God's Sovereign Grace Leading Believers to Proactive Evangelism

"'Spurgeon's supreme motivation was sovereign grace: "That is why we preach! If there are so many fish to be taken in the net, I will go and catch some of them. Because many are ordained to be caught, I spread my nets with eager expectation. I never could see why that should repress our zealous efforts. It seems to me to be the very thing that should awaken us to energy -- that God has a people, and that these people shall be brought in. Knowing that God had elected some to eternal life, Spurgeon was confident and passionate in his gospel appeals'"

Steven J. Lawson - The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon

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Spurgeon's expression is very interesting and somewhat counter-cultural to this generation. I've come across some people who do not consider evangelizing because they think they have a high view of God when considering his sovereignty over all things. Because God is sovereign, they feel they don't necessarily have to do anything but just live out their lives the way they find fitting. They think it pleases God and somehow reflects Christ if they are faithfully going out to church every Sundays, participating in church activities, and serving in the ministry as a specific role. And for some reason, they don't consider going out and proclaiming who Jesus is in words. 

It is interesting how the thought of God's sovereignty does stunt us. We automatically assume, for some odd reason, that we don't have to do any work because God will do it anyway. Maybe for some, we think of God only in a supernatural way where we expect him to speak on individual levels through dreams or visions about himself. And maybe some other people are just plain out lazy and making excuses not to go out and meet other people with gospel in mind. Either way, they are belittling God and sadly does not have a high view of God and his word as they think they do. 

Not saying this so that I'm just putting other people on the spot. I'm also speaking to myself as I write out all these thoughts. I've been in both cases. I think as I gained some knowledge over the years (not that I even gained that many), a lot of it remained as head-knowledge. Without myself consciously knowing it, this head-knowledge about God's sovereignty lead to self-centeredness. Instead of seeing things through God's perspective, I was looking at evangelism in a very self-centered way. "Because God is sovereign, I really don't need to do much. God will have his way in people because he is all-powerful and sovereign."- that was my very ignorant and prideful thought process. I was very immature, to say the least. Tragically though, I have come across some people who have thought this way as well. 

But God has been very gracious. He has also provided godly people who really take God seriously at his word. Not just my pastor at my church specifically, but also guest speakers and other pastors who speak through podcasts, conferences, and books. They all spoke (and still speak) of God's sovereignty as something that should always motivate us to go out and proclaim of Christ. And over the years, as I look at the apostles' lives in the scripture, sovereignty of God gave them confidence to speak boldly of the gospel message. They were more active in making disciples even though their lives were in danger. Looking back now, God has been transforming my heart and mind through all these means. 

So there's something seriously wrong with our thinking pattern and attitude if we are growing more inactive in light of God's sovereignty and his grace. It does not make sense that a person is standing still when they hear the gospel message. It doesn't even align to what the Bible says when it describes how the apostle reacted to the gospel. They couldn't help but to proclaim the gospel actively. Personally, I have come to a conclusion that the person who says "God is sovereign" and does not evangelize is a result of having a very low view of God and his commands and self-centered attitude. It really makes me think that we really take lightly the Great Commission that Jesus has left us as he departed from the apostles; to go out and make disciples of all nations. Whether people are God's elect or not, that shouldn't be our main concern. To judge whether a person is chosen by God or not is not the task that Jesus has left us with when he departed. Shouldn't our confession of our love for God extend out into proactiveness by actually doing what he commanded us to do?

This is a reminder for me as well because I still have moments where I catch myself very complacent and lazy in actively sharing the gospel message. It really reminds me that this is a privilege that God has given every believers to be his hands and feet in carrying his good news while we are on this earth. He blesses us and equips us to do this faithfully by his spirit and his word. For an Almighty God to entrust people like us with this kind of task is an honor. And according to his word, all this is not something that we earn, but thoroughly by his grace, mercy and his will! 

So Ann, remember! Remember that it's a complete joy to evangelize!