What is My Role in Evangelism?

Perspective in evangelism is crucial and the right attitude and perspective can make a big difference in how you approach evangelistic opportunities. Perhaps you have said something like, “I am afraid to share Christ because I might be rejected” or “If I say the wrong thing, my friend might be lost forever,” or “I don’t have the gift of evangelism, so God can’t use me.”

Be assured that you are not alone. For many believers evangelism is the weakest part of their Christian life – not because they don’t care about the lost or don’t want to share the gospel, but because of a misunderstanding about their role in evangelism. Attitude affects action. Perspective affects performance.

The Role of the Non-believer in Evangelism

John 4 reveals that three people are involved in evangelism… the non-believer, the believer, and God. Let’s look at the first of these roles – the Non-believer:

The Non-believer – your friends, neighbors, relatives, coworkers – the ones with whom we seek to share the gospel.

The Scriptures describe them this way:
Dead – Ephesians 2:1, 2 – literally a walking corpse
And you he made alive, who were dead in your trespasses and sins , in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.

Blinded – 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4 – veiled
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Spiritually foolish – 1 Corinthians 2:14 - unable to discern the spiritual
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Lost - Mark 6:34 – without a shepherd
And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.

Deceived and serving the world – Titus 3:3
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Remember two things: 1) this is how you once were before someone shared the gospel with you; 2) seeing your friends and relatives this way will help you to have compassion on them…not wanting them to stay in this condition.

eToolbox: Where is “Tampering” Allowed?

R. Larry Moyer

It was an experience of a lifetime. A commercial airline pilot invited Tammy and I to go through the new assimilator at the DFW Airport. I piloted the plane into various airports, under varying weather conditions, through night and daylight situations. Never have I been so grateful for an experience. Never have I been so grateful it wasn’t a real plane!

The pilot warned me, “Don’t touch this button.” He showed me how it would send the plane into a nosedive. Pointing to other controls he said, “You may touch these.”

In piloting people in evangelism, there is a control you dare not touch. It’s called the gospel. That gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and can be reduced to ten words: Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. That gospel is so close to God’s heart that He gives a severe warning to whoever tampers with it. Galatians 1:8 says, “But even if we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” In other words, “Let him suffer the discipline of God.”

However, methods do change. When it comes to the message, no change allowed. When it comes to the methods – be creative, think, brainstorm, and use variety. Change is allowed and even encouraged.

Changing Lives with the Gospel

AJ Rinaldi

Global warming, neo-Darwinism, casual sex, homosexuality, drug-addiction, moral relativism, abortion, pornography, instant gratification…the list goes on and on. These examples of “hot-button” topics illustrate a few of the issues that Christians deal with intellectually and emotionally every day at work, school, church and other social interactions. News stories center on these topics and how they impact American culture.

This word culture signifies something of importance to everyone, yet has many definitions. Of all the definitions for the term “culture” the following three best summarize the idea for discussing what all these issues mean today:

1. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period. (Greek Culture)
2. The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. (youth culture, drug culture, pop culture)
3. The sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. (Anthropology)

Differentiating between Western, Eastern, and developing cultures is no longer practical in certain applications. The world is fast becoming a global society. Although major differences still exist and need to be understood, when it comes to issues of morality and lifestyle - isolationism is a thing of the past. Therefore we must be aware of what impacts a culture and how to respond.

How do we do that while operating through a biblical worldview? The answer is deceptively simple. We follow the example of Jesus and his disciples.

Throughout the New Testament, the gospel is the consistent solution to what ails the world. Jesus did not organize a protest. Paul did not advocate dissent and rebellion to the governmental authorities. The writers of the New Testament clearly state that the power to change the world was in changing individual lives with the gospel—Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.

Christians can be reasonably involved in society with grace and truth. However, believers can be most effective by exercising leadership within their sphere of influence; sharing the gospel to change hearts and minds one at a time…

Join the discussion at the Redeeming the Culture blog.

What Does it Mean to “Contextualize” the Gospel?

David Souther

What does it mean to “contextualize” the gospel to reach other cultures?

To “contextualize” does not mean to change the gospel message: “Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead!” That message has reached cultures around the world for the last 2000 years and will stay the same until Christ’s return.

Instead, “contextualize” means “to place into context.” In regard to the gospel, it means to communicate the good news in a way that is relevant. This is vital in evangelism. Each culture looks at the world in a specific way. If we ignore a person’s background and worldview, we risk communicating a gospel that is misunderstood and distorted.

One of the most effective ways to reach other cultures for Christ is to use appropriate illustrations. Because the unsaved mind is not accustomed to thinking in terms of Scripture, illustrations can clarify biblical truths. However, it is important to use illustrations that relate to your audience. An illustration about a home run would make no sense to someone who is unfamiliar with baseball.

