Evangelism: How to propagate the gospel without bringing harm to self, society

• ‘In Preaching The Gospel, We Should Not Walk Straight Into The Mouth Of Lions’
• ‘Christians, Evangelists, Morning Criers, Pastors Be Wise’

It is obvious there is an increase in religious intolerance all over the world. The spate of killings and violence, being unleashed by some religious extremists on believers of other religions, bears witness to this. From historical accounts and even present day happenings, however, such persecution has never deterred the faithful from embarking upon the noble mission of propagating the gospel to save sinners. So, regardless of whatever aggression, there would always be people out there on the field preaching the gospel. But is out of place for such persons to deploy utmost tact, when undertaking evangelical missions? Because much as it is agreed that the Lord takes care of His own, wouldn’t it amount to tempting or even taking God for granted, when the faithful deliberately engage in acts that could be disastrous to their well-being? How best should religious persons and groups go about propagating the gospel without endangering their lives? How should people conduct themselves while spreading the message, so that they don’t offend others, thereby attracting hatred or harm to themselves? CHRIS IREKAMBA reports.

‘Disciples Of Christ Can Withdraw
From Hostile Environments’
(Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu, General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries, Worldwide
Religious intolerance is as old as religion itself. We find intolerance even within the same religious system. Notwithstanding the spate of intolerance over the years, however, religion has survived in every inhabited part of the earth. Apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was equally a victim of religious intolerance, the first Christian to die for attempting to propagate his faith was Stephen. His gruesome murder, rather than dampen others’ zeal toward evangelism, turned out to be a major spur for them to share their faith with others far beyond the city of Jerusalem. The inglorious period of history, known as dark ages, was an epoch of unprecedented persecution and martyrdom against evangelical Christians by the then “official church” in an unholy alliance with the political powers of those days. But rather than whittle down the zeal for preaching the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ, it accentuated it all the more.

Is religious intolerance a real threat to the propagation of the Christian faith in Nigeria today? Certainly yes, but that is all it could be— a threat. It will never quench gospel’s fire. Christian evangelism will never compromise the sharing of the gospel through public and private preaching, because it is God’s appointed means of evangelising. The Apostle Paul emphasised, “For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleases God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). The strength of Christianity lies in its ability to bring people into personal relationship with God, and this must necessarily involve verbal communication. The recent senseless murder of an innocent woman, who was sharing her faith in Abuja, as dastardly and ungodly as it was, will not stop evangelism. The blood of martyrs has always watered the ground for the propagation of Christ’s gospel and the growth of the church of Jesus Christ. Every single one of the early apostles died a victim of religious intolerance in different parts of the world. Their martyrdom served as catalysts for the spread of the gospel and the growth of Christianity globally. The government should work hard to provide for Nigerians a secure society, where every citizen is free to practise their religion and go about their legitimate business without molestation.

Having said all these, should Christians intentionally expose themselves to untimely death because they want to preach the gospel? There is a saying that a man, who is surrounded by enemies, must be careful to save his life. There were occasions our Lord withdrew from certain locations, when He discovered a plot against His life (Mark 3:6-7). Similarly, Christ’s disciples can withdraw momentarily from a hostile environment and wait for the abatement of violence before continuing with evangelism. During such moments of hostility, lifestyle evangelism, literature distribution, and use of modern technology may suffice as means of propagating the good news. Lifestyle evangelism entails living out the truth of the gospel, such that people will experience God’s love, as they interact with Christians.

Lifestyle evangelism was what Francis of Assisi meant, when he said: “preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.” Our Lord said that Christians are the light of the world and salt of the earth. These two metaphors for Christian life imply ability to influence human society with the values of Christ, without projecting the label of religion.

Bishop Bola Oyegbami

‘Group Evangelism Can Be Employed In Propagating The Gospel Without Endangering Self’
(Bishop (Mrs.) Bola Oyegbami, National President, Minister of God Prayer Network Int’l (MGPNI)
FIRSTLY, I wish to say that in order to represent Jesus Christ properly, you need to be imbued with power and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 says “But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” For effective evangelism, we also need the wisdom of God. When Jesus sent forth the 12 disciples in Matt 10:16-22, He said:

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves… You will be hated by all for my name’s sake…”Jesus never promised His followers a stress-free life, but rather persecutions and tribulations. However, He promised to be with us, even till the end of the age (Mark 10:28-30, Mark 13:19-22, Matt 28:20). Evangelism is a divine project, which can only be fully delivered by sensitivity and prompt responses to divine direction. In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent out His disciples in twos. His strategy for evangelism was partnership and group evangelism.

