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Apologetics & Evangelism: The Pastor as Evangelist · Reformed Thinking

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  Welcome curious minds to Reformed thinking.
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  Today we're pulling back the curtain on a topic really
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  central to our faith in our daily life, Christian
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  evangelism. We've gathered some truly
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  insightful sources for this deep dive discussions, historical
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  accounts, practical guides that really unpack what it means to
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  share the good news. Our mission today is to uncover
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  the, you know, the bedrock principles of evangelism, how it
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  functions day-to-day within the church, and how we can respond
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  to the challenges that come up when we proclaim the truth.
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  Yeah, it's a look at not just what evangelism entails, but
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  also the history behind it, the practical actions, and
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  importantly, the mindset needed. We'll examine some specific
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  figures and stories trying to draw out lessons for us today.
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  So, yeah, get ready maybe to gain some fresh perspectives on
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  this vital aspect of our Christian walk.
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  I Defining evangelism. The core message and its reach.
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  OK, let's unpack this a bit before we get into the how to
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  what is evangelism, really? Our sources give us a pretty
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  clear starting point, don't they?
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  They do. At its heart, evangelism is the
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  announcement, the declaration, really, of the person and work
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  of Jesus Christ. And it's specifically on behalf
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  of those who are lost. It's a message that comes with
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  specific content, often broken down into four essential
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  components. Right, these 4 components.
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  Let's walk through those What are.
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  They OK first is who God is. This isn't just acknowledging He
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  exists, but His actual nature, His Holiness, His righteousness,
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  His creative status is the Maker of all things.
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  Understanding His perfection is key.
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  Because that sets the standard. Exactly.
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  Which leads to the second component, who mankind is.
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  This is about our condition, our reality.
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  We we fall short of God's perfect standard.
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  It's about sin, our inherent state of rebellion.
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  The bad news before the good news, essentially.
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  We could say that then the third, the absolute core, is
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  what Christ has done His perfect life, His substitutionary death,
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  dying in our place for our sins, and crucially, his resurrection
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  from the dead. That resurrection proves his
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  victory and his claims. The validation of it all.
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  Absolutely. Without the resurrection, as
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  Paul says, our faith is futile. And finally, the 4th component,
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  what sinners must do to respond. This isn't about earning
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  anything, it's about the necessary response which is
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  belief, trusting in Christ alone, and repentance, turning
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  away from sin towards God. That makes the message itself
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  very clear. Yeah, but how is it delivered?
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  You know, is it just a sermon thing?
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  Our materials seem to describe evangelism as, well, much more
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  than just a scheduled event. That's right, it's portrayed
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  first and foremost as a daily lifestyle that believers live.
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  It's not just something switched on for an outreach event.
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  A lifestyle? How does that look practically?
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  Well, think about conversations and everyday interactions.
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  The sources point to the book of Acts.
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  I think they mentioned at least 18 instances where people are
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  just sharing the good news as they went about their routines.
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  It wasn't confined to the synagogue or a specific meeting.
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  It was part of normal life. So talking to people we already
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  know. Exactly, witnessing to familiar
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  connections, speaking with neighbors, friends, coworkers,
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  family members, but also, you know, your mail carrier, someone
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  at the grocery store, maybe your kids sports coach.
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  It's about being ready to speak in those casual encounters just
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  as much as in established relationships.
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  And this applies to pastors too, not just the congregation.
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  Oh, definitely. There's a strong emphasis on the
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  pastoral example. Pastors themselves are
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  encouraged to model this lifestyle, living as witnesses
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  in their own daily conversations.
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  They set the example for their church members.
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  If the pastor isn't doing it, it's hard to expect the flock to
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  right the pastor as a coach equipping the church for
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  proclamation. OK, so evangelism is this daily
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  rhythm for all believers, but what about those in spiritual
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  leadership roles? How do pastors specifically play
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  their part in fostering this? You mentioned the example, but
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  what about actively, you know, coaching?
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  Right. The coach analogy is quite
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  helpful here. Pastors are often likened to
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  coaches identifying people's spiritual gifts and positioning
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  them to use those gifts for the good of the whole church body.
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  This definitely extends to evangelism in several key ways.
