Before we begin to talk about the Holy Ghost and evangelism it will be profitable to briefly look at evangelism.
What is evangelism and how have we done it in our generation? We should look at how we have done it and compare this with what the Bible says about it and how Jesus and the early saints did it.
The Jews got to a point in their history where they took it for granted that to give a woman a bill of divorcement and send her away was normal. One day the Pharisees accosted Jesus with this question of divorce and Moses’ instruction concerning it. The Lord answered them, He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Sending away their wives had become a norm; it had become traditional. Likewise today, there are so many things we say and do in church which have become traditional but which were not so in the beginning. God has apparently allowed us to continue doing them because of the hardness of our hearts. I believe that disciples ought to strive to find out the good pleasure of their Master and HIS mind concerning a matter, what it was in the beginning rather than settling for our traditional ways. It looks to me that the reason why we are not seeing much result in our evangelism is because of the way we do it. Some of us have really laboured in this area but what have we to show for it? For us to see the kind of results they saw in the Bible we must go back to the beginning and find out how the fathers did it. If we will do it the Bible way, then we will again see “Bible results”.
Today, our evangelism consists of 2 main methods.
Firstly, the big crusades, titled evangelistic crusades or revival crusades/meetings, in which a “mighty” man of God is invited from outside to come and speak. It may be outdoor or indoors. Committees are set up to organize the meeting. Different committees like, publicity, hospitality, counselling, are charged with handling different aspects of the meeting. A few men are constituted into a prayer band for the meeting, and prayer is not given any serious emphasis. Great emphasis is laid on publicity and organisation. Posters, handbills and banners are used profusely. The “man of God” is given great publicity using different media, including television. His name is “blown up” so that the crowd will come. A popular brass band is engaged and an elaborate programme is put in place. When the day comes the “man of God” arrives and after a week-end or week long meeting, many testify that “things happened”. A few days after he leaves, the excitement dies down and you cannot lay hands on a single convert from that meeting who is standing.
This crusade method depends mostly on the man who is invited and on perfect organisation for its success. There is great dependence also on gadgets. Sound systems, lightings, music, etc. If we compare this with the crusades we have in the Bible we will see why our ultimate results are so meagre. On the day of Pentecost for example, 3000 souls were won by a simple message from Peter. It is important to note that that meeting was unplanned (no organisation); there were no handbills, sound systems, etc. and there would have been much more than 3000 men at that meeting. When Philip (a deacon) went to Samaria for his crusade, he was running away from persecution in Jerusalem. The result of the crusade in Samaria is well known. How could a deacon have been used of God to win a whole city in one meeting without organisation etc? This is the question we need to answer. These men were not more educated than we are nor did they have any physical endowments that we do not possess.
If a man is doing something and not getting the desired results, it is only reasonable that he does a review but instead of doing this we have continued in our methods and then inventing all kinds of “calls” to get people to the front so as to claim that we had a “great meeting”. Whether these men who come out ever stand is not our interest. All the saints who came forward on the day of Pentecost were all established in the Church.
Apart from large crusades we have what we simply call evangelism or witnessing. This is a periodic affair and in many places all members of the congregation are expected to take part.. A day is set apart for coming together and then moving out. In some other places there is an “evangelism team” and these are the only ones trusted with the responsibility of witnessing in that congregation. Announcements are made every Sunday morning concerning this evangelism and members are begged to come and take part. In most cases few turn out and even among those who turn out the results are dismal. One of the reasons for this very poor result is that these evangelism outings are geared primarily to increasing the population of “our church”. While the early church went everywhere preaching Christ, today men go out preaching “their church”. While the Lord added to and multiplied the early Church, today the primary methods of adding to the Church is by “stealing” from other congregations or by birth. You therefore hear pastors announce with great joy, additions to their churches, when their members give birth. As long as we continue to carry out our evangelical work with these methods we shall have little to show for our labours. We need to go back again and find out how God intended for us to evangelise the world. We need to investigate again how Paul reached the whole of Asia from Ephesus in 2 years. We need to study our Lord – Jesus Christ – method and pattern of evangelism.
