It doesn’t just happen; nobody falls into evangelistic faithfulness. Living on mission means living on purpose. It looks like an embracing of a biblical identity and responding with biblical urgency.

Evangelism is something that we know we are called to do but often struggle doing. In a 2012 Lifeway study, 80 percent of those surveyed believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but more than 60 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the last six months. To make the point further, Lifeway identified eight biblical attributes that are consistently evident in the lives of maturing believers and sharing the gospel had the lowest average score among those surveyed. 

What does this mean? It means that the majority of people have a biblical understanding about our responsibility for evangelism but an incorrect application of this understanding. In other words, we know what we are supposed to do but are not doing it. 

It doesn’t just happen; nobody falls into evangelistic faithfulness. Living on mission means living on purpose. It looks like an embracing of a biblical identity and responding with biblical urgency.

Two keys to help with this are identity and urgency.

Identity

Do you see yourself as one God has sent into your community with the gospel? 

Many Christians don’t. This is a problem.

The Bible teaches us that all Christians are called to be a part of the work of evangelism. It’s not optional or only for the mature, extroverted believers. 

Let me give you an example: 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:19-21)

Jesus is telling his followers to go and make disciples. This means followers of Jesus. How do we make followers of Jesus? We do this by speaking the gospel to them. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17).

But one might say, This is only for the apostles. 

But it can’t be. Look again at the verse. We read that we are to make disciples and then to teach them all that is commanded of them by Jesus. Included in the textbook for the training for the Christian is the work of evangelism. This very verse is a command that Jesus would have us teach others. In other words, the identity of the Christian is one sent as an ambassador or representative of Jesus. We are sent by him and for him.

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