Evangelism:
The Joy of Sharing the Good News.
Part 15.
This week we are talking about looking for opportunities to share the gospel.
Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), wrote that “Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit leaving the results to God.”
The focus is on our obedience, not the outcome.
We should always think about initiating evangelism within the context of building relationships. Jesus has already commanded us to preach the gospel — we do not need further prompting (see Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15). If we wait for our friends to bring up spiritual things it may never happen.
Focus on building bridges and establishing relationships. This approach is much more effective in the long run than cold contacts. Joseph Aldrich wrote in Life-Style Evangelism, “The Christian loves his neighbor as a person and evangelism becomes a byproduct of his self-giving love … not the reason for it … Presence establishes the validity of what is being proclaimed. Presence alone is not enough. No one is good enough to just let his life speak for Christ. Words (proclamation) are necessary to point beyond himself to Christ. Nevertheless, the unbeliever needs to feel the impact of the gospel (good news that Christ loves people) and not merely listen to it. When love is felt the message is heard. But presence which never leads to proclamation is an extreme to be avoided. We are ‘fishers of men,’ sent to catch fish, not frogmen who dive under water and swim with the fish, making our ‘presence’ known.”
As noted above, Jesus commanded us to preach the gospel — that means we should be active in sharing our faith. The New Testament has many examples:
Acts 20:20-21 — “… teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 1:28 — “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 2:2 — “But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.”
2 Timothy 1:8 — “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.”
Of course, the key to boldness in sharing your faith is prayer. Again, the New Testament speaks:
Acts 4:29-31 — “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Ephesians 6:18-19 — “…making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.”
Colossians 4:3-4 — “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison; that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”
Begin each morning in prayer making yourself available to God to speak for Christ, relying on the Holy Spirit, and asking for opportunities to share the gospel. Be ready, for the Lord will be at work!
Always use discretion. As you pray for boldness and opportunities, be careful not to unload a dump truck of information the first time the conversation turns to spiritual things. The Lord may initially give you opportunities to communicate bits and pieces of the gospel and your own personal testimony. However, go ahead and share the gospel fully in a natural way if the opportunity is right.
As stated in earlier installments of this series, developing relationships is important. Making friends comes naturally to some people. Others are more introverted. Either way, ask God to give you help in how to get to know your neighbors. Here are some easy ways to break the ice:
- Get to know their names.
- Smile! Be the kind of person your neighbors would want to know. If you want to build redemptive relationships, be friendly.
- Be a good listener. Discover and discuss their interests rather than your own.
- Take the initiative to be of help when it is appropriate.
Other ideas include extending an invitation to your home, cultivate common interests by doing things together and building on shared experiences, making holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving count, and being available for the hurting. The old adage really is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Giving books to your neighbors is another easy way to connect. Be intentional about it. Put some good — top quality! — Christian literature on your coffee table. Sometimes people will pick up a book and thumb through it or they may ask you about it. If they express interest, lend it to them or buy them a copy. If there is a particular area they are struggling with or have questions about, you may want to provide a good book on that topic.
A personal invitation to Christian activities or events (as appropriate) is another way to develop relationships and spark spiritual conversations. The possibilities are many — home Bible studies, a men’s prayer breakfast or women’s Bible study, special events such as concerts or marriage/family seminars, programs or activities for the children, or Christian movies.
Regardless of how you develop relationships in your sphere of influence, be ready to share the gospel. Some opportunities will present themselves to you (Acts 8:26-35 is a good example). Other opportunities you will need to take advantage of (see Acts 16:13-15 description of Paul’s meeting with Lydia in Philippi).
To conclude this week’s thoughts, what to do once you share the gospel? We’ll deal with that question in our last session. Next week, though we will look at some objections you are likely to hear.