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  So beyond just living it themselves.
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  Yes, that personal lifestyle is foundational.
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  As we said, a pastor fulfills this aspect by personally living
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  an evangelistic life, witnessing in their own everyday
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  interactions. That gives them credibility.
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  But then there's the training and equipping of the
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  congregation. The actual coaching.
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  Part exactly. This means deliberate,
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  intentional training. Pastors are called to equip
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  their people to share the good news effectively with their
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  friends, coworkers, neighbors. It's not just about saying
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  invite people to church, although that's good.
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  It's about offering genuine, deliberate training on how to
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  articulate the gospel clearly. What kind of hindrances does
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  that training help with? Well, things like fear, maybe
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  misconceptions about what evangelism even is, or that
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  feeling that it's only for the Super spiritual or the specially
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  gifted few offering classes or workshops on presenting the
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  gospel can address these. And you know, the very fact that
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  a church offers such training signals that this is an
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  expected, normal part of the Christian life for everyone.
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  That makes sense, it normalizes it.
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  But you mentioned gifts. Is there a distinction between
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  the general call and a specific gift?
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  Yes, the sources make that distinction quite clearly.
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  It's about identifying and empowering the gift of
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  evangelism. There's the task.
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  All Christians are called to share the good news in some way,
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  but then some seem to possess a specific gift of evangelism.
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  How would a pastor spot that? Indicators might be a really
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  strong desire and enthusiasm for it.
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  The sources use the phrase gumho about evangelism might notice
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  certain people consistently bringing non believers to
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  church. Church where they're always
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  asking for prayer for specific people they're witnessing to.
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  It's a noticeable passion and often fruitfulness.
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  And what does the pastor do with those gifted people?
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  Just let them run wild. Well, maybe not run wild.
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  Even the enthusiastic ones might need some coaching, especially
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  if their approaches may be a bit overbearing or obnoxious.
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  As one source put it, the pastor's role is to refine that
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  gift, provide resources, and create opportunities.
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  Maybe leading specific evangelistic outreaches or
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  forming door to door teams, things like that.
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  It's like nurturing any other gift like teaching or helps you
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  equip and release them. OK, so personal example,
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  Training the congregation, nurturing the gifted?
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  What about the Sunday sermon itself?
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  How does that fit into evangelism?
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  Preaching evangelistically, that's another major piece.
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  Sunday services are primarily for equipping believers, yes,
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  but you have to assume non believers will likely be present
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  too. So pastors fulfill an
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  evangelistic function by faithfully presenting the gospel
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  within their sermons. Does that mean every sermon has
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  to be an evangelistic sermon? Not necessarily in the sense of
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  being only focused on conversion, but the idea is that
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  while every Bible text might not explicitly layout all four
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  gospel points, every sermon should integrate the gospel
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  message. As the sermon unfolds, the
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  preacher connects the points from the text back to core
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  gospel truths, humanity, sin, God's holiness, Christ's
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  finished work, definitely including the resurrection and
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  the right response. Even from, say, the Old
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  Testament. Absolutely natural transitions
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  can usually be found. The sources give examples like
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  that story in First Samuel 14 with Jonathan and the honey,
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  Saul's rash vow, Jonathan's unintentional disobedience, the
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  death sentence, the army ransoming him because they were
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  obedient. It's almost too easy to connect
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  that to Christ's work rescuing us from God's just judgement
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  through his obedience. So weaving it in naturally.
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  Yes, and also having a specific part in the sermon, maybe brief,
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  where the gospel is patiently explained simply, clearly, as if
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  for someone hearing it for the very first time.
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  And it shouldn't feel tacked on, like, oh, better put the gospel
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  in at the end. It should flow from the text.
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  And what about calling for a response?
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  Definitely, every sermon can and should include a challenge to
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  respond. This applies to believers
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  calling them to deeper obedience, but it's also a
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  direct invitation to non believers present, an invitation
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  to humble themselves, repent and believe in Christ.
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  But, and this is stressed, the gospel must be clearly explained
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  before that call is given. You can't ask people to respond
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  to something they haven't understood.
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  That clarity is paramount. Are there other practical signs
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  of churches focused on this? One very tangible 1 is
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  prioritizing financial resources.