“After these things, the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”
Going out for evangelism in pairs and groups is an effective way to propagate the gospel without endangering ourselves and if need be, the security agents can be informed of one’s movement and intentions. The evangelist on the field should preach the message of the gospel with boldness and power that “the kingdom of God is at hand”; the message about the love God has for us, sending His son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world (John 3:16). The evangelist on the field needs to pray for the Holy Spirit’s presence to convict lives.

The lifestyle of an evangelist must attract love and not hate by showing love and kindness at all times. One’s carriage and comportment should radiate a positive outlook, both on the field and elsewhere. One’s approach during evangelism should be to showcase God’s love, thus attracting people willingly to the kingdom.

Pastor Aanuoluwapo Oluwan’sore

‘Study Your Environment, Apply Knowledge In Your Approach’
(Pastor Aanuoluwapo Oluwan’sore
(Branch Pastor, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Lagos)
THE Lord can lose a battle to win a war. Evangelism is the Lord’s battle and you will be victorious, when you walk in the understanding of the precepts. Jesus says, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them…. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen,” Matt.28: 18-20).

Like in the days of the Apostles, we must wait on the Lord to receive
power after the Holy Ghost would have come upon us with tongues of fire. This will enable us to speak the right words in season. Jesus emphatically told Peter: “Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shall deny me thrice. Peter said unto Him, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.Do not trust in the arm of the flesh. It will fail. Jesus knew Peter had not received the strength of the Spirit that comes with the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues of fire. Therefore, Peter was limited and would not be able to withstand the persecution that awaited him. He counseled him to watch and pray, that he would not enter into temptation because the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak Matt. 26:41-43. Peter refused to pray, but slept.

What to do before going out to witness? Do not tempt God. Walk in obedience to the Word. Matt.4: 6-7; Examine yourself. Forgive, lest Satan should get an advantage of us. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11; Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; Practice 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the Saviour of his knowledge by us in every place.”

The fifth and sixth is: Walk in love. Study your environment and apply knowledge in your approach. Pray to bring all spirit unto subjection of the Holy Spirit. Watch and pray earnestly to always have the support of the Lord’s Spirit. Jesus was under the administration of the Spirit of the Lord throughout His ministry. You have to be, in order to overcome.

Consecrate yourself for the Spirit to rest on you for wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. This will make you of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: not judging after the sight of your eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of your eyes.When Jesus went to Capernaun (Matt. 17:24-27), His adversaries thought to withstand Him, inquiring about payment of tribute. He destabilised them by paying. His reason? Lest we offend them. We should watch out for offences.

We are not to judge or condemn, but teach. “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet, which means ‘do not go back there.’ And finally, walk in twos. When I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother (2 Corinthians 2:12-13).

‘The Message Should Not Be
Confrontational, But Convincing’
(His Grace, Most Revd. Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, Primate of the African Church/President, Christian Council of Nigeria)
TO evangelise is to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all categories of people. Pertaining to intolerance of opposing religious view and scriptural perspectives, for instance, in John 16:1-4 Jesus said, “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming, when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

Matt 24:9-14 9, says, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11… 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 But he, who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Despite all the challenges of the haters of the gospel and the extremists, the result of the evangelism is always positive and giving birth to many souls being converted into God’s kingdom. The result, at times, might be slow, which requires patience; but surely, it shall yield great result.

Without any fear of contradiction, Christians have to re-strategise the method of spreading the gospel, especially, the morning cry in this volatile period of brutality. Luke 10:1-3 “After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

One should study the environment and apply wisdom in spreading the gospel. We have to understand the reason why Jesus sent out the disciples in twos; for He sent us out like lambs among wolves. The message should not be confrontational, but convincing, truthful, infallible word of God and discharged with wisdom.

God gave Jesus authority over heaven and earth. On the basis of that authority, Jesus told His disciples to make more disciples, as they preached, baptised, and taught. With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make them disciples for the kingdom, in spite of hostility. No matter the hostility, the preaching of the gospel must not stop, as this is the only means to get sinners saved (Romans 1:16).

