Examples of Evangelism

1. Read: Acts 8:4 “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”

2. About the Text:

1) I was talking to someone about this subject and said, “We could simply take the book of Acts and go from example to example of evangelism and have a sermon.”

2) This verse in Acts 8:4 would give us our primary example of all Christians doing evangelism.

3) We could look at Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, Dorcas, Barnabas, Ananias, Paul, Timothy, Titus, and etc.

4) I would like to take a little different approach.

5) Instead of looking simply at examples of evangelism, let’s look at examples of specific characteristics in evangelism.

6) We’ll not only see examples of evangelism, but examples of the character of evangelism as well.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Noah was a preacher of righteousness according to 2 Peter 2:5. He was an evangelist in the general sense of the word.

2. God said the following to Noah,

1) “The end of all flesh is come before me” (Genesis 6:13).

2) “Build thee an ark of gopher wood.” (Genesis 6:14).

3) “I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh” (Genesis 6:17).

4) “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.” (Genesis 6:18).

3. What was Noah’s response?

1) He did not say, “You know, God, I’ve really got some other things that need to get done.”

2) He did not say, “Well, God, building arks just isn’t my talent.”

3) Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

4) He was obedient.

4. What a great example of obedience in evangelism!

5. He didn’t save the souls of any others outside his family, but he saved them!

1. Consider the story of David and Goliath.

2. David faced all kinds of obstacles.

1) The people “were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:11).

2) His brother accused him of being there simply because of his own “pride and naughtiness.” (1 Samuel 17:28) David said, “Is there not a cause?”

3) “You can’t do that, you’re just a youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33). David: “I killed the Lion and the Bear….”

4) Then, they tried to give David physical armament. David said, “I don’t need this.”

5) Goliath said, “Am I a dog?” David said, “I will feed you to the birds.”

3. And then David followed through.

4. His faith changed them from “dismayed and greatly afraid” to routing the Philistines.

5. David’s faith converted the whole army of Israel. What an example of evangelism!

1. Nathan – “thou art the man.” (2 Samuel 12:7). Saved David’s soul.

2. Elijah – “How long go you limping between two sides?” (1 Kings 18:21) Saved some souls that day.

3. Micaiah – “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd” (1 Kings 22:17)

4. Elisha didn’t even go out to meet Naaman. May have saved Naaman’s soul that day.

5. Isaiah – walked around naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah 20:1-4).

6. Jeremiah – cast into a dungeon of “mire” (Jeremiah 38:6)

7. John the Baptizer – “brood of vipers” (Mattthew 3:7).

8. Were these guys examples of evangelism? Yes.

1. The Medes and Persians conquered Babylon.

1) Darius puts 120 princes over the affairs of his kingdom.

2) He puts three “presidents” over them and Daniel is in the lead of the three.

2. The Presidents don’t like the fact that Daniel is in charge.

1) They couldn’t find any fault in him (Daniel 6:4).

2) So they say, “We’ll use his religion against him.” (verse 5)

3) If anyone prays or petitions to anyone except the king, Darius, he’ll be cast into the Lion’s Den.

4) Daniel went into his house, WINDOWS OPEN and prayed (Daniel 6:10).

5) They brought it to the king.

6) The king was very upset, but the law couldn’t be changed.

7) Nevertheless, he said to Daniel, “Thy God will deliver thee.” (Daniel 6:16).

8) They put a stone in front of that den of lions.

9) The next morning, the king rushed to the den and called out for Daniel.

10) Daniel responded that he was alive. God sent an angel to shut the mouth of the lions because he was innocent and he had done no hurt to the king either.

3. What an example he was to the King!

1) The king proclaimed, “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

2) Daniel didn’t just convert one, he ended up converting thousands.

4. What an example of evangelism!

1. Scripture tells us that Peter flubbed up a lot.

1) Luke 5:8 “I am a sinful man.”

2) Matthew 14:30 “Lord save me!”

3) Matthew 16:23 “Get behind me Satan….”

4) Matthew 17:4 “Let’s make three tabernacles.”

5) Matthew 26:35 “I will not deny thee.”

6) John 13:8 “Thou shalt never wash my feet”

7) John 18:10 – he tried to cut off Malchus head but only got his ear.

8) John 21:7 – Peter was naked and cast himself into the sea because he didn’t want Jesus to see him like that.

9) In Galatians 2 Paul said he rebuked Peter for being a hypocrite.

2. Here is a guy who denied even knowing Jesus, but 50 days later he is proclaiming him.

3. Peter repented of his sin time and time again, and God used him to grow the kingdom.

4. What a great example of evangelism!

1. 1 Corinthians 4:12 “and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure.”

2. 2 Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

3. 2 Timothy 2:12 “if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us.”

4. 2 Timothy 3:11 “…What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.”

5. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.”

6. If we are going to evangelize the world, then we need to follow Paul’s example of endurance.

1. Jesus is the great example of devotion to God.

1) Hear what Peter says, “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24).

2) Jesus devoted his life to preaching the gospel of the kingdom and then he willingly went to the cross and died for the sins of the world.

3) Hebrews 2:10 states, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

2. Galatians 6:14 “But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

3. Are we to be as dedicated to God as Jesus in our evangelism? Absolutely!

1. Our evangelism needs to follow the example of …

1) Noah in Obedience

2) David in Faith

3) The Prophets in Courage

4) Daniel in Prayer

5) Peter In Repentance

6) Paul in Endurance

7) Jesus in Devotion

2. Invitation

1) Every single person who lives does evangelism for someone. God or Satan.

2) For whom are you evangelizing today?

3) Who will you do evangelism for in your life?