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  Where a church puts its money often shows its real priorities.
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  Directing funds specifically towards evangelism training,
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  outreach materials, supporting evangelistic efforts shows it's
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  central, not just an afterthought.
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  And the end goal of all this? The end goal is seeing
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  evangelism as part of the bigger picture of disciple making,
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  leading to replication. It's the Great Commission,
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  right? Go make disciples, baptized
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  them. Teach them to obey everything
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  commanded, including the command to go and make disciples
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  themselves. So new converts should
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  eventually be taught and equipped to share the gospel to
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  it completes the circle. 3 historical examples of Gospel
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  proclamation. OK, we've laid out the
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  principles, the definitions, the roles.
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  Let's see these ideas in action. Our sources bring up two really
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  compelling historical figures, Peter in the New Testament and a
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  man named John Barrage. Yes, absolutely.
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  These two give us great illustrations, though from very
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  different times and contexts. Yeah, but you see that same core
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  message coming through. Let's start with Peter X10, his
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  sermon to the Gentiles. Why is this one so significant?
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  Well, its significance is huge, really. 1st, it's the first
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  recorded instance of the Gospel being preached directly to
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  Gentiles. Up to this point in Acts, the
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  focus had been primarily on Jewish audiences.
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  This happens in the House of Cornelius, a Roman centurion.
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  And it's Peter doing it, not Paul, who we often think of as
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  the apostle to the Gentiles. Right, that's interesting too.
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  Paul had been active preaching in synagogues and debating
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  Hellenists back in Acts 9, but the specific content of his
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  message wasn't detailed in the sources we looked at for this
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  section. So this sermon by Peter, it's a
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  key moment showing the gospel breaking out of its Jewish
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  cradle. It underscores the universal
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  reach of God's salvation plan. It wasn't just for one people
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  group. And for Peter personally, this
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  must have been a massive shift in perspective.
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  Oh absolutely. Remember, God had to prepare him
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  with that vision of the unclean animals beforehand.
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  It was showing him that God doesn't operate with the same
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  human distinctions and barriers. So what was the actual content
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  of his message to Cornelius and his household?
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  Did he change it up for a gentile audience?
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  The core message was the same, but the starting point was
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  slightly different. Acknowledging their context, He
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  begins by declaring His new understanding.
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  Truly, I understand that God shows no partiality, but in
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  every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is
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  acceptable to him. That sets a universal stage
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  immediately. Addressing the US versus them
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  mentality head on. Exactly.
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  Then he talks about the message God sent to Israel, the good
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  news of peace through Jesus Christ, adding significantly He
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  is Lord of all. He recounts Jesus life, how God
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  anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power, how he went
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  about doing good, healing those oppressed by the devil because
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  God was with him. So establishing Jesus
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  credentials, his work, yes. And then Peter emphasizes the
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  Apostolic witness. We are witnesses of all that he
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  did. He doesn't shy away from the
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  crucifixion. They put him to death by hanging
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  him on a tree, but then comes the declaration of the
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  resurrection. But God raised him on the third
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  day and made him to appear to us who had been chosen by God as
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  witnesses. He even mentions eating and
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  drinking with the risen Christ, stressing the physical reality
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  of it. That first hand witness is
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  powerful. It is, and Peter explains their
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  Commission. Jesus commanded us to preach and
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  to testify that He is the one appointed by God to be judge of
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  the living and the dead. Then comes the call to faith,
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  grounded in prophecy to Him. All the prophets bear witness
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  that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins
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  through His name. So it clearly hits those 4
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  components we talked about earlier.
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  God, man implied in the need for forgiveness, Christ's work,
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  life, death, resurrection, judgement and the response
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  belief for forgiveness. Precisely.
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  It's a clear, concise presentation of the Gospel, and
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  the immediate result, the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles
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  as Peter was still speaking, was divine confirmation.
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  A really pivotal moment. Now let's jump forward many
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  centuries to John Barrage. His story sounds quite
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  different. Very different context, yes, but
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  equally compelling. John Barrage lived from 1716 to
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  1793 in England. His early life is interesting,
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  exposed to John's gospel daily by a neighbor influenced by a
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  Christian, Taylor. He became this brilliant
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  smaller, apparently the best language scholar in the world at
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  the time, people traveling across Europe to learn Greek and
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  Hebrew from him. But despite all that knowledge,
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  he wasn't actually a believer initially.
