In this session, you will explore the identity of an evangelist as it relates to the identity of God himself and his gospel story.
Session in a sentence
The identity of an evangelist is rooted in the identity of God the Father: we are his messenger children.
Session background
At the peak of Billy Graham’s ministry, Christian young people were inspired to follow his example and become preachers of the good news. Over the last twenty years there has been a perceptible shift in the aspirations of Christian young people. Where once the role of an evangelist was seen as the pinnacle of Christian service, the more common aspirations for Christian young people today are often to become a worship leader, youth worker or church pastor.
The church has certainly benefitted from talented musicians, film-makers and other creatives using their gifts to facilitate others in personal and corporate worship, and God has been celebrated and glorified through the efforts of these faithful people. However, before somebody can become a true worshipper – a worshipper in spirit and truth (John 4:23) – they must have heard and responded to the gospel (Romans 10:14–17).
Similarly, the role of pastor or teacher is essential to discipleship and is not to be sidelined. But the pastor will have no congregation to look after if the seats become empty due to a lack of missional engagement and evangelism in the world.
Bringing people to a place of true worship requires us to explain the gospel to them, and with that in mind none of us should shirk our responsibility to share the good news with the world, by witnessing to our faith in Christ to all people in the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8).
The Bible teaches that all believers are called to do the work of an evangelist (Matthew 28:19; 2 Timothy 4:5), yet there are those who are specifically called to be evangelists (Ephesians 4:11). For these people especially, proclaiming the gospel isn’t simply day-to-day witness, but a primary focus of their lives.
Session guide
Catch up (20–30 mins)
Take time to catch up with one another – sharing stories, encouragements, feedback on opportunities and anything else that would encourage the group. Ask the group to share their biblical definitions of evangelism (Session One – Application) and discuss them together for a few minutes as a recap from the last session. For smaller groups this can be done as a whole group exercise, for larger groups you may want to split into smaller groups for discussion. It may also be worth covering the basics of how the group works for anyone who missed the first session.
Prayer
Commit the time to the Lord and pray over any situations, positive or challenging, arising from the catch up time.
Teaching (20–30 mins)
Work through the following teaching material in your own way, either by reading it word for word or by reworking it into your own presentation.
‘In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.’
2 TIMOTHY 4:1–5
What does it mean to be called to be an evangelist? Aren’t all believers called to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world? Jesus’ great commission in Matthew 28 appears to be a blanket call to all of his followers to go into the world and make disciples. But then we come across a short passage in Ephesians 4 (v. 11–12) that highlights the specific role of the evangelist alongside that of pastor, teacher, prophet and apostle, each of which is to be used to build the body of Christ. We also encounter a man named Philip in Acts who is given the specific title of evangelist (Acts 21:8). What are we to make of the calling of the evangelist? Is it for everyone or for a specific few?
You may know the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17, where Paul talks about becoming a new creation through Christ. You might have even used this verse when you have shared the gospel previously. However, we don’t often go on to quote the rest of the passage:
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17–20
creation has come: The old has gone,
the new is here! All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that
God was reconciling the world to himself in
Christ, not counting people’s sins against
them. And he has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are therefore
Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore
you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to
God.’
Discuss: How does this Bible passage relate to the definitions of evangelism that were shared at the start of today’s session?
God is in the business of reconciling creation back to himself and wants us – his reconciled people – to be ambassadors for his transformational message. This is not just for ‘professional’ evangelists, this is a call for all believers. However, this ambassadorship can look very different in practice from individual to individual.
Think about it like this: in a football (soccer) team, every player is pursuing the aim of winning the match. However, the strikers are those who are specifically tasked with scoring goals. This doesn’t mean that other players can’t and won’t score from time to time, but the primary function of the striker in the team is to score.
Another illustration that might help would be to think of a wedding day. Any guest with a smart phone could take a great picture to capture memories of this special day, and some of these photos may well even make it into the couple’s official photo album. And yet, the bride and groom will also bring in a professional to capture the day, using their skill, equipment, and singular focus on the day to capture some great images.
