We are continuing our study on the 5 Fold Ministry. So far we have looked at the apostle and prophet. If you haven’t read those yet, I encourage you to go back and read those as they lay a foundation for the other three ministry gifts.
What Is An Evangelist
Next on our list is the evangelist. According to the Blue Letter Bible an evangelist is: a bringer of good tidings, the name given to the NT heralds of salvation through Christ who are not apostles.
Strong’s Dictionary defines an evangelist as: a preacher of the gospel:—evangelist.
An evangelist is someone who seems to have a drive to tell everyone they meet about the good news of who Jesus is. Billy Graham is probably the most recent famous evangelist. He was given the life mission of telling as many people as possible to repent for their sins and turn to Jesus for salvation. According to Lifeway Research here are the numbers from his life in ministry as an evangelist:
The Stats On Billy Graham
2.2 billion – estimated number of people who heard him preach.
215 million – estimated number of people he preached the gospel to at live events.
2.2 million – estimated number of people at his crusades who responded to the invitations to become a Christian.
185 – estimated number of nations and territories where preached.
13 – number of U.S. presidents with whom Billy Graham has met—from Harry Truman to Donald Trump.
The Important Part
That is pretty incredible. This is what happens when someone who is called to the office of an evangelist goes all in and says yes to whatever God calls them to do. Billy Graham is no different or more special than anyone else. He is simply a man who said yes to the calling God placed on his life. He was a man of obedience no matter what.
You may be called as an evangelist, and never reach those sorts of numbers. However, God doesn’t judge based on the number of people you talk to about him. He doesn’t have a scoreboard in Heaven tallying the number of people you lead to Jesus.
After all, how unfair would God keeping score be when it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that people are convicted of sin which leads to salvation. “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:8-11 (ESV) God only asks that each of us obey his voice and do what he asks. It doesn’t matter how big or small those requests may be in the eyes of man.
Jesus As An Evangelist
Jesus of course was the first evangelist. He was constantly telling the people who he really is. That he is the ONLY son of God and one with God the Father. He told this reality in the form of parables like the parable of the tenants in Mark 12:1-11 (ESV), “And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son.
Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” In this parable Jesus is telling us that he is the son of the owner, and even reveals his fate among the very people he was talking to.
The Woman At The Well
Again, Jesus demonstrated the gift of evangelism with the woman at the well. After having a conversation with her he reveals to her that he is in fact the long awaited Messiah. “The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” John 4:25-26 (ESV) Jesus declared the good news of salvation to this woman, who was rejected by society but loved dearly by her Messiah.
Peter As An Evangelist
Later in Acts we see a time when Peter took on the role of evangelist on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon him. He went out and proclaimed the gospel-the good news of Jesus-to everyone who was within hearing distance. Peter used the Old Testament to show Jesus is the Messiah. The sermon is beautiful and I encourage you to read the whole thing.
One thing Peter says about Jesus is, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24 (ESV) Peter declares the truth of who Jesus is. As a result about 3,000 people were saved that day.
Are You An Evangelist
You may be called to the office of an evangelist if you seem to have a drive to see as many people come to Christ as possible. Do you see everyone as a potential child of God and want them all to become God’s children. You feel a deep connection to verses like Roman 10:14 (ESV), “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
You seem to just know how to talk to people in a way that shows them they are sinners in need of a savior. You can show people the error of their ways in a way that turns them toward God and his grace and love. Being able to show people these things about themselves is definitely a gift. You must be in tune with the Holy Spirit to know what to say, how to say it, and when to say these things.
What You Need To Do
If you identify as an evangelist, press into this. People need you to tell them they are sinners and show them how to be cleansed from their dirty sin. Their eternal life depends on this revelation. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to refine your gift to lead even more people to salvation. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts and minds of the people he leads you to share the gospel with. Pray. Pray without ceasing. Learn to sow seeds everywhere you go. Allow God to develop those seeds into seedlings and eventually big, strong trees. Trust God to tend to those seeds you plant, knowing that planting seeds is never a waste of time or energy.
Over time God will show you the fruit of your labor, and that fruit will be amazing! Keep going. Don’t give up. Keep your eyes and ears on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Be obedient. Don’t forget what God told Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
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