When Evangelism is Forgotten

Introduction:
Consider the primary mission of Jesus while on earth. Lk. 19:10; Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-47. Christians have a duty to follow the admonition of Jesus. Jesus wants us to rescue as many souls as possible. We must be motivated to look for every effective means to share the gospel with others—no matter what. Our love for Jesus and lost souls must motivate us to get going. One of the quickest ways to go down the road toward demise is to forget evangelistic efforts. What are some hindrances that come along to hurt evangelism?

I. Internal _____________. (Phil. 2:14-16)
    A. This is a great hindrance to evangelism.
    B. When the congregation makes plans, even if they aren’t your idea, get behind them! Eph. 4:16
    C. Remember the disposition of a Christian: Eph. 4:31-32.

II. _____ work vs _______________ work.
    A. We understand there are necessary tasks of church business.
        1. Grounds keeping; necessities for worship, etc.
    B. But, busy items are not the primary items we need to be concerned with!

III. Majoring in the ___________!
A. In some places, brotherhood ________ is the only thing discussed.
B. Constant discussion of “brotherhood issues” will cause a congregation to lose it’s ____________.

IV. __________ ____________.
    A. We often get distracted by the cares of life.
        1. Careers; paying bills; recreation….evangelism soon forgotten!
    B. Lk. 8:14. How many of us would this describe?
    C. How many lost souls are not reached because we’re too busy?

V. Doing _____________ the hard way!
    A. We know something has to be done, but what?
        1. Are media campaigns; mass mailings; paid programs effective? Not like they used to be.
        2. Expensive. Return on investment is minimal.
    B. Often little to show for it, and churches do not grow.

VI. Is there a better way?
    A. Yes! Go talk to a _________________!
    B. NT example of word of mouth approach: Acts 10:24; John 1:40-46; Acts
    C. Let’s work to make this a team effort.
    D. This will require genuine interest in lost people; _____ _____; follow up; ________; time.
    E. When the price is paid, we’ll begin to see positive results!
    F. If we lose our bearing and evangelism is set aside—our congregation will be on the road toward its demise.



When Evangelism is Forgotten Introduction: Consider the primary mission of Jesus while on earth. Lk. 19:10; Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-47. Christians have a duty to follow the admonition of Jesus. Jesus wants us to rescue as many souls as possible. We must be motivated to look for every effective means to share the gospel with others—no matter what. Our love for Jesus and lost souls must motivate us to get going. One of the quickest ways to go down the road toward demise is to forget evangelistic efforts. What are some hindrances that come along to hurt evangelism? I. Internal _____________. (Phil. 2:14-16) A. This is a great hindrance to evangelism. B. When the congregation makes plans, even if they aren’t your idea, get behind them! Eph. 4:16 C. Remember the disposition of a Christian: Eph. 4:31-32. II. _____ work vs _______________ work. A. We understand there are necessary tasks of church business. 1. Grounds keeping; necessities for worship, etc. B. But, busy items are not the primary items we need to be concerned with! III. Majoring in the ___________! A. In some places, brotherhood ________ is the only thing discussed. B. Constant discussion of “brotherhood issues” will cause a congregation to lose it’s ____________. IV. __________ ____________. A. We often get distracted by the cares of life. 1. Careers; paying bills; recreation….evangelism soon forgotten! B. Lk. 8:14. How many of us would this describe? C. How many lost souls are not reached because we’re too busy? V. Doing _____________ the hard way! A. We know something has to be done, but what? 1. Are media campaigns; mass mailings; paid programs effective? Not like they used to be. 2. Expensive. Return on investment is minimal. B. Often little to show for it, and churches do not grow. VI. Is there a better way? A. Yes! Go talk to a _________________! B. NT example of word of mouth approach: Acts 10:24; John 1:40-46; Acts C. Let’s work to make this a team effort. D. This will require genuine interest in lost people; _____ _____; follow up; ________; time. E. When the price is paid, we’ll begin to see positive results! F. If we lose our bearing and evangelism is set aside—our congregation will be on the road toward its demise.