Rector’s Reflections
Wednesday 1st May 2024
Philip the Deacon Gives a Masterclass in Evangelism
I think it would be generally agreed that before we start a piece of work, it is good to have a plan. A plan helps us make the most of the resources we have available, and we are much more likely to achieve the goal we have in mind if we follow a plan.
This general truth applies in evangelism. It is good to start with a plan – the plan can of course be changed along the way, in the light of developments and new opportunities, but it is good to have something definite in mind at the start of our evangelistic endeavours.
Philip the Deacon would definitely agree on the importance of plans, but he would add three further points on the subject. For Philip, effective evangelism isn’t simply about having a plan- it’s about having the right sort of plan.
To start with, while it is important that we make our plans, our plans are actually only of secondary importance. The primary plan is the plan made by God. We need to make sure that our evangelistic plans fit in with the over-arching plan which has been established by God. What is this over-arching plan? Luke expresses it very clearly in verse 8 of chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles. In this passage, Jesus gives the following instruction to the Apostles:” you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. So God’s plan for evangelism is that we will go to the “ends of the earth” to be witnesses to Jesus, and we will do this not in our strength alone , but in the power of the Holy Spirit. So Philip would probably start by asking us to look at our own evangelistic plans and ask ourselves the following questions: are our plans enabling us to be witnesses to Jesus? And are we witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit, or are we simply relying on our own resources?
The second point that Philip might make is that is around the importance of simply witnessing to Jesus. We tend to assume that evangelism is about the result; we must work out a plan to try and get as many people as possible to come to faith in Christ, or to try to get as people as possible to become regular church goers. But Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles does not focus on results. Instead, He focusses on what the Apostles are to do and to be: they are to be witnesses to Him. The results of our acts of faithful witness are left to God. Our job is to plant and nurture the seed of faith in Jesus Christ. The harvest of our sowing can be left to God. I think this relieves us all from a huge amount of pressure. We need not be anxious about the results of our witnessing to Christ. There are times, many times, when we try our best to share the gospel but it seems to fall on deaf ears. It seems as if our efforts are wasted – we are sowing seed, but the ground seems to be barren. Although such lack of results can be very dispiriting, we should not give up hope. Our task is to witness to Jesus; the results can be left in God’s hands. So often our acts of witness do in fact bear rich fruit, but we don’t see the fruit – perhaps because God wishes to keep us humble. If we knew how effective we were, we would probably start bragging and claim all the credit for ourselves!
Finally, notice the breadth of the concept of “witnessing” to Jesus. There are so many different ways in which we can witness to Jesus. It might be that we proclaim our faith with words, or it might be that we proclaim it with our actions- or perhaps a mix of both words and actions. Much can depend on the circumstances of our lives, and our own individual personalities. Evangelism comes in all shapes and sizes. The key question is simply this : are we witnessing to Jesus?
So having started by looking at the importance of plans, what would Philip say next? What would come next in his Masterclass in Evangelism? We shall look at the next stage in tomorrow’s reflections.