“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT)
Evangelism at its core is simply telling others the Good News of who Jesus is, what He has done and is doing for us and is willing to do for them. It seems we try to make it a lot more difficult than it is, but if we just shared consistently in simple, but straightforward ways, the Lord could use us very effectively. Yes, of course, there are things we can learn to make us more effective, but if we just continually allowed the Spirit to alert us to share when the opportunities presented themselves, we’d be champions.
One thing that has helped me, personally, is understanding that evangelism is much broader than what I do in my own life or even in and through the ministries of local churches and Mission’s organizations. Evangelism is a worldwide process that God has set in motion long before any of us were on the scene. The reality is, we’re given the privilege of being a very small part of what He has been doing for centuries but has opened the door of opportunity for us to be His witness in our spheres of influence today.
A question I ask myself and will share with you is simply this: How can I be more effective as Christ’s witness in and among the people with whom I rub shoulders from day to day? What if I’m the last person with whom they speak before they meet Jesus, will something I say point them to Him? Might I have been able to say something meaningful to draw their attention to eternity and help them to see their need of Jesus before it was eternally too late?
Dr. Eric Mason challenges us when he writes: “We don’t need a revival of missionary techniques in evangelism, we need a revival of fervent prayer in our evangelism!” Evangelism begins in prayer. Without prayer there will be no effective outreach or meaningful sharing. The only way we’ll ever be equipped and prepared for pointing anyone to Jesus is if we’re pointed to Him in our own lives, illustrated by our love for His Word and our commitment to daily fellowship with Him in prayer.
Yes, of course, there are those who are especially gifted in sharing the Lord with others, and we can certainly learn from them. Ray Comfort and his Living Waters ministry is filled with helpful and instructional tools and training in reaching our friends and loved ones with the Gospel. He has dozens of handouts and videos that can train and equip if we’re willing to take the time to take advantage of them.
To me what it boils down to is this: do we really care that our friends and loved ones who aren’t saved are dying and headed to a Christless eternity? If we do, we won’t let anything stand in our way of sharing the truth with them, even if it means they shut us out of their lives. My experience has been they won’t, especially if we’re sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, but that’s often the fear Satan puts in our mind that keeps us from sharing the Lord with them.
The point is simple – we have access to lost people. What are we doing about it? In my neighborhood there are 120 houses representing thousands of people. Every year I hand out invitations to Christmas and Easter services at our church, in addition to other specific notes that I compose telling them about Jesus and how they can personally know Him. I put my name and number on my notes and invite them to reach out to me.
We are without excuse, and I personally believe the Lord will hold us accountable for the people He puts in our spheres of influence. Isn’t it time to step up and hold ourselves accountable to make every effort we can to reach those in our family, our neighborhood, our school, our workplace, our workout centers, our places of recreation, those we meet on doctor’s appointments, and anyplace else the Lord puts us where we have an audience of anyone who might need Jesus?
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 