By David Faust
“Christians and non-Christians have something in common: We’re both uptight about evangelism,” said Rebecca Pippert in the first line of her book, Out of the Saltshaker and into the World.
Our non-Christian neighbors are weary of polarizing political dialogue and are conditioned to distrust religion, making it difficult to initiate conversations about faith. Meanwhile, Christians wonder how to share the good news with those who shy away from churches, consider sin a nonissue, brand Bible believers as judgmental, and assume all go to heaven no matter what they believe. Here are some things I have learned about evangelism.
The gospel of grace should be presented graciously. Remember, Jesus embodied both grace and truth (John 1:14).
Authentic relationships are crucial. On rare occasions, we may get to share the gospel with complete strangers, but more often, opportunities arise in our daily surroundings and networks at home, work, or school, in backyards and coffee shops, at ball games and other places where people gather. Theologian Michael Green wrote that first-century Christians “gossiped the gospel.” For them, sharing the good news wasn’t an awkward duty. Their positive testimony spilled out naturally in ordinary conversation because they were convinced Christ was risen from the dead.
Pre- and post-evangelism matter, too. Crops grow best in well-prepared soil. By earning trust, building genuine friendships, setting a winsome example, demonstrating God’s love in practical ways, and praying for others, we plant gospel seeds and trust God for the increase. And after repentant believers are baptized, they still need help learning what Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Follow-up is crucial as new disciples begin to grow, serve, give, and share their own faith.
Disciple-making is a team effort. It’s not just the preacher’s job. When severe persecution broke out against the church, “all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). Ordinary followers of Jesus—not their prominent leaders—scattered like grains of salt seasoning the world. Jesus intended for the gospel to spread in an ever-widening circle to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), but it took persecution to get his followers moving. Christian Standard publisher Jerry Harris once wrote, “I am not sure Acts 1:8 would have happened had it not been for Acts 8:1.”
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4). Persecution forced these “scattered” believers away from their homes. It took courage and faith to leave the familiar streets of Jerusalem—especially for those who ended up in a Samaritan city where objectionable religious practices prevailed and longstanding animosity existed between Jews and Samaritans. But with the Spirit’s help, “wherever they went” (v. 4), enthusiastic believers like Philip overcame their hesitation and preached with surprising success, leading to “great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8) and proving once again that the gospel is “the power of God that brings salvation” (Romans 1:16).
Likewise, in the early days of the Restoration Movement, the gospel spread across the American frontier because ordinary people carried the message and planted churches “wherever they went.”
Someone has said that churches aren’t dying because people aren’t going to church; churches are dying because churches aren’t going to the people. So, instead of trying to make the church more like the world so the world will go to church, what if we try to make the church more like Christ so the church will go to the world?
Personal Challenge: On an index card, write the name of a non-Christian in your circle of influence who needs to hear the gospel. Look at that card each day for a month, praying for an opportunity to deepen your relationship and talk with that person about Jesus.
Author: David Faust
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.
Amen. Thanks, Dave.