The Work of the Church - Evangelism, Week 2

Christians the world over are excited about restoring the New Testament church, and our time spent searching the scriptures convinces us of many things we should do to keep alive the nature and purpose of the church.  As we think about that, we need to ask ourselves what should be restored.  The more we study and reflect on the Bible, the more definitive the list becomes, until we start to get an image of the church as it should be.

One remarkable characteristic of the early Christians is their urgency in taking the news of Christ to an uninformed world.  We have discussed how they continued in this effort until the entire known world had been traversed by evangelistic church members holding out hope for a better, more meaningful life and a home in heaven with the Lord.

Ivan Stewart wrote a book in 1974 called Go Ye Means Go Me.  In the preface he explains that he was in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  Badly shaken by the experience, he later turned to God for help and strength.  He found himself leading Bible studies and worship services during his tour of duty.  Thus began a lifetime of working with people to teach them the gospel.

In chapter one of the book, Stewart says the "great commission" in Matthew 28:18-20 is surely great, but it is really the New Testament commission, not just a message for the immediate hearers who surrounded Jesus on that day.  Stewart says that, as we get busy restoring the church, the urgency of evangelism is something we should be restoring.  Has it been restored?  If not, what can be done to light the fire so it burns brightly again?

Stewart then takes his readers to 2 Corinthians 5, where we read about church members who say, "...knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men," because "...the love of Christ controls (constrains, compels) us."  Stewart explains that the strong force referred to in this passage is not some oppressive sense of obligation but the kind of compelling love that causes a mother to charge into a burning building to save her baby--compelling, constraining, controlling love!

This week we are going to mention several ways for the church, and for us as members, to reach out to others.  Stewart takes us to Paul's farewell to Ephesus, particularly Acts 20:20, to show that visiting people at home is a time-tested way of getting people interested in spiritual things.  Lately we have compartmentalized it by calling it personal work, but I'm not sure there was much of a distinction in the early church.  Paul simply says they declared the message, "...publicly and from house to house."

Stewart then gives a quick scan of New Testament verses to show the biblical concept that the urgency of the need to be on the Lord's side is the same as the urgency to help people get there.  As we discuss our outreach and the different forms it can take, let's remember that urgency in these matters is a proven characteristic of Christians.