Acts is probably the most colorful and descriptive book in the Bible when it comes to “seeing” evangelism in action. Sharing the Gospel is not just an idea or concept in Acts – it’s a movement that results in tremendous growth (and persecution). There are several prescriptive examples for evangelism in the book of Acts that we can follow as we, too, seek to obey the Great Commission:
1. Rely on the Holy Spirit
After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, He did not leave His followers without help to reach the world with the message of salvation.
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4-5; see also Luke 24:49).
The Holy Spirit would be the Source of their power and wisdom for sharing the Gospel throughout the world: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
We cannot effectively share the Good News of Jesus Christ without this wonderful Gift to motivate, lead, guide, and empower us to do this important work to which He has called us.
2. Give Two Choices: Reject or Trust in Jesus Christ
A person’s salvation hinges on whether he or she will trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and for the promise of eternal life. The apostle Peter did not hesitate to point out the great sin that the people committed by rejecting and crucifying Jesus.
Some were convicted and responded rightly by asking, “…what shall we do?” (2:37). Peter responded: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). He urged them all to “Be saved from this perverse generation” (2:40).
In another sermon, after the lame man was healed at the temple, Peter again pointed out that the people had rejected Christ, but God has offered mercy by granting forgiveness through repentance: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (3:19). Jesus was sent to bless them “in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (3:26).
There is no middle ground. There are only two choices. Present that choice clearly to those with whom you share the Gospel, always emphasizing the great mercy and grace of God and urging them to turn to Jesus Christ.
3. Always Point People to Jesus Christ (Not to Yourself!)
The book of Acts teaches that those ministering in Christ’s name must never seek any sort of glory for themselves.
Peter spoke to the lame man, begging outside the temple: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (3:6). The name of Christ is always for Christ’s glory. Peter and John gave the lame man a greater gift than money: he received healing, but even more than that, he received saving faith and grace that caused Him to publicly praise Jesus Christ – the source of hope for all.
In Lydda, Peter made sure that when he prayed for Aeneas’ healing, Aeneas knew who the Healer was: “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed” (8:34). And, when Peter prayed for Tabitha to rise from the dead, those who learned of it did not worship Peter, for they knew who was responsible: “…it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord” (9:42).
4. Resolve to Preach Jesus’ Name, No Matter What
Persecution does not stop God’s work or the spreading of His Word. His Word always continues to lead people to repentance and salvation. Therefore, in following the apostle’s and the early church’s example, we should resolve to speak about Jesus to everyone we can, even if someone warns or tells us not to.
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12).
“We ought to obey God rather than men” (5:29), Peter and the other apostles said straight in the face of their persecutors. They proceeded to tell them about Jesus, His resurrection and exaltation, and His current business of giving forgiveness of sins to those who repent and trust in Him (5:30-31). They knew the truth might result in violence toward them. When they were spared, they did not stop preaching as they were again warned. Instead, they left “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (5:41).
“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (5:42).
When you share the Gospel, make sure that you lift up the name of Jesus Christ. Whether there is a ripe harvest or rife hostility, His is the only name that is worthy to live and die for, for it’s His name alone through which the world can be saved.
5. Dedicate Yourself to the Word and to Prayer
The Church regularly gathered for several common purposes: “…they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (2:42).
When they prayed, they did not pray to be spared trouble. Instead, they prayed: “…grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word” (4:29). God answered that prayer, filling them with the Holy Spirit and the boldness to speak His Word – the Word that gives direction and life to lost souls!
Persecution was a way of life for these early Christians, but they knew to turn to prayer. When Peter was thrown in prison and faced likely execution, the church offered “constant prayer” for him (12:5), and God sent an angel to free him.
Stephen was an example of someone in the early church who knew the truth of the Word inside and out, so much so that no one could refute him in the public square (6:10). They had to resort to lying and murder to stop him from telling this truth.
The church continued to grow – both deep and wide – because of their faithfulness.
“…walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (9:31).
6. Be Ready and Willing
When we trust in Christ for salvation, we are given an evangelistic identity. The apostle Paul said: “We are … Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Several individuals in the book of Acts provide examples of a heart that is ready and willing to go, wherever – and to whomever – God may call.
Philip obeyed and traveled through the desert to reach a high-ranking Ethiopian eunuch on his way back to his country after spending some time in Jerusalem. He was reading the Hebrew scriptures and was longing to understand. He wanted to know the truth! And when Philip shared it with him, he confessed: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (8:37). Philip was an ambassador for Christ. The Ethiopian eunuch was reconciled to God that day.
After his conversion, Saul wasted no time correcting his former errant theology and pointing people to the truth: “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (9:20).
Paul also continued to preach the hope of Jesus Christ wherever he went, even when imprisoned and on the verge of shipwreck!
