EVANGELISM
CLASS
FOUR(A)
PART 1/
INTRODUCTION
Evangelism refers to reaching someone else with the message that you have believed and which changed your life, with the intention that it will change their life also.
We often refer to this as “Soul Winning”. However our Man of God made a powerful explanation that what many do amounts to “Soul Saving” but what is required to complete the job is “Soul Winning”!
So don’t stop at “saving” the soul, you must complete the work by “winning” the soul.
The commandment of the Lord in Matt 28:19-20 is very instructive on this,
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
We can see that the Lord doesn’t want us to just preach or witness, but to teach and raise disciples.
It is just like when a woman gives birth to a child, the work is not over. She can’t give birth and then abandon the child. It is expected she will bring the child home, to be raised.
This is the important focus of Evangelism in these last days. It is not enough to witness, we must teach and disciple those we reach with the gospel. This is the command of the Lord.
This is exactly what is happening to you now!
So when you begin your work of saving souls, focus on bringing them to your own Christ Embassy Church or send them to the Christ Embassy Church in the city or country, where they live. So that the work of soulwinning can start.
And to help you retain this consciousness of “soulwinning”, our Ministry Platform (SOULTRACKER) is available for recording your work of soul winning in a structured way.
We will watch a short tutorial on how to sign up, and use the SOULTRACKER towards the end of this Class
PURPOSE FOR EVANGELISM
Everything God does is for a purpose. And when you have clarity on the purpose of God for soul winning, all excuses, confusion, hesitation perish. Purpose brings conviction.
When God saves you, He makes you His partner in saving others. There is no honour greater than this. To be involved in bringing the message of God’s plan of salvation to others.
In 2 Cor 5:17-18 we see this amazing truth, that we must accept and live by.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
It is a Ministry given to us by God. No man can give you a Ministry. Men may give you a job. Only God can give you a Ministry. All the Presidents and Governments of the world cannot appoint you to this Ministry, or make you a Soulwinner. Only God can. And this is why you must be forever grateful you have received this Ministry of Reconciliation.
“You are a Minister of Reconciliation”. Say it. “I am a Minister of Reconciliation”.
EVANGELISM IS MY PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
For a long time, many have had the wrong impression that evangelism is for some people and not for some people. Some think maybe it is for the pastors or evangelists or some people in the church who are not very busy.
This is an error that the devil has used to rob many from living the beautiful and exciting life God prepared for them as soul winners.
As we have seen from 2Cor 5:17-18, evangelism, the ministry of reconciliation, is for every Christian. Once you are saved, God wants you to join Him in saving others.
You must not let the blessing stop with you! You have a responsibility to tell those in your world.
GOD EQUIPS YOU FOR THIS WORK
In Acts 1:8 and Eph 4:11-13, we see two very important scriptures that show us how the Lord Himself made provision for us to be equipped as effective witnesses and soulwinners.
Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Eph 4:11-12 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”
Note the underlined portions carefully. This is glorious!
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION
In a PastorChrisLive Segment during one of our Communion Services, someone asked the question “will a Christian that doesn’t win souls go to heaven?”
The real question is why should a Christian not want to win souls?
If truly you have received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, why will you not do the very thing He asked you to do, which is tell others about Him so they can also be saved as you have been saved?!
See what Jesus said in Matt 12:30 (msg)
“This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.”
So if He really is your Lord, you do what He said. You join Him in His mission and work. You should not be seating in the place of disobedience. This is wisdom!
Prov11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Dan 12:3 “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.”
Rom 10:15 “.... How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Don’t you want these to be your testimony?!
And just see this scripture below, which should settle all controversy!
2Cor 5:14-15
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
If He is truly your Savior, you shouldn’t be trying to do less for Him, you should be living your whole life for Him! Hallelujah!
THE SUPREME ADVANTAGE OF THE SOULWINNER
As you begin your ministry of reconciliation, and winning others, the adversary (satan) will try to use different things to stop you or slow you down. Our Lord Jesus warned of this in several scriptures (eg Luke 21:34).
But your secret and guarantee of an effective, ever fervent, dynamic and fruitful life of soulwinning is the Holy Spirit.
First is to receive Him, and second is to be continuously filled with Him.
In Acts1:8, our Lord Jesus told the disciples to wait until they receive the Holy Spirit. If they needed Him, you also need Him.
And in Eph 5:18-19, the scriptures tell us to be ever full of the Spirit. Remember we discussed this in Class 2. This is your secret. If you are full of the Holy Spirit, you will have a dynamic lifestyle of soulwinning.
We will see more of this below.
PART 2
7 STEPS TO PERFECTING SOULWINNING
These are 7 Steps, given us by our Man of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that will take your work of soulwinning to perfection.
We will just read the 7 Steps and then the full text of each will be made available to you, for Take Home Assignment #1 for this Class.
