What is evangelism?
Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #505 Christ for the Whole Wide World (#268 in previous version)
A witness talks about what he knows, what he sees and what he possesses. Evangelism is making Jesus Christ known to others. Christ contains the meaning of the Messiah and the anointed One. Christ is the King who overcame Satan, the Prophet who makes known the way to meet God, and the Priest who gets rid of all sin and curses . the one who did these three works. In addition, evangelism is making other people know about God who is with me and is the important time schedule of God (Acts 13:48). The people who come out in Romans 16 are the people who correctly understood evangelism. Then, how can this evangelism take place?
1. Evangelism is the work that God accomplishes with our entire lives in mind
Evangelism is the ministry of God that He Himself fulfills with our entire lives in mind. When the greatest general of the nation of Aram, Naaman, was dying, the words of a child who was serving the general changed his entire life. In this way, although evangelism seems like a very small work, it accomplishes great works.
2. Evangelism is the work God does with world history in mind.
Who is Rufus in the Scripture reading? He is the son of Simon, the person from Cyrene who bore the cross in Jesus’ stead when Jesus was going up to Golgotha, carrying the cross. This person not only raised an individual like Rufus but also helped Paul. In this way, the walks of faith we are living and the prayers we pray for evangelism may appear to be very small but are not so. Evangelism is not just the work by which God moves an entire life, but the work by which He moves the entire world.
3. Evangelism is the act that fulfills the time schedule of eternity
Evangelism is within the time schedule of eternity. God has pre-determined our salvation before creation (Ephesians 1:3~5). Evangelism has been hidden for long ages past (Romans 16:25). With the time schedule of eternity, evangelism is the act that God fulfills. The small devotion and prayer for the sake of evangelism becomes the blessing that brings God’s great answers and works. The answers that come through evangelism are eternal answers and blessings.
-What does evangelism have to do with me? As I live each day, deeply meditate upon how connected evangelism is to my lifestyle and my schedule and how deeply I have entered into the blessing of evangelism.
Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service / 2010.4.11