, while others choose sharing the Gospel at church-centered events.
Some evangelists are relational; others are not.
Some evangelists primarily enjoy teaching the Gospel “within the church walls”.
Some evangelists enjoy preaching the Gospel in a church service, but not teaching it to the congregation.
Some evangelists enjoy equipping the church to bring the Gospel to the streets.
All evangelists are unique in some way.
Each evangelist favors a certain evangelistic methodology. “Let each be persuaded in his own mind.”
Since all believers are commanded in Scripture to do the work of evangelism, there may be church members with a heart for evangelism, but lacking the spiritual gift.
Identifying and encouraging evangelists:
Do you know who are evangelists at your church? How are you helping them to identify themselves as such?
How can you help the evangelists at your church to fulfill their ministry inside and outside the “church walls”?
How is your church developing gifted evangelists from within your local assembly?
How is your church sending out gifted evangelists to serve elsewhere?
Are there no evangelists at your church? What evangelists do you know from outside your church that could assist you?
How is your church creating an attractive environment for an evangelist?
To know that you are called as an evangelist, answer these questions affirmatively:
Would you want to tell strangers about Jesus and train believers to do the same full time?
Would you still be willing to share the Gospel even though no one wanted to hear it?
Would you still be willing to share the Gospel, even if no one wanted to work with or be trained by you?
If you said yes to the last three questions, then contact us!
Do you know of an evangelist at your church that needs encouragement or mentorship? Encourage him to check out this website.
Conclusion
Now that you have studied this topic, we encourage you to...
Ask us or any of your church leaders about any questions or concerns you still have about this topic.
Pray for yourself to grow in maturity regarding this topic.
Do your best to practice what you have learned.
Tell someone else about what you have studied.
Ask one of your church leaders to help you overcome your weaknesses regarding this topic.
Teach this subject to others.
Consider reviewing this topic once each year.
Commit to growing in this area together with other members of a local church.
Trust the Holy Spirit to change you as He uses His Word, others, and circumstances to make you more like Christ.