Practical Steps for Personal Evangelism
January 7th, 2008
(By Jesse Johnson)
* Jesse serves as the Pastor of Local Outreach at Grace Community Church. He also teaches Evangelism at The Master’s Seminary.
Perhaps you are one of the many who does not find evangelism easy or natural. Here are some practical steps to take to help your evangelism be more effective:
Live a Transformed Life (Rom 12:1)
The most eloquent and fluent Gospel presentation is muted if unbelievers identify you by patterns of sin in your life. The more holy and the more set apart our lives are, the more powerful our evangelism generally will be. In fact, the consistent testimony of a changed life is one of the more compelling proofs of the truth of the Gospel (Rom 12:1).
Pray Relentlessly
I have seen in my own life that in times where I am not praying for evangelistic opportunities, I have a hard time identifying them. However, the more I pray and ask God to open opportunities for evangelism, the more opportunities I seem to have. Prayer is not only answered by God bringing more non-believers into our lives, but is also answered by God allowing us see the opportunities that are already present. A sign of godliness is earnest prayer for the lost (Rom 10:1).
Start the Conversation
Because of your love and compassion for your neighbors and co-workers, develop a relationship with them. Get to know their names, their interests, their joys and their trials. Ask them questions, and listen to the answers. I am always surprised about how many Christians don’t even know the names of their neighbors. It is not likely that your neighbor will randomly knock on your door and ask what he must do to be saved. Instead, start the conversations with them, and watch how God may develop relationships that lead to the Gospel being proclaimed.
Explain the Gospel
In the course of your relationships with friends and neighbors, talk about spiritual things. Ask questions in a loving way, and be prepared to explain what you believe, and why it is different from their beliefs. Explain why you have an eternal hope. Explain who God is, that he is holy and that he is the creator. Explain why man is sinful and in need of a savior. Explain how Christ is that savior and how his death and resurrection can restore us to a right relationship with God. And finally, tell them what a saving response looks like by challenging them to count the cost, deny themselves, and become a follower of Christ.
Don’t be discouraged
The worst-case scenario in evangelism is that people reject the Gospel. They do this because they are spiritually dead and blind to the things of God (Eph 2:1). The evangelist has an impossible task, one for which it seems we are completely insufficient (2 Cor 3:5-6). But we rely on God who can bring the dead to life, and we are faithful with the opportunities that God gives us, trusting him with the results.
I would only add (under pray relentlessly) that we also pray for the courage to take the opportunities we are already given. Praying “for an opportunity” sometimes overlooks the fact that merely being in the presence on an unsaved person is, in an of itself, an opportunity. I often hear “I’m going to see my neighbor tomorrow, pray that I have an opportunity to witness”. I say, if God allows you to go - skip to point three and start the conversation! Waiting for “the right time” is sometimes a recipe for hesitation, or even failure.
Opportunity
I lived next to a 75 year old Spanish immigrant to Perth Western Australia. At the time I had left the Pentecostal cultish church I had been in for years….actually left the whole pentecostal scene altogether!
Anyway, for 3 years we lived next to Tony. After work I would talk with him across the fence. We shared about Jesus with him many times. He was not a catholic as he had been put off that idea through suffering under their hands in Spain during Franco’s era.
After we moved about 4 hours drive away from Tony, I would drop in to see him whenever I came to the city.
But after some time I had an urgentcy from the Lord to see him, possibly for the last time.
He had wanted to see our 3 children again, he told me months before.
So my wife and our children went around to his house on a Sunday.
But there were cars everywhere on the front yard and driveway.
I knocked and knocked on the front door, no answer.
I could hear people talking and laughing in the backyard. I knocked louder and called out as well. No answer.
I wanted to give up, but felt the Lord urging me on.
I knocked again and called out again. Nothing.
I went back to my waiting family in the car and told them…they sent me back again.
I knocked again , called again…nothing.
I gave up. I went back to the car and left,my children were upset, had not seen him for 3 years. I said, we will see him again. As I was saying that, I thought, ‘Probably not’.
