Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:07 Village church, Vicki basing you're here. I'm the communications manager. And I'm sitting with pastor Michael fueling and we are going through some sermon Q and A's for the sermon series in June, 2021 called practical evangelism for an ambivalent world. And today we are talking about the spiritual gift of evangelism. What is it?
Speaker 2 00:00:25 So that's a great question. There's actually a little bit of debate on this, but let's break through some of the, the chaos of this. And so here's what we know. We know that the Bible talks about spiritual gifts. Spiritual gift is something it's a ministry that God calls you to. And you know, you have a spiritual gift because when you do this thing, it bears spiritual fruit. Um, Paul Paul says the spirit manifest himself. When you do these things, it's the manifestation of the spirit. Um, and so how do I know that I have a gift of teaching or a gift of evangelism or a gift of leadership? Well, spiritual fruit is born out of that. So we follow the fruit. We look for fruit and what's interesting is that evangelism does not show up in most of the list of spiritual gifts, but the list in the new Testament, if there's a few of them, they all just kind of pick different gifts.
Speaker 2 00:01:19 There's not like one total list of spiritual gifts. Some gifts are actually offices in the church. So Paul, in Ephesians chapter four, verse 11, he talks about in the church that God has given apostles, which is an office, but Paul also calls it a gift. Um, he, of the profits, which is an office, but it's a gift. You have shepherds and teachers, which is an office. The teaching is a gift. You know what I'm saying? And so there's an interesting, the confusion comes around. Is it an office or is it a gift? And it seems that like evangelist is both evangelist is a, an actual position of the church. Philip was an evangelist, right? That's what it's called. Um, but it also seems to be a gift as well. So if you're an evangelist, you have the ability, the calling to go preach the gospel, probably to places that I've never heard it. Um, but how do I know? I have the gift of evangelism. Yeah. When, when I preach people trust
Speaker 1 00:02:16 In Christ, you know what I mean? Like, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:02:19 Like God says to Paul, we'll go, go start churches. Well, how do I know that I'm called to go start churches because churches start where I go to places I preached the gospel. People get saved and then churches are birth, you know, like, so you follow the fruit on this stuff. And so what does an evangelist, there's two sides of the coin here. Number one, evangelist is actually a ministry in a church, sort of like an office, sort of like a position where you're called to go do these things, think of like Billy Graham or at least pull out. Right. Um, these are, these are men that are called by God to evangelize and bring the gospel woman can be an evangelist. I'm just, those are the men I was thinking of. Um, you do find throughout history that it seems to be more men who are evangelists.
Speaker 2 00:02:56 I don't know why anecdotally that's just seems be what happens. Um, but then you have people who may not be called to go like to unchurch people, groups, but they have the gift of evangelism. Sure. And so how do I, how do I know? I have the gift. People come to Christ a lot around me. Yeah. Um, there are some people like they they'll just get saved and they'll tell their friends about Jesus and then their friends will believe. Whereas like, there'll be people who are walking, they're walking with the Lord for years. And like they preach the gospel and nobody gets saved. I'll use an example. Do you know how many times in a sermon I've preached the gospel thousands, infinite, unending. Um, and uh, we see people come to Christ, not in droves, like, let's be honest, like member, bill Hybels, right. He seemed to have a gift of evangelism that you would just get up and talk and people would give their life to Christ.
Speaker 2 00:03:50 Uh, it was nuts. And, uh, many of those conversions endured. So like, well, what God gave that guy and a whole bunch of other people, these unusual ability to preach the gospel and people respond. And so like, for example, when, when I teach, I don't know why. I remember when I was in, um, I was 19, I was preaching this, uh, 20. I was preached, my first sermon was so bad. So, so, so bad objectively the worst is there video footage of this I've taped though, which nobody will ever hear. Um, and so I had somebody come up to me afterwards, a few comments were pretty funny, but like, people can come to me. Like, you need to keep doing this. This is good. Yeah. And again, so I'd go back and listen to the tape and be like, no, this is atrocious. I was fumbling all over myself.
Speaker 2 00:04:38 My words weren't clear, but the spirit made himself known, worked in that, despite my lack of skill and the spirit bore fruit, when I would teach at such a young age. And I knew that God was pushing me in that direction. Cause it could follow the fruit and people confirmed it and said, keep doing that. It's the same with the gift of evangelism. Now here's my problem. Ready with controversy? Most of the people that I know that have to get to the evangelism cannot identify anybody in their life has come to Christ in the last five years.
Speaker 1 00:05:11 Interesting.
Speaker 2 00:05:12 Don't know why, but I found is that often people who have the gift of evangelism are actually men who love apologetics.
Speaker 1 00:05:20 Interesting. Hmm. So why do you think that your theological gay Carson said that I'm moody Bible Institute? Yeah. So it
Speaker 2 00:05:30 Was totally, he, uh, he's talking about how every Muslim he's known that's come to faith in Christ has come to faith because God Jesus visited them in a dream and he says, but that in your theological pipe and smoke it and the crowd went nuts,
Speaker 1 00:05:43 Laughed hysterically. But anyways,
Speaker 2 00:05:44 Um, that seems to be a trend. So what is the cause of evangelism? It's, it's calling on your life to preach the gospel and you know, you have, because now what, if you don't have the gift Paul to Timothy, Timothy is not an evangelist. He says, do the work of an evangelist. Yeah. So are you off the hook? Vicky? Of course not. No, because you're a Christian. So do the work of an evangelist. This is what most people need to do. You need to do the work of an evangelist when you share the gospel, but yeah. Evangelists are tricky, tricky, trippy, because man, they just, whatever they do, people come to Christ and I'm like, wow, I'm nuts. So do you know any evangelists?
Speaker 1 00:06:20 And it's absolutely incredible. And sometimes it feels like it's really unfair because you know, you do the work of an evangelist. We were called to do the work of an evangelist. And sometimes we don't see anyone or maybe like one or two here and there and this guy just like one after another, after another it's unbelievable. And it's wonderful. Right. We are praying for as many who hear it. Right. I, yes. Is that wrong? Um, but yeah, it is wonderful. Um, you know, the gift of evangelism, you know, truly is an incredible gift from the Lord and you know, those of us who don't have it, uh, we just keep on keeping up.
Speaker 2 00:06:51 We pray, we do the work of an evangelist. That is our job.
Speaker 1 00:06:54 Yup. For sure. Well, thanks for listening to in village church tune in next time where I'll be answering a few more questions on sermon Q and a, we have a couple more already from the sermon series that we'd love for you to check out <inaudible>.
