Our evangelism pleases God when our evangelism is led by God’s Spirit. The final lesson Jesus taught his disciples before his ascension was a lesson of evangelism. 

He began that lesson with this important point: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” When Jesus used the word all, he was telling his disciples that, apart from him, they have no authority at all. It is crucial to remember that the only authority in our lives is Jesus himself. That statement is worth hours of thought and a lifetime of obedience.

The only people who are able to fulfill the next words of Christ are those who have submitted to Christ as the One who has all authority. Only then can they “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all” that Jesus has commanded.

Our evangelism pleases God when it is authored by our only authority. Jesus is the reason we “go and make disciples” because that is his continued ministry through his Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus does the speaking. Jesus knows who is ready to listen and ready to receive their salvation. Jesus knows when we should love, share, teach, and encourage. Jesus knows when and how we are to share the gospel and make disciples of all nations. Jesus knows what we cannot because he is the One with all authority.

Pleasing God is wisdom, and God is pleased with our evangelism. Every Christian is called to make disciples of all nations. When we made Jesus our Lord, we invited him to be our Savior and Lord. We gave him authority over our plans, our schedules, and our message. He can interrupt our lives anytime to use us for his higher purpose. That is a life lived wisely submitted to Christ’s authority. That is a life that pleases God.