Evangelism: An Introduction To God
I used to think of evangelism as an objective. I thought it meant being a door-to-door salesman, making cold-calls, and trying to convert people to Christianity by quoting the Bible and winning debates. And all of that was a huge turn-off for me, and I had no interest in doing any of it.
But I have learned it’s not like that at all. It’s an invitation to meet God. Evangelism, it turns out, is something very personal.
The word evangel is the root of words like evangelical, evangelize, evangelism, evangelist. If you look up the word evangel in the dictionary it does not give you a definition; it simply says “see: gospel.” And gospel means good news, which means evangel also means good news.
To put it in perspective we could say each of those words in a different way. Evangelical would be gospelical, evangelize → gospelize, evangelism → gospelism, and evangelist → gospelist.
The word evangelical means being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels.
Evangelize means to preach the gospel.
Evangelism means the winning of personal commitments to Christ.
And evangelist is defined as an enthusiastic advocate for Jesus.
To summarize all this we could form a mission statement that goes something like this:
We are enthusiastic advocates for Jesus, preaching the gospel to win people to personal commitments to Christ so that we can all come together in agreement with the Christian Gospel.
These definitions only scratch the surface of what evangelism truly means. They give us some idea of it, but you have to reflect on why these words are defined this way. These definitions are just descriptions of a state of the heart.
They talk about being in agreement with the Gospel, having a personal commitment to Christ, being an enthusiastic advocate, and preaching (which is more than just teaching because it involves the heart and not just the mind).
Evangelism is not just about letting people know about Jesus and sending them on their way; it’s about showing people the love of Jesus and inviting them into your eternal family.
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Evangelism is all about the gospel, and gospel means good news, but what is the “good news?”
The good news is for those who believe that Jesus died to save us from our sins so that we could be redeemed to God and spend eternity with Him in heaven. But that’s the headline. There’s more to it.
The good news is that you don’t have to be perfect!
The good news is that all of your mistakes have been forgiven and forgotten!
The good news is that you have a Father in heaven who knows you and calls you son, or daughter!
The good news is that you are free from condemnation and empowered to grow in love.
The good news is that you don’t have to worry or be afraid because God will give you peace beyond all understanding.
The good news is that there is everlasting grace for you, and peace for you, and joy for you.
The good news is that you are loved, and you are able to truly love!
The good news is that God created you so that He could love you, and be with you, and He wants you to love Him and be with Him.
The good news is that heaven is full of people who unconditionally love you and want you to be with them!
The good news is that this life is just the beginning of your existence, and the best part of your existence is yet to come.
The good news is that you are not alone, and you will never be alone again!
That’s the good news that you need to share with everyone!
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To be honest with you I have never really considered myself to be strong in the ministry of evangelism.
I am all in when it comes to discipling believers. I cherish the thought of standing here for hours talking to you all about God. To be honest I really love all the time I get to spend with God in preparation.
But the thing I am probably most afraid to do is to get up on a soap box in the middle of a city and start shouting the Gospel to everyone around. I admire those who do it, and I can relate to the fervor they have for it, but it would truly be a challenge to my comfort zone for me to do it.
Maybe when you hear the word evangelism you feel the same way. More than happy to go into the closet and pray. More than happy to sit in the library and study. But when the topic of approaching strangers comes up you’re ready to head for the exit.
Or, maybe you’re the opposite. Maybe you love to go out and talk to anyone you can about Jesus. Maybe you’re the type who can’t imagine doing hours of prayer and study just to stand up here and teach for an hour. Maybe sitting still by yourself and praying for an hour is a sure way to get in a good nap (like some of the first disciples).
Well, I have Good News for you! You are not alone!
Evangelism is a team effort! We are all in it together. We are all empowered by Holy Spirit, with different gifts and fruits, to carry out particular parts of the overall mission.
We can each do all of the things. But we don’t all have to do all of the things all of the time. We are not supposed to carry out the mission of the church by ourselves. We are supposed to work together as one body.
