It is clear from the teaching of our Lord and His apostles that it is the imperative of the church to spread the Gospel message. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). This directive we’ve been given we see played out so many times in the book of Acts. What is interesting is that it is not something that is reserved for just the Apostles or big names in the Bible. Ordinary men, women, and whole households were involved in those evangelistic efforts.
Early in Acts we see the majority of the preaching is done by the Apostles. However, a sermon that we have recorded in Acts chapter seven was preached by a deacon in the church, Stephen (Acts 6:5). Before that moment we had no idea who he was. He was a man who stepped out on faith, full of the Holy Spirit began preaching and doing the work. He was a great example of one with the faith of a mustard seed and what God was able to do through him (Matt. 17:20).
After the death of Stephen and the persecution that followed, we have a group of people that leave Jerusalem. When they leave, they don’t hide the beliefs that were dangerous to them. They don’t stop talking about the very thing that caused them to flee. “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). They were counted among those that put the fear of death aside for the joy of the gospel and continued share the saving message (Rev. 2:10).
There were families that helped with the spreading of the gospel. Cornelius, one who feared God before he even became a Christian, had his house full of people ready to listen to the gospel (Acts 10:27). “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God” was one that shared in the work that took place in Philippi as she implored that Paul and his company stay with her and her family (Acts 16:15). The work that was done there in that city was also accredited to her account as she was a fellow partaker in the work (Phil. 4:17). When Paul was in Thessalonica he had been staying in the house of Jason. That is where the mob went to find Paul. Not finding Paul, they dragged Jason out (Acts 17:5-6). We don’t read of him shrinking from his faith after this. He was probably a part of helping Paul escape from the area.
Evangelism is something we can all do. Even with our families. We are armed with faith and the powerful gospel.