The Evangelist—Part One | God’s Idea, Not Man’s Invention
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 02/01/2026
Foundation Scriptures: And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11 NKJV
1. The Evangelist Is Not a Modern Concept.
a. The evangelist is not a church growth strategy, a motivational speaker, or a traveling personality.
b. His calling is God’s idea, conceived in eternity and revealed in Scripture.
c. Before there were denominations, organizations, or titles, there was the harvest.
d. And before the harvest, God ordained men and women to gather it.
e. The evangelist exists because God desires souls.
f. Matthew 9:35 KJV –– And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
g. This was not a suggestion; it was a pattern.
2. The Office Was Established by God.
a. The evangelist is not self-appointed, nor voted in by men.
b. The office was established by God Himself.
c. Ephesians 4:11 KJV –– And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.
d. The wording is intentional.
e. God gave evangelists.
f. That means:
- They are assigned, not assumed
- They are sent, not stationed
- They are called, not created by ambition
g. No man can manufacture an evangelist.
h. Training may sharpen, but calling precedes instruction.
i. The evangelist carries a divine assignment: to confront the world with eternity.
3. The Evangelist Is a Harvester.
a. The evangelist does not exist to maintain the Church.
b. He exists to expand the Kingdom.
c. Pastors care for the flock.
d. Teachers ground believers in truth.
e. Prophets speak direction.
f. Apostles build foundations.
g. But evangelists go where the lost are.
h. John 4:35 KJV –– Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
i. Evangelists see what others overlook:
- Crowds become souls
- Cities become harvest fields
- Resistance becomes opportunity
j. Where others see impossibility, the evangelist sees a moment for God.
4. The Gospel Is Central—Not Peripheral.
a. The evangelist does not preach opinion, philosophy, or cultural commentary.
b. He preaches the Gospel—plainly, boldly, without apology.
c. Romans 1:16 KJV –– For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…
d. The Gospel is not outdated.
e. It is not weak; it does not need to be rebranded.
f. The Gospel still saves.
g. The Gospel still convicts.
h. The Gospel still transforms.
i. When the evangelist preaches, Heaven backs the message.
5. Evangelists Are Confrontational by Nature.
a. Evangelists do not blend in.
b. They disrupt darkness.
c. The evangelist’s message draws lines:
- Between sin and righteousness
- Between Heaven and Hell
- Between life and death
d. Neutrality is impossible when the evangelist speaks.
e. Acts 2:37 KJV –– Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…
f. Conviction is not cruelty; it is mercy.
g. The evangelist preaches in such a way that people must decide—now, not later.
6. Evangelists Operate with Urgency.
a. Evangelists live with eternity in view.
b. They preach like time is short—because it is.
c. 2 Corinthians 5:11 KJV –– Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…
d. This urgency is not panic—it is purpose.
e. Evangelists understand:
- Hell is real
- Heaven is real
- Souls are eternal
- Delayed obedience costs lives
f. That is why the evangelist cannot be silent.
7. God Still Needs Evangelists.
a. Despite resistance, persecution, ridicule, and opposition—God still calls evangelists.
b. The world does not need softer preaching.
c. It needs clear preaching.
d. The Church does not need entertainment, it needs fire.
e. God is still looking for men and women who will say yes—regardless of cost—and proclaim salvation without compromise.
f. Romans 10:14 KJV –– How shall they hear without a preacher?
g. The evangelist answers that question with his life.