An Evangelizing Church
June 29th 2009
We Are an Evangelizing Church
We commit to a willingness to proclaim the gospel with boldness.
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved”
—Acts 2:47
In last week’s Harvest Community blog, we shared that the first cornerstone to the Harvest Community is being a worshiping church.
God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. And the first step to worshiping in spirit and in truth is to make a confession of saving faith in Jesus Christ and complete devotion to Him. Only then can we magnify God and our outlook toward Him.
The second key to Christian community is a direct result of the first. Healthy, worshiping believers will naturally reproduce themselves. When we are glorifying God, when we are magnifying Him, and when we are worshiping Him in spirit and in truth, we will want to share our faith.
As we read the accounts of the first church, it becomes clear that everything the first Christians did culminated in evangelism. As Acts 2:47 says, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Proclaiming Christ was never seen as optional. Evangelism happened regularly as the early believers worshiped God in spirit and in truth. As they did so, they aroused not only curiosity but also admiration and earned an audience with unbelievers.
The early church also understood the urgency of sharing the gospel. Paul put it this way to the church at Corinth:
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christs behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20–21)
Notice that God is making His “appeal” through us. And Christ is “imploring” unbelievers through us. The God of the universe is pleading with fallen humanity through us. God has called us to be ambassadors for Christ.
Jesus’ command to preach the Good News was intended for the entire church—not just the disciples, or pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and outreach ministries. We must all desire and ask God for a sincere burden for the lost. We must all be willing to look around every day to see what part we can play in God’s amazing plan of redemption.
As the Harvest Community, we are committed to a willingness to proclaim the gospel with boldness (see Acts 2:47). This is our duty.
Our commitment to evangelize requires each and every HCF Community member to be willing to take steps of faith to try and initiate conversations about Christ through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Like the early church, the Harvest Community is committed to worshiping in spirit and in truth and to sharing our faith with boldness and a sense of urgency. We commit to this and wait in hopeful anticipation for the Lord to add to the church daily those who are being saved.
Community Commitment
As a part of the HCF Community, are you committed to a willingness to proclaim the gospel with boldness through the empowering of the Holy Spirit? Have you purposed it in your heart to be willing to initiate conversations about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? Are you willing to look around you to see what part you can play in God’s plan of redemption?
Summer’s here and there’s no better place to beat the I.E. heat than to head to the beach! Harvest’s Surf Fellowship will meet this Saturday, June 20, at Bolsa Chica State Beach- Lifeguard Tower 20. They’ll meet every other Saturday after that through September. This is a really great way to spend the spend the day with your family and fellowship with other families. Join us for worship, devotions, food and fun in the sun! Pick up a flyer on the Patio between Sunday morning services or call the Church Office for more information at 951-687-6902. You can also visit the Harvest Surf Fellowship website 
Our Harvest Food Ministry has a need for some specific food items. A list of those items is available at the Information Center on the Patio between Sunday morning services or in the Church Office throughout the week. You can bring your donations to the Church Office or leave them in the food bins in the courtyard area.