STEP 1: BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
The expression “be filled with the Spirit” refers to being loaded, fully imbued or abundantly fortified, satisfied and complete with the power of the Spirit. The fact that you’ve received the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean you’ll always be full of Him. You must continually practice being filled with Him.
This is the first step to perfecting your soul winning efforts. You must be afire, aglow, enthusiastic and full of zeal about the Kingdom. Romans 12:11 (AMP) says: “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.” This is what happens to you when you are filled with Spirit.
When you’re constantly filled with the Spirit and overflowing with His fullness, you won’t need to try to muster boldness to say or do things. No! Whenever you open your mouth to speak, you’ll speak the wisdom of God; words that are divinely inspired, because you’re full of the Holy Ghost.
As highlighted in our opening verse, to get yourself filled with the Spirit, you speak to yourself in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs! And consciously talk, sing, and make melody of the Word, in your heart, to the Lord! Then give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a simple but very profound instruction given to us by the Spirit through Apostle Paul, and if you’ll practice it constantly and consistently, you will experience the blessings thereof.
Hallelujah!!!
STEP 2: HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15).
Having a clear understanding of the Gospel is vital to effectively communicate it. Otherwise, you’d preach the gospel alright, but your message will not produce the best results. Sadly, there are many Christians around the world that don’t have a clear understanding of the Gospel, hence their effectiveness in soul winning is impeded.
“The Gospel, in a nutshell, is that in Christ’s substitutionary vicarious death, my sins were remitted; and in His resurrection and new birth, I resurrected”
We’ve made available a wealth of teaching materials that give in-depth an explanation of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. You can get these materials on the Pastor Chris Digital Library to enhance your comprehension of the Gospel. The Rhapsody of Realities is one important material that’ll also help build your understanding of the Gospel of Christ.
For many years, as I studied the Scriptures and as the Holy Ghost ministered to me, I would write down my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I did that over and over again. Consequently, it was easier for me to run through it, analyze it and effectively communicate it. I encourage you to do the same for yourself. At different times, write down your understanding of the Gospel and compare it with the Scriptures. This will help you analyze, review, clarify and communicate the Gospel more effectively.
STEP 3: EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:7).
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus instructed us to ‘teach all nations…’ This means to make disciples of all nations. We make this happen by explaining the Gospel. This is where your personal understanding of the Gospel comes to play; you can’t explain it if you don’t have an understanding of it.
There’s a difference between preaching the Gospel and explaining the Gospel. When we preach the Gospel, it is an announcement of what Jesus came to do – to give us liberty from sin, disease, infirmity, darkness, death and the devil. It is an announcement of the blessings, inheritance, righteousness, healing and all that Christ has made available.
But in explaining the Gospel, we expound it so that our hearers know what it entails. If you don’t explain the Gospel to them, they may not understand what it means. Remember, your explanation of the Gospel is hinged on your own understanding of the Gospel.
STEP 4: LEAD THEM INTO SALVATION (THE CONFESSION)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Do you realize that sometimes, Christians preach the gospel, and explain it, but don’t actually lead the hearers into salvation? When you preach the gospel and explain it, you’ve got to give the hearers an opportunity to come into Christ; you have to lead them into salvation. That’s the essence of your evangelism. How do you lead someone into salvation?
The Bible declares: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). You lead a person into salvation by helping them in the confession of the Lordship of Jesus
After you share the gospel with someone or a group of people, you must then proceed to ask if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and when they believe, you lead them in the confession of the lordship of Jesus.
Romans 10:10 gives us the principle: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” So when one believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, the righteousness of God is imparted into that individual, but he is only catapulted into salvation upon the confession of the Lordship of Jesus.
STEP 5: RECEIVE THEM INTO GOD’S FAMILY (THE AWARENESS)
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:12-13)
Many times, we preach the Gospel and fail to receive those we lead to Christ into God’s family. Imagine a woman who gives birth to a child at the hospital and leaves the baby there; wouldn’t she be remiss in her duty as a mother? Absolutely! She’s expected to take her child home and bring the child into a family. In the same vein, when you lead someone to Christ, that individual is like a babe that’s been born into God’s family, and hence should be brought to Church to fellowship with other Christians.
All those that come to Christ need to know where they are now; they need to know that they’ve been translated from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. They have to become aware of their new environment; God’s Kingdom; His very presence. They must be brought into the awareness of their new place; their new home and that they are now in Christ Jesus – that’s what it means to receive them into the family God.
This is why you must ensure they are brought to Church. The Bible tells us that the Church is the pillar and ground of truth: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The only place to hear the voice of truth and encouragement is the Church.
The Church is a place of refuge and security. They must be stable members of a local church; preferably the local assembly you are a part of, because there, you can take them on the next step – Introduce them to the Church’s mentorship program.