Being ready and willing to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ also means being teachable and willing to submit to God’s plan and truth.
Philip went to the Samaritans. Peter went to the Gentiles. Jews did not associate with either in religious or social circles of that day. But God showed, in no uncertain terms, that His plan through Jesus Christ was to reconcile the whole world to Himself. And His followers finally admitted: “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (11:18).
We also get an example from Apollos, a passionate and capable teacher and orator who was willing to learn from Priscilla and Acquilla, who taught him the Gospel message “more accurately” (18:26).
Are you ready and willing to grow and go as an ambassador of Jesus Christ?
7. Know Your Audience
Taking an interest in a person and understanding a person’s background are important steps for building a bridge over which to carry the Gospel.
In Philippi, Paul and those with him learned of a gathering of women who met on the Sabbath by the riverside to pray, and they went there and sat down with them (16:13). It was through this willingness to know and meet with them that Lydia came to trust in Jesus Christ: “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (16:14).
In Athens, Paul took time to walk through the city and learn more about the people there – particularly what they valued and believed. Finding it full of idols and an altar that was “to an unknown god” (17:23), he started there – telling them of the only true God, the Creator and the One who gives life and breath to all people: “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). He quoted some of their own poets, too, to point them to God. He told them of a universal truth – that all are called to repent because all will be judged by “the Man whom [God] has ordained” (17:31), and whom He raised from the dead.
The harvest was small that day, and it took a lot more effort than it did to speak to Jews and Gentile God-fearers who already believed in the one true God, but there was still a harvest – all because Paul took the time.
Paul also used his unjust trial to speak the Gospel to governing authorities. Each time he shared his testimony, he appealed to their knowledge and background. He specifically addressed Agrippa as one who had studied the Jewish teachings and believed the prophets, and urged him to listen and believe to what He was saying about Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. Agrippa came close, saying: “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (26:28)!
8. Don’t Get Discouraged. Trust and Obey!
If the effort we put into evangelism is based on how we are treated by those who hear the message, then those early disciples had much greater reason to give up than we do! But in the face of great rejection and persecution, they continued – and they did so with Holy Spirit-provided joy!
King Herod was a great enemy to the Gospel, even putting the apostle James to death and throwing Peter in prison. But the followers of Christ did not get discouraged. They continued to pray and trust God and share the Gospel. Eventually, God took care of Herod Himself, striking him dead. In contrast: “…the word of God grew and multiplied” (12:24).
Likewise, though Elymas, a false prophet, tried to prevent Barnabas and Paul from preaching the Gospel, God struck him also, and the powerful man he was trying to keep from believing, believed and was saved!
When the Jews kept rejecting the Gospel, Paul turned to the Gentiles, who began turning to Christ in droves. When cities rejected the Gospel message: “…they shook off the dust from their feet against them…and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (13:51-52).
Though imprisoned and beaten unjustly, Paul and Silas worshiped in a Philippian jail and eventually led the jailer and his entire household to faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:25-34).
When Jews in Thessalonica opposed and sought to harm them, Paul and his companions moved to Berea and found faithful people willing to listen, study, and believe the message (Acts 17:1-15).
9. Get Rid of Unnecessary Stumbling Blocks
In the middle part of Acts, we see a crisis of faith for many Jewish believers. Formerly, their lives were so centered on the law as the way to honor and obey God, that they carried that over into their Christian faith. They argued that all new converts must follow the law, too, even though Jesus Christ had fulfilled the law and set them free from its unobtainable requirements.
Peter argued: “…why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (15:10-11).
On the other hand, these early Christians also took care not to put a stumbling block before Jews to turn to Christ. Knowing how closely they held to the law, coming in so brazenly and casting away all Jewish legal requirements would have been no way to win the Jews to Christ…they never would have given them a hearing! Therefore, when Timothy joined Paul and Silas on the missionary field, Paul “took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek” (16:3).
Are there things that we hold on to so tightly that perhaps the Scripture doesn’t? When it comes to sharing the Gospel, keep the main thing the main thing, and remove unnecessary stumbling blocks as much as possible.
10. Disciple and Encourage Those Who Believe
Paul’s regular practice was to return to the regions where he had preached the Gospel, and where there were people who put their faith and trust in Christ:
“And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith…” (14:21-22).
“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing” (15:36).
On his third missionary journey, Paul “went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples” (18:23).
When possible, invest in those people you lead to the Lord.
As Stephen was dying from the unjust stoning at the hands of jealous religious leaders, he did not shout curses at them. Instead, he still longed for their salvation: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (7:60), were his last words before he entered Heaven.
After all of his travels in the region, Paul was aware that as he headed back to Jerusalem, “chains and tribulations await me” (20:23). But, he said, “none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (20:24).
In all evangelistic efforts, keep the message of the Gospel first in your heart.
