Dear BPCWAians, Is evangelism a normal part of your life? When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? I mean to do so out of your own initiative, not because of street evangelism, nursing home visits, Orientation Day outreaches or even from the Beyond Evangelism program last year.

Every September, we issue a call to remind us of our privilege and responsibility to share the Gospel. The great commission is given so that we remember that we are not to neglect reaching out to the unbelievers, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt 28:18-20).

The call to evangelistic action. A Christian who does not share the gospel must resolve to begin to do so. We are saved to be salt and light of the world, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matt 5:13-14). Salt cures and heals. Light enables someone to see. Being salt and light are what we should be to unbelievers around us. If not, we are good for nothing. What a rebuke from our Lord! Some of us may feel shy or uncomfortable broaching the subject of salvation to unbelievers. But we must not forget that God meant to use each one of us to bring the cure of sin and point the way to the only way of salvation from eternal damnation. That is why God puts  us where we are, wherever that is – your home, school, your work place, your neighbourhood, and your circle of relatives and friends. We must not refuse to act. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel which is the power that can deliver your loved one, classmate, colleague, and friend from eternity in hell. We must not be ashamed of our Lord. Start to think about and approach someone with the Gospel. It is time to begin. Do not be good for nothing!

The avenues for evangelistic action. (1) Reach out to your immediate familiar circle. Invite people you study with, work with, people you have opportunities to engage with regularly. God put them in our paths so we can be His instruments. But perhaps you may feel that you have already spoken to those you can reach and have already invited them to church before. What you can do is to remember to invite them again for the next Gospel meeting opportunities. For example, make a note in your calendar to invite them to Easter service if they have come for Christmas service before. Or don’t even wait for a “special occasion”. Invite them to come for our worship services. Just think of ourselves, for instance. I think for most part, not many of us got saved through a gospel meeting nor necessarily even a “special occasion” Christian meeting. Encourage them to come to church to learn together with us and if they’re elect, the Word of God may work in their hearts as they hear it week after week. (2) Widen your circle of Gospel outreach. Perhaps you feel that there is no one else to approach because there are so few people in your circle of colleagues, relatives, and friends. You have already done your part over the many years. They have already made it clear they are not interested. Well, we still have other avenues. We ought to be conscious that there are others who we come into contact with but it may not have occurred to us to reach out to them. For example, the barista that you regularly get your coffee from. Though a familiar face to each other, you may not know each other’s names. What about the waiters or waitresses who know your favourite dishes but nevertheless are not friends with you by definition? They know you enough but it has not occurred to you to invite them to hear the gospel or share the Gospel with them. Have you thought of inviting the familiar counter staff of the petrol station you frequent? What about tradies that come to your house? Do you have a regular accountant that does your taxes? Students, you should think about the school librarian, and even bus drivers. Do not forget your regular doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor, and counter staffs at clinics you frequent. The list of Gospel opportunities can go on. You talk to them about many other things – why not talk to them about your faith? Don’t just leave a tract and hop out the door as soon as you can. Say a few words to them about why you’re reaching out to them. Evangelism opportunities abound if we are conscious. However, these avenues in the wider circle can be outside of our comfort zone. How can we overcome this and fulfil the great commission? We need the right spirit.

The spirit of evangelistic action. Evangelism is not just an activity.  It is first of all a spirit of reaching out to the lost. And you want to evangelise because you have a genuine concern for souls. Do it because you want them to know about the God that you have believed in and saved you, who has been faithful to you, and whom you worship and serve. When we have such a heart and mindset, then everything else comes naturally. Do you feel uncomfortable telling others about your spouse, your children? No, because you love them, they’re important to you and are very much  a part of your life. Similarly, it should not be uncomfortable to share the Gospel. In fact, it will be very uncomfortable if you do not do so when the opportunities arise. We need to open our eyes to understand why God gave the Great Commission. Pray for a love for lost souls and desire to bring them to Christ. Pray for a yearning to see these lost ones come to know God, and worship Him in gratefulness. It is time to act. Why not share, in your break out prayer groups on Tuesday nights, particular persons you wish to invite to church or share the Gospel with? We need to have such a spirit. Pray for it. Act when the Spirit convicts you of your unwillingness or fear of man. Christ gave us the Great Commission. He will enable us to fulfil it. Are you willing?

I hope that every BPCWA worshipper will develop and maintain an evangelistic heart. It ought to be our natural desire to share the Gospel and want others to know God and worship Him.

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor