Principles for Evangelism
June 19th, 2007
(By Jesse Johnson)
As I noted yesterday, I do not believe that every Christian is called do “cold” evangelism. I also do not believe that a church’s evangelistic health should be measured by the number of evangelistic outings they organize. Nor do I believe that there is any “one” (as in ”only correct”) way or method of evangelism.
That being said, I would like to propose some principles for evangelism that I think are both comprehensive and biblical.
1. The best evangelism is to those with whom you have relationships. Yesterday’s post elaborated more on this, but the main idea is that the longer you have to explain the gospel, the more clearly and thoroughly you can do so. While it may be true that people can get saved from a 5-minute gospel presentation, my experience has been that an ongoing relationship is a more effective way of sharing the gospel. This is not to discourage you from evangelizing the person sitting next to you on the subway. After all, your short conversation on the subway might be the capstone to someone else’s faithful labor.
But it is to say that we must be faithful in evangelism to those we see regularly; our neighbors, doctors, cleaners, co-workers, and the like. I heard Mark Dever talk about how he goes to the same barber every time, for the purpose of building a relationship that would allow him to explain the gospel. That kind of strategic and evangelistic thinking should be prominent in every pastor’s life.
2. A gospel presentation should be biblical. This might sound obvious, but most evangelistic material around today focuses more on diagrams, catch phrases, and concepts/laws that are not explicit in Scripture. A biblical approach to evangelism equips a believer to explain the gospel message using Scripture. Can you explain who God is, the sinful nature of man, the person of Christ and His sacrifice, and the commands given to sinners using only Scripture? When you can, you are ready to call your approach to evangelism “biblical.”
3. A good evangelist uses dynamic entry points. Not all gospel conversations start with the same phrases. If your gospel presentation consists of a pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all, memorized monologue, the odds are good it is neither effective nor biblical.
To the proud, we bring law. To the broken, we bring grace. To the hurting, we bring comfort. In the morning you meet with an arrogant college student who humorously claims to be an atheist who is going to heaven when he dies. In the afternoon you meet with a drug addict who has hit bottom, and who knows he is lost. That evening you meet with a woman whose son died in Iraq. These are each very different individuals in very different scenarios. The evangelistic conversations you have with each will necessarily be different.
4. The effectiveness of evangelism is measured by the clarity of the message, not the response to the message. I hope to write more on this at some point in the future, but Jesus often made His gospel presentation so challenging that He was almost driving people away from Him (see John 6 for instance). Our goal in evangelism is to clearly proclaim who God is, why people are lost, what Christ did to save us, and what our response should be. When this message is clearly preached, the Holy Spirit will save people. That is what the gospel does, and that is what the Holy Spirit does. What we do is proclaim the message, and pray for the person to repent.
When these principles are implemented, evangelism will be both effective and biblical. When a person rightly understands the content of the gospel and they have a love for the Savior, then their lives become a mission field. Their neighbors, co-workers, and the person bagging their groceries all become potential recipients of the gospel of grace.
That’s all right on target! If I could, however, extend this principle INTO an organized outreach program (which I still think is a good idea), it would be the absolute necessity of a follow-up plan. People know we must follow up on potential converts or professing believers. Our job as leaders in the church is to offer them material and advice which they can take to those people. I think we all realize that, for the most part, only 1/3 of the Great Commission is being followed in most churches, that being the gospel-giving part. Discipleship is the key, and perhaps you can write a post on that – it would help a great deal.
Good post. I can’t seperate the Gospel from who I am. It’s part of how I live every day of my life. The good news of my salavtion is embedded firmly in my heart, soul, and whole life. Christ is my Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.
And yet there are times, when I shrink back from telling others about His death and ressurection, and what He has done for me.
Thanks again for the edifying thoughts.
Very thought provokingly helpful…it isn’t about believers programming a work but it is about the practice of those being God’s workmanship being yielded to His working in and through them pointing to the gospel that saves(when and where and how He orchestrates and leads). Salvation remains of the Lord. Such simplicity in Christ and how awesome this resting in Him is.
“If your gospel presentation consists of a pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all, memorized monologue, the odds are good it is neither effective nor biblical.”
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You’ll be writing on this for the next couple of months, right??
Well, I suppose I’d understand if you weren’t planning to do so; but, do let me say that what you HAVE written, in these two posts alone, have been edifying to me towards my own desire to serve the Lord in this way; and to guide the young women in my church who share the same desire.
Evangelism is too profound to be simplified to a set of guidelines, or isolated to an “event” or program (not that these can’t be useful means). It requires much more of the Christian. It requires that one meditate on, pray about, and diligently study God’s saving truth that is the gospel; to the point, that it’s magnificience just pours out from each aspect of our lives.
And once our thoughts, words and actions are dominated by the gospel of Christ, it takes a spiritual maturity and understanding of our fellow man, so that we may be used of God to guide others to this truth, with clarity and credibility.
Thanks again,
Kristine
I do think we should avoid relying on “testimony” evangelism, though. I mean, Tom Cruise has a testimony as does every poor soul who prayed to Saint Fill-in-the-blank. While it is the Word itself that compels, it is always proper to point out that the Resusrrection of Christ is the most verifiable event of the ancient world. I like to mention also that numerous learned men, lawyers especially who value evidence, have concluded based on a biased-against investigation that the Bible is factual and the Resurrection occurred just as recorded. There simply is an overwhelming amount of evidence. Also, it is only right to speak with conviction, not weakly or haltingly.
(1 Peter 4:11) If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.
I recommend this great article also:
http://www.ankerberg.org/Articles/_PDFArchives/apologetics/AP4W1105.pdf
It deals with one of the biggest objections ni the mind of “wordly-wise” men. Namely, that Christians are uneducated rubes.
Jesse – Thank you for being an instrument of God to give me a good kick in the pants when I need it! God allows us to have relationships, not only as a blessing here on earth, but as a means to carry out the Great Commission. How sinful of me to lose the proper focus in my relationships. This reminded me of (I forget who said it at a recent GCC conference)… “the non-believer is not our enemy, but our mission field” Thank you!
“To the proud, we bring law. To the broken, we bring grace. To the hurting, we bring comfort. In the morning you meet with an arrogant college student who humorously claims to be an atheist who is going to heaven when he dies. In the afternoon you meet with a drug addict who has hit bottom, and who knows he is lost. That evening you meet with a woman whose son died in Iraq. These are each very different individuals in very different scenarios. The evangelistic conversations you have with each will necessarily be different.”
With all do respect, I would consider this (borderline) seeker-sensitive. Our emotional state is irrelevant to truth. The message of the gospel is the same for everyone. It is not the “presenter” of the gospel that saves; it is the “presence” of the gospel that saves. I don’t believe we need to know the emotional state of ones mind in order for the gospel to penetrate ones heart.
Maturing….”I would consider this (borderline) seeker-sensitive…..The message of the gospel is the same for everyone.”
I think you missed the context when Jesse said, “The evangelistic conversations you have with each will necessarily be different.” Would you evengelize your 10 year old son/daughter the same you would to a strung out drug addict who happens to be a co-worker? The conversations will be different, though the gospel message of God’s saving grace will be exactly the same. I would not consider this seeker-sensitive.
Sorry to be redundant, but to quote Jesse again from this post… “Our goal in evangelism is to clearly proclaim who God is, why people are lost, what Christ did to save us, and what our response should be. When this message is clearly preached, the Holy Spirit will save people. That is what the gospel does, and that is what the Holy Spirit does. What we do is proclaim the message, and pray for the person to repent.”
Thank you Jesse for this Biblical truth!
I guess I am a little confused. No, I would not evangelize to my daughter the way I would a co-worker. I will “train up” my daughter. I would, however, evangelize to the co-worker, college student and mourning mother the same. I understand what is trying to be said. The point is the same for everyone; however, how we “get” to the point is different according to the situation. My question is, what is the situation? Are we reaching out to the co-worker because he is an addict? Or, are we reaching out because we feel he might not be saved.
“Are we reaching out to the co-worker because he is an addict? Or, are we reaching out because we feel he might not be saved.”
Jesse answered this very clearly. With all do respect, please re-read the post on what our goal should be in evangelizing. (Point 4 – begins “Our goal in evangelism…)
I suggest you re-read the post again, slowly and exhaustively. Thank you for the interaction, my friend!
“I suggest you re-read the post again, slowly and exhaustively.”
I thought I was among friends! I will try to read a little slower next time. Point 4 proves my point…we do not need to know the emotional situation of ones “mind”. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, through the gospel, that penetrates the “heart and conscience”.
No hard feelings Dave and thank you for reaching out.
Maturing in Faith
I see Maturing’s point. Varying the “entry point” in regards to different situations sounds awfully similar to finding out people’s felt needs and showing them how Jesus helps. While I don’t think this is what Jesse was saying, I understand the caution against this. It’s a good concern.
The thing that’s always bothered me about the point of contact position is that there really is no point of contact between a believer and an unbeliever (2Co 6:14-18), except that they’re dead in their transgressions and we preach the Word of reconcilation. So Maturing’s point, I believe, is that every unbeliever is in the same situation: they’re dead in their sin.
So we do bring the Law to the proud, grace to the broken, and comfort for the hurting. The only point is that every unbeliever is proud, broken, and hurting because of their spiritual state. That, I believe, was the intention of the post. If the idea is that we have to put the spiritual need on hold for a bit so we can figure out their physical need and meet that first, I disagree. That sounds awfully emerging. “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables” (Acts 6:2). We seek the kingdom for unbelievers first, and we watch how — if the eyes of their hearts are enlightened — all those physical needs pale in comparison to “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph 1:18-19).
MIKE
Maturing… I am really sorry if I came across rude. I honestly just thought you were missing much of the context from your comments and was suggesting reading through it again slowly, digesting the entire post in its entirety. I understand your concerns, but in the context of the entire post, I think these concerns are answered. I obviously came across different than how I intended -Please forgive me!
“Please forgive me!”
Absolutely! Honestly, I was not offended at all. I have a dry sense of humor and it is difficult to transfer that to print. I really do appreciate you reaching out.
Thank you (Mike) for an accurate summary of what I was trying to get across.
[...] 21st, 2007 · No Comments The topic of evangelism is an important one amongst Christians. As a matter of fact, it is one ofthe essential factors for church growth. Yet, like prayer it is one of the most neglected engagements and lifestyles of Christians. Perhaps this is due to fear of rejection, fear of confrontation and alienation, or simply don’t know how. If the latter is an issue, here’s a short, but helpful article “Cold Evangelism” by Jesse Johnson (a classmate of mine from TMS) in Pulpit Magazine. Furthermore, I’d also recommend “Principles for Evangelism.” [...]
Re: point of contact
Based on a variety of sources including books and evangelists and of course Scripture itself some might say that the point of contact that believers and unbelievers share is that we are all made in God’s image, yet we suppress this truth (cf. Romans 1)
Jesse, I appreciate your willingness and heart to talk on this subject. I pray God encourages and empowers each person that reads this to be a bold witness wherever they are at because God has given us divine appointments all around us.
Mark Cahill’s book “One Thing You can’t do in Heaven” has been one of the biggest encouragements in my journey.
Keep fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Ken