What is the purpose of the church? In China, one of the words used for church actually comes from the word ‘teaching’ which is very appropriate because it also represents what Jesus did in His ministry (Acts 1:1-2). The purpose of the church is evangelism (Acts 1:8). Charles Spurgeon says “A church is a soul-saving company or it is nothing”. Luke 10 begins similarly to chapter 9 with Jesus sending out the disciples to preach the gospel. Jesus is constantly focused on evangelism, the spreading of the Gospel.
Soul winning (evangelism) is an act of God. It is the work of God working through men. Evangelism itself is a divine work based on God’s divine nature. If we understand this then we will also realize that evangelism is not a church program. “The Lord appointed seventy others”. Luke calls Jesus “Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). Jesus is the omnipotent Lord who appoints you to proclaim the gospel. We cannot disobey Jesus who is our Lord. There should be no other authority above Jesus, no excuse that is more valid than Jesus (Romans 10:9-10; Luke 9:23).
Jesus appoints and sends the seventy in pairs to every city. We are also sent into the world every day. We are sent to where we go to work, go to school, go to shop, eat, go to play. Where we are is according to God’s sovereign wisdom. You might think you are not worthy or ready, but God knows who you are and sends you. You are sent to share the gospel you already know, the gospel by which you were saved. You can trust God because He is the Alpha and Omega. St. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and enslaved, but during his captivity was when he was saved. After escaping Ireland, he went back to those who kidnapped and enslaved him to share the gospel. St. Patrick understood God’s wisdom and sovereignty over the events in his life. Joseph also acknowledged God’s sovereign plan in sending him to Egypt as a slave. We are all sovereignly placed by the wise choice of God to be here in the city of LA where there are over three million people who need to hear the gospel. If you are not sharing then you are disobeying God’s will for you.
Evangelism is also the act of the average Christian. It is not reserved for a few who seem to have the desire and skills for evangelism or ministry leaders. In Acts 11, the city of Antioch was reached through the lay Christians scattered. We don’t know the names of the seventy appointed but we know that they decided to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, unlike the three who were rejected at the end of Luke 9. They were normal Christians who submitted to the Lordship of Jesus and wanted to follow Jesus. There are only a few Christian names we remember through the centuries of the church, yet there are countless Christians saved by their fellow unknown Christians. God mostly uses the average Christian to share the gospel. His promise is to be with us as we obey the great commission (Matthew 28:20). His promise is not to the group or the organization but to the believer. He is with you as you witness to your friends, to your family, to your cowards, and your neighbor.
Soul winning is the act of preparing for Jesus’ return. The only way to face Jesus when He returns as King will be through the gospel. The seventy were sent ahead of Jesus to prepare them for the Messiah, to get them ready to receive Jesus. John the Baptist fulfilled a similar role for Jesus first coming (Luke 3:4) by preaching repentance and baptizing with water. We prepare the sinners for Jesus’ second coming through the same message of repentance and faith. If you know the love of God and if you truly love God then you will desire to save souls just as you were saved. There must be an urgency because Jesus is coming and when He returns it be to judge (John 3:17, Revelation 1:7). Evangelism is the way we prepare everyone for His return. Peter calls us to be fervent in prayer and sober-minded because the end is near (1 Peter 4:7-8). Jesus warns those who are lazy, that they will be punished (Matthew 25:26). Are you preparing for Jesus’ return? We don’t know when the day of judgment is coming so we must be ready. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
Evangelism is an act of God’s providence. God provides through His wisdom, love, and power continually. This is because evangelism is a harvest of what God already planted since the foundation of the world. “The harvest is plentiful.” We did not plant the seeds, tend the field, or cause the growth. We are called to harvest. God has already chosen the elect from the beginning of time and they will respond with saving faith to the gospel. We don’t know who the elect are, which is why we share with everyone whenever we can. Plentiful refers to the fact that there are elect everywhere in every place and not a single one will be lost or forgotten. Zaccheus was a tax collector, an outcast with no chance to get close to Jesus (Luke 19:4-6), yet God provided the tree for Zaccheus to climb so that Jesus at the right moment, Jesus looked up and saw him. God saves His chosen through providential grace. This is why one thing God despises is a lazy Christian. He’s already provided everything, we are called to harvest. Thomas Brooks said a holy disposition and an idle life are a contradiction. The believer must not be lazy because the work is too important. God sends you to be fishers of men.
Signs of a church that neglects evangelism
– Ingrown and only focusing on the problems within
– Tunnel vision instead of seeing God’s greater purpose
– Sound doctrine arrogance which leads to a lack of grace
– Not ready to take up the cross because of pride
– Pursue to be nice instead of holy, or culturally sensitive
– Full of gossip and slander
– Thinking evangelism is the leader’s job
– Would rather keep the status quo than grow
We must repent genuinely of our disobedience to the evangelism commission. So far we have had a fake repentance. A fake repentance results in shallow and temporary praise of Jesus. Genuine repentance brings change, a change of judgment and a change of will, and a change of life. The truly repentant knows God and loves the lost as God does.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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