Research the culture you are trying to reach in order to understand their point of view. This will help you select illustrations that your audience will understand. Jesus provides a great example of this. He used simple illustrations and stories about fishing and farming; two subjects with which His audience was familiar. In the same way, we need to find illustrations that speak to the culture of our audience to make the terms of the gospel as clear and simple as possible.

Join the conversation with David at the Worldwide Hope blog.

Dealing with People Who Have Been Turned Off by Christians

How do you reach people who have been turned off by Christians? What do you say to people you want to see come to the Savior who is so good when they have seen Christians who, in their opinion, are so bad? In this episode of the Evangelism Encouragement Podcast, host Mark Rae talks with Dr. Larry Moyer as they consider some of the reasons non-Christians give as to why they have been turned off by Christians. 

Reference the Gospel During the Reading of Scripture

It can even be done the way one introduces a paragraph of the Scriptures he’s about to explain. For example, suppose one were speaking from 1 Corinthians. It would be most natural and effective to say:

“I enjoy speaking from the book of 1 Corinthians because the person God used to write this portion of Scripture was a man named Paul who, prior to coming to know Christ, called himself a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violently arrogant man. He had every reason to think, I am too big a sinner for God to save. But he recognized that on the cross Christ did not die for some people, He died for everybody. Because He paid the price for our sins by dying in our place and rising again, God can now extend the free gift of eternal life to anyone who will simply put their trust in Christ. So if you think you are too big a sinner for God to save, rest assured that as we study this paragraph in 1 Corinthians, that is most certainly not true.”

Have someone else read the passage of Scripture. Represent every generation in those that read the Scripture and coach them on referencing the gospel during the reading of Scripture. It is a very effective way to share the gospel.

Share the Gospel Through the Conclusion of Your Message

A conclusion of a message has to appeal for action. God wants everyone there to act upon what has been said. Suppose you have been preaching on John 13:1-17 where Christ washed the feet of the disciples. That has absolutely nothing to do with how to get to heaven, does it? But what would be more appropriate than at the end of the message to encourage believers that a mark of greatness in God’s eyes is not how many servants you have but how many people you serve?

Then in a most effective way you can say to lost people in the audience, “My message this morning has been to believers. But maybe you are here today and you do not know for sure if you were to die you’d go to heaven. Before you think about how you can serve the Lord, may I encourage you to think of how the Lord has served you? Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, died on a cross to take the punishment for your sins and rose again the third day. Because the price for sin has been paid, you can receive eternal life as a free gift. If you have not received that free gift, I would love to talk with you and help you arrive at that point where you know beyond the shadow of any doubt that if you were to die, you’d go to heaven. But do not even think about you can do for Him until you have first received what He has done for you.” Now that is a powerful message!

You are Not the Only One Who Can Share

Someone else who can appeal to lost people is a person who gives a five to seven minute testimony. Why not on a fairly regular basis have people from your congregation give a testimony that clearly presents the gospel? That time is critical so it’s important to have them to write it out, allow you to read it, make any suggestions and then re-write it prior to giving it. Through a clear testimony, the lost person can understand how he, too, can come to know the Savior.

Variety is often called the spice of life. It also is the spice of evangelism. When one uses varied ways to appeal to non-Christians in a non-evangelistic setting he ends up making an eternal difference in the lives of those who don’t know Christ.

What is Boldness in Evangelism?

Many Christians have asked, “How can I get rid of my fear in evangelism? What do you have to do to stop being afraid?” The New Testament responds to the problem of fear by talking about boldness. For example, when the prominent men of Jerusalem “saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled” (Acts 4:13). When contemplating our need to be bold as Peter and John were, we must first define boldness in this context.

Boldness in evangelism is the courage to speak with freedom, plainness, and confidence about the Lord. This side of heaven, we will likely never escape moments of fear. But God has an abundant supply of boldness for those who ask for it. As God answers those requests, we need to reflect on the truth of our message and develop a concern for those who need to hear. As we then obey Him instead of our fears, we will find ourselves speaking up in situations where previously we may have been silent. He gives the courage that enables us to speak with freedom, plainness, and confidence about the Lord.

As one experiences boldness as it is stressed in Scripture, it then becomes obvious that boldness in evangelism is related to our walk with the Lord, confidence in the Gospel, and concern for the lost. When these areas are as they should be, fear is often present, but so is the boldness needed to overcome it. As much as we might like to separate the spiritual life from evangelism, we cannot do so. The more intimate we are with the Lord, the bolder we will be in evangelism.

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