The Gospel and personal evangelism

1. The Gospel and personal evangelism

2. Fundamentally, we evangelize by preaching the Word and spreading the message (Rom 10:17). But how we specifically evangelize should be in striving for a certain balance of honesty, urgency, and joy. How Should we evangelize?

3. Honesty • We must tell people honestly that if they repent and believe they will be saved. But it will be costly. • We must be accurate in what we say, not holding any important parts back that seem to us awkward or offensive. • Some people believe that to talk about anything negative like sin and guilt and repentance and sacrifice is to derail evangelism. How Should we evangelize?

4. “I don’t think that anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality, and hence counterproductive to the evangelistic enterprise, than the unchristian, uncouth strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.” ~Robert Schuller How Should we evangelize?

5. But according to the Bible, although freedom is a wonderful aspect of our message (e.g. John 8:32-36), sin and guilt are at the very heart and core of the gospel. Let’s not believe that we are simply all engaged in some search for truth. The fall did not leave people neutral toward God but at enmity with him. Therefore we must not pretend that non-Christians are neutral seekers, but realize that they are by nature estranged from God, and we must be honest about that. How Should we evangelize?

6. Urgency • We must also emphasize the urgency with which people ought to repent and believe if they will be saved. They must decide now. • According to the New Testament (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10, the book of Hebrews), Christ is the only way to salvation. • We don’t know that tomorrow is ours, and we shouldn’t act as if it is (James 4:13). • “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Ps. 95:7-8; Heb. 4:7). How Should we evangelize?

7. It’s not manipulative or insensitive to bring up the urgent nature of salvation. It’s simply the truth—the time of opportunity will one day end. Since the world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:29, 31) and the days are evil (Eph. 5:16), we should say with Paul that, in view of a certain judgment, Christ’s love compels us to tell the good news to others (2 Cor. 5:10-15). We must be honest not only about the cost of repentance, but also about the expiration date of the offer. Such honesty compels us to urgency. How Should we evangelize?

8. Joy • The truth of the Gospel is a restored relationship with God that brings great joy. • So we should joyfully tell people that if they repent and believe they will be saved. It is all worth it, despite the cost (Hebrews 11). • In Christ we gain a relationship with God himself, which includes forgiveness, meaning, purpose, freedom, community, certainty, and hope. How Should we evangelize?

9. We should strive for this balance in our evangelism. • Honesty and urgency with no joy gives us a grim determination. • Honesty and joy with no urgency gives us a carelessness about time. • Urgency and joy with no honesty leads us into distorted claims about immediate benefits of the gospel. How Should we evangelize?

10. Specific Suggestions for Evangelism: • Pray • Since salvation is a work of God in hearts, then we need to pray for him to work. • We can work and witness, but only God can save someone, so we must pray. • We pray about much less significant matters every day. Why wouldn’t we pray about this? How Should we evangelize?

11. Use the Bible • God’s message can go out not just through yours words and mine, but through his own inspired words. • When Philip led the Ethiopian official to Christ, he used Scripture (Acts 8:35). • When we use Scripture in evangelism, we are showing our friends that we are not simply giving them our own private ideas; rather we are presenting Jesus Christ in his own life and teaching. How Should we evangelize?

12. Be clear • We must be clear about the fact of sin (Isa. 59:1-2, Hab. 1:13, Rom. 3:22-23), the meaning of the cross (Matt. 26:28, Gal. 3:10-13, 1 Tim. 1:15), and our need to repent of ours sins and to trust in Christ (Matt. 11:28-30, Mark 1:15, John 1:12). How Should we evangelize?

13. Be clear • When you share the gospel, think carefully about the language you use. • We often cannot take for granted using words like “God,” “prayer,” “heaven,” “moral,” “justification,” “Atonement,” “sin,” “wrath,” etc. • Paul said to the Corinthians, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews…to those not having the law I became like one not having the law…so as to win those not having the law.” (1 Cor. 9:20-21) How Should we evangelize?

14. Use the church • Invite the person to whom you’re witnessing to church. • Our lives as Christians give the Gospel credibility—they commend the Gospel message. • Paul said that in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, a community of believers—a church—should “shine like stars” (Phil. 2:14-16). • Invite people not just to hear a Gospel sermon but to involve them in the network of relationships that is your congregation. How Should we evangelize?

15. Ask Questions • Ask about the origin of life, how they understand bad things in the world, what they’re struggling with in their lives, and what they think the answer might be. • We can even ask them what they think about Jesus, God, judgment, the Bible, and Christianity. • Ask good questions and listen to their answers. How Should we evangelize?