1. The Holy Spirit Empowers⤒🔗

Before the Ascension, Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and Empower them (Acts 1:1-8). This was marvellously fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

2. The Holy Spirit Sends←⤒🔗

The reason for the empowering of the Spirit is that we might be sent by God, to make disciples, in the power of the Spirit, beginning in Jerusalem. This was the command of our Lord, Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20, repeated in Acts 1. The same teaching is found in John 15:26-27.

3. The Holy Spirit Selects←⤒🔗

In the NT it was the Holy Spirit who commanded the church to set aside men, such as Saul and Barnabas, to engage in evangelism (Acts 13:1-5). Do we take this seriously in the way men and women are recruited for Christian service? Or have we internalized the concept of ‘call’?

4. The Holy Spirit Directs←⤒🔗

The Holy Spirit not only guided the Church in the selection of those who would engage in evangelism but he also directed their steps in this evangelism. For example, in Acts 8:29, “And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot’.” Or the examples in Acts 16:6-10.

5. The Holy Spirit Persuades←⤒🔗

The Holy Spirit and EvangelismThere is a paradox at the very heart of our understanding of evangelism. On the one hand, we are to call people to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:11-20). At the same time we are told that Paul’s evangelism was not with wise and persuasive words but by a demonstration of the Spirit’s power (1 Cor. 2:1-5). The balance, surely, is to recognise both the sovereignty of God in salvation and the truth that he has called upon us to be his agents, his witnesses, his ambassadors.

6. The Holy Spirit Calls←⤒🔗

This follows naturally from the last point. In any discussion of evangelism, we cannot ignore the fact of effectual calling. Even our best efforts will be to no avail unless the sovereign Lord calls. Effectual calling is the act of God whereby He combines the outward call of the gospel with an inner persuasion, such that men and women are enabled savingly to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Wisdom and Prayer←⤒🔗

As we close, there are two other points which must be made. First, we must seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom in our evangelism. Second, we must always remember the importance of prayer in our evangelism.