THEME: EVANGELISM: MY MISSION, YOUR MISSION, OUR MISSION 

Peace be unto you! I salute the Head Pastor, Ministers, members, and staff of Teshie Baptist Church. I extend my sincere thanks to the members of the Evangelism Planning Committee, who have honored me with an invitation for fellowship with you at this Evangelism Seminar. What a privilege! I bring you greetings from your brethren of the Ghana Evangelical Society (GES). We just closed the curtain on the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Society—on Sunday, October 27, 2013, to be precise. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ deserves all praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and glory that our first outreach after the anniversary celebration is a seminar on Evangelism at Teshie Baptist Church.  Evangelism and church mission in general is the mission agenda of the Society.   

The topic for our contribution to the seminar is: THE COST AND REWARD OF EVANGELISM. 

This is a well-conceived and well-stated vision. It expresses a deep conviction and hope for a people of Love, Faith, and Obedience to the call and commandment of Jesus Christ to the Church to go, preach, win, and disciple souls, so He will build His Church, Peoples, and nations for God His Father. Evangelism is the key and critical core factor in Church building and Church mission in general.  The vision, purpose, and glory with Evangelism is clearly stated in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  

The mission is to save man, creation, and all from perishing. The Church is on a mission to save souls and redeem the perishing world and establish them in Christ hence, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Go, Preach, Baptize, Teach, Disciple Peoples, and Nations. Evangelism is a matter of deep concern, vision, and mission of God for His Will, Purposes, Kingdom, and Glory on earth. Evangelism is a spiritual enterprise with eternal significance. It is engaged in and achieved at great cost. 

 

THE COST 

Evangelism is a spiritual enterprise based on the spirit, power, blood, and glory of Jesus Christ sacrificed on THE CROSS. The sacrificial blood is followed by the spiritual authority, Name, and glory of Jesus (i.e. the sacrifice of life) leading to His Death and Resurrection. Thus, Christ is the engine of evangelism, the spirit and power of the Cross. 

 

COST FACTORS 

A. Death to Christ is the spiritual base and authority of evangelism. Death to self is the primary condition and ingredient and cost to evangelism and Church Mission (John 12: 23-26; Matthew 16: 24-28). Thus, the Law of Liberty, self-fulfillment, and glory in identification with and witness of Jesus Christ as Saviour, Redeemer, God, and King. 

B. The Commandments re Love of God and love of neighbor translates in love of souls, love of the perishing world.  This demands…. 

I.  Total Sacrifice of life, might, substance, and glory—putting our ‘all’ into evangelism/church service/church mission after the spirit, order, and similitude of Christ Jesus. He sacrificed all on the Cross. 

II. Christ left His glory, power, and majesty behind in obedience and became flesh.  He submitted to faith, learnt to depend on the Father in everything, every way, and everywhere (John 14: 6, 10-12). Critical factor in submission to God is Love and Obedience—basis of holiness, righteousness, and faithfulness. 

III.  There are soulish/physical, financial, and material sacrifices to prove faithful.  Imagine selling a house/property to raise money to support evangelism or Church mission (sacrificing company profit, resources, and assets or investment to support evangelism or church mission. Sacrificing reputation, gain, honor, and glory for the sake of the gospel). Consider the foolish teachers of falsehood, teaching, promoting, and promising that faith in Jesus Christ is life of gain, property, possession, position, power, and fame.  Yet, they claim that Jesus Christ is their Master and the One who sent them.  But Jesus said, “where I am there will also My servant be” (John 12: 26). 

IV. Consecration unto God, a Life to Live. Evangelism and Christianity as a whole demand a life of consecration to the Triune God vision and mission. Consecration implies meeting and overcoming the challenges of the self – ego, the ego, and trust in self and human spiritual, emotional, and physical dynamics (death to self). 

 

C. The challenges of satanic opposition (Ephesians 6: 12; John 10:10). 

• The human passion and worldly pressures, pleasures, lifestyles, and demands for conformity to the world, mindset, and ways (Jesus and the devil in the wilderness—Matthew 4:4-1. 

• The battle in Gethsemane in agony and pain—the human spirit and flesh 

• The worldly order and its glory (Ephesians 2: 1-5; Romans 12: 1-3,12; 1st John 2: 15-19) 

 

THE REWARD 

“And behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22: 12 KJV). 

a. Eternal life – John 3: 16; 1st John 2: 25.  The remission of sin and new birth and access to the Tree of Life. 

b. The company, unction, presence, and glory of the Master and the Holy Spirit—Matthew 28: 20; Acts 1: 8; John 16: 7-26. 

c. The joy in or with evangelism. God confirms His word, the word of His servants with signs, miracles, and wonders (Matthew 16: 20; Hebrews 2: 4; Acts 2: 22; 4: 29-31; 2nd Corinthians 12:12) 

d. Crowns. 

 

There are three main crowns in Christian service and life. 

i. Crown of Righteousness – 2nd Timothy 4: 8 

ii. Crown of Life – James 1: 12; Revelation 2: 10; 22: 14 

iii. Crown of Glory – 1st Peter 5:4 

 

There are other reward items: – 

a. Crown of Gold (pure gold) – Psalm 21:3; Revelations 4:4 

b. Spirit of Glory – 1st Peter 4: 12-14  

c. Also marks, garments, et al. God does give garments, marks onto His faithful servants 

d. God can change or give name—Genesis 17:5; 32:28; Revelation 22:4 

e. Reward of promotion for faithfulness – Matthew 25: 21 

 

CONCLUSION 

Evangelism is a love issue—the center of gravity and major force behind Christ and Church mission in the world. The church has been called, discipled, equipped, and sent out to win souls, build the church, nations, and the Kingdom of God on earth with the Gospel and ministry of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Christ standing, character, mission, and ministry in works and life constitute the vision and message, the order and way, works, life, and ministry to follow.   

 

Following Jesus in works, ministry, and life is a very demanding enterprise. 

i. Demands death to self, rejection of self, and/or self-abandonment, and sacrifice of life, vision, desires, might, and substance, et al towards mission. 

ii. Demands Rejection of world in all its forms, wonder, and glory—ambitions, plans, and works establishment and ways in life and world 

iii. Engagement in warfare with Satan, man, principalities, and powers.

 

Following Jesus means TAKING UP THE CROSS and living a CRUCIFIED LIFE in, with, and through Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). This is and indeed a costly life of death to self, self-denial, self-denunciation, and self-abandonment. No more seeking own, seeking, submitting to, loving, depending upon, and sacrificing all unto Jesus Christ (The Triune God). 

There is a Reward 

i. Eternal Life 

ii. Mark, Garments, Promotion, Names and Crowns, et al 

iii. Crowns of Righteousness, of Life, of Glory in the end. 

Putting on the fullness of Christ in the end as faithful, acceptable, and crowned servants—living in the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God, the Lion of God, the Son of the Living God, King of Glory). Evangelism is a spiritual enterprise of eternal significance. We engage in it with Jesus Christ with Divine graces, direction, presence, and service of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and the Father. 

GO YE IS THE MISSION STATEMENT! 

WHO WILL GO? 

 

Saturday, November 16, 2013