| Reaching Out to People | ||
| World Harvest Church > About Us > Evangelism |
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| An apostolic church reaches out to the community, people living near the church who have yet to believe in the Savior. • Following the five progressive stages that Christ taught the seventy-two, we can win the people in the community in five effective steps (see Luke 10:1-11). 1. Five progressive steps The purpose is to help people to respond to the gospel and receive salvation. a. Ask God for a great response Christ instructed the seventy-two disciples to begin with praying for a great success. He said to them, "There are a great many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers. So pray to God, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest. … When the seventy-two came back, they were very happy and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!" Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Listen, I have given you power to walk on snakes and scorpions, power that is greater than the enemy has. So nothing will hurt you" (Luke 10:2, 17-19 NCV). • Similar to a farmer who begins with wanting to have a huge harvest they should start with praying to God for a great response to the gospel. • Asking for a great response eventually gave them a great spiritual victory. The seventy-two returned and reported to Christ that even demons controlling the lives of people were cast out in His name. • Preaching the gospel involves confronting Satan to release all the people he holds down in sins and fears. You start by asking God for all the people in the community to be set free from Satan's control. b. Go to where people would listen Jesus sent the seventy-two to people who will likely respond to their preaching. After this, the Lord chose seventy-two others and sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he planned to go … Go now, but listen! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves … Before you go into a house, say, 'Peace be with this house.' If peaceful people live there, your blessing of peace will stay with them, but if not, then your blessing will come back to you. …But if you go into a town, and the people don't welcome you, then go into the streets and say (Luke 10:1, 3, 5-6, 10 NCV). • Christ sent them to prepare the people at specific places where He intended to minister to. • The Lord sent them out in pairs so that they could give each other support. • He asked them to be courageous and to overrule the initial uneasy feelings as they sought out 'wolves', which was a picture language of those days meaning strangers. • On their peaceful mission of befriending people, they should first give a warm greeting. By the responses people gave, they would identify individuals who are open to them. • In an earlier occasion of sending out the Twelve, Jesus specifically instructed them to go to 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel ' rather than the Gentiles and Samaritans (see Matthew 10:5-6); their fellow countrymen who would receive them gladly. • Together with a member, go courageously to places where you can befriend people who will likely respond to you. c. Observe felt needs of responsive people Christ advised the disciples to accept people, just as they are, to gain a hearing. When you enter a town, don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide you. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. "If a town welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you and heal the sick. As you heal them, say, 'The Kingdom of God is near you now'" (Luke 10:7-9 NLT). • People become open and responsive when you accept them as they are. • Remain with the people, because observing their needs takes time. You are worthy of reception as long as your purpose is ministering to needs. • Most needs of people can be met with good advice and encouragement. When people begin to know that you care for them, they will become more open. d. Minister to the needs of responsive people Some needs are met with advice and encouragement but certain problems require you to minister with the power of God. "If a town welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you and heal the sick. As you heal them, say, 'The Kingdom of God is near you now' … When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you" (Luke 10:8-9, 17-19 NLT). • Jesus advised the disciples to minister healing if the people suffer sicknesses. • Ministering healing to the sick is confronting Satan. Christ has given us authority over all demons that cause sickness, which the Lord called them as 'snakes and scorpions'. • Healing will open the way for preaching the gospel. When people are touched by God's power they become very open to the gospel. e. Increase their understanding on the gospel Christ urged the disciples to move towards the goal of preaching the gospel. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you' (Luke 10:9 NKJV). • Their mission was to preach 'the kingdom of God ', which means God ruling in the life of people. Believing in the Savior involves allowing Him to rule in their lives to overcome all their sins, sicknesses, and sufferings. • When needs are met, move on to improve their understanding of the gospel. • Converse with them to find out what they do not know or were misinformed of the gospel. • When they have understood the gospel correctly, lead them to believe in Christ. 2. Five effective steps to win Following the five progressive stages that Christ taught the seventy-two, you can win the people in the community in five effective steps. • To evangelize, euangelizo, means 'to bring or announce a good news'. • The gospel is a good news; God saves sinners from the judgment of sins. a. Prayer Evangelism Adopt a community as your target area and ask God for a great spiritual harvest. • Begin with an area of two kilometer radius from your church or your home and establish a territorial commitment over your target area and determine to war against the controlling demons continuously. • Confront Satan to let go all the people he holds down in sins and idolatries. With an ongoing effort of imposing spiritual pressure on the controlling demons, the whole community will eventually be released from Satan's influence. And you will see people keep coming into your church. b. Target Evangelism While warring against the controlling demons, go to where people will listen to you. • Center on the specific places where people are responsive to you. • Responsive people are similar to you and your church members in many ways (age groups, racial identities, languages, education levels, work, incomes, and popular activities). Go to your target area and find out where the responsive people are. c. Caring Evangelism Start to befriend the responsive individuals and get to know them. • Focus on the individuals you intend to understand and help. • Individuals going through transitions or living under pressure are most open to your care and love. A heart well understood becomes open to you. • Good advice and words of encouragement can meet most needs. • Efforts of caring paints an image of a caring church to the community. People will begin to call the church when they need help. • You can access the anointing to minister restoration and renewal (see 1 John 2:20; Luke 4:18). d. Power Evangelism Sicknesses and demonic attacks must be ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. • People's heart can readily know that the healing, miracles, or deliverance are from God. They will become very open to the gospel. • You can access the anointing to minister healing, miracle, and deliverance (see 1 John 2:20; Luke 4:18). • Healing, miracles, and deliverance paint an image of a powerful church. e. Dialogue Evangelism Care and power open up people to believe in Christ. • Guide the person to know Christ in a dialogue. Conversing helps you to identify mental barriers, to repair misconception, and to improve understanding on the gospel. • Sufficient knowledge enables the person to make an informed choice. The goal of the process—Prayer Evangelism, Target Evangelism, Caring Evangelism and Power Evangelism—is to preach the gospel. Seize the right moment to present the gospel and offer the person to receive Christ as his Savior. • This completes evangelism and leads to the stage of making the new believer a disciple of Christ. |
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