Let us show look briefly at how Jesus did evangelism. Let us begin at Matthew 3:16.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
It is very important to note that our Lord did not start any public ministry until the heavens opened unto Him. Our Lord knew the importance of this matter and came all the way to the Jordan for baptism. He knew that no meaningful work can be done until the heavens open. Today we seem to put little regard on the heavens opening unto us and the Spirit of God descending upon us. So apart from using “inferior” methods, we also seem to be labouring under closed heavens. No wonder the draught condition seems to persist. After much activity and labours we have so little to show for our efforts. The opening of heavens is basic to any kind of success whatsoever in farming. Again notice from the verse before us, that it is an individual matter – “the heavens opened unto HIM”. It did not open to every man who came for baptism. We will therefore suggest that every individual should be encouraged to go back to the only One who can open heaven and desperately plead with HIM until the heavens open unto him/her. It is only when the heavens open that the earth brings forth the fruit of the land. Jesus told His disciples that: Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses … (Acts 1:8). Now if the heavens have opened unto you, Jesus says you shall have power. If you have power, you and everybody who comes into contact with you should know because power displaces things and brings changes. If you have little or no influence on your environment where you live, work, study, trade, etc., then it means you have little or no power and it is only sensible for you to go to the Father and weep and ask HIM to help you. Even Jesus (the very Son and Christ) did not go into His work without the Holy Ghost. This is the starting point. Now let us go to Matthew chapter 9. If we follow our Lord we will see that HIS life was service. His service was very eventful and most fruitful. The Scripture record that, he went about doing good. He was consumed with a passion to fulfil the work set before Him. He had no other business on earth. Even when He went for a wedding reception, He was there for service. Now if we look at Matthew 9 we will see our Lord going from place to place serving and meeting the needs of the people. In verses 9 –13, we see Him call Matthew, a publican and therefore an outcast. The religious leaders who were supposed to reach these men would not come near them but our Lord sought them and even dined with them. He showed them love – that they were wanted – and brought them into the Kingdom. This is ministry – service. If you go further down you will see how He healed the woman with the issue of blood and raised the daughter of Jairus. From verse 27 we see how two blind men followed Him and received their sight. From verse 32 we see how He delivered a demon-possessed man and how the Pharisees blasphemed that He casts out demons by the prince of demons. Notice that even this blasphemy did not distract Him. For us, this type of accusation or gossip would have been replied and would have “thrown us off – course”. However our Lord was so taken-up by the work that nothing was allowed to be an impediment. There was an urgency in His approach and the work was His life and not a periodic affair. Now let us look a little bit closely at verses 35-38.
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Vs 35)
Let us notice that when Jesus went out (went about) to do evangelism, He did not go to the cities alone. He went to the cities and villages. We also must go, not just to city dwellers but to the villages. Then we must take note of the activities involved in His evangelism. He taught, preached and healed every sickness including those having a demonic origin. He did not wrap his Bible in a newspaper and carry it about on Saturday mornings as he went for witnessing. Everywhere He went, He ministered as the occasion demands. He commanded us disciples to go and make disciples, not just converts. So, the matter of evangelism involves teaching and not just preaching. The Lord has also purposed that signs shall accompany all believers who preach and teach His Word. Evangelism is therefore supernatural from beginning to end. Preaching, teaching and healing are not natural activities. The man is just an earthen vessel and if he is not filled with the Spirit, he can do nothing. No matter how eloquent, or logical his argument is, it is only the Spirit that quickeneth. Before anybody decides to go out, he/she must first go to the place of baptism and have the heavens opened unto him. Our commission to be His witnesses and proclaim the good news and make the converts disciples was never intended to be done by man’s strength.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. (Vs 36)