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  So he was learned, even ordained, but didn't have
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  personal faith. Seems so.
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  When he first became a pastor, he preached what the sources
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  call moralism. You know, sermons against
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  stealing, adultery, lying, basically be good.
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  But this approach was described as completely powerless.
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  His church dwindled. He was the pastor nobody wanted.
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  Ouch. What changed?
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  His turning point came around 1754.
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  He was struck by a verse about fleeing the wrath to come and
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  realized his moralistic preaching wasn't the gospel at
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  all. It wasn't dealing with sin and
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  salvation through Christ. The story goes that the Saturday
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  night he truly became a Christian, he gathered all his
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  old sermon notes, took them out to the church here the next
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  morning, and burned them publicly.
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  Wow, that must have gotten people's attention.
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  You can imagine it drew a huge crowd and from that point on,
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  once Barrage started preaching the actual gospel, Christ
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  crucified and risen for sinners, his church just exploded.
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  People came from all over, apparently ignoring Anglican
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  rules about only attending your local parish.
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  So the message itself made the difference.
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  Clearly, he even started doing open air preaching from his
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  front porch in the mornings. The sources say crowds of
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  upwards of 20,000 people would gather from across England to
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  hear him. This was radical for an
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  established Anglican clergyman. Back then.
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  People like Whitefield and Wesley were doing it, but often
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  faced pushback from the church hierarchy.
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  He must. Have been quite focused.
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  Extremely. He famously said he only
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  preached in two seasons, in season and out of season.
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  His motto essentially was preach nothing down but the devil and
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  nothing up but Jesus Christ. Just that singular concentration
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  on the core message. Sin originates with the devil.
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  Salvation comes only through Christ.
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  And this carried on right to the end.
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  Right to his gravestone he wrote his own epitaph, which is
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  basically a final sermon. It reads, Reader, art thou born
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  again? No salvation without new birth.
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  That it gives his testimony. Born and sin, 1716.
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  Ignorant until 1730. Lived proudly on faith and works
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  until 1754. Fled to Jesus alone in 1756.
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  Fell asleep in Christ 1793. It's a standing witness.
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  That's incredible, A sermon from the grave.
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  It really is, and it highlights how his life and message were
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  intertwined. Even reflecting on his own pride
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  on his deathbed shows that humility that comes from
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  grasping the gospel. It reminds us that our lives
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  need to align with the message we share for navigating the
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  field, responding to objections and rejection.
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  So the message is clear. We've seen powerful examples,
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  but let's be honest, sharing the gospel isn't always met with
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  open arms. What happens when people push
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  back, ask hard questions, or just flat out reject the
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  message? Our sources offer some practical
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  guidance here, right? Yes, this is definitely where
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  things that practical you could say and it starts with
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  understanding our rule correctly.
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  The sources use this really vivid analogy, the evangelist as
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  a Roman ambassador. Not like a modern diplomat
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  though. No, definitely not.
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  Think ancient Rome. This ambassador was sent to a
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  province that was in rebellion. Their job wasn't to negotiate or
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  compromise. They carried a non negotiable
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  message from the Emperor. Put down your weapons, submit to
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  the appointed governor. Period.
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  High stakes. Very, and usually this
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  ambassador was followed by the army.
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  Rejecting the ambassador's message meant you were rejecting
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  the Emperor and the consequences, the wrath of the
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  country were coming. They couldn't change the message
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  one bit to make it more palatable.
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  So how does that apply to us? Paul uses this image in Second
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  Corinthians. We are ambassadors for Christ.
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  We carry his message, reconciliation with God through
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  him. We don't have the authority to
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  alter that message. We urge people on Christ's
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  behalf be reconciled to God. It frames our task.
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  Faithful delivery, not negotiation.
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  OK, that clarifies the role. It takes some pressure off the
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  outcome, maybe, but what about the actual experience of
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  rejection? How do we handle that?
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  When is it OK to just stop the conversation?
