Hey there,
I am delighted that we are together and about to share my teaching on evangelism.
You and I are going to work together to improve our knowledge about how a person is born again. Learn how we continue to grow and mature so that we become dynamic witnesses of the grace of God. Such personal knowledge is essential for the task of winning people to the Lord so our goal is to ‘grow up into all things in Christ’.
Before we begin, I want to tell you a little of my early experiences and adventures in evangelism. I started out with all the best intentions in the world to share the good news.
For example, I wanted a workmate, with whom I was sharing about Jesus, to know God as her Provider. So, I secretly put money into her purse because she had expressed a financial need. It did not work.
Whilst working in a Christian-based private hospital I witnessed to hundreds of people taking every opportunity to pray for the sick. I saw some wonderful things happen, but no one was converted to Christ.
When I read that the early church gave away all their possessions, I did likewise. This did not have any effect either.
I wrestled in my mind with the Scriptures. I continually asked Joy, my more knowledgeable sister who had led me to Jesus, such questions as, “Does everyone have to be born again”, and “What about all the people who never hear about Jesus”?
I had so many questions. How does God save people? What is the process of salvation and how does it actually take place? How many different ways are there to be consistent in winning souls for Christ? How do you disciple people? How do new Christians learn to follow the leading of the Spirit of God?
None of the answers I received satisfied me or helped me win souls. But I was determined to find out the answers.
I was also puzzled and disappointed. I had expected to see Christians on fire for Jesus as I was, gossiping the gospel and witnessing. But everyone seemed just so comfortable in their faith and not active in evangelism. Why was that?
Evangelism requires sensitivity to people and to the situation at hand. In the heart of every evangelist is the desire to be as Jesus was. Jesus moved so graciously amongst people. The forgotten and neglected people, the ‘fringe people’, the ‘disregarded’ and ‘disenfranchised’, as well as the ‘rich and famous’, even the ‘bold and the beautiful’.
Doing the work of evangelism has taken me into the streets, and into the homes of millionaires and those stricken with poverty. It has led to many vigils with the dying, the bereaved, the forgotten and the bruised. It has also meant diligently visiting people in their homes, taking them through the scriptures, leading them to Christ, and teaching them about the assurance of faith. It is satisfying to meet them some years later and they are still going on with the Lord.
All of these things show that personal evangelism requires faith and faith works through love. Personal evangelism leads to caring about people, becoming part of their lives.
Wonderfully, when you do the work of evangelism you will live a full and satisfying life. You will become a servant of humanity for Jesus Christ. Through that, you will experience the love, the boldness, the fearlessness, the confidence such a lifestyle delivers.
Therefore, be very courageous, be strong, and SPEAK!
Learn how the Holy Spirit and the word work through you.
Love in Jesus
Patricia – Px
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This teaching manual is dedicated to my son, Mark. Mark and I went everywhere together in those early years of evangelism. When I visited and prayed for people, he was there, as a young lad, praying alongside me. He gave his bed up many times to lost people who found their way to our door. He cooperated with me in opening our home to the homeless who we brought home from off the street. Throughout the years, hundreds of different people sat at our table around a meal, and heard the message of Christ through the simple act of hospitality. I want to honour Mark and thank him publicly for his sharing with me in the work.
I also salute my sister, Joy Hunter, and her sons, Peter, Mark, and Scott, all of whom made it possible for me to be welcomed into the kingdom.
A couple that showed unreserved love were Betty and Les Beech. And yet another woman is Joy Sopronick. Joy called into Hong Kong and looked me up and told me about Jesus. I was working there as a showgirl at the Miramar Hotel: Kingsland and Kings Garden Night Clubs and sharing an apartment with Michelle, one of Australia’s les Girls. But that’s another story for another time!