It looks as if our Lord who had been labouring for long suddenly looked up and instead of the work getting finished He saw multitudes still coming from different directions. Some may have been coming from the river where they went for the “prophet” to bath them. Others may have been coming from the Spiritist or Babalawo’s house. Yet others may have been coming from the court where their divorce case or other matters were being handled. They came from all directions (scattered abroad like sheep without shepherd) with great needs (fainted, harassed). Some may have been coming from the burial ground where they went to bury another child. Others may have been coming from even the Church and almost passing through to go to the herbalist. These people were confused and had no hope. To the ordinary person (like some of us) they were just ordinary people moving about their own business. Some of us have got to a point where even when they clearly see a need they are unconcerned. Even when they see people carrying a coffin they are not moved. The Lord Jesus, even though He must have been really tired, was moved with compassion. He was moved. Compassion is the driving force that moves men to evangelism. Except we can stir men to feel the need around them, they cannot effectively do this work.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; (Vs 37)
Then the Lord turned to His disciples and made a very significant statement. The Lord acknowledged, that though the heavens had opened unto HIM and He had the anointing without measure, that as long as He was in the flesh He could not bring in the harvest alone. If the Lord Jesus could not do this work alone, how does any of us expect to do it alone? You can see that we have missed the pattern or put our priorities wrong. The big crusades are not wrong in themselves but they are not the basic way that God intended to do this work. We have lifted up a few men who stay in cosy hotel rooms and never come in contact with the people and have organized big crusades for them. (Compare them with the Lord Jesus). The labourers, who would have gone in to gather in the harvest have become organizer, banner hangers, posters and handbill distributors. We have gone to great expenses to organize these crusades and men have been charged to ensure that they take a specific number of handbills and ensure that they bring people with each handbill. If these men had gone to these people and preached to them, and prayed with them, for their needs, and taught them until they became disciples, would we not have achieved a much better result at almost no cost compared with the cost of the big crusades? Again we have given the impression that this job is for the Evangelist. Jesus, the greatest of all evangelists said HE could not do it alone and that labourers are needed. Go to any farm and scrutinize their operations. Supervisors (stewards over God’s household) only demonstrate to the labourers and encourage and supervise them as they do the harvesting. Any time the supervisors take over the job of the labourers then the farm will suffer a terrible loss. The kingdom has indeed continued to suffer a terrible loss because we are operating a system, which even the world’s establishments will not try.
Let me emphasize that the primary job of the evangelist is not to win “individual souls”. Look at Ephesians 4:11 & 12 in the NIV:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists…
To prepare God’s people for works of service, …
This Scripture is very clear. The evangelist and the other leaders are supposed to prepare God’s people for this work. They are supposed to be superintendents and supervisors. Today, only the evangelist does the work. The labourers have become onlookers and where they participate at all, it is a periodic, mechanical and half-hearted labour. This is also why our traditional concept of “full-time” must be changed. Ministry cannot be done part-time. It is a man’s life. We have given the impression that this work is for those who are “full-time” and that our own charge is to support them. What is important is your consecration and not a matter of full-time. The time, Money, etc. belongs to the Master and as long as you understand this and your life is on the altar we will be liberated from this concept of “full-time”. When for example was Paul the apostle full-time or part-time? Let us get liberated from these traditional concepts and move in to the harvest. Infact, some men who are not “full-time” are much more profitable to the kingdom than some of our “full-time” brethren. Brother/Sister, stop waiting for the time when you become “full-time” before you devote yourself to the work. It is this kind of thinking that has led us to fashion some very unscriptural statements: “if you cannot go let your money send someone.” Jesus said to all disciples, “Go ye …” If you cannot go to Niger Republic, can’t you not get up and go to your neighbourhood? We have given wrong impressions and allowed only few men to do the work. Let us go back to Jesus’ pattern if we want Bible results. Crusades are good and have their own place but it must not be allowed to replace the basic plan of God for winning the world – labourers gathering in the harvest. Infact, before any crusade is hosted adequate planning must have been made to ensure that such crusades give rise to mass participation of labourers, otherwise we shall continue to throw away money (though the offering may give us an excess on our expenditure) and the kingdom suffers heavy losses.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Vs 38)
