Some people believe that every Christian should be out evangelizing all the time. We believe this is taking the Bible out of context (See Article - The Great Commission). We believe that evangelism is a spiritual gift from God, and those people are called to share the Gospel daily.

While you may not have the gift of evangelism, the Lord has still called you to participate in sharing the Gospel in other ways such as:

• Through one of the other spiritual gifts
• Mentoring
• Giving
• Holy living

Regardless of how you understand the Great Commission, all Christians should be ready, willing, and able to share the Gospel with anyone who asks:

And, we should be an example to the world of holy living:

And, it is the Holy Spirit that convicts people of sin:

And, it is the Holy Spirit that guides us and tells us what to say:

We can see from these verses that it is futile to share the Gospel with others without first involving and including the Holy Spirit.

People who do this are evangelizing in their own efforts. They see evangelism as a religious duty. Religious duties are driven by human effort, not by God.

We simply cannot share the Gospel effectively unless God is working through us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

For instance, if you sit down and make a list of the people you will share the Gospel with or create a plan to share the Gospel, you are probably trying to share the Gospel through your own efforts. God doesn't work from a list or a project unless it's His plan. Don't "try" to share the Gospel; simply let it happen by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your path.

 

Here's how it's done:

1. Everything begins with prayer. In your daily prayer, ask God to create opportunities for you.

2. Next and most important, expect God to create opportunities! As you go about your day, be aware that you've asked God for opportunities, so start expecting them.

3. When you have what you think is God creating an opportunity, follow through. Go up to the person and say "Hello," "I like your shoes," or whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to say.

I can tell you that Lord tells me to talk to a specific person regularly. I respond by walking toward the person without a clue what I will say to them, including my opening line. I just trust God.

100% of the time, the Holy Spirit puts words in my mouth. 100% of the time, I discover that I needed to talk to this person. Sometimes they needed to hear what I have to say. Sometimes I needed to listen to what they had to say. 100% of the time, the encounter was a huge blessing.

It is the Holy Spirit that prepares the person's heart, not you. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts the person of their sin and their need for salvation. It is not your eloquence as a speaker, your knowledge of the Bible, nor your skill in answering questions that lead a person to follow Jesus.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT!

If you haven't spent time in prayer, submitting yourself to God and the power of the Holy Spirit, you are not equipped to evangelize. Sharing the Gospel is not a human effort task; it is a God task - specifically a Holy Spirit task.

 

Fear
Many people have an incredible fear of telling others about Jesus Christ. They are afraid of ridicule, afraid they don't know the Bible well enough, afraid they will not be able to answer a question and other fears.

There are two things you should consider if you experience fear:

1. It's the Holy Spirit doing all the work. You are simply yielding. If you are speaking to the person or persons he has guided you to, he has prepared their hearts, and he has prepared your lips for this exact encounter. This encounter has been assigned to you, and God has given you all the resources you might need. Even if you fail miserably, the Holy Spirit directed you to this person for a reason. You may not see the results now or ever, but God directed you to this person.

2. If you are afraid, you are probably acting out of intellect and reason - human effort. You are not yielding; you are doing and trying. Stop trying and just do.

 

Apologetics
Apologetics is a branch of theology that is concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity. Many Believers who want to get involved with sharing the Gospel turn to apologetics as a resource. In some circles, this is actually encouraged.

Using apologetics is a human effort attempt to convince someone to become a Christian. You cannot "argue or convince" a person to accept Christ as their personal Savior. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, not science, not eloquence, not knowledge of the Bible.

Apologetics is interesting, nothing more. It can be used in Bible study or perhaps in teaching for people who are already Christians. We become Christians through faith, not proof. Faith believes without proof. Apologetics attempts to prove; therefore, it is anti-faith.

 

Hell Fire and Brimstone
Similar to using apologetics to convince someone to become a Believer is the idea that you can scare someone into becoming a Believer. This tactic is done all the time. You are going to hell and will burn forever. An offshoot of that is Jesus will remove us at the rapture, and you will be left behind.

You cannot "scare" someone into becoming a Believer! It might work for a time, but the transformation is not real. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts the world of sin and our need for a Savior.

Using scare tactics is a pathetic, cruel, human effort attempt to share the Gospel.

 

Heaven
You can't convince someone to become a Christian. You can't scare someone into becoming a Christian. You also cannot "entice" someone into becoming a Christian! We see this all the time. "If you become a Christian, you will go to heaven and live forever in a wonderful place." Enticement might work for a time, but the transformation is not real.

 

Final Thoughts
When we share the Gospel, whether we are an evangelist or an ordinary Christian, it is critical to be a vessel, a conduit of the Spirit of God. It is not our effort, eloquence, knowledge of the Bible, or skill at answering questions that bring about repentance; it is the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit that will tell you who to talk to and what to say. It is not something you can force or plan. It just happens. You need to listen. You need to be aware that you asked God for the opportunity to share the Gospel and expect him to create opportunities around you. Look for them.

---

Don't rely on
unreliable social media
to get the latest from
Tree Top Ministries.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

---

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

We DO NOT sell or share your information with anyone. 5-8 emails per month.
See our Privacy Policy

You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

---

        

 

See Also:

• The Great Commission