Evangelism in a Local Church

Evangelism in a Local Church EVANGELISM IN A LOCAL CHURCH
By C. E. McGaughey No subject is more deserving of our consideration than that of evangelism. It is the preeminent work of the church. To evangelize means to spread glad tidings, to tell good news. What glorious news the church of our Lord has to carry to the lost world. It is ours to tell of the Christ who died for our sins, who was resurrected from the grave to ascend on high to rule as King of Kings and be our Great High Priest and Savior. Our task is to tell the news that “in none other is there salvation; for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). No wonder that it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15). The church in the New Testament was sometimes spoken of in the aggregate (Acts 20:28), and on other occasions it was referred to as a local congregation (1 Corinthians 1:2). All of the local congregations were in-dependent and were not bound together by any kind of district or national organization. There was no missionary society through which they were to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. The responsibility rested on each individual • congregation to see that the world was evangelized. Churches could help each other and cooperate together but never did they form some1 separate i organization apart from the local church to see that the work was done. The one un-varying organization in direct control of the work was the local church through its divinely appointed over-seers. The authority divinely invested in the local church was everywhere strictly respected, which ef-fectually kept the early church from the entanglements which in later history came as a result of ecclesiastical organizations unknown to the New Testament. So this subject, “Evangelism in a Local Church,” is strictly a Biblical subject for the local church serves as the beginning place for all proclaiming of the gospel, “the power of God unto salvation.” If those around us are taught the truth of God and if those in “regions beyond” ever hear it, the local church must see that the task is accomplished.

Let us observe further why this question of evan-gelism by the local church is of such great importance. While the church engages in many fine works such as feeding the hungry, ministering to the sick and caring for the orphans, all of these things are incidental to its one great purpose of saving souls. This is its supreme mission. Jesus fed the multitudes with the loaves that they might also partake of “the bread of life.” He healed the lepers that he might teach men of the healing of souls. He raised the dead that those within the tomb of sin might listen to his voice and have eternal life. The eyes of the blind were opened that men might see the glorious light of the truth. The ears of the deaf were unstopped that souls might hear the wonderful story of love. The church likewise is to help people in a material way but when Christians relieve distress and suffering another end must be constantly kept in mind, that of' soul saving. When we minister to the physical needs of-those about us it must be remembered that to neglect their spiritual needs will result in souls being lost forever.

Just before Jesus left the earth he said, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). Through the ages that same word comes to the church today. Jesus left his work in the hands of his disciples. In speaking of the gospel left in our hands, Paul said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the agents through which he is to reach the world. Not dealing directly or through angels, he has placed the gospel in us, vessels of the earth. Since Christians are the only means by which the world can be reached, their responsibility is tremendous. We are “stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). “Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). If Christ was willing to leave heaven to suffer and die that souls might be saved, certainly the church should be faithful to the trust left it in carrying on the work he began. He is depending on us. We must not disappoint him. The destiny of the souls around us depends on how faithful we are in carrying the good news to them.

