Evangelism
When Jesus’ disciples finally started to recognize that He would soon leave them in a physical sense, they were justifiably concerned about how they would survive—how they would live—what would they do without their Lord, master and teacher. Not unlike any good teacher, Jesus instructed them in how they would survive—how they would live—and how they must learn to do without Him. Most important, Jesus told his disciples, and each of us as well, what should be done to carry on the work He had started. In that sense, one of Jesus’ lessons for His disciples was that soon His work must be their own—and ours.
The prophecy of Joel and the promise of Jesus is recorded in Acts 1:8. Just prior to His final ascension, the risen Jesus had said “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. . .” It is through the strength of the Holy Spirit within each one of us that we have the power to do the work of our Lord. And, as disciples of Jesus Christ, His word for the disciples of that time is no different than it is for each one of us today. We are the body of Christ. On this earth, His work must truly be our own.
Each of us has the Christian responsibility to bring others to the Lord. Each of us in our daily walks and in our own way, with any and all that we may touch, has the responsibility of evangelizing—of bringing our fellow man closer to the Kingdom of God. And, for each of us this is a most doable task—an act of kindness, an invitation to join in fellowship, a prayer for others in need, or acting in any number of opportunities for Christian witness.
John D. Stone
Evangelism Ministry Team
But I am only one—how can one person do His work? On the day of Pentecost, our Lord gave us the power to do His work by becoming a part of us as the Holy Spirit. And so, we are not just one. We are, more correctly one with our Lord—the most powerful combination for which we might wish.