When we work together, we all make the work easier for each other, which means we can do more of it. And, even better, the people that we win for Christ benefit all the more for being invited into a community - rather than just being left to figure it out on their own.
It’s not just about telling people about Jesus. It’s about inviting them into His kingdom, and His family.
Paul is our model for evangelism, and he didn’t do it alone. He started out with Barnabas, and by the end he was sending Timothy everywhere. He even had someone to help him write his letters.
None of us should assume that we have to do everything, but all of us must be willing and able to do something. As we will see, other people’s fate is not in our hands, but we can introduce them to the One whose hands it is in.
Now, with that being said, let’s dig into some scripture.
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I think James 2:14-16 describes the very heart of evangelism.
James 2:14-16 (NLT) What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
To me this is rule number one for evangelism. Don’t just tell people that they are loved, and that they are not alone. Show them!
Evangelism is not a matter of convincing people to believe in Jesus because you have all the right answers. It’s not a matter of you being right, or intelligent, or wise. And it’s not a matter of pointing out how they are wrong, or uninformed, or foolish. To put it simply, when you evangelize, you are not trying to enter into a debate and then win it.
Other people may want to debate with you, but you should resist letting the conversation devolve into a debate. Answer questions, if you can, with humility, but keep your heart and mind focused on the love of Jesus. Even be glad to lose the debate if it means winning the heart of the person who is debating you.
To me, effective evangelism is like being a match-maker. Do you know someone who is always trying to find a mate for someone they know. Like a grandmother who seems to be always finding “a nice girl” to go out with her grandson, or a lady who’s always on the lookout for that Mr. Right for her friend or sister. Effective evangelism is more like that.
You know Jesus, and you know how much Jesus loves you, and you know how much love Jesus has to offer everyone else, and you just want to introduce everyone to Jesus so that they can experience His love too.
We’re not supposed to be trying to lure people into our congregation so that we can get the Sunday attendence numbers up. We are supposed to be offering people a free, no-strings-attached gift of love, and grace, and peace.
If there is a string attached it’s that we are not the ones who can give them that gift directly. We can only introduce them to the one who can. And His only condition is that you believe that He is who He says He is.
Everything else is up to the Holy Spirit. Even our faith is a gift from God. It’s not something we can hand out - only God can.
Our job is to show our faith, by our love, as a means of introducing people to Jesus. That is as simple of a description of evangelism as I can give.
That’s how Jesus won people to Himself. He went out to people, spoke to them, taught them, helped them, and served them. He loved them, and He loves us.
That’s how Paul won people to Jesus. He prayed for them, visited them, wrote letters to them, showed them that they were in his heart and on his mind. That’s how we do it. It’s not always easy, but it’s simple.
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It seems like a lot of Christians think of evangelism in terms of getting to know Jesus the way you get to know mathematics. The assumption seems to be that if I just point out the right Bible verses to you, then you should automatically become a Christian. It’s not like that at all, though. It’s not a mental exercise. You don’t get introduced to Jesus and have your IQ go up by 100 points.
If we could introduce people to Jesus by a matter of reasoning, then the best place to find God would be in school or college. But that’s not how it works. We have to introduce people to Jesus wherever they are at, and in whatever they are going through.
Getting to know Jesus is like getting to know your future spouse. You get introduced to Jesus and sparks fly and your heart flutters and all you want is to be with Him.
To be clear, we should tell people what the Bible says as we introduce them to Jesus, but we should do that with a heart full of love rather than a head full of knowledge.
We should be like Paul when he went to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NLT) When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
Paul was writing a letter of correction to the Corinthian church. The church was becoming divided and arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong instead of focusing on following Jesus. Paul reminded the Corinthians how he humbly and gently introduced them to Jesus. He didn’t overpower them with superior knowledge. He endeared them to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, and with a humble and tender heart.
For Paul sharing the gospel was purely a matter of the Spirit. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel, and he surrendered all results to the working of the Holy Spirit in those who he was speaking to.
We should follow his example. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and the love of God, and tell people about His love for them from the perspective of His love for you, rather than from the perspective of everything you know about Him.
