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How to Do More to Share the Gospel
How to Do More to Share the Gospel
In the book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, the author Mark Dever lists twelve actions to encourage believers to move from what he calls “Non-Evangelism” to “Evangelism.”
There are many reasons every Christian should desire to do more in the realm of evangelism. People are literally lost and doomed without the knowledge of Christ (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11-15). The lost will not merely stumble into salvation—someone must share the gospel (Romans 1:16-17, 10:14-17). Besides, Jesus commands each of us to speak boldly in His name (Matthew 10:32-33, 28:18-20) and my own salvation may be affected by my obedience in this matter (Ezekiel 33:6, 1 Timothy 4:16).
Let me briefly explain ten of the ideas from this book to encourage us to do more to share the gospel.
- Pray. Rather than waiting for random encounters, we should pray intentionally and regularly for opportunities to share the gospel. Paul did (Colossians 4:2-4)! These prayers could be for people we are concerned about—friends and family—as well as for people we are yet to meet.
- Watch. We should then be watchful for these prayers to be answered (Mark 11:24). It’s harder to make excuses about being too busy or tired to evangelize when we are actively praying for opportunities (Ephesians 6:19)!
- Accept. We have for too long assumed that teaching the lost is a job for professionals. We must all accept a role in sharing the gospel. Every one of us has the duty to “give an account for the hope that is in us” (1 Peter 3:15) to our own unique circle of friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The pulpit preacher might never meet these folks! Recognizing God’s sovereignty does not excuse us from evangelism, because proclaiming the gospel always precedes conversion (2 Thessalonians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
Prepare. While full-time preachers may spend a lifetime learning the ins and outs of the Bible, it takes only a little preparation to know the word of God well enough to explain the gospel. No longer make the excuse that “I can’t find it in the Bible.” Spend a little time reading and studying (2 Timothy 2:15) and you’ll be able to share the basics of salvation. You’ll be an effective servant for God (2 Timothy 2:20-22). You don’t have to have all the answers, and it’s never shameful to say, “that’s a good question, let me study that and get back to you.”
- Plan. Prepare not only with the knowledge of Scripture, but with practical skills for moving a conversation from insignificant things like the weather and sports, to the most important topic in the world, the gospel. Plan to take your conversations from common interests and life’s troubles to God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice. As we build relationships in the community, we should be mindful of opportunities to speak in the name of Jesus and make invitations. And if we are praying as above, God will help supply the words we need(Luke 12:11-12).
- Be Faithful. Be less concerned about unbelievers’ responses and feelings. Get your sense of worth not from the handful of rejections you’ll experience, but from being aligned with God and seeking to please him (Acts 5:41-42).
- Take a Risk. Some of us truly are not comfortable talking to strangers. We are shy, or we don’t want to upset people. But we can still invite unbelievers to a meeting—the simple “come see a Man” (John 4:29)—or we can share a Bible verse that touched us in Christ. The worst that will happen is a polite, “No thank you. Have a nice day!”
- Love. Our motivation is not attention, success, or fame, but the pure love of the sinner’s eternal soul (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The same love that motivated Jesus (John 3:16).
- Fear. These are matters of sober reflection and utmost concern; eternal souls are at stake (2 Corinthians 5:11). Nothing could be more important!
- Rejoice. Consider that God is glorified by our telling others. When we march with Jesus, going “into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) we are part of a most happy band of brothers!
–Ellwood Clayton
