The Evangelistic Grace  Ephesians 4:1-6 

• All of us find ourselves somewhere in the five grace gifts given by Jesus …to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. v.12 

Ephesians 4:1-6 you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

• Paul wants us to grasp that before we start rejoicing in our giftings, it is more important that we have the right character in order to exercise them well and in balance with the other graces at work in the body of Christ. 

• We need to have the character to hold the call upon our lives. If we don’t, it can go so horribly wrong. 

• The key is that of unity within the body. Unity not out of a willingness to do the same, say the same and be the same but a divine unity that is only possible through Holy Spirit who is allowed to work out through us. The evidence of unity is not in our conformity but in the Spirit.  

• Unity in the working of our gifting and graces is important because our graces were never meant to compete with one another but instead to compliment one another for the building up of the body of Christ 

We are only an authentic representation of Jesus, if we are one in Spirit. The presence of the Spirit is the evidence of unity. 

• Nine times in the first seven verses of chapter 4, we read the word ‘One’ 

• Paul reminds us that we all come together united in our graces, to show the world the person of Jesus. 

• The evangelists need the prophets, prophets need the shepherds, the shepherds need the teachers and the teachers need the apostolic – we need one another. 

• Evangelism - stirs a fear and anxiety in some people. 

• You may not be an evangelist but we are called to evangelise.  

• We can’t say I’ll leave it to so and so and as long as they keep going out, keep having God ordained conversations with people then I can stay as I am doing my own thing. 

• Evangelism is not just a niche pass time or hobby for the chosen few but we are all called to share the message of the hope of Jesus to a dying, broken world. 

• There is a call upon every single person who declares themselves a disciple or apprentice of Jesus to evangelise with the gospel of hope in Jesus..  

• Evangelism is not an occasional act of good deed or an event but a foundational call of the faith, to which we have to respond. 

• Jesus’ manifesto on evangelism was short, it says ‘Go’ 

• It’s clear throughout the whole Bible that if we are to become more like Jesus, we must have a heart for the lost because that was the core of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. 

• Myth to believe that the evangelist is naturally an extravert. First and foremost it’s a grace gift from Jesus, so has nothing to do with what sort of personality type we are.  

• If it is the mind of Jesus to seek and save the lost then we should want it too that we may come …to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ v.13 

• So that we would align our hearts with the heart of Jesus. Not allowing any sense of fear or anxiety to hold us back. 

• We were made to share God’s heart. We were made to co-labour with Holy Spirit in seeing the gospel be proclaimed and bear fruit in the lives of others. ‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:20  

• The evangelist is graced to share the good news. The evangelist will see conviction, conversion and salvation around them. 

• God given grace to connect the message of the gospel with those who don’t yet believe it. Not just on the streets but in every aspect and facet of our lives. 

• It’s what whole life discipleship looks like, breaking down the sacred, secular divide because there is none. 

• This is what the apostle Paul says about the evangelist grace 2 Corinthians 5:20 …we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. 

• The evangelist grace is not about being chatty, or cool it’s simply about being obedient because it’s the mission that Jesus has called us to and purposed us for. 

• Evangelists aren’t just found in church but operate in different guises out in the world and marketplace.  

• Even if the evangelist grace is not a primary gift, we are all called to sow and water. And sometimes evangelists get frustrated because they say the church is not doing enough sowing and watering for them to get the harvest. 

• Prayer is one of the greatest evangelistic tools we have. ‘Hey how can I pray for you? 

• Discover the grace upon your life, that will help others come to faith and salvation. – We desperately need those with the evangelism grace in them. 

• In sharing God’s heart we trust by faith that He will use us. 

• When we choose to live a life co-labouring with our heavenly Father, we get to experience the supernatural. It's miraculous when people choose to accept Jesus, it's always a miracle.

• Allow God to use you to share His heart.