Part One     Part Two

Every time I begin to consider the problems in this country and then the world, I go back to the gospel.  Whatever path you ponder, it comes back to necessary conversion.  Someone can make moves that might postpone the inevitable, but the actual solution is the gospel.  Everything else is “peace, peace, when there is no peace.”

Last Monday I wrote two reasons and Wednesday a third on why some evangelists see more or better results than others.  Here’s a fourth.

4.  A Difference in Diligent Work

Scripture emphasizes work in evangelism, diligence, as if it would make a difference in the salvation in men’s souls.  Jesus said in John 9:4:  “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”  Even Jesus saw the need for urgency in getting something done sooner than later.  This was an example from which the lyrics to a song come (here verse 2):

Work, for the night is coming:  Work through the sunny noon; Fill brightest hours with labor: Rest comes sure and soon. Give every flying minute Something to keep in store; Work, for the night is coming, When man works no more.

The Apostle Paul also talked about the diligence to his work.  He explains in what I call his “how-to book for the ministry” in 1 Thessalonians 2:9:  “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”  You read there, “our labour and travail: for labouring night and day.”  Paul connected this to his success.

Even as I wrote about Paul, I thought about Philip the evangelist, when he evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.  This is one of the most well-known, famous evangelism stories in all of scripture.  Here are the last two verses in the chapter:

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Almost anyone else would have gone back to his lazy-boy and had an iced tea.  He put in his 1.5 hours of evangelism for the week, time to head home.  Not Philip.  After the Ethiopian eunuch was saved, a great evangelistic moment in history, Philip “preached in all the cities” from Azotus to Caesarea.

What I’m describing is related at least to love.  The 1.5 hour person is the one who is the legalist.  Don’t get me wrong.  I do think that having a habit, temperance of a fashion, putting it on the schedule, is and can be good.  It’s not enough when it’s love.  It isn’t laboring for the night cometh when no man can work.  It isn’t labor and travail, laboring night and day.  It isn’t preaching in all the cities.  Everyone has other things to do.  I agree things need to be done.

Every little bit helps.  I’m happy when someone at least does evangelize.  I’m writing about how some see more than others and in a legitimate way, true evangelism.  Diligent labor is another difference.