STEP 6: INTRODUCE THE CHURCH’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The Church has a mentorship program. Their membership in a local church is a strong support system for their spiritual growth and effectiveness in the Kingdom of God. You must ensure that they are nurtured, taught and brought in the way of the Lord.
Matthew 28:19-20 says “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen”
Now that our new converts have come to the Lord, we have to teach them to observe and to do all things that Jesus taught us to do; the things that the Holy Spirit has revealed to us through the Scriptures. The Church teaches these things to build and mentor the Christian.
The church runs its mentorship program through various structures such as the cell system, foundation school, activity departments, and the various levels of leadership and responsibilities that the new convert passes through in the house of God. All these activities help build the Christian, mentoring the individual until they become a fully mature Christian and dependable leader.
The Soul Tracker app is a platform we have created to help you monitor and keep tabs on new converts as they participate in the Church’s mentorship program. Make sure you take advantage of this platform.
STEP 7: RELEASE THEM INTO LEADERSHIP
Maturity is for responsibility. Maturity is not an end in itself; it is for responsibility; it is for ministry. Therefore, when we mentor people to a stage of maturity where they can be a blessing to others, we release them into leadership.
Our work of soul winning is not done until that individual we have won has grown to a level of maturity where he or she has taken the responsibility of winning others to the Lord.
In raising others, we teach them to copy us; to do the things we have taught them to do. Jesus taught His disciples to do the things that He was doing, He also charged them to teach others, “…teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20).
Carefully following these seven steps will enable you carry out ministry effectively and produce the right results.
JOIN THIS CHARIOT
If your work of evangelism is a Ministry as we said in the early part of this Class, then how do you combine it with your job as a teacher, tailor, doctor, lawyer, nurse, business man? How do you find time in your busy schedule? Is it ok to limit your evangelism to weekends when you not very busy? How do you win souls in the office?
Such questions that have troubled many over the years, and made them settle for less, have been answered in this Book which reveals the wisdom of God for you to be an effective and busy soulwinner in a busy world!
Assignment #2 for this Class is to Read the Book, and answer the questions at end of each Chapter (in the book), and bring your completed Book to the class next week.
TUTORIAL ON HOW TO USE SOULTRACKER
SOULTRACKER is our Ministry Platform for you to Track and Monitor your efforts and results in your personal soul winning.
You need it. So after this tutorial, you will sign up and begin to use from today.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Read the explanations of the Seven Steps to Perfecting Soulwinning
2. Get your Personal Copy of “Join This Chariot” Read it, and answer the questions at end of each Chapter (in the Book), and bring your completed Book to the class next week.
3. Reach out to 2 people and bring them to church next week. Submit their names at the next class. Note any challenge or testimony you encountered, and share with us.
INTRODUCTION TO CELL MINISTRY
CLASS
FOUR (B)
The Objective of this Class is to introduce the Foundation School Student to the necessity and benefits of the Cell Ministry and also make clear his/her responsibility to participate and contribute.
The Cell Ministry is a potent strategy for producing the results of Eph 4:11-16 where every member grows, every member matures and every member supplies to the growth of the Church.
At some point during the Class, Two previous Students who are now vitally involved in the Cell Ministry should be brought in to testify of the efficacy of the Cell Ministry in their own personal journey of growth and relevance.
SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THE CELL MINISTRY
1. The Cell Ministry is a strategy of the Spirit given to us by our Man of God.
2. The Cell Ministry provides a tested, proven and scripturally based Roadmap to win new converts, build them, and send them.
3. The Cell Ministry is not one of the programs of the Church, it is how the Church grows via the growth and development of every member. Our Pastor and President is the leader of the Cell Ministry. He hosts all Cell Leaders across the Ministry to a yearly Conference to sharpen, impart and equip; and is also the custodian of the Cell Manual and provider of the Weekly Bible Study Outlines used by every Cell in the Loveworld Nation.
4. The Cell Ministry is not optional. There is no substitute to it. The advantage and benefits it is designed to deliver to the member cannot be obtained in any other way. The Cell Ministry is necessary for the orderly and stable growth of the Christian.
5. The Cell Ministry is the same across all our Churches in the Loveworld Nation. There are no versions. The Cell Ministry in every Church is the same Cell Ministry, it works.
6. The Cell Ministry transcends the peculiarity of any Individual, Location or Human systems because it is of God, and has overcome all barriers. When properly executed, the Cell Ministry produces predictable results of growth and maturity in the Members.
7. The Cell Ministry ensures no member is left behind in the Church. It is a master strategy for ensuring every member is known, well cared for and looked after. It is an effective System that guarantees that every member receives adequate Pastoral Care, however large the Church is.
