“Most articles on evangelism tend to focus on how we overcomplicate sharing the gospel with our words. We overthink the presentation, fear forgetting something, fear looking stupid, or wonder if we even know the good news. So, as a result of our muddled mind, we don’t say anything at all.”
According to a LifeWay Research study conducted in 2012, 80 percent of American Protestants who attend church at least once a month believe they have a responsibility to share their faith. Of that same group, however, 61 percent have not shared the gospel in the past six months. The research also found that 48 percent of church attendees have not invited an unchurched person to attend a church service or a program at their church over the previous six months. Although statistics are not the ultimate guide for how we respond to culture or the church, they can show us where the church is and where we need to grow.
Most of us are probably not surprised by these statistics, but we should be. Knowing that we have the greatest news on earth should motivate us to get up and share, invite, and engage those who may not know Jesus. I don’t share this to guilt you; I, too, sometimes struggle with evangelism. But if we believe the gospel we profess, then it is dreadful if we don’t share it. I think there are several reasons why we don’t share. But perhaps one of the greatest reasons is that evangelism seems complicated.
Most articles on evangelism tend to focus on how we overcomplicate sharing the gospel with our words. We overthink the presentation, fear forgetting something, fear looking stupid, or wonder if we even know the good news. So, as a result of our muddled mind, we don’t say anything at all. And what about the when, where, and how of sharing our faith? This aspect of evangelism seems to stump people just as much as, if not more than, what they should actually say. Perhaps we want an angel to appear and tell us that now is the time to share the gospel. Or wouldn’t it be much easier if someone simply asked you, “How do I become a Christian?” It happens, but not often.
One way to simplify evangelism is to make it a part of your everyday life. One place you can begin is in your home.
Hospitality is not only a wonderful means of sharing the love of Christ in a practical way, but it also provides an opportunity to build friendships and share the gospel. To be clear, though showing the love of Christ to others through good works is important, it is not sharing the gospel. To share the gospel means that we open our mouths and use words. For we know that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).
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