Thursday: Our Job Description
Read 1 Peter 3:15. What is this text teaching us about witnessing? How does it fit in with what we have been looking at so far? 1
By now we have considered evangelism and witnessing sufficiently in order to be able to suggest what we deem as an adequate biblical job description. We don’t need to create a definition of evangelism and witnessing that everyone agrees with in every detail, but we must make sure that any definition that we accept includes the essential ingredients of sharing the truth about Jesus and what He offers the world.
Consider the following definition of evangelism. Do you consider it an adequate definition? What would you add or take away? Evangelism is the process of clearly and persuasively proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that individuals will accept Him as their personal Savior and follow Him as Lord in order to become disciples and disciple makers.
While a definition of a task is not necessarily a detailed job description, it does give some overall guidance. Of course, when it comes to witnessing, the individual situation and the believer’s own experience with God will determine the approach. However, an understanding of God’s desire to reach a lost world through His church will cause us to consider a planned approach to witnessing and evangelism.
The rapid growth of the early church was due in no small part to the conviction and commitment of its members. This in turn was based upon their personal experiences with Jesus and the special empowering outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The teachings of Jesus Christ and the influence of the Holy Spirit remain basic and crucial to all witnessing and evangelism.
“Thousands can be reached in the most simple, humble way. The most intellectual, those who are looked upon as the world’s most gifted men and women, are often refreshed by the simple words of one who loves God, and who can speak of that love as naturally as the worldling speaks of the things that interest him most deeply. Often the words well prepared and studied have but little influence. But the true, honest expression of a son or daughter of God, spoken in natural simplicity, has power to open the door to hearts that have long been closed against Christ and His love.”—Ellen G. White, The Colporteur Evangelist, p. 38.
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Evangelism is a very important part of our faith. The gospel must be spread through us, as Christians. We must not keep the good news to ourselves. There are so many people who don't know, or have a misconception of what Christianity really is.