Apest: Evangelists

Bethany Munn asks whether we walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

This Bible study series explores Apest, the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4 (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers). For more information, visit theforgottenways.org

Key text

• Luke 24:13-35

Do you love talking? I do.

For a long time, I believed that people were either good or bad communicators. In the past couple of years, that belief has started to change and I no longer see it as so black and white.

When I began my journey of learning about the fivefold Apest ministry (apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher), I assumed that my dominant roles would probably be evangelist and teacher – I love to talk and I was a teacher. But it turned out that they were the lowest in my breakdown of the roles. I had some learning about evangelising to do!

Finding Jesus the evangelist in Scripture isn’t hard. Jesus is the great communicator and teller of the good news.

In Luke 24, we can learn from one of the greatest examples – the story of what happened on the road to Emmaus.

Pause and reflect

• Can you walk the walk as well as talk the talk?

‘Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened’ (vv13 and 14).

I would love to have heard that conversation.

I have always thought that, before mechanised transportation, conversation must have been amazing because they would need something to pass the time. On their seven-mile walk, the disciples had plenty of time to talk.

Pause and reflect

• How is it possible for us to miss opportunities in our everyday lives to ‘walk the road to Emmaus’ with someone?
• What do you need to do differently?

‘As they talked and discussed, Jesus himself drew near and walked along with them; they saw him, but somehow did not recognise him’ (vv15 and 16 Good News Bible).

Do you wonder how long Jesus walked alongside them before speaking to them?

I imagine that he walked for some time, just listening. Can this be a lesson for us? Should we not rush to speak but instead listen to the hearts of people?

If we are to ‘walk’ alongside others and share Jesus with them, we must listen to God and to those whom we seek to introduce to him. Taking time to listen will open and extend our hearts in every way and by doing so we’ll be better equipped to share the gospel.

In verse 16, we learn that those on the walk didn’t recognise Jesus. This raises so many challenging questions for us.

Pause and reflect

• Do we fail to recognise or see Jesus beside us in our everyday lives? Why?

While walking alongside someone is the perfect introduction to them and to sharing the good news, Jesus showed us here that we need to talk as well as walk.

In one of his sermons, the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said: ‘Talk of [Jesus] and you’ll soon talk with him.’

The second challenge is to think about our talking. We need to ask ourselves whether we share Jesus without recognising him in our conversations or actions.

Our words, and the conversations we have, can be an incredible way to evangelise. If our conversations are hopeful, honest and full of compassion and grace, then Jesus is there. Take comfort in the knowledge that we have probably all had conversations with individuals and not recognised Jesus in them.

We have an opportunity to grow in evangelism, and Jesus is our ultimate resource for evangelising.

‘Now you must go into all the nations and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins so that they will turn to me. Start right here in Jerusalem, for you are my witnesses and have seen for yourselves all that has transpired’ (Luke 24:47 and 48 The Passion Translation).

Jesus later tells the disciples what to preach – the opportunity of forgiveness of sins and the need for personal repentance. They are to start local ‘in Jerusalem’, but go global to ‘all the nations’. However, they cannot do this simply with their innate aptitudes or skillsets.

Before they can give Jesus out, they must take Jesus in. They must wait for a spiritual dynamic – a God-promised, Spirit-filled encounter. They must wait until they have been ‘clothed with power from on high’ (v49).

Acts 2 records not only the initial Pentecostal empowering, but also the first results of Spirit-filled evangelism – some 3,000 converts (see Acts 2:41).

Only with that same power will we be able to walk and talk Jesus.

This Bible study was originally published in Salvationist magazine on 12 March 2022.