The thought of Evangelism is quite scary right…Maybe we should go downtown and do some street preaching. Or better yet let’s head out and do some door-to-door witnessing. I used to be a huge personal evangelist guy. One day I led 40 people to the Lord or should I say I helped 40 people say a prayer. Did they get saved? I’ll leave that question for another post.
Along the way my philosophy of evangelism shifted. I begin to realize the importance of living an incarnational life. Another words, how can I take the gospel to my city, neighborhood, workplace and live it out amongst the people. I realized whatever work I was doing was a ministry to the Lord and a way to be with the people that desperately needed the gospel. This gave me a greater sense of work and why I was doing what I was doing. I’ll never see work as a way to make money, I now see work as a way to bring Jesus to my world first and foremost.
When I worked in corporate sales I was able to see the fruit of this ministry. Years later I still get phone calls…Friends telling me they are now attending church and they know that I’ve prayed for them for many years. The gospel is foundational to proper living. We live in such a broken world, deeply wounded by sin and shame. The church has a great opportunity to respond with the hope of Jesus-the hope of change-the hope of transformation.
But for many people the gospel does not include transformation, therefore the gospel loses it’s power and influence. And this is why I think personal evangelism has lost it’s status in the minds of those who follow Jesus. It’s hard to proclaim change if one has not been changed. We are so frustrated with ourselves and we can easily become narcissistic.
When one has been changed by the gospel; when we realize that we are broken and depraved. Then the story of Jesus unfolds and shines bright on our brokenness. It’s this place that one has no other option but to share this transformation with the world around them. We all need to be the voice of Jesus for our generation. A voice that is grateful, filled with humility, but we also need to be bold and walk in the power and love of God.
I’m praying that God will help me remember that I’m an evangelists and I must prepare everyday to be used by the Holy Spirit to help bring shalom to my world.
By the way, you’re also an evangelist. This does not mean you have the spiritual gift of evangelism. But if you follow Jesus, you are called to share your story to your world.
Hey! I just came across your blog…loved this post and wanted to say hello. Thanks for the challenge.