Every Believer’s Ministry

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. – 2Ti 4:5

Mat 28:19,20 is traditionally called “The Great Commission”. There the risen LORD, just before His Ascension proclaimed, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”

This command is not only for a select few energetic, impassioned, seminary-trained, missionary-inclined Believers. It’s given to us all. That is why, though Timothy was an ordained pastor, Paul still asked him to “do the work of an evangelist.”

The office of the evangelist is a ministry gift to the body of Christ (Eph 4:11); that does not however mean that we’re to leave the task of reaching out to them. We are all expected to go out and be witnesses to the Death, burial and resurrection of Christ, .

Note, however, Jesus’ choice of words in the Great Commission; He says we’re to go into all the world and “TEACH all nations.” It literally means to enrol them as pupils. In the next verse our Lord says again, “TEACHING them to observe all things…” (Mat 28:19,20).

When it comes to evangelism, the Church has focussed more on PROCLAIMING rather than EXPLAINING. We take it for granted that an unregenerate heart understands what we mean by “blood”, “redemption”, even “cross” and the basic evangelical mantra “give your life to Jesus”.

We throw such specialist, (and therefore, unintelligible) language at them and claim they refuse to “repent” because they want to remain in their sins. But can we, in all good conscience, claim that we have truly EXPLAINED the gospel to the sinners around us?

Maybe we are the ones that need to repent; maybe we’re the ones that need to change our ways, methods, and ideologies on what it means to be saved, what it takes to be saved, and what          we need to do to make sure we’re truly fulfilling the Great Commission. May the Lord give us understanding in reaching out to the lost, at any cost.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN