We, followers of Jesus Christ are charged in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 to “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
The body of Christ has shirked her duty and placed a burden on the local pastors that does not belong to them. It was never the soul responsibility of pastors to reach the lost that is the work of an evangelist. The pastor is a shepherd.
In the natural, a shepherd cannot produce lambs, only sheep can do that. A shepherd tends, feeds, and protects the flock, and raises them to produce more lambs, and occasionally has to go after a lost member of the flock. And in spiritual terms, a pastor tends to the needs of the congregation, disciples believers in the Word, protects them from wolves in sheep’s clothing, and from false doctrines, encourages the weak ones, and equips the congregants to do the work of the ministry so they can win people to Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are called ambassadors for Christ, and we have a message for the lost, “Be reconciled to God”. Yes, each one of us are commissioned to the ministry of reconciliation, (see 2 Cor. 5:18). But in these last days, the people are less willing to enter into our meetings, so we need to go out to where the lost people are and be willing to do the work of an evangelist and win the people to Christ.
And we need to remember that when we are out doing the work of an evangelist that no matter how gruff people are on the outside they all have a deep inner need and desire to know the one true God, Jesus Christ.
Earlier this year, I had my hair done in a salon in NYC. The man who attended me started to tear himself down in front of me. He then said to me that he was a real mutt. As he confessed these negative words over himself I heard myself say out loud to him, “No, you’re not.”
My words caught his attention, and jolted his spirit. He just stopped and looked at me. I continued to tell him that people are created in the mirror image of God. And that He created us with a purpose and a destiny to fulfill. I continued to testify to him and to the others who listened in on our conversation about the goodness of our Lord.
My boldness touched this man’s heart, and before I knew it he stopped what he was doing and reached out and hugged me. The Spirit of the Lord broke down through the barriers and he opened up to me and shared his difficult past. And the more I spoke the more he wanted to hear. He was captivated by the Word of the Lord.
The others in the salon broke into the conversation and began to share their life stories and present challenges. They were all hearing about Jesus in a non-threatening environment, and in a new way.
I openly shared with them that we are not to seek after religion, but relationship with Jesus Christ. This was obviously something they had not heard before.
When the man was done with my perm, the owner asked if I would please pray for her business and for all the employees. I agreed, and we all joined hands in a circle as I began to pray. Openly and unashamed, I pleaded the blood of Jesus over the owner, the business and over each one of the workers and their families. I prayed that each one would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I prayed that a mighty move of the Holy Spirit would break forth in that salon, and that even the customers would sense the presence of the Lord in that place and be changed.
And the man who attended me stood right next to me as I prayed. He squeezed my hand ever-so tightly, in agreement with every word spoken.
When I finished praying with the owner and the employees, some of the customers stepped forward for prayer.
We live in an age where society tries to gag Christians, and demand that we no longer use the name of Jesus Christ. The apostles experienced the same, but they would not be silent. They continued to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and witness to the people. And so should we.
With a bold witness, I did the work of an evangelist and ushered in the presence of Jesus Christ into the hair salon in the Bronx of NYC. And the people heard the Good News, they believed and received that day.
Becky Dvorak is a healing minister and the Destiny Image author of DARE to Believe and Greater Than Magic. Visit her at authorbeckydvorak.com.
Janet Perez Eckles 
Shawn Akers 
Abby Trivett 
