Evangelism and Making Disciples

Evangelism should be the lifestyle of every disciple of Jesus.

Compassion toward all human beings is part of our calling and enables us to see the lost through the eyes of Jesus to lead them to Him.

Evangelism is preaching the Gospel and taking care of new believers to lead them into maturity.

We can better understand Evangelism and Compassion and how it relates to the Church and our lives by exploring the following;

The English word “evangelism” came from the Greek word “euaggelion,” and it means the announcement, proclamation, or preaching of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The ultimate goal of evangelism is to make disciples who will go and make disciples.

The master has a special character, quality, or ability. The master also has a vision or a task that he wants to accomplish. The disciple becomes a student and a servant of the master so that his intimate relationship with the master will help him to receive the quality or the ability of the master. A disciple or student finds a master who will help him to fulfill the purpose of life.

The master allows a person to become his disciple so that he can impart his vision, mission, ability, and the purpose of his life on to someone else. As a result, after the death of the master, his disciple will continue the mission and fulfill the vision. It is the vision of a great master to recruit and train disciples so that his vision will continue and find fulfillment even after his death.

It is important that the ultimate vision of the master and the disciple are one and in full agreement with the other. Making disciples is a process; it happens as a result of intimate relationship with the master.

Jesus Christ our master came into this world to save all mankind from sin and eternal death (hell). He took the form of a human being with great purpose and mission. He knew very well that His mission needed to be continued after His death and resurrection. As a result, He selected 12 men and called them His disciples. The primary purpose was that they should be with Him. During this time of 3 ½ years, Jesus imparted His vision, mission, and the purpose of His life to His disciples. Finally, He gave them the commission to go and make disciples of all nations.

One of the most exciting times in a Christian’s life is when he/she knows for certain that the Holy Spirit has personally directed him/her to share Christ with others. The key to that kind of evangelism is availability—walking by the Spirit so He can use you at a moment’s notice. If you ever feel a lack of purpose or direction in life, try leading someone to Jesus Christ. You will become so swept away in the significance of the event, it will place everything else into proper focus. And consider this Scripture passage:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

There are several methods of evangelism such as personal evangelism, door-to-door outreach, open-air preaching, literature distribution, prayer walks, crusades and mass evangelism, and the use of information technologies such as the internet, computers, etc.

Personal evangelism still is one of the best methods.

Jesus used it while talking to the Samaritan woman, and Philip led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. Sometimes we find it difficult to personally witness to the people who are traveling with us or people with whom we have regular contact. GLN (Global Location Number) Singapore had adopted a method called S-A-L-T-I-N-G that could be very helpful for us as we learn how to evangelize.

S—Say something. (Use general greetings about climate or a recent incident that people are talking about. Do not forget to smile and make a friendly atmosphere.)

A—Ask a question. (Make it a general and simple question so that the next person will open their mouth and answer you—then the conversation can begin.)

L—Listen carefully. (Sometimes their answer can lead you to further conversation.)

T—Turn the conversation to something deeper. (As you keep talking, prayerfully listen to the open doors to turn the conversation from a ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’ to something more intimate. Let the person know that you are sincerely interested in his/her wellbeing.)

I—Introduce Jesus. (At an appropriate time, share your testimony of walking with Jesus and what Jesus has done for you. Take time to present the Gospel very clearly.)

N—Note the response. (There usually are at least 5 possible responses: 1. Hostile (upset and angry to hear about Jesus); 2. Neutral (there are many good religious and political leaders and Jesus is just one good person among them); 3. Detached interest (they show interest in Jesus and the Church when they are in need of prayer and deliverance, but when their needs are met, they leave until they are in need again); 4. Genuine interest (they have heard the Gospel very clearly and show a genuine interest in Him with a desire to follow Him); 5. Decision (they have probably heard the Gospel several times and made up their mind to follow Jesus).

G—Go for landing. (Get ready to finish your conversation, take and give the contact details if needed for follow-up, then lead the person to Jesus by helping him/her to pray the sinner’s prayer etc.) 

Jesus Christ wants evangelism—reaching people with the end-goal of making them disciples so that they also can reach and disciple others until everyone gets an opportunity to choose and follow Jesus Christ. Jesus does not approve of anyone who evangelizes without first becoming a devoted disciple. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus talked about those who preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and perform miracles without having a personal relationship with Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23). Jesus plainly tells them, “I do not know you,” or “I did not approve of you,” or “you have never been an intimate disciple of mine.”

Evangelism is reaching people with the Gospel and making them disciples of Jesus. As Jesus commanded us, making disciples is a process (Matthew 28:18-20). The chart below on the comparative study of the five stages of natural parenting and spiritual parenting is a very helpful comparison that lets us see how our ministry of evangelism and making disciples works.

The ultimate goal of a parent is to see their child become a parent. A disciple-maker should have a goal to help new believers become disciples who make other disciples. 

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!