Since the harvest was ripe and spoiling, one would have thought that the Lord would have told the disciples to hurry into the field and begin to harvest. No matter the need, Jesus did not do that. If the company director will not accept just any labourer, He, the Lord of the harvest will not. These disciples had moved with the Lord Jesus for sometime and had watched HIM labouring but had apparently not seen what He saw nor developed the compassion. They were not even seeing the ripe harvest. So He asked them to go and pray and seek the FACE of the Lord of the harvest. The Lord (as the Evangelist) was trying to stir up these disciples and impart into them the need for evangelism. If they did not see the harvest and appreciate the need, then no amount of announcements and threats plus cajoling will bring any profit. So, this is where we must also start – prayers! In most instances today, men do not pray for the harvest – lost souls. Where they ever remember to pray before they go out, it is a few minutes formality. Go to the average church member today and look at his prayer list and you will find nothing but self. All he spends time asking God for is money, cars, promotion, video, clothes, etc. If you enter into the conversation of two church members it is the same: school fees, business, politics, gossip, etc. So what the average church member talks about, both to God and man is carnal and temporal. This is what consumes him. There is no passion for lost souls. He simply does not appreciate the need around him. The first thing we have to do therefore is to ask men to go and pray. When they get to the point where they are touched and their eyes open then they are qualified to go to the harvest. Our prayer list must change. Our conversation with one another and the world must change. When we begin to see what God is seeing and begin to feel what Jesus is feeling we will appreciate that the matter of evangelism cannot be a once-a-week affair but our very life. When people meet us on the road, in the office, at home in the bus, in the market, we will not close our mouths because it is not Saturday; but our behaviour and words will minister to them. God will not accept labourers who will do more harm than good, so we must first go and pray earnestly. Matt. 10:1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
And in the above verse links it with Matt. 9:38, it was only after the disciples prayed that JESUS called them and sent them to the harvest. As you read further down you will notice that their commission is very clear. Preach (includes teaching), heal, cleanse, raise the dead, cast out devils (10:7-8). This commission was repeated when he sent out the seventy, two by two. This sending forth in two’s appear to be in line with our weekly evangelism but it appears to me that this was a training session where younger brethren go with older ones. You will not see it given any emphasis in the Acts of Apostles. So the value of our Saturday morning evangelism ought to be really for training.
Now let us go back to 10:1. After you have seen the vision and become stirred, the Master will yet not allow you to go until you receive power and authority. You are going out against an opposition, He gave them power against … Evangelism is not child’s play. If you examine the Scriptures you will discover that Jesus never allowed any disciples to go out without first of all equipping them with power and authority. Many people you will meet will not even give you audience because the god of this world has blinded their eyes. To get to them, this god must be dealt with. Instead of ensuring that people are equipped with power we have chosen to teach them what to say or how to react in likely cases.
Many of the things we teach people in our evangelism workshops, etc., are very funny. It reminds me of when we were in the secondary school and the senior boys were teaching us how to “chase” girls. They will tell you: “When you meet a girl just say “good afternoon”. When she replies, then say, “can I speak to you?” etc. Now suppose you meet a girl and you say “good afternoon” and she answers – “what do you want” – then the exercise ends. This is how most of our evangelism ends because of our teaching sessions. We have told men what to do when they meet moslems, villagers, etc. We have therefore gone out and only one question or an unexpected reaction ends the matter. The only training Jesus gave HIS disciples was to give them power and send them to the harvest. The Holy Ghost is “the vehicle for evangelism”. All we need is to be continuously drunk in the Spirit as if with wine. There are no stereo-typed ways and answers. The Spirit Himself teaches us as we go. It is not a mechanical affair. It is a matter of being a witness by the Spirit. There is no struggle. Once men get a revelation of the harvest in prayers and their prayer lists become full of names and their needs; they will automatically share Jesus as a matter of course. If they are empowered by the Holy Ghost, they will bring in the harvest. As they labour, they will become proficient in the job.