Evangelism is for all Christians; we are to go— whether it is next door or another country— and make disciples. It is not an option, but a command to all that call Jesus “Lord.” As we obey, we have comfort in the word that Jesus is always with us. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). May our generation open its heart to the gospel of Christ Jesus in Jesus’ name. Amen.

‘While Evangelism And
Preaching Of The Gospel Is A
Must, Our Method Must Change’
(Rev. (Mrs.) Olayemi Titilope Aderibigbe, Visioner Kedusah Ministry/former Church Pastor, Ijero Baptist Church, Lagos)
IT is no gainsaying that we are in perilous time, as mentioned in the scripture. Jesus also warned us in Matthew 24:9,14 stating some of the things expected at a time like this.“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My sake…. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

The unbecoming attack on Christians by those with opposing religious faith should not surprise us, but this is just to confirm that not a single of His word will go unfulfilled. This barbaric act should sound a wake-up call because while a man sleeps the enemy comes. In order to proffer a way to safe evangelism, we should ask ourselves: What Would Jesus Do (WWJD), if He found Himself in such situations? Would He have stopped preaching, which would make the enemy happy? Of course not. Since He is an epitome of love, would He have said an eye for eye or a tooth for tooth? Of course not. Would He have said we should endanger our lives, becoming another sacrificial lamb? No, of course not, since the only legitimate sacrifice needed has been taken care of by Him.

The scripture, however, says, “be wise as a serpent and be gentle as a dove.” “Wisdom is a principal thing.” “Wisdom is better than strength… wisdom is better than weapons of war.” Christians, evangelists, morning criers, Pastors, please be wise. While evangelism and preaching of the gospel is a must, our method or way of fulfilling the great commission must change. It is not going to be easier, but tougher. Robert Schuller said, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” Morning preaching should not be done alone in some of the volatile areas. Just like someone going to a battlefield, adequate spiritual preparation should be in place. This is a time we need to be prepared for all ministerial assignments. I wonder why Peter was found with a sword, even while with Jesus? John 18:10. Thus, this suggests something to us— that we should be wise. We can also make use of social media and sport evangelism to proclaim the gospel. Social media is the new trend and it breaks barriers. The Bible might be seen as forbidden fruit in some homes, but messages via such mediums will sail through. Finally, brethren, no one goes to the beehive without expecting an attack. With adequate preparations and tactfulness, however, the beehive can be overthrown. Be wise, so that you don’t get stung.

‘Christ’s Gospel Is Gospel Of Peace, Not Strife’
(Dr. Francis Wale Oke, Presiding Bishop, Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Ibadan
THERE is no reason why evangelism should generate strife or lead to killing of innocent people, as was the case in Nigeria recently. Our Lord Jesus’ gospel is that of peace and nothing should hinder evangelism. Call to evangelism is‎ a great commission by God, aimed at saving mankind from impending judgment and tribulations, because He loves the world. What we are experiencing in our nation, as well as in other troubled nations of the world, where terrorism and religious crisis exist today, are signs of end time. The scriptures already foretell the kind of happenings that will become prevalent towards the end of age. It is a warning sign, so we should be prepared. Nations are already rising against nations, just as killings and pestilence ravage the earth. Those shedding blood of the guiltless in the cause of evangelism incur God’s wrath. Their action (blood-letting) is masterminded from the pit of hell. It is an evil agenda, aimed at frustrating soul winning unto God’s Kingdom. No man can stop or slow down God, when He is ready to move. So, evil cannot triumph over good. Let the fear of God be in the heart of men. I want to appeal to the government and the security agencies in the land to be pro-active in the fight against crime. They should live up to expectation, by nipping crime in the bud and curtailing wasting of innocent lives. Enough of throwing the nation into mourning over religious sentiments.

Reports of attacks on God’s people in recent time are quite disturbing. The menace is on the increase. It should no longer be mentioned among us. What is the justification for destroying lives that you cannot create?It is sad that while we still grapple with Boko Haram crisis in the north, terror of the Niger-Delta Avengers, kidnapping and so on, religious intolerance is rearing its ugly head. We should ensure that this does not fester.

In conclusion, I sincerely appeal to religious leaders across board to ensure that peace is given a chance and consciously promoted among people of different faiths. All religious leaders owe God and humanity the responsibility of promoting peace and discouraging violence at all cost. We should no longer subject ourselves to a situation, whereby premium is not placed on human lives. It is clear that our services to God shall be justified on the basis of our contribution in saving life, and not in destroying it.

