Outreach and Evangelsim

Below is a recent article for our newsletter at FBC Bloomfield. Feel free to check out our website

The distinction between outreach and evangelism is not always delineated. When we engage in outreach activities such as our weekend GPS event, we are outreaching in the community. This purpose of the event was to share information with as many people in the community as possible. We shared Gospel information in written form, invitations to our Easter services, an invitation to Team Impact, and an information piece about the church. This is all great and important!

We should not forget however that Outreach IS NOT Evangelism. What we do after these events is most critical. I heard a shocking statistic last week that, “95% of believers in evangelical churches will die without EVER telling a single person about Jesus Christ.”

Evangelism is specifically sharing the claims of Christ. There are three words in Romans chapter 3 that should compel us to share our faith.

1) Justification - In the Greek, justified is a legal term that means “to declare righteousness.” This includes pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin. It carries with it the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believers account.

2) Redemption – In ancient time’s redemption meant paying the necessary ransom to obtain the prisoner or slave’s release. The only adequate payment to redeem sinners was satisfied in the work of Christ on the cross.

3) Propitiation – This is a word that we do not use very often but one that carries extreme significance. This word carries with it the idea of satisfaction. What it means for us is that Christ’s death satisfied the offended holiness and wrath of God.

We do outreach to get out into the community, share information, help people, and build relationships. We evangelize because man is incapable of satisfying God’s justice apart from Christ, except by spending eternity in Hell.

stay off the paved road...

--craig

resource (MacArthur Study Bible)