Evangelism

Matt. 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I AM with you always, to the very end of the age."

What did Jesus command His disciples to do?

Matt. 10:7-8 As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Luke 9:1-2 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do the miraculous works I have been doing. He will do even greater miraculous works than these, because I am going to the Father.

God wants an army of believers

Trained to evangelize the lost and heal the sick in the power and gifts of His Spirit to bring in the end-time Harvest of souls into His Kingdom

Eph. 4:11-12 It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Jesus’ Kingdom Message and Kingdom Ministry

followed the Old Testament patterns reviewed above. Jesus came bearing the authority of the Kingdom of God in the power of the Spirit. The Kingdom was the in-breaking of God’s dynamic rule and it was the centre of Jesus’ message (“the good news of the Kingdom of God” Luke 4:43).

John 7:16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me.”

John 8:28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

John 12:49-50 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

John 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Kingdom Conflict—We are in a multi-dimensional sin-war

1. Jesus preached the in breaking of God’s Kingdom against Satan’s Kingdom, and we would do well to keep it in mind, because all teaching and training and all doctrine and theology affect and are affected by this Kingdom conflict.

2. When we receive Jesus and put our faith in Him we are born again as God’s children (John 1;12-13), we receive His Holy Spirit (Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13-14), and we come into God’s Kingdom (John 3:3, 16; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14).

3. We are then caught up in a war for human souls between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan (Matt. 11:12; 12:28-29; Mk. 1:15, 21-25, 39; John 12:31; Acts 10:38; Eph. 6:10-18; Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 2:14-15; Jas. 4:7-8; I John 3:8).

4. Satan’s Kingdom is the “The Kingdom of Darkness” (Col. 1:13 “dominion of darkness”). Satan takes advantage of our sinful human nature—“the flesh”—which is already hostile toward the things of God (Gal. 5:16-17). He is the “Spirit that is now at work (Grk. energein “to work, energize”) in those who are disobedient” (Eph. 2:2)—Satan and his demons energize our fallen nature to sin.

5. We are caught in the clash of God’s Kingdom advancing against the Kingdom of Darkness (Matt. 11:12; 12:28), and from Genesis to Revelation, it is a multidimensional sin-war.

6. God’s Kingdom is a “Kingdom of Light” (Col. 1:12)

a. Jesus brought a more powerful Kingdom (Matt. 12:28).

b. Jesus declared war on the oppressor (Luke 4:18-19; Acts 10:38).

c. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8), to reverse sin and the results of sin—lies, inner wounds, sickness, bondage, death, demonization.

d. Jesus defeated Satan:

1. One-on-one in the wilderness temptation (Matt. 4; Luke 4).

2. Over and over again in the healings (e.g., Luke 4:38-41), in casting out demons (e.g. Matt. 12:28), in forgiving sins (e.g., Luke 5:19-20), calming weather (Luke 8:22-25), raising people from the dead (Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44).

3. Through His own death and resurrection (Col. 2:15).

Through preaching and healing Jesus proclaimed the good news of God’s Kingdom

breaking in to free God’s people from the Kingdom of Darkness,