Once in a blue moon I run into a fellow believer also
interested in learning how we might better share the Gospel. This time it was a man named Zech whom I
happened upon at a coffee shop, and it was refreshing and encouraging to share
our ideas and perspectives.
I thought I would summarize here a biblical basis for “go
and tell” evangelism, which I believe to be a badly needed counterpart to the
emphasis on “come and see” that we find in so many churches today. This is much longer than my usual posts, and
really meant just for Christians wanting to learn more about sharing the Gospel…
Evangelism for the Rest of Us
As Christians it is only natural that we want to share the
good news of Jesus. The Holy Spirit who is sealed within us (Eph. 4:30) compels
us to do so, not just out of obedience to the Lord but also out of love for the
lost. Like Paul who said "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"
(1 Cor. 9:16) it is also natural that we will get impatient in waiting for
those Spirit-led opportunities that may seem to come our way only rarely.
But since the Holy Spirit lives within us, those
"Spirit-led opportunities" can and should come from within us too!
Just like Paul as he reasoned "in the marketplace day by day with those
who happened to be there"(Acts 17:17) it is both spiritual and biblical to
take the initiative when it comes to sharing the good news of salvation with
the lost.
Good News?
However, if the gospel is indeed "good news", why
then can it be so intimidating to share it? The truth is that the good news of
salvation through faith in Christ makes no sense without the bad news that we
are condemned without Him - and who wants to share bad news? It can be
tempting, then, to leave out the bad news and only share the good, but this
presents a distorted understanding of the gospel that can have dangerous
consequences.
Jesus described the problem perfectly in Matthew 7:6 -
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you
do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to
pieces." Our sacred, precious Pearl of Great Price is none other than
Christ crucified, and of course we hate to see the world try to trample Him
under their feet, not appreciating who He is and what He has done. They don't
appreciate the Savior because they don't know they need saving. Many who do
"accept Jesus" often feel like they are doing him a favor!
Most people - including "church people" - believe
that if there is a heaven, they are good enough to go there. And who dares tell
them otherwise? For the past century, the focus of preaching and evangelism
have been on the "good news" of the cross and salvation, with little
attention paid to the "bad news" of our sin, judgment, and the punishment
of hell. Because God's holiness and our sin and rebellion against Him are
trivialized, hell is seen as an unreasonable punishment that few need worry
about. For many, Jesus has become an optional accessory, an opportunity for
life enhancement rather than our only hope of salvation. The Gospel has been reduced to a method for
happiness rather than the way for righteousness.
Yet Jesus said that "wide is the gate and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the
gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it."(Matt. 7:13-14) In fact, although Jesus preached more about hell than
he did about heaven, warnings about the just punishment for our sin have become
strangely unfashionable in the past century or so. Or, the occasional fire and
brimstone preacher may use the threat of hell as a manipulative tool, often for
personal gain, but fails to convince his listeners that our loving God also
loves justice and will indeed punish unrepentant and unforgiven sinners.
We might not like it, but to if we want to be faithful to
the Gospel, we need to tell people the truth about sin and hell. But we can do
it without a judgmental attitude, in a way that will show them that hell is a
reasonable punishment. Instead of pointing fingers, we can ask a few simple
questions to help them understand where they stand with God and what the
consequences are. We can help people judge themselves, but we must make sure it
is by God's standard, not the world’s. This
will be easier than we might think because all have His standard written on
their hearts, they all have the knowledge of good and evil. This won’t be as
hard as it sounds if we will do as Jesus did!
What Did Jesus Do?
Are you a good person? The rich young man who came to Jesus
thought he was. He asked how he could inherit eternal life, expecting praise
and commendation. Instead Jesus gave him the law: "You know the
commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give
false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' " (Mark
10:17-27)
This young man proudly claimed to have kept them all, so
Jesus went to the heart of this man's sin: his wealth was more important to him
than God, breaking the1rst and 2nd commandments. Jesus could have said
"all have sinned" (Romans 3:23) but then this man would have found
safety in numbers. Instead Jesus personalized his sin, making him see himself
as he really was before a holy God: a lawbreaker deserving God's wrath.
And how did the man react? He was silenced by the law just
as Paul described: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to
those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole
world held accountable to God."(Romans 3:19) What do people do after the
law silences their excuses and self-justification?
Some leave, like the rich young man, but most stay to
listen. They hope there is more to the story. They heard the bad news, now they
want to hear the good news. We must make use of the law as it is intended to be
used: "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be
justified by faith." (Galatians 3:23)
I have been surprised to find out how many people are
willing to tell their beliefs to a stranger in answer to good questions. This
can begin interesting conversations with people in all walks of life with many
different beliefs without needing to judge or point a finger at them. Why? In part I know I am winning the right to be
heard by listening. I also know that after I ask just a few questions about how
well they have kept God's law - or even their own standard of right and wrong -
they will usually be silenced by their conscience and much more able and ready
to listen.
I used to try to convince people that their life will be
better with Jesus in it, feeling like a used car salesman in the process. I was
"throwing my pearls to the pigs", trying to convince them they needed
something they didn't even want. Now, the law leads to grace, and it is a
wonderful privilege to share the good news of Jesus with hearts hungry to
receive it.
Most people are thankful for the conversation, and no matter
where they are spiritually, whether they are a prodigal, a seeker, a beginning
believer or even those advanced in faith, they all can benefit when we plant a
seed of truth that God brings growth to. Though we must be careful to avoid
giving false assurance of salvation, we can encourage those who come to
repentance and faith to verbally confess Jesus as their Lord and point them to
various scriptures that assure salvation and encourage local church
involvement.
What's In It For Me?
What kind of a question is that? A very good one, because
there is a very good answer! Paul, who knew by experience, wrote "I pray
that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full
understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."(Philemon 1:6)
Just as the law is the "missing link" of modern
evangelism, I believe initiative evangelism is the missing link in the
contemporary church. Learning by doing
was at the heart of Jesus' discipleship program as He sent out his disciples to
witness in pairs. Worship becomes more sincere when you know you will boldly
proclaim the same truths to a lost world.
Bible study is taken seriously when you know you are preparing for
spiritual warfare. Prayer becomes fervent when you know you fully intend to
follow it up with action. Fellowship becomes sweet between comrades on a
mission. Your theology will be sharpened as all your shallow presumptions are
challenged.
The vast majority of us are not the leaders at our church
gatherings who are often privileged to proclaim the Gospel as the last of a
long line of people and events that the Spirit orchestrates in the life of an
unbeliever as He draws them to Jesus.
This, then, is evangelism for the rest of us.
For an excellent resource on evangelism, check out
www.LivingWaters.com
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