How Does Evangelism Change After We Regather?

What happened?

There I was in 1972 … with long hair and no waist, listening to 8-track tapes and wearing bellbottom jeans. Phones had long cords and rotary dials.  You could cruise town all night in a brand new Ford Pinto ($2,000) because gas cost only $.55 a gallon. And we all plunked down $1 for the universal outdoor toy, the Frisbee.

What happened? 

Change happened.  

Technology changed, society changed, history changed. From the moment God gave Adam the breath of life, change always has been constant.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced some of the greatest social changes my generation has ever seen. And the way we do church was not exempt.

Everything changed.

Except for God.  “For I am the Lord; I do not change …” says Malachi 3:6.

And therefore the mission of His church has not changed. Not one iota.

“Make disciples of all nations” is still our mandate, our calling, and our heritage.

The way we do church has changed but the “why” we do church has not.

So how do we adjust our lives to stay on task of making much of Jesus in this day cultural changes?

1.  Resist the idea that regathering completes us. Gathering together is not only great but it is commanded.  Yet nowhere has the gathering of the church been the ultimate mission of the church. We can’t let the joy of worshipping together as a people become the touchdown

2.  Refresh your heart and mind with a clear understanding of the gospel. There is nothing that will bring new confidence in sharing the gospel than growing in your knowledge of the gospel. LifeWay recently posted this refresher course:

  • God rules — The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17)
  • We sinned — We all choose to disobey God. The Bible calls this sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)
  • God provided — God sent Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)
  • Jesus gives — Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18)
  • We respond — We can respond to Jesus. The ABCs of Becoming a Christian is a simple tool that helps us remember how to respond when prompted by the Holy Spirit to receive the gift Jesus offers.

3.  Re-enter social interaction with a renewed and determined mindset of a missionary. For months we were separated from personal engagement, but now the way is being cleared for us to once again interact with those around us. In other words, the doors to our mission field have been flung wide open and we must enter them with a passion for making much of Jesus.

4.  Rejoice in the Lord so that it becomes a lifestyle. The enemy loves to redirect and misdirect our attention from the things of God to the things of this world. The challenges of this pandemic prove the point. Growing in the discipline of continual rejoicing will renew a laser-focus on the things of God and cause you to believe the gospel, live the gospel, and share the gospel with renewed joy and confidence.

Change happens.  But the Lord uses change for our good. Embrace the joy of God continually using things in your life to constantly change you daily into the image of Christ. 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love god, to those who are called according to His purpose,  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son …” – Romans 8:28-29

Written by Randy Mullinax. For more information on No Sweat Evangelism, go to nosweatevangelism.com.  The Georgia Baptist Mission Board has an Evangelism Consultant in your specific region that can help you in leading your church members to follow Jesus and work in His harvest fields. For more information, please contact the Evangelism team of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and schedule a consultation. You can also join the conversation on Facebook!

Published November 17, 2020