Such passages as: “Ye are the salt of the earth,” and “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14), show what our responsibility in this matter is: Since salt is to preserve and light is to shine, the Lord was merely showing us m figures that we are soul-winners. In explaining this further, Paul said, “among whom ye are seed as lights ih the world, holding forth the word of life” (Phil' 2':1'6). No mbre fitting emblem to show the church’s function could have been used than that spoken of in Revelation when it is said that John saw Jesus walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. In explaining this, the Lord said, “the seven candlesticks are seven churches” (Revelation 1:20). Long ago, the Psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105). In apostolic days, Paul, fully understanding the chief function of Christians, described the church as being the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The importance of evangelism is suggested again when the question is asked, “What will happen to the local church if its members fail to be soul-winners?” The result of being unfaithful stewards of the gospel and allowing those to perish whom God has placed within our reach is more serious than we sometimes think. Coming to the judgment empty handed means that we will be consigned to the state of the wicked for ever. Without a passion for souls and content to merely try to save self, it will mean that we have failed in the main purpose for which we have been left in the world. The words of Joseph to his brethren concerning young Benjamin seem to be a fitting prophecy of what Jesus now says to us, “Except ye bring your brother with you, ye cannot see my face” (Genesis 43:5). Not only do we need to see the importance of evan-gelism, but also do we need to see the great open doors that are waiting for us. It is just as true now that the fields “are white already unto harvest” as it was when Jesus saw the great need and said to his disci- pjes, “Lift up your.eyes and look on the fields” (John 4 :S5). Even in the sections where churches are already established, there are millions who are not Chris-tians. In Oklahoma City, my home, the churches of Chist have a membership of about 2,000. The popu-lation of Oklahoma City is estimated to be 225,000, That would mean that only one out of every 113 we meet on the streets of that city is likely to be a member of the New Testament church. A similar comparison in other sections where strong churches are found will reveal the same startling facts. In our great nation there are vast sections still unevangelized, large cities with no church seeking to restore apostolic Christianity. There are even some states where there is no church loyal to the. New Testament. The great Northwest and the Northeast with its teeming millions are both right at our doors. There are about 130,000,000 in our nation and though there be 600,000 members true to the cause of Christ, that would mean only one out of every two-hundred- sixteen. Two-hundred-fifteen out of every two-hundred-sixteen in this nation then, are either nothing religiously or have been blinded by the doctrines of men. A survey of Oklahoma where there are many strong congregations revealed about fifty cities and towns with over a thousand inhabitants where there are no congregations after the New Testament order.

It has been estimated that there are one thousand million that have never heard of Christ. If buried in graves side by side, they would make a cemetery of fifteen rows reaching entirely around the globe. It is also claimed that only thirteen of the one hundred and thirty-one nations of the world are represented by Christians who “speak where the Bible speaks” and who are “silent where the Bible is silent.” In India alone, there are over three hundred million people with no member of the church of Christ, to tell them the way of .salvation. Altogether, we have less than fifty missionaries in foreign fields and we spend less than ten cents per year year capita for the support of the gospel m “regions beyond.” All of this is true in spite of the fact that Jesus has told us to go and preach the gospel to every creature. The need is so great that we cannot afford to sit idly by and do nothing about it.

How is the local church to perform this task of evangelism confronting it? First, it is clearly evident that before much can be done by any local church, the members must be educated to see their responsibility in soul saving. The leaders in every congregation should endeavor to see that the membership is taught and inspired to constantly spread the gospel in every place. It should be the goal in every congregation to develop each member into a soul-winner. When we are brought face to face with the fact that we cannot be saved without saving someone else, we will begin to give this matter serious thought. When once we begin to recognize how many are lost and it begins to dawn on us just how valuable a soul must be since Christ died for it, then our evangelistic zeal will be so aroused that results are certain to come.

We need to have a deep and abiding concern for the lost. Our Savior was touched when he beheld the lost souls about him. He even forgot his own weariness, hunger and thirst in bis efforts to save them,. He worked and prayed for them and wept over them. Before we can ever do very much, we must be con-cerned .and burdened like our Savxp1’ was. Hew im-portant it is that we become possessed with a passion for the souls of men. Witnp.ut It cur efforts will never be much and their results will never be very fruitful. But when we really love them enough to be anxious about them, a wave of evangelism will sweep the country like that of apostolic days when multitudes were brought to Christ.

There are many who have never been made to see the importance of this work and the full force of their talents and resources have never been realized. The church has too long under-estimated its resources. The prayer of Elisha of old is still appropriate. His servant Gehazi felt that the task confronting them was too great. And Elijah prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17). His eyes were opened and how different things did look. He discovered resources of which he had never dreamed. Thus it will be with the church when once our eyes are opened and we see just what we can do by the help of God.

