When it comes to sharing the Gospel with others, there can be a lot of fear and hesitancy. Today many people see talking about religion with a stranger as something that is culturally odd and should be avoided. But for Ed Jackson, evangelism isn’t just a suggestion but a calling from God.
“I’ll always confess Jesus to the whole world,” Ed said. “I don’t care who’s around.”
Ed first came to Bellevue in 2013, and one Sunday morning he was introduced to the idea of getting involved in Discipleship Groups. As Bro. Steve Gaines preached on the importance of the Great Commission, something stirred inside Ed. After the service, Ed met with Pastor Bill Street to find out how to be part of a Discipleship Group.
“God used Bro. Steve and Pastor Bill to touch my heart, and they were really encouraging the whole church that you ought to make disciples,” Ed said.
Once he heard about discipleship, Ed jumped right in. He got involved with a year-long, one-on-one discipleship process before moving on to start his own. He began to pour his passion for evangelism into others so that they would be prepared to go out and do the same.
“It’s a ripple effect,” Ed said. “I want to make disciples who make disciples.”
Ed started his Discipleship Group in 2015, and he is still teaching Discipleship Groups to this day. As he teaches, he wants to let his group know that the Lord can use anyone because He has given them the gifts and abilities to fulfill His command.
“It’s up to us whether we steward our gifts well,” Ed said. “Like some people may call me a soul winner, but I’m just using the gifts gifted from the Spirit, and God sends me people to speak to.”
For Ed, discipleship all points back to a personal relationship God, and he encourages people to be rooted in being a disciple of Christ before they make disciples for Christ.
“The biggest takeaway I hope my group walks away with is that their personal relationship with God is the most important relationship they will ever have,” Ed said. “Regardless of how you are gifted, the main thing is your personal time with God because God doesn’t only want these gifts to be used and displayed to the outside world—first and foremost He wants us.”
Another thing Ed wants his group to understand before he sends them out is that they are there to plant the seed, not reap the harvest.
“Not every conversation you are going to have is going to lead people to Christ, so you need to pray for an anointing to what specifically He is wanting you to do—share the Gospel, pray, that sort of thing,” Ed said. “One important thing to know about evangelism: You may not get a chance to share the Gospel with everyone you meet, but you can always share the love of Christ with them.”
It’s also important to know that evangelism is not a solitary mission. We aren’t called to do life alone, and in order to remain joyful and effective in sharing the truth, it’s essential to be part of a community.
“People should get in a Discipleship Group to rejoice in their gifts with others and prevent the enemy from stealing your joy,” Ed said. “He knows if he steals your joy, that closes the door on any hope of praise, any hope of rejoicing with others, and it nullifies our effectiveness to spread the truth of the Gospel.”
Here at Bellevue there are many opportunities for people to hear the Word of God. However, just listening to God’s Word isn’t enough to fulfill the Great Commission. We are called to go out and share the Gospel with the world. Through leading a Discipleship Group, Ed has been able to share with many open hearts the love of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel.
“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20 NIV
To learn more about how you can get involved with a Discipleship Group, visit bellevue.org/discipleship.