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  That's a key question. Your primary responsibility is
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  delivering a clear, understandable presentation of
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  the gospel. The results ultimately belong to
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  God. You plant the seed.
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  He gives the growth, maybe much later.
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  So when should you conclude? Generally when the Gospel is
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  clearly mocked or definitively rejected.
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  Like Jesus telling the disciples to shake the dust off their
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  feet. Exactly that principle, if
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  someone is firmly set in their rejection, shows no openness, no
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  desire to turn from sin. It's often wise to move on and
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  focus efforts elsewhere. If you've explained this for
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  components and they clearly say Nope, not interested, or I don't
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  want that, then it's OK to end the conversation there.
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  You've delivered the message. You can't argue someone into the
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  Kingdom. What if they're just sort of on
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  the fence, not rejecting but not accepting either?
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  If someone is ambivalent, maybe just wrestling with it, you can
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  continue to pray for them. Be persistent.
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  Gently help them see that indecision in the face of truth
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  is effectively a no for no. But again, use discernment.
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  Don't let one person become a black hole absorbing all your
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  time if there's no genuine seeking.
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  Are there things we definitely shouldn't do when facing
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  rejection? Yes, a couple of big ones.
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  First, do not on you. Getting into heated debates
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  usually backfires. It hardens hearts and can damage
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  your witness, making you seem combative, not compassionate.
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  Meekness and humility in response can be far more
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  powerful. Second, do not take rejection
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  personally unless you are being obnoxious or unloving.
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  They're rejecting the message, Christ Himself, not you
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  personally. This can feel harder with family
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  or close friends where it feels like they're rejecting you or
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  the changes in your life, but strive to ensure the offense is
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  the gospel itself, not your personality.
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  OK, so no arguing, don't take it personally.
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  What should we do after a rejection, especially if it's
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  someone we'll see you again? Keep praying for them for their
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  turning, and live consistently. Live out the love and character
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  of Christ before them. Maintain the relationship if
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  possible, especially with family and friends.
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  Let your life back up your words.
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  Keep the door open. How do you do that practically?
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  Be available. You can say something like OK, I
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  understand this isn't something you want right now, but if you
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  ever do have questions or want to talk more about it, please
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  know you can come back to me. You're leaving the door open
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  without pressure. Is it ever appropriate to give a
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  warning? That sounds tricky.
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  It is tricky and requires great care and the right heart
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  attitude. It is acceptable, according to
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  the sources, to end by stating clearly but gently that what
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  you've shared is God's only way of salvation, and rejecting it
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  has eternal consequences. But if you do this, you must
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  explain your motive, that it comes from love and genuine
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  concern for their eternal well-being, not from judgment or
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  superiority. It's the most loving thing to
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  warn someone if their house is on fire, right?
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  But the tone has to be a one of compassion.
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  That makes sense. Now, what about specific
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  objections people raise? Sometimes those can derail the
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  whole conversation before you even get the gospel out.
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  That happens a lot. First, always remember the
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  source of your message. It's God's Word.
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  You're his ambassador. You can't change it.
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  Second, often it's helpful to gently say, that's a really good
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  question, can we come back to it?
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  I'd like to just finish explaining the core message.
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  First, sometimes hearing the full gospel actually answers or
• 19:50
  diminishes the initial objection.
• 19:52
  And 3rd, a big one. Never invent answers.
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  If you don't know, say you don't know, but you'll find out and
• 19:58
  get back to them. That builds trust.
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  OK, let's tackle some common ones, the sources mentioned.
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  What about the classic? What about those who've never
• 20:05
  heard the gospel? Yes, the remote tribe question.
• 20:08
  A common tactic is to gently redirect it back to the person
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  asking. You can use Romans 3.23 all have
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  sin to establish that everyone everywhere is accountable to God
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  because of sin. Then you can say.
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  The real question for you though is that you have heard it.
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  Now if this message is true, what will you do with it?
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  John 14.6 Jesus being the only way is relevant here too.
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  It shifts from the hypothetical to their personal
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  responsibility. OK, what about the problem of
• 20:34
  evil? Why does evil exist?
• 20:37
  If God is good and powerful, why doesn't he stop it?
