Now we have an understanding that evangelism is simply telling your story, we are going to focus a little more on the word of God.

If we are to be good evangelists we need to have the heart for it and the proper motivation for it. Let me remind you that we start with prayer, but we need to know why we do what we do. So, let’s look at some scriptures from the word of God and let me start by asking you this question.

Have you ever cried for lost souls?

Evangelism in itself is a very exciting ministry, and it can give us a real buzz when we do it. I love visiting in the prison walking round the courtyard and visiting prisoners in their cells. I love talking to people on the streets about Jesus.

But sometimes I have to stop myself and ask myself, if my motivation to do this is right.

Do I do it just because I get a thrill out of doing it, or do I do it because my heart is broken for the lost?

 Now this may seem strange to you that I say this, but I know how subtle the enemy is.  He can fill our hearts with pride.  He can make us think we are doing a good job. 

So I have learned that from time to time I need to check myself. 

The best way to do this of course is to go back to the word of God.

We all know…

“For God so loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 (NLT)

But how many of us know…

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

1 John 3:16 (NLT)

Yes, we know Jesus loved us because he laid his life down for us, but do we love like He loved by laying down our lives, sacrificing, giving of ourselves for others.

I remember on night many years ago at Bible College. I had no idea what I was going to do when I left the College.  All my mates seemed to have a calling. Some were going as missionaries, and some as pastors. I had no idea what God wanted me to do until one night I saw a film.

The Cross and The Switchblade (1970), telling the story of Evangelist and Pastor David Wilkerson.

David Wilkerson felt the call of God to the streets of New York city, to work with young people, drug addicts, and other people with life controlling problems.

After that film I went home and started to pray.

I began to cry and cry.

I had never done this before, I was definitely not a crier, and it was very strange, but I could not stop crying.

I later discovered that God was birthing something in me that would lead me through the rest of my life.

What was happening to me was very much in line with scripture. If you turn in your Bible and read Matthew 23 :37 – 39.

In this portion of scripture, Jesus is looking over the city of Jerusalem.

He sees their waywardness and rejection of God and it breaks His heart.

He was weeping for the lost.

Many times, over these last 40 years God has brought me to that place again and again reminding me that evangelism is about the lost.

We need to have a heart for the lost.

That needs to be our passion, and for some of you maybe starting out in your ministry if you remember nothing else, remember this.

Without the love of God welling up within you, you will never fully complete the work that God calls you to do.

Willis McDowell

I began to work with Teen Challenge after my time at Bible College, and eventually became director of Teen Challenge Northern Ireland, which I led for a number of years.

I don’t know what your particular calling is, but it does not really matter.  What matters is the heart and the motivation behind it.

When God calls us into ministry we need always to be led by the Holy Spirit. This again brings me back to prayer. I said at the very beginning that we should pray for the people we are going to speak to and that is very important.

But it is equally important that you pray for yourself. Pray that God will keep you right. Pray for His protection.

Get together a group of believers who know you and who can become prayer partners in your work. Ask them to pray for guidance and protection for you. Let them know what you are doing, where you are going and ask them to pray specifically for whatever you need at any given moment. The prayers of God’s people will protect you, but it will also make you accountable when you are serving the Lord.

So, every blessing in the work that God calls you to do. There is no greater work than serving the King of King and Lord of Lords.

Be blessed and be a blessing.

In the next part of this series, we will look at how Jesus told His story.

Written by Willis McDowell