Effective evangelism for all (14:1-7)

‘Effective evangelism for all’ (Acts 14:1-7)

I couldn’t share my faith!  I am not smart enough.  I don’t know how to answer the difficult questions that people may ask.  I am not a good communicator.  I never know what to say.  I’m afraid.  I don’t want to offend people.  I am scared my friends and family might reject me.

The apostle Paul went to the hill country of Galatia because he was ill (Gal. 4:13).  He would not have struck them as being an impressive person.  In another context he claims that he did not depend on wise and persuasive words (1 Cor. 2:4).  In at least one situation he approached an area and its people with a great feeling of weakness and with great fear and trembling (1 Cor. 2:3).

These early Christians knew that evangelism can be hard.  But they rejoiced to share the good news.

What makes effective evangelism?  

Background

Effective evangelism is what we read about here.

We are following Paul’s first missionary journey.  Last week we saw that Paul and his companions were expelled from Antioch in Pisidia.  But they did not give up sharing their faith.  They travelled ninety miles (145 km) south east to Iconium (also in Galatia).  There they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke about Jesus.  They also shared their faith with non-Jews.  They spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed (Acts 14:1).

They were effective in their evangelism.

So, what makes effective evangelism?

1.       Speaking about Jesus is for every Christian

We must not think that it was only Paul and Barnabas who spoke about Jesus.  In last week’s reading we saw that ‘the word of God spread through the whole region’ (13:46).  It was spread by all those who had come to faith.  We see the same pattern earlier in Acts, after the stoning of Stephen.  ‘The believers were scattered, and those who were scattered went about preaching the word’ (8:4).

2.       The good news centres on the person of Jesus

Again, look back at last week’s passage.  When Paul was preaching he focused on the saviour Jesus (13:23), the message of salvation (13:26) and the grace of God (13:43).  A few months after that visit we wrote the letter of Galatians to those Christians, where he explained that he had portrayed Christ as crucified before their very eyes (Gal. 3:1).  Paul can sum up his whole message by declaring, ‘we preach Christ crucified’ (1 Cor. 1:23).

Have you come up with your couple of sentences that explain the gospel?  Mine is imperfect, but it says, ‘my sin is so serious before a holy God that nothing less than the death of God’s only Son can deal with it, and that is exactly what God has done for me.’  Any summary of the good news about Jesus must centre on why He died.

3.       Sharing the good news needs follow-up

Last week we saw that Paul and Barnabas urged those who had responded to the message to continue in the grace of God (13:43).  A person has not been born again if, like the seed that feel on shallow soil, they make a response and later drift away (Mark 4:4-6).  Only those who persevere to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13). 

In Iconium the apostles stayed on for a long time (14:2).  This was a short reading, but don’t let that give you the impression that this means if was covering only a brief stay.  They will have stayed for months.  They wanted to ensure that those who responded got what being a follower of Jesus was all about.  They wanted to ground these young converts in the truth.  When you start to talk to someone about Jesus be prepared to keep in touch with them.

Notice the ‘so’ at the beginning of verse three.  The unbelievers tried to poison the minds of those who had responded.  ‘So, they remained there for a long time.’  The threat that existed from opposition to the local church caused the apostles to work and stay harder and longer.  

On the return leg of this missionary journey they would revisit Iconium and appoint elders for them in every church (14:23).  You see the New Testament knows nothing of believers who are not connected into a local expression of the body of Christ.  Our evangelistic task is not complete until the person has become connected with a local church.  Our church needs to become a place where new believers can be grounded.  In fact, bring a friend to church has the advantage of showing that person the type of community they are going to get involved with if they come to Christ.

4.       We need to depend on God

In the book of Acts the Word of God seems to have a power all of its own.  ‘The word of the Lord was spreading through the whole region’ (13:49). 

Later in Acts we will read of Lydia, and how the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul (16:14).  It was God at work as the word was spoken!

In the last chapter we read, ‘as many as were appointed to eternal life believed’ (13:48).  Becoming a Christian is a work of God.  We can’t boast.  On our own we would never choose Jesus.

This is why effective evangelism begins with persistent prayer.  That is why we have a ‘5’ on our wall challenging us to pray every day for five people.  We can’t persuade anyone.  We don’t depend on clever arguments. 

We even ask that God might grant signs and wonders to confirm the gospel to people (14:3).

5.       The message produces a divided response

While salvation might be all of God, those who refuse the gospel are held totally accountable for their rejection of the truth.  Paul tells those who would not turn to Jesus that, ‘you thrust aside the word of God and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life’ (13:46).  Here in Iconium we read of ‘unbelievers’ (14:2), but the word translated ‘unbelievers’ it not the usual word used, it is actually a word that can be translated ‘disobedient’.  They simply would not accept the truth of the gospel.

Was the apostle Paul any less effective in sharing the gospel with those who believed and those who disobeyed?  No!  He presented the same message.  The soil that melts the ice can also harden the clay.  Our job is to be faithful to the message.  If people reject it, that is not our fault.

Notice that the message divided the people of the city (14:4).  Often when we try to speak about Jesus we are simply met with apathy.  I wonder if that is because we don’t explain the whole truth.  We don’t warn people that without Jesus they are lost and condemned.  That there is a hell as well as a heaven.  I am not saying that all people will hate us.  Earlier in Acts we read that the Christians enjoyed the favour of all people (2:47).  But Jesus did say ‘woe to you when everyone speaks well of you (Luke 6:26).  Jesus said, ‘do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be members of his own household’ (Matthew 10:34-35).  As one evangelist said, ‘sometimes we are so low key that we’re no key.’

Conclusion

The time came when the apostles learned of a threat on their lives.  It was at that point that staying would be counterproductive.  So, they moved on to Lystra (twenty miles southwest) and Derbe (58 miles) where they continued to preach that good news (7).  The difficulties did not stop them.  

One of the things that we want to do as a church is to help each other in the area of sharing our faith.  I was talking to someone in Crown Jesus Ministries this week and we hope to have another evangelism training day in the autumn.

Have you come up with your one sentence definition of the gospel, for the next time someone asks you what we believe in this church?

Why not invite someone to the concert or the baptism?

Many of us will soon be going on holidays.  Will you imitate the early Christians and talk about Jesus wherever you go?

Will we ask people questions that get them thinking?

Will we seek to do more than just talk about generalities but present the whole truth?

Will we pray for God to bring people of His choosing across our path?

Will we speak this truth to ourselves, and pray that God plants it deep in our hearts, so that we will see how good Jesus is and be compelled by love for God and love for people?