‘Evangelism Is Not A Medium For
Argument, Condemnation, Or
Instigation Of Negative Reactions’
(Rev. (Dr.) Jane Onaolapo, General Overseer, Abundant Life Gospel Church, Agege, Lagos)
EVANGELISM is the command of Jesus to all His disciples. Jesus commanded that we go into the whole world and preach the gospel. Let us now look at how to go about it without fatal consequences. The bedrock of the Gospel is Love. God so loved us that He gave His only son to die for us.

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Apostle Paul said: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

The message of the gospel is love, simple and powerful. That is what we should preach. We just need to preach Jesus. The gospel should be preached out of love for the soul(s) of the one(s) being preached to. Evangelism is not a medium for argument, condemnation, proving theological points or instigating negative and violent reactions from antagonists. It is simply to share God’s love and lead willing souls to salvation. The appropriate carriage and comportment of an evangelist is love. The gospel is not about religious views, doctrines or politics. If we consider the motive and strategy of our Lord Jesus, while He evangelised, we will see that He went about doing good; healing people of all manner of diseases and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. That is love.

In preaching the gospel, we should be ready to lay down our lives. Apostle Paul in Acts 21:13 said: “I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Martyrdom is not strange. Stephen was martyred and so were many apostles of old. They were killed for propagating the gospel. Therefore, in preaching the gospel, we should be ready to lay down our lives for the salvation of lost souls. However, we should not walk straight into the mouths of lions. That would mean stupidity. It pays to be wise. Jesus Himself said that we should be wise as a serpent, but as gentle as a dove. If death comes, we should joyfully embrace it because it’s simply a promotion unto glory. That is why the Bible clearly states that, to live is Christ, to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Pastor Sunday Adelaja

‘Our Church Does Not
Do Evangelism Anymore’
(Pastor Sunday Adelaja, Senior Pastor, The Embassy of God, Ukraine)
I HAVE been a minister and a pastor for the past 25 years and from my experience as a pastor, who has built the largest evangelical charismatic church in Europe, I want to declare that our church does not do evangelism anymore. If I tell a Nigerian church to stop doing evangelism I would be declared a blasphemer. Some people will even say I am an agent of the Islamic agenda, but experience has taught me that the way we do evangelism traditionally only ends up infuriating representatives of other religions or outright unbelievers.

So what is the answer? I have taught my people to take God’s love to the world, not through conventional evangelism, but through wisdom. I will give some more practical ways our church uses to take Christ’s love to the lost world below:Firstly, we go where there are needs, not to evangelise, but to meet those needs. For example, I know that in Nigeria we have a lot of internally displaced people. If I were to advise the churches in Nigeria, I would say despite the fact that these people are Muslims, if we, as the church, would go there not to preach, but to meet the needs of the children and women there, this will be a better and more effective way of bringing them to Christ and showing them Christ’s love than going to evangelise. Can you imagine the church meeting the needs of malnutrition in the camps? Giving them free education? Providing free medical care and facilities? Every mother would be happy, no matter where this help is coming from. It is only love that can overcome hatred. We should all become carriers of the gospel of love and not the gospel of evangelism.

Secondly, as a church in the Ukraine, we seek to meet the needs of the community. So, if the community needs a road, we fix it and then put our signboard, which will say, this is an act of love from this church or that church to the community. Furthermore, if a community has crime problem, we set up community watch and patrol to provide security for that community, etc.

Thirdly, another way we carry God’s love to the world is by ensuring that we encourage every church member to have a social responsibility, as a believer. This means that though they bring their tithes to church, but they take their offerings to the society, community and the world, thereby meeting the needs of the needy anywhere they go.

In my church, The Embassy of God, you are not a church member, if you don’t have an outreach of charity, love and kindness to a group of people. Not an outreach of evangelism, but an outreach of love. So, every church member, not churchgoer, church goers could be new people, is required to use his/her money to change their world. So, how do they determine how they use the money? They are encouraged to follow their passion, because everyone has a passion. They use their money to pursue their passion. Some might have passion for reaching out to drug addicts and alcoholics, while others might have passion for widows, etc. These are just a few of the ways we could learn to carry the gospel of love and of our Lord Jesus Christ to a world that is becoming more and more hostile.