What Will Happen if We Continue to Ignore Evangelism?

The current state of evangelism is pretty sad, but our current state doesn’t have to be our future reality.  If the current trend continues the church will come to the end of its effectiveness.  Our culture will continue to collapse.  Our country will continue to decay and decline.  Our families will continue to deteriorate, and more people will die and go to hell.

Not only that, but God’s word tells us we will be held accountable for our disobedience and God will remove our lamp stand of effectiveness.

Revelation 2:5 says, “Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”  God used these words to warn the Ephesian church that if they did not repent then he would wipe them out as a church. They would cease to exist.

Today, the original town of Ephesus has no church that can claim it existed 2,000 years ago. Apparently, the church did not repent.

The same warning applies to the many local churches that have been called by God to fulfill the Great Commission.  Unless they repent of their lack of evangelistic focus then God will cause them to lose their effectiveness and possibly even existence as a church.

Our evangelistic pulse is faint, and yet God’s word is clear. We are called to be salt.  We are called to be light.  And if we fail to do what God created us to do, if we fail to be who God created us to be, we will become ineffective, “…no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13b)

That’s not what God wants for you and me; it’s not what He wants for His church.  His desire is for us to prioritize the things He’s commissioned us to do, and to pursue Him like we’ve never pursued Him before.

So let me summarize several reasons why evangelism should be one of the highest priorities in our churches?

1) Because Christ commanded it.

The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 as our evangelistic and disciples-making command.  Although there are several other scriptures in the New Testament that make clear God’s command.

2) Because Christ is the only way of salvation.

There is no way around it. Salvation is exclusive.  There is only one way. Jesus made it very clear in John 14:6 which states, Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Jesus had an urgent message that must be conveyed to a lost and dying world.

3) Because churches tend to obsess internally when they fail to move externally.

Where has your church’s energy been expended lately?  Trivial church preferences?  Worship wars?  Power struggles?  Those are internal obsessions.  Lead your church to an evangelistic priority and watch the focus shift for the better. 

4) Evangelistic Christians actually grow stronger as better disciplined Christians.

Those who are evangelistic are obedient to Christ.  Being obedient to Christ means that we are following His teachings and becoming a better fruit-bearing disciple.

Most churches are busy with activities, programs, and ministries. Few churches are truly sending out their members to evangelize those in their communities.

What are you doing to lead your church to become more evangelistic?