What Happens When You Expect God to Work

 

An Excerpt from the book “Breaking The Evangelism Code” by Dr. Victor H. Benavides

Now available at crossbooks.com, amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com

The Great Results

 

The gospel has great results when Christ’s followers are obedient and tell lost people about Jesus in a Christ-like manner (I want to emphasize the Christ-like attitude when we witness). I was a member of a small church running around two hundred that was not practicing visitation or followup. Th e church was not accustomed to seeing many adults saved, mainly children. Once the church began a visitation ministry, the number of adults being saved increased. For every three home visits made, one adult came to faith in Jesus.

Scripture reveals when Jesus’ followers proclaim the good news in the power of the Holy Spirit, the probability of individuals responding to the gospel such as we read in Acts 2 can become a reality. It is recorded that hundreds of individuals repented or turned from their sin after Peter preached and gave an invitation to trust in Jesus by faith. Th en three thousand people were baptized that day.

Scholars have written that the number who trusted in Jesus is greater than the number recorded because of the cultural practice of only recording men. Th e number does not reflect the women and children who also responded to Peter’s invitation.

Today numbers from evangelistic movements are still being recorded as a result of evangelistic preaching in churches by such men as Dr. Johnny Hunt of the First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia. On one particular Sunday morning in three worship services, I was present when a total of seventy-fi ve people trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, even though it was not a planned “crusade.”

Let me clarify that Dr. Hunt is a personal and intentional soul-winner and evangelistic with every gathering of people. At every event where people gather He consistently off ers the gospel. Th e Holy Spirit was expected to work in the hearts of the congregation because of the ongoing prayer ministry and preparation conducted. There is a great degree of expectation on the part of Dr. Hunt and the church to see God work in their services. Th e prayer ministry is evidence of the ministry’s intentionality to see God work.

Could it be that the reason why many churches are not seeing a movement of God during their services might be due to the fact that they are not expecting God or the Holy Spirit to show up? The lack of preparation, whether it is not having a prayer ministry, trained altar counselors, materials to give to decision makers, or a decision room, might be evidence that a church does not think the Holy Spirit will show up at their service or events.

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