After first educating Christians to the importance of evangelism the second great step in winning the world to Christ is to restore the evangelistic fervor that belonged to the church of the first century. To be truly apostolic we should seek to preach the same gospel preached 1900 years ago; we should wear the same name worn then, we should worship in the same way but even all this is not enough. We should yearn to be apostolic in our zeal for evangelism. How zealous they must have been then to accomplish such great results. Soon after the conversion of the three thousand on Pentecost it is said that the number of men was five thousand (Acts 4:4), and then “Believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Acts 5:14). Later it was said, “And the word of God increased and the number of discipies in Jerusalem multiplied exceedingly; and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). When persecution scattered the Jerusalem church the members continued in the faith “and went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Within thirty years after the beginning of the church, Paul wrote that the gospel had been “preached in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). Not only should we return to apostolic zeal for evan-gelism but a third important step in accomplishing the task before us is to put into practice apostolic methods of evangelism. What were the apostolic methods that enabled one generation to carry the gospel to the people of that generation? To his disciples Jesus said, “Ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). While Jerusalem was to be a very fruitful field, God did not desire that their efforts be wholly confined to that city. There were other sections to hear the message of salvation. So we learn that after witnessing in Jerusalem, they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
Upon learning of the fruitful field in Syria, the Je-rusalem church “sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch; who when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, and much people were added unto the Lord” (Acts 11:22-24). Let it be carefully noted that “the church,” as such sent Barnabas to an inviting field of which it had heard. This one example is sufficient to show all churches how to act when they learn of a fruitful territory for the gospel. Let them send some Barnabas that “much people” may be “added unto the Lord.”
After the church at Antioch was well established, “the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands On them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2-3). Thus from Antioch these two men went on a great missionary tour establishing churches in cities where Christ had not been nametd. After completing the first journey, Paul went out from the same church on two other great evangelistic expeditions. Finally, the Lord led him into Europe to establish the cause in sections without churches. The newly established church in Philippi helped Paul in planting a congregation in Thessalonica. From his own testimony we learn, “And ye yourselves also know, ye Fhilippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need” (Php_4:15-16).

All of these examples show us conclusively that the Lord did not intend that a church be content with its own progress and forget the sections round about. It is the mission of every church to reach out and evangelize those sections still without the truth. Local congregations should feel keenly the fact that they are not doing all that is expected of them when their preaching is limited to four walls. An earnest effort must be put forth to reach those in our immediate community and even those regions which have never heard of Christ. Every church should have a definite program of establishing new congregations and supporting those who are preaching the gospel in countries still in darkness concerning the kingdom of God. Many congregations are able to support two evangelists, one to preach locally and the other to preach in places where new congregations need to be established. If a church is not able to engage two preachers, let it do its best, with the cooperation of some other congregation to support someone in preach-ing the gospel in' mission fields. A fourth and final step in evangelizing the world is to once more let evangelism flow freely through the same channels that proved so effective during the time of the first century Christians. These two channels of evangelism are clearly pointed out in the New Tes-tament. In explaining how he worked, Paul said that he preached “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). Both public and private or personal evangelism played an important part at that time.

Public preaching was powerful and fruitful during the apostolic age. As a result of Peter’s sermon in Solomon’s porch, “many of them that heard believed; and the number of men came to be about five thou-sand” (Acts 4:4). In the synagogue of the Jews at Iconium Paul and Barnabas “so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1). Of Apollos it is said that “He powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (Acts 18:28). Even in the heathen city of Athens Paul preached publicly and “certain men clave unto him, and believed; among whom also was Dionysius the Areopa- gite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them” (Acts 17:34).
Today this means of reaching the people is being undervalued by many. The Catholics abandoned the revival type of evangelism years ago and many denominations are about to follow in their steps. Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that we should do the same. This is one of the Lord’s own methods and will still work if members of the Lord’s church will diligently make use of it. Many meetings fail because members of the body of Christ are not possessed with enough interest to attend themselves when they should be so zealous that they bring others. In such cases meetings are really needed and the term “revival” is the right name for it. Public preaching of the gospel is still effective in sections where the church is not represented if it be worked at earnestly.

We must not think that the limits of public evangelism is “pulpit evangelism” on Sundays and occasional gospel meetings. The radio is being used effectively in this field. People are being reached that have never been in our church buildings. The church that has the gospel preached in this way is taking advantage of an exceptionally fine medium. I rejoice that various congregations throughout this nation are doing that very thing.

