What does spreading the gospel really mean?
by Kurt Lang
Engaging in Witness. As one of the ten vision points of a Vibrant 21st Century Church, which we as the Church of God (Seventh Day) strive to be, this is a catchy phrase for evangelism. Is your evangelism vibrant? What exactly is evangelism? Why do we engage in it (or not)? What are the best practices? Can it be done with a burger and fries, or is coffee required?
You grab the coffee, I’ll slurp a Dr Pepper, and let’s have a vibrant conversation about what is expected of us as Christ followers.
Evangelism theology
As church leaders, we recognize the scripture that says God calls some to be evangelists (Ephesians 4). Yet too easily we allow this to be an excuse. “I am a teacher, not an evangelist, so I don’t need to worry about practicing evangelism.”
A good theology of evangelism, taking the whole of Scripture into account, will reveal that sharing the good news of the gospel is not an option for the believer. It is an integral part of our new way of life!
This plan of God is scattered throughout the scriptural narratives. But for the sake of time, let’s find its culmination in Christ himself. Jesus ended His earthly ministry with a command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19). We recognize this as our call to evangelism, and it pairs nicely with how Jesus’ ministry began as He called His disciples: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (4:19). Jesus revealed to us what evangelism is all about, how to do it, and why it is still relevant for us today.
Evangelism is a concept tied directly to Jesus Christ:
“My kingdom is not of this world . . .”
“For this reason I came . . . to testify to the truth.”
“I am the light of the world.”
Basically, all of what Jesus said and did illuminates and inspires the picture of evangelism. He came to show us the Father and to restore our relationship with Him. And this is evangelism: to live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven because of the redemption found in Christ Jesus, our Messiah. This is the good news!
In their book The Insider, Jim Petersen and Mike Shamy note, “We are to live kingdomly in the midst of this lost world.” This involves more than just our words; evangelism is how we live as a citizen of God’s kingdom inside the setting of where He has placed us in this world.
Evangelism motivators
In his Evangelism Handbook, Alvin Reid writes, “Our motive for sharing Christ should start with God.” The character of God and the love of God should be two motivating factors in evangelism. Because of His grandeur and His grace, we love God and want others to enjoy the same experience.
Five reasons relate to us: obedience, spiritual growth, eternal rewards, the state of unbelievers, and future joy/judgment. God tells us to share Him with unbelievers so we and they can grow in spiritual maturity and secure God’s relationship and rewards for eternity. Which of these seven most motivates you to extend the good news to the lost?
What hinders our motivation? Various times we find ourselves saying we are too busy, or we feel that we don’t have the right answers. Or we feel nervous because we don’t want to fail. We don’t think we have the prayer of faith or of healing. Maybe sometimes we focus on thinking others will call us stupid or a hypocrite, rather than listening to God’s reassuring voice.
What is your biggest hindrance when it comes to jumping into the action of living and sharing your faith?
Evangelism resources
How does God assist us in sharing Him with the world? Foundationally, He fills us with His Holy Spirit. The more we give consistent control of our lives to the leading of the Spirit, the more natural evangelism becomes. Reid writes that “Being filled means to be controlled. The question is not so much, How much of the Holy Spirit do you have? But, How much of you does the Holy Spirit have?”
The Spirit builds more resources into our lives that assist us in becoming more engaging in witness. Spiritual disciplines, such as Bible study and memorization, prayer, fasting, solitude, and the like, should be regular habits for all of us. Never underestimate the power of prayer! God has given us direct access to His thoughts, as long as we are willing to listen.
Your personal testimony of what God is doing in your life is one of your best resources. It’s your experience, and nobody can refute it.
Your character is also one of your most powerful resources. Do others look at you and want what you have? Living a life with integrity, humility, passion, purity, conviction, and a positive attitude is the proof of kingdom citizenship and of your strength as an ambassador. Reid continues, “What really matters is the attitude we convey toward the things that matter to God, toward circumstances, toward the gospel. Therefore, our attitude affects our witness.”
Does your character match that of Christ so you are accurately representing Him to others?
Evangelism arenas
God has given each person different gifts, which likely gives us a more favored method or arena of evangelism. You may find personal, one-on-one sharing easier than other arenas within the church context: worship events and mass evangelism, like a tent revival or youth camp; church planting among the unchurched. In the family context, the arenas are city vs rural and the like.
The most important takeaway is to believe that any size event, large or small, can be an effective witness based on the amount of preparation you put into its planning and organization. And in how much you pray for it in advance! Even if the event is impromptu, you have prepared for it through regular prayer and study.
Reid again: “. . . organizational preparation matters little without the presence of God.”
Evangelism methods
We avoid evangelism because we fear failure and rejection. However, remember that Jesus said those who share Him will be persecuted. It is actually a sign we are doing the right thing. The goal is simply to be obedient and share the gospel; it is the Spirit who will lead others to Christ when they are ready.
Evangelism involves approaching people with a heart of love, in a spirit of prayer, with an attitude of expectancy, and with sensitivity to the Spirit.
How do we evangelize? We live like Jesus! Modeling it for others and giving them the opportunity to practice alongside us is the best way to teach someone else. Evangelism is caught more than taught. Its lessons are not taught in a classroom, but in real-life scenarios.
Three main ways to evangelize include 1) planned evangelism, where churches plan an event, such as door-to-door witnessing; 2) missional/relational witness, where you share in the context of everyday life situations, like your job or in your neighborhood among those you know; 3) spontaneous evangelism, where you share with someone random that you will likely never see again.
What lies beneath any method is the emphasis on servant evangelism — what Reid describes as “intentionally sharing Christ by consistently modeling biblical servanthood.” Sharing the gospel is an action, not just a concept. So it makes sense to teach someone how to do it by modeling it. Christian leaders need to make evangelism a priority in their church setting to model and teach sharing the gospel.
What would this look like in your life, your family, or your local congregation?
“Follow Me”
Jesus lived out the gospel, the good news of salvation. Jesus showed to us the Father. Jesus lived as a citizen of the kingdom in the context of the world arena He came to. Jesus didn’t come to sell, as if He were just competing as one option in our pluralistic world. He came to give Himself away, and the Spirit that He gives empowers us to accurately display His image when we choose to live as He lived. But then, Spirit Formed is another point of the vibrant vision. That’s a story for another day. . . .