The early saints followed the pattern of their Lord and saw tremendous results. When Paul got to Ephesus he searched the place and found 12 disciples. The very first thing he asked them was: Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? (Acts 19:2a). It was with these 12 disciples that Asia was evangelized. They started going to the synagogues and when it was not suitable, they went to one school (the school of one Tyrannus) and from there evangelized the whole of Asia. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:10). We are not told that Paul went throughout all Asia holding big crusades. All the disciples did it. They met and prayed and taught the Word and as men went to their homes and travelled to different places they spontaneously carried the Word of the Lord Jesus. Men like Epaphras went to Colossae and others went elsewhere, and wherever they went the Word reached there. There were no gadgets etc. Men just carried this gospel and within 2 years, the whole Asia was evangelized. Brethren we ought to go back to the Lord’s pattern.
Finally, let us see Ezekiel 37:1-10. (Please read this passage). This is the story of how God turned a valley full of dry bones into an exceedingly great army. God will do it again. Amen. We want to notice that all Ezekiel did in this episode was to be available. God did it all. Now I want us to particularly look at verses 7-10.

So I prophesied as I was commanded: …
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, …
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
We just want to point out that prophecy alone did not bring these bones to life. Prophecy did quite a lot but these men still remained dead in the valley until the Wind (the Spirit) came into them and they became an exceeding great army. God is raising a mighty army again but it cannot be done without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Ghost it is not possible. The best and most eloquent and logical preaching may do much but men who hear them will remain dead until the SPIRIT comes to create life. In the story of the creation in Genesis you will notice that the Scriptures testify: …And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, And God said… Even God knows that without the SPIRIT, HIS WORD will not accomplish the desired results. The God-head always operates in concert and wherever corruption and death persists the Spirit must be present for a change to occur. The Holy Ghost is therefore indispensable in evangelism.

ADDENDUM:
Beloved as you read this, my heart is bleeding and tears are flowing down my eyes. I have just discovered how callous we are. Baba’s harvest is indeed over-ripe. I can see the pepper and tomatoes falling and getting rotten. I can see the devouring birds eating up the ripe grains. I can see “BABA” longingly looking for His children and pleading with them to help and gather the remaining harvest to minimize His losses but only few are answering, others are unconcerned and enjoying themselves. Some will only join after they have finished what they want to do without realizing that the harvest cannot wait. Maybe by the time they get prepared the harvest would have been wasted. Beloved, have you no pity for “BABA” – our heavenly Father? Can you not see all those long faces at the bus-stops? Can you not see that broken-hearted girl in your office who was jilted last week by her lover-boy? Can you not see men who congregate every evening at the beer parlour and never go home till 2 am? How do their wives feel? How can you not notice the couple living next door to you who are always fighting? Have you ever gone to the hospital ward to see people like you who are in intense pain and are going down? What about their parents, wives, children and relatives who are around their beds and have spent all their substance and need just a word of cheer (at least)? Have you ever moved out to any village around where you reside? If you have you will notice poverty, squalor, darkness and corruption. Many of these are wasting (dying) without any change. We say we love “BABA”, yet we do not even appreciate His problem not to talk of doing anything about them. Beloved, I leave you with your conscience. If you have been fair to such a wonderful Father, judge for yourself. Personally, I am going back to the Lord to apologize for the way I have treated Him and I want to do it now. I plead with you to go to Him now and ask Him to forgive you. Then I want you to lay your complaint before Him. If you have no power for this work tell Him. I am praying that you will stay with Him in fasting and prayers for as long as it takes for you to be equipped to go into the field. We cannot allow “BABA” to continue to suffer. If we say we love HIM then we must obey His yearning and identify with His aspirations. The fathers loved the Lord and lived in obedience – they went everywhere preaching the Word. If we say we love our Lord let us do something now.