↑ EVANGELISM IN PRACTICE: Alisa Midtrød hands out the tract “5 Minutes to Heaven.” She herself was very shy when she began to evangelize, but experienced that God gave her boldness to meet people and tell them about Jesus. She encourages other Christians to do the same – one learns and gains experience along the way.
Evangelism is the task closest to Jesus’ heart:
“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
The first point in the subject of evangelism is OBEDIENCE to the task. For Peter, it started with Jesus asking him to cast out the nets again—after a totally unsuccessful night of empty nets (Luke 5:1–10). During the day, the fish often went into the deep, and the nets of that time did not reach down that far. The task therefore seemed impossible, but out of respect for the Master, he was willing to make another attempt:
“At Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:4
Peter caught so much fish “that their net was breaking.” Here Peter learned an important point: conquering fear and defeat instead of letting fear crush you is an important aspect of evangelistic work.
One should not let failed attempts stop the process of evangelism. Try again! Conditions can change quickly. For God is with you, and then everything can turn around. After this down-and-up experience came Jesus’ call to Peter:
“Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”
Luke 5:10
After this “miraculous catch,” Peter learned that God is the God of miracles. From then on, Peter began to look for miracles in his ministry—in relation to the people he was to help win as a fisher of men. Jesus said to His disciples:
“Follow Me, and I will MAKE you become fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17
No one is born a fisher of men—one is MADE into one—over time.
The beginning for many of the Bible’s great men and women often started with one or more miracles. Moses experienced four powerful miracles before he started as a leader of the people of Israel (Exodus 3:1; 4:1–9). A doctorate in theology would not have helped Moses at all. The calling and experiences are more important than papers. His calling and experiences with the Lord gave him the starting signal for one of the greatest ministries in the Bible: becoming a leader for God’s people. If you have failed in your calling, God can lift you up again and give you a miracle that can get you back on your feet. But you must be WILLING—and OBEDIENTLY act on the calling—even if you have experienced a “black sea” in your previous attempts. The next attempt could be a great catch!
Evangelism is the task closest to Jesus’ heart:
“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
The first point in the subject of evangelism is OBEDIENCE to the task. For Peter, it started with Jesus asking him to cast out the nets again—after a totally unsuccessful night of empty nets (Luke 5:1–10). During the day, the fish often went into the deep, and the nets of that time did not reach down that far. The task therefore seemed impossible, but out of respect for the Master, he was willing to make another attempt:
“At Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:4
Peter caught so much fish “that their net was breaking.” Here Peter learned an important point: conquering fear and defeat instead of letting fear crush you is an important aspect of evangelistic work.
One should not let failed attempts stop the process of evangelism. Try again! Conditions can change quickly. For God is with you, and then everything can turn around. After this down-and-up experience came Jesus’ call to Peter:
“Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”
Luke 5:10
After this “miraculous catch,” Peter learned that God is the God of miracles. From then on, Peter began to look for miracles in his ministry—in relation to the people he was to help win as a fisher of men. Jesus said to His disciples:
“Follow Me, and I will MAKE you become fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17
No one is born a fisher of men—one is MADE into one—over time.
The beginning for many of the Bible’s great men and women often started with one or more miracles. Moses experienced four powerful miracles before he started as a leader of the people of Israel (Exodus 3:1; 4:1–9). A doctorate in theology would not have helped Moses at all. The calling and experiences are more important than papers. His calling and experiences with the Lord gave him the starting signal for one of the greatest ministries in the Bible: becoming a leader for God’s people. If you have failed in your calling, God can lift you up again and give you a miracle that can get you back on your feet. But you must be WILLING—and OBEDIENTLY act on the calling—even if you have experienced a “black sea” in your previous attempts. The next attempt could be a great catch!
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