In reflecting on this passage I see a parallel with Jesus.
I used to wonder why Jesus didn’t write the New Testament Himself. For that matter, He could have re-written the whole Bible Himself. He could have re-worded the 10 commandments to reflect more the heart of the law instead of the letter of the law - just like He taught. He could have spent His life writing the book that He wants us all to read, and then took that writing around to pass out copies as He ministered and taught.
But He didn’t. He left most of that writing up to a guy who never physically met Him. He let the limitation of human speech and understanding persist. He didn’t come to us using lofty words and impressive wisdom. In fact, He often spoke in parables so that people would not actually understand Him.
Instead of giving us a book full of knowledge, He gave us His life full of love.
Jesus was not trying to win our minds so much as He was trying to win our hearts. He wasn’t here to teach us how to think, judge, and puff ourselves up. He came to show us how to love, and serve, and humbly walk beside each other.
That’s what we have to do if we want to win people to Christ. We have to love them, and serve them, and humbly walk beside them.
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In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 we can see that Paul faithfully followed Jesus’s example by having extreme empathy with whoever he was talking to.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT)Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Paul was free, just as we are, because of our faith in Jesus. Paul’s faith was not dependent on his adherence to Jewish customs or laws, but because he was free not to practice them, he was also free to practice them. So, in order to have empathy with the people he was talking to he voluntarily, temporarily took on those customs and laws so that he might endear himself to those people for the purpose of introducing them to the love of Christ.
Likewise, because of his strength in Christ, he was able to limit himself to being weak so that he could empathize with the weak, and endear himself to them for the purspose of introducing them to the love of Christ.
Paul understood that the Holy Spirit gives us all the freedom and power we need in order to advance the kingdom of God. And being free and powerful means that we also have the ability to voluntarily limit our own freedom and power.
And isn’t this exactly what Jesus did for us? Didn’t he descend from His throne on high to walk among us? And didn’t He voluntarily limit His own power temporarily so that He could be killed - and voluntarily take our sins upon Himself. Didn’t Jesus submit Himself voluntarily and temporarily to our limitations so that He could endear Himself to us and show us His love for us?
So, do not attempt to establish a position of superiority when sharing the Gospel. Instead empathize with people. Find out where they are at, and what they are going through, and use your freedom and strength to meet them where they are at. Keep your focus on Jesus, remain obedient to Him, and share His love, but let yourself otherwise be clay in the hands of your Master. Let God shape you and mold you however He sees fit. Let Holy Spirit transform you, fill you, and pour out through you in the way that He knows will reach the people He is calling to Himself.
Show your faith, by your love, and show you love through your surrender.
This is how Jesus won us to Himself, this is how Paul won many to Jesus, and this is how we win others to Jesus as well.
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Now, as far as the winning goes, we need to remember that it is not us who is doing the winning and losing. That final outcome is entirely up to God. We are simply the messengers who bring the good news.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
When it comes to winning people to Christ there is one important point that we must always keep in mind. We are not the ones who hand out faith, God is. And we should not consider ourselves to have saved anyone, because that is the work of the Holy Spirit.
We should always be surrendering ourselves to God, in faith, in whatever measure of faith He has given us.
We should not be competing with each other, or comparing ourselves to each other, or even trying to meet some kind of quota - as some religions do.
Evangelism is a team activity, but it is not a performance based activity. Maybe a better way to say it is it is a community activity. The only performance you need to be concerned with is your level of obedience to God.
Instead of thinking of evangelism as some sort of task or obligation, perhaps it is better to think of it as making a friend. Maybe even more than making a friend, we can think of it as inviting someone into our family. We can invite them to dinner, but it is up to the Father whether they get to move in or not.
And perhaps evangelism is a gift that God has given us, rather than a job.
Think about it. If God collected people into His kingdom without us, then we would all just be people living together under the same roof. Heaven would be like an apartment building. We’d be together but we wouldn’t necessarily know each other.
