“If you do not evangelize, you fossilize!” said a wise Christian. How true even in medicinal terms too, if you do not use your muscles for long, they atrophy. In this mini-series of two parts on being Faithful Fishers of men, I would like the readership to understand what “Fishing for men” first of all entails. How can we be effective in any job, till we understand the job profile properly?
How’s this for an incentive!!! People we win for the Lord would constitute our Crowns of rejoicing (I Thess 2:19)! While an ethereal visit to Heaven, a la Apostle Paul (2 Cor 12:1-4), may help us better understand this subject, at this stage, if the truth that evangelism is of two types-Mass and Personal- grips us, it would make us take our calling to be “Fishers of men” (Matt 4:19) not only seriously, but I reiterate with the wisdom of a surgeon who has a clear idea of what he is going to do in the operation theatre.
At the supernatural level, as directly relaying the Gospel to a sinner ethereally through a direct Divine-human “one-on-one” communication mode would deprive a sinner of taking the leap of faith, which is oh-so-necessary (Romans 10:8-10) in the matter of Salvation (believing/acting without seeing with a naked eye is faith — Heb 11:1), the Master depends on His stewards who are “enjoying Him” to be carriers of the Gospel to the sin-infested World. Oh yes, only once in this age of human history, after the end of the Grace dispensation (during the second phase of 7-year terrible tribulation to be more precise), would an angel be used to convey the Eternal Gospel (Rev 14:6)!
On the subject of personal evangelism, which everyone can participate in unlike Mass evangelism, that requires anointed Apostles and Evangelist to undertake the work, it needs to be reiterated here “if Worship puts you on fire and Church Fellowship fuels the fire, then by personal evangelism one would pass on ‘love for the Lord‘ fire to the unbelievers.” Yes, it is this speaking with love and grace (1 Peter 3:15) about what the Lord has done in your personal life in the marketplace that would attract the unbelievers to Him, rather than evangelism done as a matter of duty. An insightful one-liner in this context sums it up aptly “Work done for the Lord with a worshipping heart is a delight, while the same done as a duty is a drag.” It needs to be reiterated here that more than sharing the Gospel, we need to share passionately what the Gospel has done in our life. Hey, Jesus doesn’t need advocates; He needs witnesses (Acts 1:8) of the abundant life He alone can give (John 10:10)!!!
When it comes to personal evangelism it would serve us well also to remember one cardinal truth. The truth is that since Gospel sharing on personal basis can be done broadly amongst only two “difficult” groups, nothing, absolutely nothing can ever be accomplished without His power. It needs no reiteration that if to us belongs the responsibility of sharing the Gospel (I Cor 15:1-4 defines the Gospel oh-so-lucidly) and then to the Holy Spirit belongs the role of touching the needy one’s heart. The “needy” one is everyone living without the Savior. Oh, the biggest sin is not transgressing any of the ten commandments, but living life on one’s own terms and keeping the creator of every cell and every drop of blood at arm’s length! Talk of a tenant living as though the house is his, to the utter dismay of the Landlord (Psalm 24:1/Job 41:11)!
I would come to the two difficult groups we face during Personal evangelism and the dynamics of Mass evangelism in the next concluding part of the Series.
Prayer: Father, enable us to be always effective Fishers of men, who are a blessing to people around us besides always bringing you glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Suresh Manoharan
(To access the entire “Fishers of Men” mini-series, please click here.)