We just finished up our mid-point debrief. I can’t believe I’m already halfway done with this trip. At Debrief I had the honor to teach the squad in a break-out sessions about something that I am very passionate about: evangelism. I decided God wanted me to share it with y’all for a reason I’m not sure of, but that’s just how God works!
EVANGELISM:
I once heard a sermon about 3 years ago that radically changed me and how I view evangelism. The pastor was in front of about one thousand college aged people. He had a goldfish in a bowl in front of him and began his message by taking the fish out of the bowl to then drop it on the ground. The crowd began to laugh, but after two minutes the faces of the crowd started to change and they were shouting out to put the fish back in. Finally, after three minutes, he placed the fish back in the bowl and he asked a very bold question: Why do you care so much about this Goldfish dying, but you don’t reach out to your friends and family that don’t know Jesus?
That line hit me so hard it made me realize how important it is that we value the life of our friends and family, because I don’t know about you, but I want to be worshiping in heaven one day with my cousins, friends, coaches, and teachers.
There are many points in the Bible where Jesus tells us to go and shine our light!
- 1 Peter 2:9
- Matthew 28:19-20
- Mark 16:15
There are things that sometimes block our ability to evangelize.
- Fear of what people think
- Not knowing how
- Fear of going somewhere unsafe to share the gospel
- Fear of rejection
- Downplaying your testimony
How do we overcome those struggles and evangelize effectively?
- Seek God daily because if we aren’t filled up we can’t expect God to give us the power to fill others up.
- Value the time he gives you with people because in Christ their are no coincidences, he places you exactly where he wants you.
- Evangelize with your actions. Before people usually hear about Jesus they see whether or not Jesus is Alive in you by your actions. John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
- Share your testimony, be real with people and always remember your story Holds value no matter how big or small. Your story is evidence to people for why Christ is important.
- Use discernment and let the Holy Spirit guide you in conversations. God is never going to put you in a conversation you can’t handle when you rely on Him. Sometimes God might just lead you to share the gospel right away or other times he might let you see that the person you are talking with has bitterness towards the Church or Christian faith due to past struggles.
- Take advantage of the relationships you already have established with people, use it as a gateway to share the gospel. Yes, we don’t want to offend our friends or family in our close circle but is your fear of not wanting to offend anyone worth them not having eternal life?
- Don’t over complicate sharing the Gospel. Evangelism is, kicking a soccer ball with a kid a local park, taking time to sit with a homeless man to hear their story, and simply loving people wherever you go.