The gift that we get from evangelising is the relationships that we build. The treasure that we store up in heaven are is the peole that we are going to spend eternity with. We should not be storing up random strangers that we quoted some verses to, but people that we have served, and served with, and taught, and learned from, and learned with, and loved, and grown with. People that we call brother and sister.
Just like God gives faith as a gift, I think He might also be giving our relationships with the faithful as a gift to us too.
When you tell people about Jesus, make sure that they know that their entire relationship with God is purely a gift from Him! It’s a gift that you received without earning it. It’s a gift that is offered to them without them having to earn it. And do so with a heart of love, and with the joy of receiving them as a gift from God.
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Why does God even give us the gift of faith? Perhaps we have an answer in Matthew 9:36-38. God knows that we need Him even if we do not, and He has compassion on us.
Matthew 9:36-38 (NLT) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Jesus sees that people are confused and helpless, and He has compassion on them, and what does He do about it? He says pray that people like you and me will be sent out to them. He speaks in a bit of a parable, but we know that He means for us to go out and offer His love to people.
The first thing we should do is pray. Pray for God to give us faith to go out and show His love to people. Pray for God to send all of His children to go out and call others into His kingdom. Pray for God to give the gift of faith to everyone who hears the good news. Pray for those who hear the good news to believe in Jesus and receive the gift of faith from God.
But then we must go. We must reach out.
When we see someone who looks confused and helpless, we are to have compassion on them, hold out our hand and offer our heart, Christ’s heart, to them. When we see the need we shouldn’t wait for a sign; our instinct should be to go and be with that person. You don’t necessarily even have to do anything, just show them that they are not alone.
We don’t always see people visibly in distress, but Jesus does because God knows what’s in our hearts. God knows every mask that we each wear, and He knows exactly what’s going on underneath that mask. So when God tugs at your heart to go and talk to someone it’s because He sees something in them that you can’t.
He’s not asking you to be a mind reader. He’s just asking you to obey Him when He directs you.
It’s actually very simple. We just need to stop overthinking things. We either go to people when we see they need help or comfort, or we obey God when He sees them and sends us to them.
This is how we partner with Holy Spirit. He is the Helper and Comforter, and we surrender ourselves to Him in prayer and obedience, and through us He helps and comforts those around us.
It’s a mysterious thing. I don’t know about you, but I often think of Holy Spirit as acting on me, or within me, but really, the true blessings come when He works through me. I get to be a part of His work, as well as a product of it - and so do you. And through that mysterious union and partnership God is building His kingdom and knitting us all together as a family.
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Romans 10:14-15 (NLT) But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
When God sends us to tell people the Good News, what exactly are we supposed to tell them?
Remember the things I listed as being the Good News at the beginning of this sermon? Those are certainly some of the highlights that we can talk about, but I think we can get much more practical and personal than that.
I think this is where our own testimonies come in.
Yes, we should be able to share God’s word with people, but the best way to show people the truth and reality of what you are saying is not by showing that you know how to memorize scripture. The truth and reality of your relationship with Jesus is the same as the truth and reality of your relationship with anyone else - you tell stories about how you know Him, and what He is like, and what you’ve done with Him, and what He has done for you.
Yes, also include some scripture in that if you can, but you can just start by saying I would like to introduce you to someone because this is what He did for me, and I believe He will do it for you too.
I had a big long preachy rant that I was going to say here, but the point is that we just need to start talking about God more. To illustrate my point, I’ll share a personal story with you.
I was at a restaurant having breakfast with a boss one time. He’s a Christian, and we were talking about God, and praying. When it came time to get the check, the waitress told us that someone from one of the tables near us already paid it for us, and said it was because she was encouraged because she heard us talking about God.
Needless to say, we were both shocked, and thankful.
And that illustrates my point. Evangelism isn’t a task that you complete. Evangelism is talking about God so that people can hear about Him and believe. Holy Spirit even works through eves-dropping.
So my question to you is, how often do people hear you talking about God?
If God is in your heart and on your lips, then the Good News is being preached. Preaching isn’t standing in front of a group of people and having the spotlight for an hour. Preaching is speaking from the heart.
