Sharing the Gospel
Be cheerful, kind, courteous and loving. A sincere concern should be evident in our voices and on our faces. Dress neatly - it reflects on the message. Wear a smile - we bring the words of eternal life. Be confident in attitude and speech - remember whose ambassadors we are!
Don’t debate people over secondary issues. Many will try to rope you into distractions like the reliability of the Bible, evolution vs. creation, denominational issues, catholic issues, etc. The list is endless, but the purpose is the same - distraction from the main point: where will you be after you die? I’m not aware of anyone who ever was argued into salvation. Answer questions briefly, even sidestep as necessary, then get back to the point: sin, righteousness and judgment. [read 1 Cor. 2:1-5]
Overcome your fears. Most of the time they’re irrational anyway. People aren’t usually waiting to bite your head off. Intellectual debaters will usually accept your answer of “I don’t know about that” before you return to the gospel. You don’t need to know everything about someone’s beliefs to tell them about yours. You won’t get arrested for telling people the gospel or handing out tracts! *** Courage is not the lack of fear, but the overcoming of it! *** 2 Tim. 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity [fear], but of power and love and discipline.” By the way, every seasoned evangelist I’ve ever met says the same thing: it’s always difficult. That fear never stops needing to be conquered. It does get easier, but only by doing it. Even Paul in Eph. 6:19-20 requests prayer that he would “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,” and that “I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Use words that people can understand (not Christian-ise). Bible terms are ok to use, just remember to define them. Use examples, visuals, word pictures, etc. to make yourself clear.
Ask lots of questions. It is an easy habit to do all the talking when preaching the gospel, but you’ll never know where people are coming from, whether or not they understand, or what their specific questions are unless you listen to what they have to say. W questions are better than yes/no questions.
When knocking on doors: (Acts 5:42)seek to start a conversation, don’t just hit and run. You will gauge pretty quick if they are willing to talk or not. Ask lots of questions. Pray walking between houses. Be thorough: knock on each door, be orderly, keep track of where you start and stop, takes lots of notes! Those contact notes will be a great blessing for doing follow up: if they go to church, any particular questions or prayer requests, etc. GET THE ADDRESS!!! A first name is very helpful. Write it all down. It can make a difference in eternity!
Be persistent & faithful with follow-up visits. There are many testimonies of saints whose hearts were won to the Lord through the persistence of someone returning again and again to their door.
When handing out tracts, packets, or anything else: never ask if someone would like one. Simply say, “Here’s a gift for you.”, “Here’s some good news.”, “Here’s an important question for you to consider.”, “Did you get one of these?”, or something like that. If you ask, it gives them a good excuse to say no. Remember, what we have to give is a matter of eternal life or death - it’s important! If handing out to passers-by and several in a row reject, stop and wait a minute before starting again.
When with someone preaching in public: face the speaker and pay attention. You are an example, others will stop to see what’s so interesting. Don’t hand out tracts while the preacher is speaking - the listeners are now readers. Don’t leave the group to chase down people who leave (have people outside the immediate group to do that). DO start a conversation with the person next to you when the preacher is finished. People will often talk to others in the crowd rather than go up to the preacher to ask questions. Don’t try to silence a heckler - let the preacher handle him (otherwise you become a distraction).
Evangelism is not a job or a program - it is who you are. It’s a by-product of your faith and your focus in life.
