Evangelism: Getting It Right - Matthew 28:19 - Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message

Written by Lucien Coleman

Sermon 14 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message

Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 9:22; Matthew 9:37–38

The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.

Introduction: When the invitation was given in a revival service, a zealous layman brought a seven-year-old boy forward. The child had never been to church before. “Jimmy wants to give his heart to Jesus,” the layman said. “Who is Jesus?” the pastor asked Jimmy. The boy hung his head and whispered, “I don’t know.” The layman interjected, “He doesn’t have to know all of that to be saved.” Evangelical Christians agree that evangelism is the lifeblood of the church.

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But today’s practices of evangelism don’t always conform to the New Testament pattern. Superficial evangelism might account for the embarrassing fact that nearly one-third of the members of Southern Baptist churches are classified as “non-resident.”

The Right Objective

The main verb in the Great Commission is translated “make disciples.” The object of evangelism is to make disciples. When does a person become a disciple? It begins with turning to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, confessing Him publicly as Savior and Lord, and identifying with Him through baptism and church membership. But that’s only the beginning. Becoming a disciple also means lifetime enrollment in the school of Christ and living in obedience to His teachings.

The Right Strategy

A respected teacher of evangelism told his students, “If you use only one strategy for reaching the lost, you’ll reach only 15 percent of your prospects.” People vary widely in temperament, educational background, cultural orientation, and attitudes toward the church. We must meet them where they are, not where we wish they were. Paul said, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

For example, not everyone can be reached by what has been called “the manipulative monologue model” of evangelism, a strategy which consists of “a series of questions demanding certain answers.”( 1 J. David Tate, “Evangelistic Dialogue: Strategy for Reaching the Mormon Missionary,” Search, 36.) The unchanging gospel is our message. But as Paul demonstrated time and again, the message can be clothed in many forms.

The Right Messengers

Years ago, little Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, beat the mighty Yale University football team. A reporter asked the coach how his team managed such a miracle. “We had eleven men in on every play,” he said. It would revolutionize our work of evangelism if we could get more players out of the stands and onto the field. As Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). The task of evangelism was never intended to be restricted to a few professional specialists; the privilege belongs to every person who knows Jesus.

Conclusion: During a professional workshop, a naval ensign asked his dinner companion, a Baptist educator, “What is your philosophy of life?” During a stormy airplane landing, a fearful college coed asked the Sunday School teacher sitting next to her, “How can you stay so calm?” Witnessing opportunities abound if only we have eyes to see.

About Professor Coleman

Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message