The Mission of the Church is Evangelism
Acts 1:8
What is it that the New Testament church is to be doing?
Many churches are program driven:
The mission of the Lord’s church is souls being saved.
And if the church focus is not on souls then we are not focused on the mission that came directly from Jesus Himself.
The mission is not providing food and clothes to the needy, that’s ministry which is necessary for effective evangelism.
Meeting physical needs opens the door for evangelism.
Jesus came to this earth on mission to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus called twelve men and prepared them to continue the mission which He started.
Now, Jesus has commissioned all the saved to carry out the mission of reaching the world with message of Christ to changed lives.
Here in Acts the post resurrection ministry of Christ is to command His church to witness to the world of His saving power.
I. The priority of evangelism- vs. 8a.
II. The power to do evangelism- vs. 8b.
III. The commandment to evangelism- vs. 8c.
Evangelism is not to be something we do on a particular day but to be a way of life.
Every day evangelism is to be our mode of operation.
The mission of evangelism grows the ministry of the Lord’s church.
When we bring people to Christ through evangelism the church grows numerically and spiritually then we are fulfilling the great commission.
I. The Priority of Evangelism- vs.8
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
a. The priority of evangelism is in the “BUT”
II. The power to do evangelism- vs. 8b.
“Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
a. “Come upon you” is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (I John 2:27, the anointing we have received)
c. You shall receive power is a statement of fact.
III. The commandment to evangelize- vs. 8c.
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
c. The command as to where to carry out the mission of evangelism.
Why should we make a commitment to the great commission because the One who charged us and gave us the mission is coming back again.
This same Jesus, the same way He left, the same way is coming back.
Jesus is coming back to reward some and to judge others.
Will you be ready when he comes?
He is coming in the clouds.
Every eye shall see him!
Every tongue will confess!
He is the king of Kings!
He is lord of LORD!
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Because Jesus came for me than I will go for Him
Since He died for me, I will live for Him.
Many churches are program driven:
- Church anniversary.
- Pastor’s anniversary.
- Family and friends’ day.
- Men’s day, women’s day usher’s days and ect.
The mission of the Lord’s church is souls being saved.
And if the church focus is not on souls then we are not focused on the mission that came directly from Jesus Himself.
The mission is not providing food and clothes to the needy, that’s ministry which is necessary for effective evangelism.
Meeting physical needs opens the door for evangelism.
Jesus came to this earth on mission to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus called twelve men and prepared them to continue the mission which He started.
Now, Jesus has commissioned all the saved to carry out the mission of reaching the world with message of Christ to changed lives.
Here in Acts the post resurrection ministry of Christ is to command His church to witness to the world of His saving power.
I. The priority of evangelism- vs. 8a.
II. The power to do evangelism- vs. 8b.
III. The commandment to evangelism- vs. 8c.
Evangelism is not to be something we do on a particular day but to be a way of life.
Every day evangelism is to be our mode of operation.
The mission of evangelism grows the ministry of the Lord’s church.
When we bring people to Christ through evangelism the church grows numerically and spiritually then we are fulfilling the great commission.
I. The Priority of Evangelism- vs.8
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
a. The priority of evangelism is in the “BUT”
b. The disciples were focused on the earthy kingdom.
- Their focus was self-centered.
- Their focus was on position and power.
c. God’s priority was not their priority.
- Their mission was ruling and reigning, and God’s mission is soul winning.
II. The power to do evangelism- vs. 8b.
“Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
a. “Come upon you” is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (I John 2:27, the anointing we have received)
- The Holy Spirit is given the moment one is saved.
- Eph. 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
c. You shall receive power is a statement of fact.
- Power is dunamis which is authority and ability for the mission of evangelism.
- The Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation.
- Holy Spirit is assurance of God’s power to do God’s work.
III. The commandment to evangelize- vs. 8c.
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
- Ye shall be witnesses is an imperative verb.
- Witness is the Gr. word mar-toos means giving testimony to what you know.
- We are saved for the mission of evangelism.
- Everyone who is saved has a testimony.
1. There was blind man that was born blind and Jesus healed him. The Pharisee questioned the man over and over and told the once bind man Jesus is a sinner give the credit to God: The once blind man responded I don’t know whether he is a sinner or not, one thing I know I was blind but now I see. “That all a witness in telling what you know.”
c. The command as to where to carry out the mission of evangelism.
- Jerusalem is the local mission for souls.
- Your family in your home
- All Judea is going to the surrounding areas.
- Your neighbors
- Samaria is the extended mission of evangelism in the U.S.
- Outside of your community or state
- The uttermost part of the earth is the foreign mission of evangelism.
Why should we make a commitment to the great commission because the One who charged us and gave us the mission is coming back again.
This same Jesus, the same way He left, the same way is coming back.
- He left visibly.
- He left bodily.
- He left with all power in his hands.
Jesus is coming back to reward some and to judge others.
Will you be ready when he comes?
He is coming in the clouds.
Every eye shall see him!
Every tongue will confess!
He is the king of Kings!
He is lord of LORD!
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Because Jesus came for me than I will go for Him
Since He died for me, I will live for Him.
