In part 1 we looked at the question, is it enough to evangelize? and the answer was no, we have to pray as well.
For this message I'll be flipping the question around - is it enough to pray, or is there something else we should be doing alongside that as well?
I mentioned that the word evangelize means "to spread or preach the Gospel," or "bring good news." In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ and in the below passages, we find such examples.
Did Jesus go about preaching?
Matthew 4:23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 9:35-38
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Luke 8:1
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God
Luke 4:43
but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Does Jesus expect His disciples (you and I) to preach the gospel?
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Luke 10:1-9
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go ... And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Mark 16:15-19
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned ... So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
Did they fulfill that instruction?
Mark 16:15-20
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned ... So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Acts 5:42
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 8:4
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
Acts 8:5-7
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city.
Acts 13:49
And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.
Acts 14:7
And they were preaching the gospel there.
Acts 14:21-22
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith
Acts 28:30-31
Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
1 Thessalonians 2:9
For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Taking all of the above into consideration, the responsibility and instruction to share the gospel is quite emphatic and I made a decision long ago that I want God's will to be my will, for His desires to be my desires, that what's important to Him will become important to me.
In part 1 I mentioned that God's will and covenant with mankind was so important to Him, that He gave His life for it, and still, continually, offers up His life/covenant ("time", attention, patience, goodness, faithfulness, love & care) towards us, each and every day ... and how, through the act of evangelism, we have the opportunity to share that good news with those who may not be aware of it ... because the only way they're going to know, is if someone tells them:
Romans 10:1-17
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
How then 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 unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The above clearly states that the only way someone will come to know about the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ, is if someone shares this with them. The reason why this passage becomes very relevant today is because, while we are trusting God to bring change to our friends, family and country, we must know that unless someone shares the word of God with them, we cannot expect them to come to the knowledge of the truth.
If all we did was rely on prayer and nobody shared the word of God with others, we'd be like fishermen standing on the shore, looking out onto the ocean with our nets, bait and fishing rods neatly packed in our boats which is still on the sand, all gathered together enjoying our times of praise and worship thanking God for that harvest of fish ... expecting the fish to miraculously come flying out of the sea and into our boats ... and all the while not a single person actually goes out into the sea to attempt to catch something.
So to come back to answering the question, no it's not enough to pray, we have to evangelize as well. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke put it this way, "EVANGELISM WITHOUT PRAYER IS LIKE AN EXPLOSIVE WITHOUT A DETONATOR, AND PRAYER WITHOUT EVANGELISM IS LIKE A DETONATOR WITHOUT AN EXPLOSIVE. WE NEED BOTH."
God's way works because He is the author of life's story and He has set prayer and reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ in motion as a means of allowing others to enter into covenant with Him, where they too renew their minds with His word, knowing His will, loving Him and others, and in turn reaching others with His love and word as well.
Therefore as we seek to walk in love toward those around us, let us trust God to help us build meaningful and lasting relationships so that He can reach others with His word and His love. God has set this in motion my friend, so it definitely becomes something that we rely on Him to help us with ... So let's come on board and do things His way, amen.