So let’s talk about God more. Instead of talking about sports, or money, or the news - let’s talk more about what we recently read in the Bible, or what we need prayer for, or how we’re growing in our walk with God, or what dreams we’ve had, or any word of encrouagement or correction that might be needed… Let’s shine the light of our faith, instead of hiding it behind whatever is going on in the world at the moment.
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I know that it’s easy to say we should talk about our faith more, but it can be intimidating to do it in a culture that is rebellious against God.
Let’s be more like Paul, and not be ashamed of our relationship with Christ.
Romans 1:15-17 (NLT) So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Are you saved?
Have you received the Good News into your heart?
Has God filled you with faith, peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, compassion, and self-control?
Are you ashamed to admit it?
You shouldn’t be - because “Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
There is freedom from shame in the forgiveness that we have received through Jesus. It is that very freedom that we should be eager to share with others!
There is no shame in the Good News. The Good News of Christ is the power of God at work!
And we, like Paul, should be eager to share it because through it God saves everyone who believes.
Paul is talking to the Gentiles in Rome telling them how he has wanted to come to them for a long time. He said in verse 12, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”
Isn’t that a great perspective! Instead of being timid or ashamed to share the Gosepl with someone, why not share it in anticipation of also being encouraged in your own faith.
Speak life, show love, be bold and confident in the faith that God has given you, and shine!
Don’t put your lamp under a basket. Don’t let any form of shame stop you from sharing the Gospel. There is power in sharing the Gospel, and that power is available to you!
Put that power to use, and you will grow in it, and maybe you might even be like Paul, and be willing to give your own life for the opportunity to share the Good News.
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Remember our mission. We are enthusiastic advocates for Jesus, preaching the gospel to win people to personal commitments to Christ so that we can all come together in agreement with the Christian Gospel. And that Gospel is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.
Evangelism is the invitation to the banquet. It is the introduction to the Savior.
And evangelism is also the first step in discipleship.
Before you can become a disciple of Jesus, you need to be introduced to Jesus and receive the gift of faith from Holy Spirit. And once you become a disciple, part of your job is to go and introduce other people to Jesus. This cycle has been going on for the past 2,000 years. But where did it come from?
There are three verses from three different books that all record the last thing Jesus said to the disciples before He ascended into heaven. If you read them together they give a full and complete mission that combines being empowered by the Holy Spirit, telling people about Jesus, and making disciples.
Think about how important these things must be if they are the last thing that Jesus said.
The verses, in order, are Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15, and Matthew 28:19-20.
Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Mark 16:15 (NLT) And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses, and to go tell everyone everywhere about Him and to make disciples for Him. And that mission has been passed down to all followers of Christ for the past 2,000 years, including us now.
It’s a big mission, and there is no one right way to carry it out.
Some have preached the Gospel to huge crowds.
Some have planted churches, founded schools, started movements, or created methods, by which many people have been reached and discipled.
Some have traveled to distant lands to share the Gospel in foreign languages.
Some specialize in certain aspects of the mission. Some are devoted to praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit. Some focus on preaching the Gospel to crowds of people. And some dedicate themselves to discipleship.
There’s not really one right way to carry out the mission that Jesus gave us. And there’s certainly no need for us to compare ourselves to each other in how we carry it out.
The important thing is that we share the Good News that salvation comes from faith alone in Christ alone. Everything else is really in God’s hands.
We all need to rely on Holy Spirit to both empower us, and to give the gift of faith to others. We all need to follow God wherever He leads us to share the Gospel. And we all need to be disciples following and obeying Jesus.
As long as we have that as our foundation, we are free to carry out God’s mission according to whatever measure of faith, gifts and resources He has given us. Let’s do it together, as a community, and invite others into our eternal family.
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And I would like to close with the analogy of the candle.
A candle doesn’t lose anything by lighting another candle.
Think of it like this: Your faith is your candle, and the other person’s faith is their candle. But God is the flame.
It is the flame of the Holy Spirit working in and through you that ignites the other person’s faith, your job is just to be on fire.
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Slides: Evangelism.pdf