Sharing the Gospel
Evangelism
Having to share the Gospel with anyone can be quite terrifying. What if we say the wrong thing? What if we offend them? What if they don’t want to talk about it? What if they ask questions that I don’t know the answer to? These are typically the kinds of questions that float through people’s minds that ultimately amount to them never sharing about Jesus. The plain fact is that, like everything else in life, evangelism takes practice to get comfortable with it. We should not let the fear of failure or rejection prevent us from obeying the command of Jesus to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples (Matt 28:16-20). Bearing this in mind, below are a few easy methods to help you share the Gospel.
A few things to consider:
1. People are not as unfavorable to talking about spiritual things as is popularly portrayed. Some will respond defensively or even with anger by even mentioning the subject but, my experience has been that those people are rare.
2. Don’t fall into the trap of reciting a script. Allow room for some back and forth as you go about the conversation.
3. Be full of Joy! You are, after all, bringing the Good News! It is the most important information that anyone will encounter in this life. It is for this reason that Isaiah writes in the OT and Paul later quotes in the NT, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation” (Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15).
4. Practice! Grab a friend, your spouse, a co-worker, your cat – anyone you trust and practice on them. Get their feedback and get familiar with how the conversation might go. Contrary to what Allen Iverson thinks, practice is important.
Evangelism Methods:
1. The G.O.S.P.E.L Journey
a. G: God created us to be with him (Genesis 1-2)
b. O: Our sins separate us from him (Genesis 3)
c. S: Sins Cannot be removed by good deeds (Isaiah 64:6)
d. P: Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (John 19:30)
e. E: Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (1 John 5:11-13)
f. L: Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever (John 10:10)
2. Testimony Gospel Method
a. As you develop a relationship with people at work or in school, it’s very normal for them to ask about your life in a conversation. Questions such as “Why don’t you drink?” allow for an opportunity to share your testimony.
b. We see this method in Scripture on more than one occasion. Jesus said, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him’” (Luke 8:39).
c. Keep it concise and make sure your testimony is not about you glorifying yourself.
3. Evangelism by questions (one of my favorite)
a. Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
b. To you, who is Jesus?
c. Do you think there is a heaven or a hell?
d. you died tonight, where would you go?
e. By the way, if what you were believing is not true, would you want to know?
These five questions, asked in the order listed above, can help change the conversation from the secular to the spiritual. And if the person you're talking to answers “yes” to the final question, you will have the opportunity of sharing the Gospel. Below are a few Bible passages that get to the heart of the matter:
f. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
g. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)
h. “In reply, Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again'” (John 3:3).
i. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6).
j. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame'” (Romans 10:9-11).
k. “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
l. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
4. Way of The Master Evangelism Method
a. The way of the master method comes from a street evangelist called Ray Comfort who has a unique way of sharing the Gospel with people. This method is centered on helping people confront God’s law (10 commandments) that they may understand their need for a savior. Here is an example of it in action: