Evangelism and You. Yes You.

Before continuing any further I must make the reader aware that parts 2 and 3 of this series, "Kingdom Evangelism" were published last year as follows:

Part 1 published March 2013

Part 2 published in April of 2014

Why the reason for the delay in Part 3? Life. We have lived in 3 different cities in two countries since I published Part 2 due to circumstances beyond our control. My wife, Bailey, has been insistent that I must continue with this series. I’m thankful for her encouragement. As I mentioned previously, most of the thoughts communicated in this series developed from a message I shared with Oral Roberts University students headed to the nations for summer missions trips.  The thoughts that follow develop from John chapter 1 and the life of one particular disciple, Andrew.

Andrew isn’t referenced often in Scripture individually. He is normally only identified in the context of the other disciples. However, there are a few references that mention him outside of the group context. Of note is that most of these occur in John’s Gospel. The three verses in John are as follows:

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what Jesus said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). John 1:40-41

“Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. ‘There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” John 6:8

“Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Phillip, who from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.’ Phillip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.” John 12:20-22

Nowhere else in Scripture is Andrew mentioned in isolation. It seems clear that John wanted future generations of believers to know information about this disciple that no other Bible writer highlighted.

The main point to take away here seems to be simply this: Andrew was always brining people to Jesus. It didn't matter what city he was in, what situation he faced, or what group of people was around him.  He wanted others to encounter Christ. Sometimes he was the principal character involved in the action; at other times he cooperated with other disciples in the action.

So what’s the lesson here?

Andrew accepted personal responsibility for other people’s spiritual journey.

He accepted personal responsibility for Peter.

He accepted personal responsibility for the little boy with 5 loaves and 5 fishes.

He accepted personal responsibility for the Greeks desiring to see Jesus.

Let this sink in. Responsibility. Personal. Others. These words alone send shivers through a 21^st century audience accustomed to self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-exaltation, and self-ambition. Personal responsibility? Doesn’t that involve commitment and involvement towards someone else? Isn't Christianity all about me? My plans? My dreams? My life? 

Additionally, aren’t others responsible for their own spiritual trajectory? After all, this is the post-modern world right? “Your truth is good for you.  My truth is good for me. I won’t judge you. You don’t judge me.” Pluralism rules the day.  Religion is a personal matter isn't it? How dare I be so arrogant as to assume that I know what is best for someone else spiritually speaking? Surely, God doesn't expect us to be involved in evangelism does He? This is the 21st century! 

Beyond the cultural taboo of Andrew’s responsibility, there is the delusion that a distorted view of God’s Sovereignty dictates the subject. If God wanted people saved wouldn’t He save them? Surely, He doesn’t expect personal participation in this Global mandate called the Great Commission? It reminds me of the William Carey story, the father of modern missions, when he first challenged fellow ministers with the question of whether it was the duty of Christians to spread the Gospel. He was met with fierce opposition in the now famous quote, “Young man, sit down, when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine.”

Fortunately, Carey refused to listen to such thinking. Andrew did as well. 

Culture wouldn’t mitigate his personal responsibility. A Jew associating with Greeks? Unorthodox. Evangelism always is. A twisted sense of divine sovereignty wouldn’t placate his personal conviction. Peter needed an encounter—little matter that he was already a practicing Jew or that the Greeks were probably pagans. 

In our day, the impetus must again be placed on the individual believer for the cause of evangelism. We have become quite gifted at placing the responsibility on the church at large without realizing that we are the church. As one great man of God has well noted, “The Evangelization of this generation can only be accomplished by this generation—one person reaching out to another one.”

When I preach I like to use the following illustration:

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done in the Kingdom of God and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the Kingdom. 

Andrew’s acceptance of personal responsibility demanded action. Namely, how to best facilitate encounters with Christ. His was a simple strategy. One that we must never lose sight of: he brought people to Jesus.

John 1  involved his family—his brother Peter needed to know Christ.

John 6 involved the next generation—the boy with his fish and loaves needed an encounter he would never forget.

John 12, the nations—the Greeks. Here we see one of the first glimpses of Christ’s plan for global missions.

These three areas form the foundation for any kind of sustainable evangelistic effort—families, youth/kids, and the nations.

Let me reiterate my main observation: Andrew made sure those around him had a personal interaction with Jesus. The important thing to Andrew wasn’t when or even how. Rather, it was that others had the opportunity to encounter Christ. Our responsibility is no less and no more. We have a personal engagement as followers of Christ to ensure that others encounter Christ. This is really Kingdom Evangelism 101.