A PATTERN FOR EVANGELIZING
ACTS 5:17-42
What is the only duty of the church that can’t be better done in heaven- evangelism.
Now some have the mistaken idea that witnessing can be simply one’s lifestyle without words. I would agree that our lives need to be a witness; however, mere lifestyle does not constitute the whole of evangelism.
Evangelism is faithful proclaiming Jesus Christ by life and lips.
The greatest need for each one who knows Christ as personal Saviour is to be consumed with the truth that all of us are responsible for the work of evangelism and to be committed to engage in that work.
“If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for,” C. H. Spurgeon.
Let’s see the pattern for evangelism practiced by the early church members.
I. The MANDATE THAT COMPELLED
All of us are familiar with the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 and its parallel passages in the other gospels.
Christ has given His church the task of bearing the good news of the gospel to a lost world. But knowing and doing can be two different things!
We must notice a few details before taking a look at the mandate given to the disciples. These brethren had already gone through the trauma of Peter and John’s arrest after the healing of the lame beggar in the temple. Now they face the same threat, this time by a more angered group of religious leaders. They were placed in a prison which was the holding place for thieves and murderers. The high priest meant business this time. He was tired of all the commotion with these gospel preachers!
The angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, takes the prisoners out of the jail, and gives them the command to go preach the gospel (20).
God sent an angel to deliver the apostles, but the angel was not sent to preach the gospel! He told the apostles to go, stand, and speak to the people the whole message of this Life (20).
Now, don’t you think this would be an appropriate time for a barrage of excuses? But as you see, we do not find any excuses, only a ready willingness to obey the commands of their Lord!
Christ has commanded us to spread the good news of the gospel. “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed” -- Hudson Taylor.
“Someone asked, ‘Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?’ It is more a question with me whether we -- who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not -- can be saved” -- Charles Spurgeon.
We really have no excuse but our own disobedience for failing to proclaim the gospel! I think that we can find some help by seeing what the angel commanded the disciples and follow their pattern.
A. SUIT UP - GO
They first had to leave the jail and go to the people. That is simple enough, yet it is an important truth for us. They were to go to the unbelieving so that they might testify of the grace of God.
You cannot stay at the entry to the jail and get a whole lot of evangelizing done. You must go where there are people. The disciples made their way to the temple about daybreak, which was the time of prayer in which hundreds would be making their way to an encounter with the gospel.
If we could ever get in mind that the circles in which we find ourselves encountering people are not by chance, but by divine design, it would change our whole attitude about life.
Some of you think that your job is horrible because you have all sorts of wicked people around you. My friend, God has placed you on a mission field--start evangelizing!
We must go for God has told us to go with the gospel! We must go for the world desperately needs what only we have. We must go for multitudes are dying without Christ. “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
B. STAND Up
I think it is interesting that the angel not only told the disciples to "go" but also to "stand." The word conveys the idea of someone who is ’taking a stand’ at a particular spot and fulfilling a purpose. It might be a commando unit that takes a hill and then digs in so that they will not be moved by the enemy. It is the idea that you are staking off your territory, and you will not back down because of anyone.
In that classic passage of Ephesians 6 addressing the spiritual conflict we face, we are exhorted three times to "stand."
If we are to get anywhere in the work of witnessing, we must stand firm in our faith and not cave in to fears and intimidation.
This is a wonderful exhortation for all of us. So often we give up on witnessing because we are afraid. To stand is to take courage, to be bold, to keep pressing on for Christ in the face of every intimidation and fear. We must determine in our hearts that by the strength which the Lord supplies, we will stand firm in the Lord to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
Live bravely for Him who died lovingly for you.
C. SPEAK up
We are not to just go and stand! We are to
go, stand, and speak the message of Life!
We have not finished the job of evangelism until we have spoken of the gospel of Christ. Remember, evangelism is the faithful use of life and lips to communicate the gospel of Christ.
We must suit up; stand up; and suit up.
II. The MESSAGE THAT WAS COMMUNICATED
After the disciples are arrested once again for preaching the gospel, this time without fanfare, they use their opportunity again to proclaim the gospel to the Jewish Council or Sanhedrin.
