Text Box: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS EVANGELISM Peter Denby, Jr. We can look at the world and say that there are many problems that should be taken care of. Famine, poverty, illness, wars, hatred and pollution are just some of the major problems this world faces today. The most important problem we face though is one that will affect us long after these others have been taken care of. As bad as these problems are, they only affect the body, which will live around one century, and do not directly affect your eternal life. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 Since the Lord is longsuffering to all those who are separated from Him, and we are to be imitators of Christ, should we not also be longsuffering to them? Today too many people are very slack on evangelism! We have a time when people are standing up for Christ in ways that we have not heard of for many years, yet we are finding that many people are still not getting the TRUTH out to the people. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 How many thousands of people have a false hope because they believe in the false prophets of today? How many people come forward in churches that don’t teach the full truth and feel that they too are saved? The question is, How can I know the truth? The bible says “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. So the only way that we can know the truth is to read and study the truth (God’s Word). We need to make sure that we study God’s Word and then act upon it. Part of what The Word says is “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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20 We need to get the Word out, but how do we go about it? As you can see in the previous verse, all we are told is go into all nations. My point is that we need to use whatever works. Also we need to remember that we are only told to get the message out. It is not our responsibility to save them. The Holy Spirit will work upon the consciences of those we teach. The next part is even more important. We need to make sure that we help the new Christian to grow. While we can not save them we are required to teach them. This teaching DOES NOT end at the baptistery! We need to continue the teaching through the “meat” stage. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Hebrew 5:12-13 The new Christian is fully dependent upon fellow Christians to continue the teaching process. Just as you would not expect a newborn baby to be able to live on its own, you can not expect a new Christian to be able to survive without nourishment from mature Christians. So let us follow these steps for ourselves first and for others second.