In 1987 I was on a door-knocking Campaign in Australia. One of the campaigners told me that she had travelled to many countries with evangelism teams led by Ivan Stewart. Having heard from some that Ivan had a system to be followed, I asked her about her experience. “Some people,” she said, “did find Ivan’s methods constraining. But because he was so organised, one thing you could rely on was that wherever you were in the world, you were safe. A lot of good work was done for Jesus.”
Towns, cities, and countries will not evangelise themselves. We must answer Paul’s question: “And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).
As we consider that vital question, we must also ask, “If we are not sending evangelists, who is?”
The answer to that question might be more than we care to ponder. However, I believe, it can best be illustrated from the ministry of Jesus.
While Jesus was going from town to town preaching the coming of the Kingdom, he was aware that the enemies of the Kingdom were also sending out their preachers. Jesus was scathing of them and told them that they were evangelising for the devil. Rebuking them he said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15).
Yes, all those counterfeit churches out there are the work of Satan’s preachers.
To find the solution to Paul’s question, “And how will they hear without a preacher?” we need look no further than his following question, “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:15).
So, send we must!
But when we send preachers out to save the world, we must expect that they will encounter Satan’s fake preachers when they get there. It is tough work.
It is no journey for the timid.
John Staiger
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