“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them,“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28; Ge 3:5, 22; 11:7; Ps 100:3; Isa 6:8).
Part 1 Scenario:
God created us to live in “relationship” and “community” with Him and with each other. God began his relationship with mankind at creation. It has never stopped. Why is this important? Both of these terms affect the way we involve ourselves through personal evangelism in a contemporary world. How does an understanding of this impact the way you live out your faith outside of the church, with people at work, your neighbors, friends, etc.?
Relationship
According to William McRaney, God created people to live forever, and this demonstrates his desire for an everlasting relationship with mankind; today “Christians have to invest in a relationship”.[1] This statement empowers the believer to go forward with the act of personal evangelism knowing that sharing the gospel with an unbeliever fulfills this deep desire of The Heavenly Father. However, we cannot share anything with another individual if we do not have a relationship with them. Jesus demonstrated this model when he met people. He began his ministry by meeting people at their point of need.
Jesus went throughout Galilee,teaching in their synagogues,proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed;and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him (Matthew 4: 23-25 NIV; Lk 4:15, 44;Jn 6:59; 18:20; Mt 8:16; 14:14; 15:30; Mk 3:10; Lk 7:22; Ac 10:38). The Lord took the time to serve. He was real with the people with whom he came into contact. They knew that he cared for them. He established a relationship, ministered to them spiritually then fed them physically.
The Lord took the time to serve. He was real with the people with whom he came into contact. They knew that he cared for them. He established a relationship, ministered to them spiritually then fed them physically (Matthew 14:13 : 14:13-21pp — Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-13) .
The contemporary culture is searching for something that is lasting, real, and deeply personal. A relationship with God meets that need. Personal evangelism focuses on relationship building and reconciles man to God it also opens the door to membership in the community of God. [2]
Community
The author states, “God desires to establish a redemptive relationship with all of humankind. . . .The Bible refers to [believers] as a community of faith.”[3] The construct of “community” began with the Triune God, and he wants to extend that oneness to mankind.[4] Personal evangelism that results in an acceptance of Jesus Christ as one’s Savior grants that person entrance into this community (Ephesians 4:4 : 1Co 12:13; Eph 2:18).[5] It impacts the believer’s walk because each believer represents that community. The outside world must see a representation of a place, concept, or a community of unconditional love that they yearn to be a part of when they look at the lifestyle of believers. This leads this writer to want her life to reflect the concept presented in Ephesians 4:32 New International Version (NIV).
Notes Part 1
[1] William McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2003), 7 and 15, Kindle.
[2] McRaney, The Art of, 16-17.
[3] Ibid.,16.
[4] Ibid.,17.
[5] Ibid.
Part 2
How this might the above discourse immediately impact your approach to evangelism. Are you an effective listener? Do you tend to walk by evangelism/ministry opportunities because you are consumed by less important issues related to daily life? Are you busy and distracted by non-essentials? If so, what steps do you need to take in your life to become an effective evangelist?
The EA ministry has been involved with teaching, preaching and discipling; however, the scope has been limited to an online venue. These activities are impacting many nations, but personal evangelism in thesocial media community is an area in which the team has not been effective. Partial obedience is not an option for any believer. Therefore, stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is pivotal to absolute obedience to The Lord. . Dave Earley and David Wheeler declared “evangelism is more than passing on information . . . [moreover, it] is not a spiritual gift”.[2] This clarified the confusing construct that many believers have heard presented in sermons over the years. It is each person’s responsibility to take The Great Command and the Great Commission seriously and with humility. God does not need to know what we think we know. He already knows that. He also knows what his commission is to his people, Matthew 28:19 : Isa 49:6; Mk 16:15, 16; Lk 24:47; Ac 1:8; 14:21.
Notes Part 2
[1] Dave Earley & David Wheeler, Evangelism Is–: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010), 18, Kindle.
[2] Dave Earley & David Wheeler, Evangelism Is–: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010), 283 and Location 63, Kindle.
[4] Ibid.
Bibliography
Earley, Dave and David Wheeler. Evangelism Is–: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010, Kindle.
McRaney, William. The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2003.
You Are Not the Only One 
Jan 24, 2015 @ 14:43:45
Am not sure how to reply here…..our community is the type where everyone believes in something, but they are also living in the past. This is what their parents did so therefore it is theirs. Does not belong to the community but rather the community belongs to them. It is an interesting dilemma one finds themselves in. How to have a relationship within a community when the community separates themselves from everyone else.
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Jan 24, 2015 @ 16:38:34
Unfortunately, that is not unusual Bueller. All you can do is reach out in Jesus name 🙂
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Dec 14, 2016 @ 07:21:22
Just be Jesus to them. Remember how many years it took you really hear your voice. That was the result of many years of prayer. Love
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