Then, there is the press, which in my estimation, properly belongs in this field. While literature may be used to a splendid advantage in private or personal evangelism, the influence of the press is so great that it can properly be called an avenue of public evangelism. This method has been worked too little in the past. The growth of Christian Science and Russellism and Adventism has been greatly aided by the power of the press. They have specialized in scattering their doctrines to the four winds by means of the printed page. Their tracts, papers and magazines are put in prominent places for free distribution and homes of the nation have been sowed down with their publications.

Unfortunately we have not been so wise. While our papers have wielded a tremendous influence for good in calling men back to the “old paths,” these very same papers have never been read by our own people as extensively as their importance deserves. Members of the church need encouragement to read gospel papers. Where they are read the members are given a more comprehensive view of the church and its work and those not members are instructed in the way of the Lord also. We need more good gospel tracts and then we need to use them. The gospel should be scattered in the homes of the land until thousands who know nothing of the New Testament church are led to see the truth.

• That personal evangelism also was a mighty factor in spreading the gospel in the first century is very evident for a study of the Scriptures. A favorite example with many is that of Andrew bringing his own brother Simon to Jesus. “He findeth first his own brother Simon,, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is being interpreted, Christ)” (Jno. 1:41-42). After Jesus revealed himself to the Samaritan woman, she rushed into the city and said, “Come, see a man, who told me all things that I ever did; can this be the Christ? And from the city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman” (Jno. 4:29-39). Acquila and Priscilla were great personal workers. When they found the eloquent Apolios in error “they took him unto them and expounded th eway of God more accurately” (Acts 17:25). Who doubts but what personal evangelism was a source of great power when the Jerusalem church was scattered and “went everywhere preaching the word’' (Acts 8:4) ? Then we must not forget that Paul preached “publicly” and “from house to house.”

It is as much a Christian’s duty to do personal work in trying to save those around him as it is his duty to read the Bible, pray, attend worship or observe the Lord’s supper. The power to lead souls to Christ is not a secret to be possessed and used only by a few preachers and leaders. That power belongs to each individual Christian. Solomon says, “He that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30), and Daniel declares,“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 32:3). When members begin to grasp the fact that God is depending on them as individuals to lead those about them to Christ, and they learn that they really can do such work, it will not be an impossible task for a church to double its membership in a year. Surely every member through personal evangelism should be able to win cne soul for Christ in three hundred sixty-five days. The only reason why this is not done is because we do not work earnestly at it. [f we can talk to our neighbors and friends about the every-day affairs of life, we can likewise teach them the gospel and lead some of them to Christ. In a certain city in Kansas lives a Christian doctor who as he goes about visiting his patients remembers that he should be concerned about their souls. Through his efforts many souls are led to Christ every year. In every walk of life, it is possible for followers of Christ to do the same thing. There is someone somewhere whom each member can reach and the sad thing about it is that unless that particular member opens his eyes to his
responsibility, the one he could win will be lost, merely because one who claimed to be a follower of Christ for-got his greatest mission in life. The problems of getting people to attend Bible school, Sunday services, mid-week meetings, of in-ducing them to contribute cheerfully and liberally, of encouraging them to live clean and holy lives, all will be much more quickly solved when they can be persuaded to enter into the task of saving souls. A joy would be derived from that work that will stimulate them more and more to abound in every good work. A church that loses its evangelistic fervor has no right to exist and has forgotten its greatest mission. A Christian who is not trying to develop into an efficient soul winner is disappointing to his Savior. In discussing this subject of Evangelism m a local church, attention has been given first to its importance; second, to the great fields that are waiting at home and abroad; and third, suggestions as to how the task may be accomplished. May our understanding of the importance of soul-saving be so great that our eyes will perceive the fields and our hearts will prompt us to lovingly do our best to fulfill the task our Lord began. Let us pray that again a wave of evangelism will sweep over the earth as did 1900 years ago. In the strength that Christ supplieth, let us arise, and take the world for him.