Let’s notice the thumbnail picture of what they proclaimed to the Sanhedrin:
A. They proclaimed a PERSON - death, resurrection, and exaltation of Christ
As Peter and John had done before (4:10), the whole group of disciples pointed to the religious leaders’ guilt in crucifying Jesus Christ.
They point to the death of Christ, using rather graphic language: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted."
B. They proclaimed a PARDON -forgiveness of Sins
Because of who Christ is and what He has done on the cross, God mercifully offers forgiveness of sins to undeserving sinners.
C. They proclaimed a PRESENT -the gift of the Holy Spirit
Those who obey the gospel of Christ, which calls for our repentance and faith in Christ, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This blessed third Person of the Trinity comes as the divine paraclete to dwell within us, to comfort us, to empower us, to strengthen us, to fill us for service and usefulness to God. He does not dwell in everyone, but only those who are truly born again.
I would remind you that one of the primary ways that a person can know that he or she is truly saved is by the witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16-17).
When a person is truly born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit makes an indelible mark upon that life as one who is a new creature in Christ. It is a supernatural work of God upon the life of a dead sinner.
The content of their message proclaimed that the sinner needed Christ alone as his only hope from his miserable plight as a sinner.
III. The Manner that was COMMENDABLE
The disciples received a deliverance from jail through the wise words of the renowned rabbi and Pharisee, Gamaliel. But before they were released, they were all flogged with a whip. The punishment used a short whip made of calf-skin in which the victim received 39 lashes. The disciples gladly wore these marks as badges of
suffering for the sake of Christ their Lord! They rejoiced that they were even considered worthy to suffer such pain and indignity for their Lord.
Did they quit evangelizing? Absolutely, positively not! They jumped right back where they had left off! We see that their manner of witnessing had three components.
A They did it incessantly
The two phrases of verse 42, "daily" and "they ceased not," emphasize to us that their proclamation of the gospel did not skip a beat in spite of their arrest and flogging.
Even though the religious and political authorities did not want them witnessing and even though they were told to stop, they chose to obey God rather than men. Evangelism was a daily affair for them.
I believe that is a direction that all of us need to find ourselves moving! We must begin to view all of life differently, to envision that every situation in which we find ourselves may very well be a wonderful opportunity of speaking the words of life to some poor lost soul.
B. They did it insistently
The disciples found themselves proclaiming the gospel in both religious settings of the temple and in house to house situations. I think the point to see is that the settings of where we are to witness is the place where His providence places you.
It can vary with the demands upon your life. A job transfer or change should be viewed as a move to a new mission field. Attending a new school should be seen as new opportunities of presenting Christ to your classmates. I want to challenge you to think of where you will be this week as possible witnessing opportunities. Purpose in your heart to take advantage of chances to share the gospel. Some of your gospel discussions may be brief, lasting only a couple of minutes. Others may develop into lengthier discussions on the gospel. Use whatever the Holy Spirit places before you.
C. They did it instructively
I think it is significant that two words are used for this work of evangelizing. Teaching would direct us to giving thorough explanations concerning the gospel. Though all of us are not teachers, all of us who will give ourselves to studying the Word of God can, in one-on-one situations, explain the gospel to someone else. Teaching lays the groundwork. It helps to give the knowledge and understanding that a person needs to think through on the gospel and its demands. The gospel must first penetrate a person’s mind before he can properly respond with his will. Teaching does this work of laying truth to the mind, while the Holy Spirit brings the mind to life.
The next word is translated as "preaching." This is the work of not only explaining the gospel but calling for sinners to repent and believe the gospel. It is our offering the free pardon through the death of Christ to sinners.
So, all of us are to be engaged as teachers of the gospel who explain what the gospel is; and preachers of the gospel who announce the good news and call for sinners to repent and believe.
Conclusion
The work is great and the fields are white unto harvest. Let’s give ourselves to going, standing, and speaking the whole gospel of Christ to our lost world. See the place where providence has placed you as a mission field that needs evangelizing.
Proclaim the gospel boldly and offer it freely to sinners in need of the Saviour.
