Title: Evangelism in Grace/Acts 5:41-42
A young man wants to get married, but the father-in-law seldom gives permission. In fact, this young man was a young man who lacked nothing. One day I asked my father-in-law why he wouldn't let me marry him. The craftsman answers. “No, honey, don’t you know why? If you want to marry my daughter My wife is going to stir-fry me every day to imitate you, so how am I supposed to give you permission?” Should I prevent the happiness of others because of my shortcomings?
How are we? Am I not telling others about Jesus because I am not living like Jesus? Do I have to make sure that others don't believe me just because I don't believe it properly? Evangelism is not about preaching me, it is about sharing the love and grace of Jesus whom I met and the experience of Jesus.
In today's text, the church in Acts shows how it evangelized. That was evangelism in grace. What is evangelism in grace?
Grace means meeting God. Evangelism in grace is not done out of duty or guilt. It's not my strength. Evangelism is the work of God whom I met. It is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. After experiencing God's love and grace, we want to share it and do it because we are happy. Evangelism is what you want to convey even though you are being beaten. Grace makes Christ a natural manifestation. The more we know God's grace, the stronger we are in evangelism. The amazing thing is that not only those who have experienced grace evangelize, but those who participate in evangelism also experience grace.
Preaching in grace
1. Let us see people without looking at capabilities.
When evangelizing, it is a business perspective to see if the person has the potential to be saved or to become a worker in the future. If we view unbelievers as workers who contribute to the church, they are no different from corporations. Evangelism in grace sees unbelievers as those who long to experience the love of Christ. So when he accepts them as a family and establishes a relationship, he becomes a good believer.
In many churches today people come and go soon because we don't have a human relationship with them. Now, when we see evangelism in grace, we see that we are not a worker who is helpful to the church, but an object we need to establish a relationship with and serve.
2. It is not a religious task, but it is done with true joy.
I know that believers should evangelize. But I feel guilty for not being able to do it. But when we experience grace, we have the urge to share with others because life is joyful and thrilling. Evangelism is voluntary rather than obligatory. Today's evangelism emphasizes effective evangelism programs (sweet potato evangelism, drizzle evangelism, etc.), but there was no such thing in the New Testament Church. Evangelism was not a program, but a way of life. The saints who did not evangelize at that time were like a farmer who had never sown seeds or a soldier who had never had combat experience. The church in Jerusalem did not have to tell them to evangelize. Rather, they could not stop the church from evangelizing.
After Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus, they were given severe threats and warnings in the courtroom not to preach in the name of Jesus. “Peter and John answered and said, Judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, and we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). When it is impossible to stop them. Grace arouses the desire to witness. Evangelism based on grace is like a fever that spreads easily to others.
3. To share life.
The evangelism of the early church was a spontaneous manifestation of the life of Christ in them. Grace is to share the life of Jesus. When many people evangelize, they speak of God's plan of salvation for unbelievers. “If you die today, do you know where you will live forever?” If they do not answer confidently, explain the four wisdoms of the Bible. After the explanation, ask them to accept Jesus. I need this too. But it is meaningless to talk about the plan of salvation without working to bring unbelievers to Jesus. The purpose of evangelism is not to win people's decisions for Jesus' sake, but to lead people to Jesus.
The greatest joy in a believer's life is not when we think about what happened when we decided to believe in Jesus. The greatest joy is right now when we experience God through Jesus. It is not surprising that many believers are not greatly excited about their beliefs. It's hard to stay thrilled about something that happened a long time ago. But it is not difficult to rejoice in someone who has a close, loving relationship with God every day.
Evangelism in grace gives life rather than remission of sins. The modern approach to evangelism speaks of the importance of receiving the forgiveness of sins so that when a person dies he can go to heaven. This is not God's primary purpose in providing salvation. The main purpose of God coming to us is to share His life with us. The forgiveness of sins opens the way for us to heaven. However, the forgiveness of sins alone cannot make us a new person today. In his mercy, God grants forgiveness of sins. But grace goes far beyond the forgiveness of sins.
Missionary Jim Elliott was brutally murdered by a tribe of Auca Indians. His wife, Elizabeth Elliott, found and forgave the man who killed her husband. It was mercy. And she cut the hair of the man who killed her husband. This is grace. Mercy is not giving us the punishment we deserve. Grace is giving what we do not deserve.
Jesus gives us the forgiveness of sins. This is mercy. Jesus has given us joy, abundance, delight, divine, eternal life. This is grace.
Giving only the words of forgiveness of sins during evangelism falls short of God's will. It is God's will that His life be revealed through us.
A living seed breaks through the soil. push the stone away. It grows and takes root among the stones. Life is like this.
What is the evidence that we have the life of God? It is victory over sin. It is obedience to the word of God. You will follow the will of the Holy Spirit. You will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You will love your brother. Forgive your enemies. He also overcomes persecution. Tribulation is also overcome. become like Jesus. These are the proofs that there is life in us.
The more we understand God's grace, the greater our desire to share His life with the unsaved. Many believers are living ordinary lives because they believe that the purpose of their lives is to receive forgiveness of sins and go to heaven. Knowing that Jesus lives in us and wants to reveal His life through us will make us like the believers in the book of Acts.
The woman I met at the well in Samaria was a man of five husbands. This woman preached to many people. This woman is conveying the grace of God that has come to her. Let us also share the life within us. Let's share the joy we have. Let's share the reason for hope not to despair. Let me tell you about the Jesus I met. If you haven't yet, let's pray for the thrill of meeting Jesus. Let us long for the joy of having Jesus.