As the church we are all pursuing the restoration of God’s perfect kingdom. We all have a role to play in witness and evangelism. But there are some who are specifically called to prioritise evangelism, most likely at the cost of other pursuits. These are the evangelists, like Philip whom we read about in Acts 21:8. Interestingly, the Bible doesn’t present ‘evangelists’ as those who do evangelism on behalf of everyone else. Rather, their primary role is to equip other believers for witness, demonstrating their effectiveness in this task through the evangelistic fruit God works through them.
If some of the following statements ring true with you, then the calling of the evangelist could be upon your life:
- You like and have compassion for people.
- You long to see the lost saved.
- You are compelled to proclaim the gospel ‘in season and out of season’.
- You persevere in the task no matter what hardships come upon you.
- You will not compromise the integrity of the message you share, no matter what the itching ears of your audience may want you to say.
- You are utterly single-minded in reaching the lost with the powerful, transformational, saving message of the gospel.
- You have had prophetic words spoken over you about being an evangelist.
- You are a clear communicator.
- You find yourself praying for the lost regularly.
- You are willing to go wherever the gospel takes you.
- You desire to help others share their faith.
- You have seen people give their lives to Christ having shared the gospel with them.
Discuss: Spend some time talking through these statements and which of them ring true for you. If there is an evangelist in your group, ask them to share how they came to the realisation of their gifting and role.
The Bible tells us that God desires for no-one to perish (2 Peter 3:9). The evangelist is compelled to go into the world having the same heart as the Father. We do not share the gospel simply out of duty, we share it because our hearts are in line with our heavenly Father’s.
The evangelist’s identity is not found in their role, but in their new identity as a child of God, having become his heirs (John 1:12). Regardless of gifting or calling, no-one has the power to save themselves or anyone else. We can only be the messengers – for it is God alone who saves. He invites us to share in his heart for the lost as we grow to know him more fully as our loving heavenly Father and reveal his saving power to the world.
‘Let us celebrate our smallness and walk in
REBECCA MANLEY PIPPERT
the power of the Spirit, because evangelism
is rooted in the supernatural power of
God! Let us keep learning the truth of
the gospel and its profound relevance to
everyone we meet, because evangelism
is rooted in God’s truth! Let us remember
that love is the source and the means of
reaching others – that nothing can pry open
closed or resistant minds and hearts to the
gospel more than expressing the love and
compassion of Jesus, because evangelism is
rooted in Christ’s love!’
Discussion (15 mins)
- Is there a difference between personal witness and evangelism?
- If all are expected to do the work of an evangelist, why are there those who are called to be evangelists?
- Evangelist or not, how do we develop the Father’s heart for the lost for ourselves?
- How could you help encourage those who think evangelism is only for the ‘professionals’ to become ‘ministers of reconciliation’ themselves? Read more about the role of the evangelist.
Application (5 mins)
We do not share the gospel simply because we are evangelists any more than those who are not called as evangelists are exempt from sharing it. All believers should share the gospel as a natural response to who God is and what he has done in their lives. As we are transformed by the Father’s love, so we long for others to know that same transforming love for themselves. Over the next month, work through the Gospel of Mark in your daily devotional time and pay attention to one of Mark’s main themes – that Jesus is the Son of God, a servant who has come to do the will of the Father. As you read and re-read the Gospel with this perspective, ask God to affirm your true identity – not rooted in your gifting or ministry calling, but in who he is and what he has done.
Prayer
Give thanks to God, our heavenly Father, that he desires for no-one to perish and has made the way by which all can be saved through trust in Jesus Christ. Spend some time praying for each other – that God will bring more clarity to your calling as an evangelist, that he might provide more opportunities to share the gospel, and that you would have more boldness as you do so.
Accountability (15 mins)
In pairs or small groups, ask each other if you consider yourself to be an evangelist (someone who is called to do the work of the evangelist). Provide space to reflect on the call of God in your life, and what being faithful to that calling means for you. To finish, complete accountability forms, share in pairs or smaller groups and pray for one another.
Don’t forget…
The Global Network of Evangelists offers a helpful quiz to discover your unique evangelism style. This quiz is not meant to limit or prescribe a specific approach, but to inspire you by highlighting how God may already be working through your personality and passions to bring gospel clarity to those around you. Click the link below to take the quiz and explore how you can engage in sharing the Gospel in ways that resonate with who you are today.