8. The Cell Ministry provides every member an effective platform to develop and express their Christianity and render service to the Church and to their world.
9. Participation in and development through the Cell Ministry is a pre-requisite for a member to be considered for leadership responsibilities in the Church.
10. The Cell Ministry is designed to produce continuous growth through the multiplication of Cells. It doesn’t allow stagnancy.
WHAT IS A CELL?
A Cell is the basic Fellowship and Outreach Unit of the Church. It provides an avenue for soul winning by the members and soul development of the members. It is usually made up of 5-25 members at one time.
The Cell constantly grows through the addition of more members by evangelism, and therefore constantly produces new Cells. The Cell belongs to the Church and is connected to the Church.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A CELL?
We have a Manual which provides guidance and knowledge on the appropriate activities that should happen in a Cell. Every Cell Leader is well trained in the use and right application of the Manual.
Over time you may hear the phrases “Cell Ministry” and “Cell System” being used interchangeably and wonder what is the difference? Simply put, the Cell System (which refers to the Cell System Manual) is the System for conducting the Cell Ministry.
Now, before we review the activities that happen in a Cell, let us restate that the primary purpose of a Cell is growth. If a Cell is not growing, it is not functioning. So the activities of a Cell are not meant to be an end in themselves but aimed to produce growth of each member, addition of members and consequently, multiplication of the Cell.
It is a righteous expectation that every Cell, without exception, should grow and reproduce itself in a short matter of time.
When the Cell System is applied, unstoppable growth will occur.
ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN IN A CELL
1. Prayer
2. Bible Study
3. Love and Pastoral Care
4. Evangelism to the Cell’s defined catchment and Outreaches to same or regions beyond
5. Addition of New Members
6. Visitations
7. Follow-up, Retention and Recovery (as required)
8. Nurturing and Training of members
9. Member Assignments and Responsibilities
10. Growth and Multiplication
11. Leadership Development and Mentoring
12. Supply of Leadership to the Church
13. Effecting Instructions from the Pastor to every Member
14. Demonstration of Love to one another and Christian Maturity
15. Celebrations
16. Support in times of Need
17. Protection of Members
The Cell System provides a proper structure for these activities to happen, and for every member to be a provider and a beneficiary of these.
SUMMARY OF THE CELL SYSTEM STRUCTURE
1. Every Cell meets once a Week. Every meeting should have first timers (won and invited by the members)
2. Meetings usually take place in a conducive Venue outside the Church premises, that allows the Meeting to be accessible to the unconverted also
3. There are 4 Types of Meetings namely,
a. Prayer and Planning Meeting where all members of the Cell and first timers are present to pray and plan for the Cell’s activities for the Month, including assigning of targets and responsibilities to each member.
b. Bible Study Meeting 1, where each member participates in an exciting and deep study with the Outline from our President.
c. Bible Study Meeting 2, same as above, Part 2.
d. Outreach Meeting, where the Cell harvests large numbers of souls in a special evangelical meeting.
4. Every Cell has Officials chosen from among the members, namely the Cell Leader, Bible Study Class Teachers and Cell Executives (such as Cell Secretary, Venue Officer). These positions are occupied by members of the Cell, and provide valuable opportunity for leadership training and development.
5. Every member of the Cell attends the Meetings and brings new members or converts to every Meeting. This is a key privilege of every member. The honour of winning and bringing new members to the Cell.
6. Cell Reports are submitted to the Church every Week so that all activities and happenings in the Cell are well received and attended by the Pastor, as required.
7. Cell Leaders meet with the Pastor every Week, so there is proper guidance, training and direction for every Cell
HOW DO I JOIN A CELL AND WHICH CELL DO I JOIN?
In most Churches, we have different Cell Types to fit the diverse demographics of the Church Members, and new converts being won to the Church.
So, we have Cells that are organized along age groups, vocations, geographical location, residential or other special considerations.
The objective of the different types is to ensure maximum care, growth for the members and ability to reach and nurture new converts.
As a new member, you can join a Cell in the following ways:
1. Join the Cell of the Church Member who won you to his/her Cell Meeting and brought you to the Church
2. If you came to the Church directly, and not through a Cell, then the Pastor or his/her designated Official will put you in a Cell best suited for your participation, growth and development
LIVE TESTIFIERS SEGMENT
(As mentioned in the Introduction at the top)
CONCLUDING CHARGE
The Cell System is God’s advantage and recipe for your orderly development as a Christian. Your participation is a testimony of wisdom and humility. Wisdom in trusting your Pastor who said this is what you need, and humility in yielding to the Holy Spirit who gave us the Strategy.
The Cell Ministry has produced multitudes of leaders across every level in our great Nation, has never failed and will not fail with you.
Give yourself to it fully, enjoy it, rejoice in it, be grateful for it, and contribute to it.
(1 Cor 15:58)