Evangelism is a concept that is metaphorical to planting crops, herding, and taking individuals out of the darkness, as proposed by various disciples and prophets. Jesus taught his disciples and followers about the benefits of preparing for a good harvest using the parable of the sower. Mark 4:1–20 suggests that the gospel is like grass in the field or crops on a farm and can only come from seeds. Thus, evangelism is portrayed as messy work which involves hard labor and getting one’s hands dirty, as reflected in the harvesting principles.
McRaney states in his book’s introduction that his ultimate purpose is to blow off the dust covering biblical essentials of personal evangelism and assist his readers to connect with the eternal message, asserting that God means nothing and everything. Subsequently, his purpose reflects the harvest principles because he perceives a lack of understanding as dust that requires blowing off to enable people to connect deeper with the gospel. Similarly, the harvest principles suggest that the work of an evangelist in leading people towards the light is not for those seeking to become pure since the task is comparable to yard work, involving planting seeds, supplying the plants with water, weeding, and waiting for the harvest.
Evangelism is like spiritual warfare because the forces of Satan are always fighting God’s people. The article by Dr. Earley also points out that Satan constantly fills the mind of believers and unbelievers with negative thoughts and emotions that make it difficult to comply with the ways of Christ. For example, I remember having a hard time during my conversion because I was not sure whether I was up to the task of unwavering service for the rest of my life. However, through prayer, I was able to lift the burden of doubts.
The Holy Spirit provides gifts to believers and seals their redemption for eternity. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is our only guide to true salvation as it provides the weapons to fight forces that go against God’s will. As a result, it is crucial to unify people’s hearts and thoughts through evangelism. McRaney also sheds light on the role of evangelists in spreading the word of God in his second chapter. According to the author, prayer and the Holy Spirit can allow evangelists to help people get rid of beliefs and misconceptions about the Gospel. Therefore, focusing on prayer is an obligation that elevates evangelists.
I commend my classmate for taking the time to contribute to this discussion. Indeed, the dirty work of evangelism is also comparable to dining with sinners because a true evangelist should never be scared of the presence of satanic forces. After all, it is their role to drive out these forces and ensure that people walk in the path of God. As a result, evangelists should always brace themselves because they can end up in awkward scenarios in an attempt to spread the word of God. However, understanding the tenets of the harvesting principles can put an individual in the right mindset to tackle any issues that might come up. Nonetheless, it is advisable to always keep prayer first because it is only through prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit that one gets the weapons and power to fight evil forces.
Many individuals have peculiar experiences with conversion because people come from different backgrounds. Individuals coming from non-Christian backgrounds often have the hardest time because their decisions are always unwelcome by family members and their community. However, it is crucial to take heart and immerse one’s self into prayer since it can alleviate negative thoughts. Evangelism is a responsibility that resembles a heated battlefield. Therefore, it is difficult to advance and encourage others to forego their perceptions without patience and the will to strive. Therefore, getting ready to get one’s hands dirty and unifying with the Holy Spirit through prayer can help evangelists break down all barriers that prevent them from spreading the word.
I appreciate my classmate’s contribution because it is straight to the point and reasonable. The parable of the sower is a perfect example of a teaching suggesting that the work of evangelism is tough and requires an individual to get his hands dirty to achieve its ultimate purpose. One of the most difficult tasks an evangelist can have is delivering the gospel to a group of individuals who are unfamiliar with the Christian faith. For example, spreading the word to a group of Hindu or Muslim individuals can come with unprecedented challenges and is more complicated than preaching to non-believers with a Christian background, thus inflicting doubt in the hearts of evangelists. However, that is what the gospel entails as it presents a test of faith.
Conversion often comes as a burden to some individuals because the heart of man is weak. Although many people strive to observe God’s ways, it is understandable to become tempted. Nonetheless, prayer is a tool designed to offset such limitations and barriers that keep us far from God. In other words, individuals will always face temptations and backslide once in a while. However, confessing and praying for salvation can take away the weight of sin and allow evangelists to spread the gospel to all corners of the earth. Since evangelism and belief in Christ is spiritual warfare, it is essential to always be in the right mindset to judge right from wrong and choose a direction that resonates with what God wants for his people.
Bibliography
Earley Dave, “Praying Prodigals Home,” in Everyday Evangelism: Sharing the Christian Faith. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010.
Trimm, Cindy. Rules Of Engagement: The Art of Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare. Charisma Media, 2010.
Will McRaney. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2003.