• 20:40
  Explain that evil stems from sin, humanity's rebellion
• 20:44
  against God's good law in a world that's now fallen, God
• 20:48
  could wipe out all evil instantly by wiping out everyone
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  because everyone has sinned. Affirm that evil cannot exist in
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  God's perfect presence, which is why heaven will be free from it.
• 20:59
  It's important not to suggest God is unable to stop evil, but
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  rather that He allows it for his own sovereign purposes, which
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  ultimately display his justice and His grace even more clearly,
• 21:09
  often bringing good out of terrible situations like the
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  cross itself. How about everyone will be saved
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  eventually or God will accept me if I'm basically a good person?
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  Recognize those as universalism or just a common cultural idea,
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  but one that isn't biblical. Gently point out that the Bible
• 21:25
  teaches salvation is only through faith in Christ and that
• 21:28
  our goodness fall short of God's perfect holiness.
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  It's not about being good enough, it's about needing God's
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  grace through Jesus. The Bible is full of errors.
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  Objection. The sources suggest a
• 21:39
  surprisingly direct approach here.
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  Hand the person your Bible and politely ask.
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  Could you show me one? I'd be interested to see it.
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  Often people have just heard this claim but haven't
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  investigated it themselves. They usually can't .1 out.
• 21:52
  It puts the burden of proof back on them, but gently while
• 21:55
  showing your own confidence inscription.
• 21:57
  What if someone just says I don't believe God exists?
• 22:00
  The sources tend to view this often as more of a moral or
• 22:03
  volitional issue than a purely intellectual one.
• 22:07
  It might stem from not wanting to be accountable to God.
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  While you can share evidences, the core need is for God to open
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  their heart. So keep praying and sharing the
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  gospel message itself, which has its own power.
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  We can't really know what happens when we die.
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  You can actually agree with part of that.
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  You're right. Left to ourselves, we can't know
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  for sure. Only God knows and only God can
• 22:26
  reveal it, then transition. And the good news is He has
• 22:30
  revealed it in Scripture. Then you can share what the
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  Bible teaches about death, judgement, heaven, and hell.
• 22:36
  And the last one may be the most frequent Christians are
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  hypocrites. Yeah, that's common.
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  The best approach is often just to agree.
• 22:44
  You're absolutely right. Christians are hypocrites.
• 22:46
  We still sin, even though we shouldn't clarify that.
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  The standard isn't Christians. The standard is Christ's
• 22:53
  perfection. You could even use that line.
• 22:56
  Jesus came for the sick, not the healthy.
• 22:58
  This church is full of sick people trying to get well, which
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  is why you'd fit right in. It disarms the objection while
• 23:04
  pointing back to the need for grace.
• 23:05
  And it's also a challenge for us believers to live more
• 23:08
  consistently out true. Wow, that was quite a deep dive
• 23:12
  into the call to share the good news.
• 23:14
  From really nailing down the gospel message itself to how it
• 23:17
  plays out daily, how pastors equipped the church, and those
• 23:20
  powerful stories of Peter and John Barrage.
• 23:23
  It's clearly such a central part of our faith.
• 23:25
  It really is. And looking at how to handle
• 23:27
  those objections and rejections, remembering we're ambassadors
• 23:30
  just delivering the King's message.
• 23:32
  That's key. The challenge always is to make
• 23:35
  sure that if there's any offense, it's the message
• 23:37
  itself, the cross and not, you know, our poor attitude or
• 23:39
  clumsy presentation. That leads to maybe a final
• 23:42
  thought for you, our listener, to Mull over.
• 23:44
  If that ultimate goal is replication, new believers
• 23:47
  learning to share the gospel themselves, what does that
• 23:51
  really tell us about the inherent power and truth of the
• 23:53
  message, even when it's difficult?
• 23:56
  And how should that knowledge shape how we interact with
• 23:59
  people every single day, knowing we're part of this ongoing
• 24:02
  chain? That's a great question to
• 24:03
  ponder, something to really sit with as you think about how
• 24:06
  these truths might apply in your own life, your own
• 24:09
  conversations. Well, thank you for joining us
• 24:11
  for this deep dive. Until next time on reformed
• 24:14
  thinking, keep seeking, keep learning, and keep asking those
• 24:17
  big questions.