Evangelism is for every believer.
Have you experienced the goodness and beauty of Christ’s love toward you? That is worth sharing. Our world needs the hope and healing that only Jesus offers. Evangelism can be as simple as sharing your story of hope with the people in your life.
Proclaiming the Gospel doesn’t mean walking around with a sermon stuffed into your back pocket. It’s much simpler than that. It’s just saying the Good News: “God loves you, He has a plan for your life. If you are honest enough to repent and believe, you will be forgiven and become a child of God. He will never leave you, He will live within you, and when you die, you will go to heaven.” That’s a pretty good deal. Why not proclaim it? It is not your job to brilliantly persuade, merely to joyfully present.
God’s heart for all people—salvation.
Knowing God’s heart can make us passionate about sharing Him with others. Scripture teaches that God desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). His desire is that everyone on planet earth would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond to God’s gift of salvation. He wants everyone, everywhere, to experience the grace, joy, and peace that come from a restored relationship, the forgiveness of sin, and cleansing of our guilt.
2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) tells us so clearly that God does not want anyone to be destroyed: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent (NLT).”
God’s heart for His people—share the Good News.
Now that we know God’s heart for all people, we should look at God’s heart for His people. God has given the church to the world as a gift and has entrusted the church with His mission—to tell others about the Good News found in Jesus! Mark 16:15 (NLT)—"And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.’” God has sent us into the world and asks that we represent Him;
“And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
We can be bold also because “[t]his same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace” (Colossians 1:6).
How can you share the Good News for the first time?
Here are a few practical ideas for you:
Prayer Card— write down the names of the people God lays on your heart and pray for their salvation. Ask God to give you opportunities and boldness to share with them.
Know your story— what was your life like before Jesus rescued you? What did God do for you when you made a decision to follow Him? Consider memorizing some scripture verses that God has laid on your heart so that you are able to share these readily.
Introduce them to God’s story— consider buying a Bible to give to someone with a personal encouragement from you in the front. You could also highlight a few verses of importance to you and use sticky notes to gently and easily lead them in their own journey.
Think conversation not presentation— you don’t have to have all the answers to their questions or prepare an elaborate presentation to share with them. Spend time listening to those around you asking God for an opportunity to hear something that can be used as a springboard. Remember, we are called only to be faithful witnesses, God does the heavy lifting in saving people!
Go today!
Having spent nearly the first three decades of my life apart from Christ, I am so encouraged to believe that God does not give up on us. He persists! He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent and come to Him—you are His messenger.
Jesus promised His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them in Heaven—He said there are plenty of rooms. You’ve been saved but there are many who still don’t know God. Your story could help someone to come to God. God will use you as you step out in faith.
Go and make Him known. Share the Good News and ask God to take away your fear and replace obstacles with open doors.