Anyway, as can guess, we found out that he died the next morning at home on his own.
It took me days to get peace in my heart. I felt like Ezekiel 33 was written just for me!!
Keep knocking, don’t give up
Chris, Dennis,
Thanks for your comments!
2Tim 4:2
Eddie,
I had a similar experience on Saturday. My wife and I had befriended an older, lonely man… we met him in the local coffee shop and saw him every day, eventually had him over for dinner, even shared some holidays, most recently Thanksgiving. We shared our belief, and talked with him about Jesus, but he put us off, and I kept thinking that we would continue to share more and I’d let my “quiet witness” grow.
After being concerned that I hadn’t seen him in a few days, I went to his apartment this past Saturday afternoon. The landlord (doing a “wellness check”) opened the man’s apartment and let me in - and I found my friend dead in his bed. My wife and I are still stunned, and our opportunities are now all past.
Don’t wait another minute… when the Lord is sending you, GO. When He’s telling you to talk, SPEAK UP. You never know when time runs out for them or for us.
Three and one half years ago while living as a missionary near a Mono Indian reservation I had a neighbor, a white man who thought he was a Christian. He began living in open fornication so I went to him with the scriptures, warning him not to be deceived. He ended up cutting off my water supply so I had to resort to hauling water in barrels from 35 miles away. A man from the reservation stopped me and asked why I was hauling water. Not wanting to go into too much detail I asked him. “Manuel, if you knew that every time someone went down that path over there they never came back alive and you saw someone start to go down that path and you said nothing… “That would be murder” was his reply. How sad that a normally drunk (He was sober that day) pagen idolator had more spiritual insight than most “Christians”. Oh, that God would grant us the grace to be able to say with Paul. “I am innocent of every man’s blood”!
I would add that before anyone should present the Gospel, the Law must precede. Spurgeon said, “The sharp needle of the law makes way for the scarlet thread of the gospel.”
It is imperative that the sinner knows that he is a sinner. The Law does this. Then the beautiful Gospel will make sense in light of the persons sinfulness.
Wayne
I appreciate you comment about the importance of using the Law. I had no clue how wretched I really was until I came face to face with God’s standard of goodness as seen in the 10 Commandments. Then I was totally desperate for a Savior.
Good post and good comment Wayne. I agree the need for the Law of God is essential. I have used Way of the Master evangelism for the past 10 months or so. It works so well. Sure gives you confidence to go out and reach the lost the way Jesus did!
Thanks for sharing Wes, keep fighting the good fight of faith!
Amen Wayne, use the law to go for the conscience!
Eddie
Great stuff
I’m amazed that your definition of a saving response includes nothing about faith, belief or trust in Christ. It’s all about a person’s own actions. This is the result of an overbalanced Lordship view which comes from a position in extremed Reformed theology. How sad to so complicate the simple Gospel.
“And finally, tell them what a saving response looks like by challenging them to count the cost, deny themselves, and become a follower of Christ.” (quote from article)
Thank you Jesse. My family and I are currently living and serving in one of the last remaining communist countries. As a result we are sometimes limited to what we can say and do. However, we are not prevented from “living transfomed lives” or “praying relentlessly.” We are daily learning how important it is to live transformed lives before the lost. Everyday we are being watched and observed by the nationals. It is vital that we demonstrate “transformed lives” in our personal lives, marriage, family and encounters with locals. Just this week a dear friend was severly injured when she fell off a transit bus. As the authorities questioned us about the accident, we told them the family didn’t want compensation (a practice in this country) nor did they want anything to happen to the driver. Our friend who was awaiting medical evac for surgery in another country, wanted the authorities, case worker and the driver to know she forgave the driver. When this was explained they could not believe it! Tears came to the eyes of the case worker and the driver (who would have lost his job and severely punished). We further explained she could forgive because Jesus had forgiven her. They commented that we were not typical foreigners! Praise God! Now we must “relentlessly pray” for these people who have been exposed to a “transformed life.” In our setting it is the “transformed life” (and the Holy Spirit of course!) that frees us to “explain the gospel” with integrity.