Ways to Serve: Evangelism
By Aurora Coldwater
The question at hand asks how young ladies can help the church, but what are we to help with? What does the church do, and how do we, as Christian young ladies, fit into the overall picture of how the church accomplishes those goals? Let’s take a look at what the scriptures have to say on this subject.
So what is the work of the church? Evangelism is one of several commanded works of the church. We are commanded to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Matt. 28:19-20). In the book of Romans, Paul points out that people can’t believe something they haven’t had the opportunity to learn. Our responsibility as the church is to take the saving message of Jesus Christ out into a lost and dying world. Romans 10:14-15 (KJV) says, “How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” As young ladies, our efforts are significant in conducting evangelism. We each have people we encounter every day that no one else within the church may come in contact with, and we can help make a difference in their lives.
So, how can we help the church’s evangelism efforts? It all starts with how we live our lives. Christ commanded His disciples in Matthew 5:16 to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We are to live our lives in such a way that there is no doubt about whose we are. People around us should be able to tell that we are different; when they do, they’ll want to know why. Faithful living not only benefits us, but it also affects souls around us. Our influences make a difference in someone’s life. Let’s make sure they're good.
When we live our lives well and righteously, people will notice, and the good news of Jesus Christ will have more opportunities to spread throughout the world. When we are presented with a chance to teach someone the gospel, we should be prepared and ready to teach them. I Peter 3:15 says this, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” God expects us to be able to show someone why we believe what we believe. We need to study our Bibles. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). However, this does not mean we must have all the verses related to salvation and godly living memorized or that we must always have some type of Bible study material on our person, although that would be fantastic. One practical and easy way to prepare yourself for a situation of this type is to make a file on your phone full of verses relevant to various topics; that way, when you have an opportunity, you have a list of verses you can easily take someone through and show them the truth. This would require some study and time in advance, but it would strengthen your knowledge of the Bible. Another option if you are uncomfortable conducting a study is to ask someone in the church who is more experienced to help you.
So, who are we supposed to evangelize? The answer lies in the cross. Christ died for all mankind, and God desires men everywhere to repent (Hebrews 10:10; Acts 17:30). Jews and Greeks, bond or free, male or female, all people can become a part of God’s church (Galatians 3:28). He shed His blood for you and me, and it is our joy to get to share it with others. There is no individual who does not need the gospel (Romans 3:23; 6:23). It’s not our job to choose who we think would respond best to the gospel; people tend to surprise us. It is simply our job to tell them the good news.
As we go through our lives as young women, let us remember whose we are. We have a job to do. We will know many people throughout our lives who may never otherwise have the opportunity to learn the gospel. Let us serve in the church and live our lives in such a way that they will want to be Christians because they see how amazing it is to be one. Let’s be prepared. People don’t learn the gospel by accident; teaching someone takes conscious effort. Finally, remember there is no sinner so full of sin that Christ cannot empty them of their sin and fill them with His righteousness.