How do you feel about evangelism? How often do you share your faith? Are you a witness for the Lord? How many people got saved because of you? Do these questions make you a little uncomfortable? The more important question to answer should be, "Is what we do Biblical?" There are those who find sharing their faith an easy thing to do. Some are gifted by the Spirit of God to be evangelists. Then there are the rest of us who struggle a bit, or maybe a lot. The evangelical movement has touched most of us and I don't intend to diminish what has been and is being done but it seems we have overlooked a few things. Like, what the scriptures say, what Messiah Jesus did. As well as how Peter, James, John, and the Apostle Paul evangelized those around them. If we are honest our methods have little in common with the Scriptures.
My early religious training was in a protestant church that rarely referred to the Bible. A Social Gospel was the Sunday teaching. I came to know the truth about Yeshua and my need for a savior through a neighborhood Bible study. I eventually found my way to an evangelical Baptist Church where the Bible was taught every Sunday. It was here I first encountered "evangelism". Over the years I have attended training sessions and learned about the "Four Spiritual Laws", "Evangelism Explosion" and how to use "F.O.R.M." to talk to people about Jesus (Family, Occupation, Religion, Message). I went to rallies and crusades where folks were challenged, maybe even coerced, to accept Jesus. The formulas had commonalities and the goal was the same. Get the person to pray to receive Jesus. Not a bad goal. Just not the way the Scriptures reveal evangelism.
If you look at the examples of New Testament preachers, including Jesus and Paul, no one is ever asked to come forward, and no one is asked to pray to receive Jesus. No Apostle ever tells the people in the crowd to turn to their neighbor and ask if they are a believer. There is never a time when Paul says, "With every eye closed and no one looking around, just slip up your hand if you want to be saved." Peter does not turn to the crowd and ask, "If you were to die today would you go to heaven?" I guess they never attended an evangelism class.
Jesus did talk about the responsibilities His disciples would carry as they told the Good News of His death and resurrection. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says simply, "You shall be my witnesses." Not "should be" or "might be", but "shall be". Why? Because the Holy Spirit has come upon us. Witnessing does not appear to be something we train for but rather an outgrowth of who we are and our relationship with Messiah. Jesus doesn't even use those guilt motivators. I was told every person I ever talked to was a "divine appointment" to share the message of Christ. I was told if I failed to do so their blood would be on my hands. I was asked, "If your neighbors house was on fire would you let them burn? If you haven't asked them to pray to receive Jesus they will burn forever and it will be your fault!" Such encouraging and inspiring words. I do not see a lot of motivation by guilt when it come to Jesus talking about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Our Messiah had another method of sharing the good news to those around us. He gave a "how to" to go along with the "You will be" from Acts 1. It is found in Matthew 28. However, most translations hide the simple instructions. They read,"Go therefor and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). However the word "go" is a present participle. It means, as you are going". Jesus' instruction is not about telling the Gospel. It about living the Gospel. As you are going through the routine things of life be making disciples and teaching them everything I taught you. There is no way you can teach someone everything the Lord taught at an alter call. Our faith is much more about community than getting someone to pray a prayer.
Matthew 28:19-20 actually reflects Deuteronomy 6:3-7. We are to love God and to have His word on our heart and to teach what we know consistently. When? Just talk about it when you are in your house or when you walk outside or when you lie down and when you rise up. All you know about the Lord and your relationship with Him is simply on display, or should be, all the time. You have no choice, you will be His witness. Your comfort, your care,your compassion, will be there before your neighbors. You know, when you help them shovel snow, of fix the fence or watch their dog. Your tools for evangelism maybe a hammer, cookies, a ride work, a hot meal, or a listening ear. As you are going about life at work, or the gym, or at your child's dance recital, be who the Savior wants you to be. And through those relationships you will have opportunities to introduce folks to the one you call Savior.
As Jesus walked along He made twelve disciples. Paul took Silas, Timothy, Luke and others with him. It takes time to "teach all things". It take a relationship to make a disciple. Jesus did not "witness" to everyone He had contact with. Neither did Paul, Peter, or John. They lived out the truth of the Kingdom of God and people often came to them. Your neighbors and co-workers make their own decisions. As do you. So give up the guilt and choose to walk in obedience to the Lord and thus let your light shine.
2016 is your year to make a difference and you don't even have to take an evangelism class. Just walk with Jesus and invite someone to come along on the journey. Show them what it is to love and follow Jesus.
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