The "Must" Of Evangelism (II.)
Some almost insurmountable hindrances to the "MUST" OF EVANGELISM present themselves. They have to be faced and we must strive to remove them so that the cause of Christ will move forward, and that we may not be found wanting in the face of the "MUST" of our Lord.
First, many are woefully ignorant of the real need of taking the gospel to the people of all nations. Having made a similar statement in a sermon on Personal Evangelism an elder came to me and said, "You are one of the most ignorant preachers I have ever seen. Don't you know that the Great Commission was given by Christ to the eleven apostles and no one else? When the same question came up in the Colossian church Paul wrote to it that the gospel had already been "preached in all creation under heaven" (Col. 1:23). He contended that the work of the Great Commission, according to this Scripture, "is not a responsibility resting upon the shoulders of the generation coming after the apostolic age." Those who hold to this position overlook the fact that the only limitation placed in the Great Commission is "the end of the world." In this case the "end of the world" means at the consummation of the Christian age which will end with the world itself. The promise was made primarily to the eleven, but properly extends to the entire church since the eleven would not live until the end of the world.
The old excuse, "Let them alone; they have their own religion and we have ours" still finds sympathetic ears among some of our brethren. An elementary look into the New Testament blasts that attitude into smithereens. Did Philip and the Holy Spirit leave the Ethiopian eunuch alone? Read Acts 8:26-31. Did Paul leave the Athenians alone in their idolatry? Not according to Acts 17: 21-32. Did Philip tell the Samaritans to proceed to find God in their own way through their own traditional religion? No, he preached the gospel in all the cities till he came to Caesarea Acts 8: 40. Did Peter let Cornelius and his household alone because they already "feared God" and lived good moral lives? The Holy Spirit sent Peter to teach and baptize them Acts 10:19-47. These instances are sufficient to show that the old excuse, "Let them alone, they have their own religion and we have ours" has no scriptural support.
The second greatest hindrance is divisions in the church. Jno. 17:20 Jesus said, "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word." As Jesus looks down the corridor of time His heart is turned in prayer to all who shall believe on Him through the word of the apostles. The oneness of all believers on earth and their ultimate glory is the chief concern of His heart.
1. Jesus wanted unity of all Christians. It would be enough that Christ prayed for unity in the church, gave Himself for her and claims her as His bride.
2. The Holy Spirit through the apostles urged unity. Paul wrote, "Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment." I Cor. 1:10. In Phil. 2:2 Paul wrote, "Make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."
3. The practice of division will condemn those who cause it. Paul in Gal. 5:20,21 wrote "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
4. The command is to avoid or turn away from those who cause divisions. To the Roman church Paul wrote, "Now I beseech you brethren, mark them that are causing divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned: and turn away from them" Rom. 16:17. In Titus 3:10 Paul wrote, "A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse (avoid)." The apostle John wrote. "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. If any one cometh unto you, and believeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting; for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works" (II John 9-11.)
5. Why did Jesus pray for unity of the believers?
His answer was, "That the world may believe that thou didst send me" (Jno. 17:21). Division among the churches of our country makes it impossible for the common schools to teach certain basic truths of Christianity, and gives every child in them the false impression that religion is not a matter of fixed truth but just a matter of feelings and that everyone makes his own religion for himself, and that it is just as respectable as the religion of anyone else. The world discounts and disregards the teachings of a divided christendom and that possibly no church at all is just as good as any denominational church. Both of these ideas are based on the assumption that a falsehood is as good as the truth, and disobedience is just as good as obedience. If our critics say the New Testament way has not worked we reply, it has succeeded when and where it has been given a fair trial and resulted in a real revival of interest in Christianity. This no human scheme has accomplished or ever will accomplish.
The third hindrance to obeying the "MUST" of evangelism is that some preachers and others who call themselves Christians regard the commands of Christ and His Holy Spirit guided apostles as something optional. "The California 67 Campaign for Christ"; "The Greater Indiana Campaign for Christ"; "Youth For Christ"; benevolent societies, Bible colleges, Herald For Truth, missionary societies, and all other human organizations used carry out the work of the church are some of the things they approve and usually apologize for using them in the sectarian manner by saying, "It looks good to me, therefore, it must be good." "The gospel is being proclaimed, therefore, nothing could possibly be wrong with such campaigns".
What right has any man, or set of men, to hammer away on certain commandments found in the gospel with great power and slight the others"? Is not the authority of Christ of equal force today where ever He has spoken? When He issues an imperative command such as is found in Mark 13:10 "And the gospel MUST first be preached to all nations" there positively must not be any deviation or equivocation from it. All of the commandments of Christ and His Spirit-filled apostles are of equal force and effect. The "MUST" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ must be obeyed to the letter. Brethren and sisters, remember that the voice that came out of the cloud at the transfiguration said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matt. 17:5. Peter wrote, "We did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount" (II Pet. 1:1619). When God said, "hear ye him" he meant this Son of mine must be listened to and obeyed! John writes, "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son" (II Jno. 9).
The "MUST" of evangelism demands action. Simply to sit and wish for a return of evangelism is not enough. To publish essays and articles showing the "why" and "how" of evangelism is not enough. To pray for a resurgence of first century evangelism is not enough.
The church will not be revived and no great effort to save the souls of men will be made until we preachers, elders, deacons, Bible school teachers and thousands of ordinary everyday Christians get into action as they did in the first century. In its essence evangelism is simple, not something complex and difficult to do. It is telling the good news of salvation through Christ to those who are not saved — have not yet obeyed the gospel. The church MUST get to work at the task of "telling the old, old story of Jesus and His love."
Now is the time! Wherever we are is the place! Let us go to work! Time is short. Jesus said, "We Must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work" (Jno. 9:4).
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