Who could ever forget the woman at the well
who worked with Jesus to bring the salvation message and a new way
of living to an entire city?
We cannot dismiss the woman at the well. In fact, we should look to
this familiar New Testament scene as a pattern for the end-time
Church because just as the Lord used a Samaritan believer, an
unlikely candidate for preaching the Gospel. He desires to use
believers all over the world to reach the lost.
Evangelism is an integral part of the new apostolic reformation that
embraces Biblical ministry concepts like restoring the priesthood of
every believer (1 Peter 2:9). Sending teams of believers into the
harvest fields is the key to making positive impacts on individuals,
neighborhoods, cities, and entire nations.
Jesus instructed His disciples to “go” in teams. From the 70 that
Jesus sent out two-by-two to the early church missions of apostolic
duos like Peter and John and Paul and Silas, we see a strong model
for evangelism teams in the New Testament. There is no reason to
believe that Jesus changed His strategy for spreading the Good News
today.
Indeed, this apostolic team concept is a pillar for effective
evangelism.
The Book of Proverbs teaches about evangelism, which plays a vital
role in the church. King Solomon tells us that those who win souls
are wise (Proverbs 11: 30). He also tells us that wisdom has built
her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars (Proverbs 9:1).
These seven pillars – prayer, the Word, praise and worship,
fellowship, evangelism, faith, and love – should be in every local
church. Still, the importance of the pillar of evangelism escapes
many. Some seem more concerned with what goes on inside the four
walls of the church than what goes on outside the church, where lost
souls are waiting to be won to Jesus.
If we are going to be wise we must build the church with all seven
pillars, including evangelism. Reaching the lost with the Gospel
remains the primary goal of the church of Jesus Christ, yet its
responsibility doesn’t end there because the goal of evangelism is
discipleship. The goal of discipleship is multiplication. And the
ultimate goal of multiplication is to build spiritually strong local
churches.
Do you see the loop?
Fresh water is to the human body what evangelism is to the local
church – without it we would die. Right now the Spirit of God is
posing a strong question and directive to the entire Body of Christ:
“Do you want a fresh flow in your life, or do you want to stagnate?
Choose.”
CLICK HERE
to get a
FREE issue
of The Voice magazine.
Jesus Christ died for sin, but was raised from the dead on the third
day, and now offers forgiveness of sin to anyone that will believe.
This is the familiar message of evangelism. But believers must not
view evangelism solely as the responsibility of a few gifted
individuals. Every believer must assume the responsibility for
sharing the Gospel as the result of his salvation experience.
According to the Scriptures (Mark 16:16-17; Ephesians 4:7), every
believer can proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ. Once we
accept and embrace the true perspective of evangelism, the question
then becomes: What is the most effective method of releasing the
Gospel message in our territories? In the words of the Preacher,
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their
labour” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). The sentiment of this wise man is
enveloped in the Lord’s command to us to “go.” The pattern for the
team concept of evangelism came from Jesus Christ Himself…
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent
them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither
he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest
truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his
harvest” (Luke 10:1-2).
Over the years many destructive devices have been used through
spiritual wickedness in high places to alter the team concept of
evangelism and to try and obliterate the structure and design that
Jesus left us to spread His Gospel and build His Church.
Nevertheless, God’s desire and plan was never cancelled or recalled
and the urgent voice of the Spirit is guiding the Church on the way
to recovery through the ministry of apostolic invasion teams and
small occupying groups.
Invasion teams and small groups give every believer an opportunity
to minister their gifts and callings. Small groups help to meet the
natural and spiritual needs of the new converts through discipleship
training. Discipleship training breeds new leaders who can raise up
other disciples, thereby multiplying the number of ministers in the
local church.
In the occupying aspect of team evangelism, discipleship is the main
goal. Cell groups are formed with a “Paul” that leads the group
along with a “Timothy” or several “Timothys” who are being
reproduced to assume the leadership of new groups when
multiplication takes place.
Remember the loop? The goal of multiplication is to build the local
church. These small groups are highly effective in helping to close
the infamous “back door” of the church so that precious souls do not
slip back into nothingness and our fruit remains to be sent out on
apostolic evangelism teams that perpetuate the loop.
For years the devil has laughed at the Church as it measured its
success in ministry by the large number of souls it could draw to
its services ( not necessarily the souls of the lost and the
unchurched). And the “whosoever-will-let-them-comers” have been
mostly transplants of disgruntled goats, blind sheep, and merciless
wolves.
CLICK HERE to find more
great books at
www.TheVoiceBooks.com.
(Click the book images for more
information)
God is weary of this draw-only pattern of ministry. The Church can
not afford to take in and to receive only. It must also equip every
believer for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11) and release
him or her into evangelistic teams. This is the apostolic sending
dimension. Apostolic teams take the church out of the building and
into the city streets.
Jesus, our pattern, was apostolic in releasing evangelism teams to
the streets.
“And into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such
things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein,
and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke
10:8-9).
The apostolic team concept of evangelism, then, releases teams of
believers out of the local church with a specific assignment and a
common cause to target the lost and the unchurched of their city.
They are considered an invading task force and are released for the
purpose of exposing and breaking deception and darkness and making a
way for occupying groups (cells) to set up lighthouses and
strongholds of righteousness in the territory for which they have
been assigned.
The Spirit of God is saying that it is time to go into the highways
and byways and compel them to come into His house that it might be
full. The apostolic team concept of evangelism will empower local
churches to advance the Gospel, reach the lost, bring increase,
balance, stability, and strength to the church of Jesus Christ.
CLICK HERE
to get the issue of
The Voice
with this article
right now in
Adobe PDF download.
Hungry for more?
Get
The Voice magazine.
CLICK HERE to subscribe or call
954 456-6032.
