The “look” of Evangelism

We’re going into day 3 of our Virtual Bible Camp, and I have no idea how it’s going. You usually get a feel for that when you stand in a sea of 40 high energy kids. You can sense when the kids are getting a little bored, or when you have to cut the project short. Doing this virtually, you really can’t see anything. The web-pages are cooperating (kinda) and the lessons are loaded, but are subject to a kids or parent’s discretion of whether it’s worth watching the whole thing.
 
You just can’t SEE what’s happening. And that’s what we really like- we like to see the fruits of our labor. If I were an engineer building a rocket for NASA, I would want to see that rocket fly into space. There’s assurance in it. There’s valuable feedback in it. You get to see if it works and how well it works.
 
But, evangelism today…

The Unseen Action

 
It’s not a waste. As much as we are led to believe it, doing the work the Holy Spirit has empowered us to do is not a wasted action. The Holy Spirit is funny to us humans. He works in ways that sometimes really chaotic and random to us take for example the Holy Spirit distributing gifts to people.

 

1 Corinthians 12:8–11 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
 
It’s his call, but then we struggle so much wondering why I got the short end of the stick, or why other’s aren’t up to par with what we’ve been given. The same thing happens with reaching people with God’s Word…
 
Isaiah 55:10–11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
 
We don’t need to see. Only the Holy Spirit needs to SEE.
 

Swept up in another plan

 
It’s easy to abandon an action when we don’t see the change it’s making. We come to believe it’s wasted energy that can be redirected to something more useful. This is why at times, when it comes to God’s Word, we stop evangelizing. When we don’t see change in others, in our friends, or even in ourselves we slow it down. There are moments we energetically dive into God’s Word, committing to a year long Bible reading plan, but after a week we lose interest. It’s not having the impact WE want to SEE.
 
When the Holy Spirit brings us to life in faith he makes us part of His plan. What we are seeing is his work and he will give us moments we might describe as “full of the Spirit” and others where we wonder what he’s doing with us. This is what is consistent – the Holy Spirit works through his Word. As random as the results, the Word is his tool to point people to Jesus. 
 

It takes trust

 
Not seeing the fruit of evangelism is nothing new. That’s why, no matter how we proclaim the gospel, we just keep proclaiming it. It’s not empty or wasteful work. The Word we bring is more powerful than we can SEE, and so we are simply happy to do that- bring God’s Word to people in various forms, and with whatever tools we’ve been given. 
 
Today’s evangelism observations:
  • I think people have found it delightful to teach and record lessons, and the benefit is kids can keep coming back to them.
  • We’ve distributed 32 of our 40 activity boxes for VBS, and I’m confident all of them will be claimed before long. 
  • We need to consider this a time of opportunity to share the gospel. There is never a moment we should just “wait until things get back to normal.” 
  • We had two new visitors in church on Sunday. That’s a result of FRAN Evangelism (inviting Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, and Neighbors). 
 
I pray that God continue to use us in this time to reach the lost (even if it’s in new ways)
Pastor Kehl