WORLD EVANGELISM -- This Lesson Was Presented To Congregations As We Made Plans To Move To Albury, Australia

Introduction:

1. Let me start by saying how much I appreciate the opportunity to share with you the Word of God.
1. In no means do I want you all to consider me an expert on the subject of World Evangelism, or in any way the final authority on how one should go about evangelizing the world.
2. What I do want you to realize today that "World Evangelism" starts at home.

a. Illustration: D.L. Moody questioned about being a world missionary.

1. Where Shall I Work?

"Father, where shall I work today?

And my love flow warm and free.

Then he pointed me out a tiny spot

And said, "Tend that for Me,"

I answered quickly, "Oh, no, not that,

Why no one would ever see,

No matter how well my work was done,

Not that little place for me."

And the word He spoke, it was not stern;

"Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;

Art thou working for them or me?

Nazareth was a little place,

And so was Galilee." Author Unknown.

1. The subject of world Evangelism is not limited to countries apart from the USA.
1. The work that is done in foreign countries is as profitable as the work just up the street if the Gospel of Christ is being taken to Lost Souls.
2. The commands given in Matt. 28:19-20 & Mk. 16:15-16 is one that is given not only to the Apostles but to you and I also.
1. "Go into all the world" does not necessarily mean leaving home country and going abroad, for if this be the case them for many years after the church was established this command was neglected by the Apostles.
2. The Apostles remained in Jerusalem, it was the obedient believers that went every where preaching --- cf. Acts 8:4.
3. No where in the N.T. does the term World Evangelism occur.
1. World Evangelism is implied.--- cf. Col.1:3-6 ; Matt.28:19 ; Mk.16:15.
2. However, when the work of the church is spoken of concerning Evangelism it refers to the individual responsibility of all Christians to share the "Good News" with the Lost.
1. Rom. 10:14-15 ; Ezek. 33:8-9 ; I Tim. 4:16.
2. Thus having said all this let me urge upon the minds of each one here this evening that world evangelism starts right here.
1. There is no greater joy that being able to show someone the way of life and bring a lost one into the fold of God --- Prov. 11:30 ; Psa. 126:5-6 ;Acts 8:39.
3. Let us now concentrate on some of the aspects of the Necessity and Urgency of World Evangelism.

Body:

1. THE NECESSITY AND URGENCY OF WORLD EVANGELISM
1. There are many needs in the church today, however, the greatest of all these is the Need for Soul Winning.
1. When a congregation stops winning souls to Christ, it losses its primary purpose for existence.
1. The work of Evangelism is an extension of the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ --- Matt. 1:21 ; Lk. 19:10 ; John 3:17.
2. Thus the mission of the Master is also the mission of the Church.
2. The only way that the body of Christ can grow around this country and around the word today is if the "Evangelistic Spirit" is rekindled.
1. Christians the word "Evangelism" come from the very same Greek word that means "Good News". {euaggelion {yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on}; from the same as euaggelizo {yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo}; to announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gospel: -declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel). a good message, i.e. the gospel: - gospel}.
1. We need to realize that we have "good News to tells others about."
1. Rom. 1:16 ; John 14:6 ; 17:17.
2. When we receive good news in this life - we want to tell everyone about it.
1. Many times we will tell people about our good fortune whether they want to hear it or not.
2. The only reason I can give for Christians not wanting to share the good News of Jesus Christ is that of being ashamed of Christ.
1. This attitude has severe consequences --- Matt. 10:32-33.
2. The body of Christ does not grow, if we are not growing then we are decaying and decay does not bring forth life.
3. We need to start to live the way we pray. ----READ POEM LIVING THE WAY WE PRAY.
3. Thus the necessity of World Evangelism can be seen, now let us turn our minds to the urgency of world evangelism.
1. Many times the excuse is made that "there is just nobody out there who is willing to listen to the Gospel!"
1. Brethren nothing can be further from the truth than this.
2. Listen to the words of our Savior --- Matt. 9:37-38.
1. Use illustration of India work being done by brother Humphries.
2. Brethren the following charts will help us realize the great urgency of spreading the Gospel to the world.
1. Europe and Asia --- Spain , England ; Ireland ; Italy ; Germany ; Netherlands ; Norway ; Switzerland ; Turkey ; Greece ; Saudi Arabia ; India ; Philippines ; Japan.
1. Work now been done in Romania ; Czek. ; Russia & China.
2. Note many of the countries only have one congregation.
2. Central America --- Panama ; Costa Rica ; El Salvador ; Guatemala Honduras ; Nicaragua.
1. Only one congregation listed in each of these countries.
3. Australia & Canada --- Whole of Australia shows 85 congregations.
1. Canada lists 13 congregations.
4. Look at Africa --- South Africa ; Zimbabwe ; Malawi ; Nigeria.
5. South America --- Argentina ; Chile ; Colombia ; Venezuela.
3. Note that all the parts of the world that the Gospel of Christ has not had a foothold in.
4. Let us note another aspect of the great urgency of World evangelism.
1. The world's population now stands at approx. 5.5 billion people.
2. The population of the USA is 250 million yet 91% of all gospel preaching is done right here in this country.
1. Remember that I said world Evangelism starts at home look at this next chart concerning the USA.
3. Every minute a 156 people die without the Lord around the world.
1. That is 224,640 people per day.
2. 81,993,600 per year.
4. Brethren we condemn Hitler for the Jewish Holocaust but what we are doing by with holding the Gospel to lost souls is far worse that what Hitler did.
5. Brethren here are a few startling statistics taken in 1986 of 184 congregations.
1. Only 5% annually is baptized --- when children of members are removed the % drops to 2%.
2. Only one visit per week per congregation was averaged to outsiders.
3. Members gave less than 4% of their estimated income to the work of the Lord.
4. Most shocking of all was that less than 5% of all the members combined converted a lost soul to Christ.
5. At this rate 50 years from now the church as we know it today will cease to exist.
6. The way to avoid this is to begin by starting with ME!
1. Read ---A SOLEMN TRIBUTE TO NOBODY
7. Having seen the clear urgency and necessity of World Evangelism let us now look at the benefits of being involved.



2. THE BENEFITS OF WORLD EVANGELISM.
1. It is Apostolically approved by God.
1. John 1:40-42 --- Andrew brought Peter.
2. John 1:43-51 --- Philip brought Nathaniel.
2. Our Master Teacher engaged in such work.
1. John 3 --- Nicodemus.
2. John 4 --- Samaritan Women.
3. Luke 19 --- Zaccheus.
3. Philip taught one in a Chariot --- Acts 8:26-28.
1. Early church was active in proclaiming the Gospel --- Acts 5:42 ; 8:4 ; 18:24-28 ; 20:20.
4. The Love of Christ and the reverence of having to give account of our actions should compel us to do such --- II Cor. 5:9-14 ; Rom. 5: 8 ; Rom. 1:14.
1. Note the terror of the Lord --- Rev. 21:8 ; II Thess. 1:6-9 ; Matt. 25:46
2. Mercy should compel us to warn the lost of the destruction to come --- Matt. 5:7.
5. World Evangelism is effective.
1. Harris Dark calculated that for the entire world to hear the gospel of Christ it would have to be repeated only 31 times by everyone who heard it.
1. 31 times and 2,147,483,648 people would have heard it.
2. Given that it might take a month to repeat it the Gospel can be taken to the world in 31 months.
3. Given a year it would take 31 years. That is within the life time of many of us who have heard it preached here tonight.

Conclusion:

1. World Evangelism is both urgent and is greatly needed today.
2. Read t he Infidel's Challenge to Us.