Well Equipped Ambassador- evangelism website

Our new website is designed to bring together resources from all over the world wide web for the purpose of equipping Christians to share the Gospel. It is called "Equipped Ambassador for Christ" and can be viewed at http://www.equippedambassador.com/

Please bookmark this site and check back often for audio, video, and printed Gospel materials along with information on free speech, recommended resources, and encouraging quotes from God's Word and faithful witnesses from ages past. There is plenty to find here, and we hope you will share the site. 

We also have an attached Amazon Store to purchase associated resources through our affiliate program. All purchases through ads on our site will help support the ministry. Thank you.

When to stop preaching the Gospel

I thought that title might turn a few heads, especially since I am known for encouraging people to share the Gospel in all places, at all times, and to all people. I read an article today that reminded me of many experiences I have had when proclaiming the Gospel. That situation is when one is sharing the message of hope, love, grace, and mercy from God's Word and is met with hate, insult, and mockery, even hate speech and blasphemy. Should we spend our time reaching out to those who are humble and willing to listen, or those who spit in our faces? We know that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble and that may hold the key in all this.

It isn't that we should run away from persecution, but that we must discern between when someone is hearing the message and when the swine are gathering. We are told not to cast our pearly before swine, and the message doesn't end there. Jesus goes on to say that swine tend to turn on you and devour you if you hang around them too long unless you are going to give them what they want. Here's a hint: They don't want you to stay clean, nor do they want to eat of the fruit of righteousness.

I also don't believe that we are to pick and choose who is worthy of the Gospel by our own standards. Surely, all means all, and we are to go into the world and preach to all God's creatures, fulfilling the command of Christ Jesus our Lord, the example we emulate in preaching the good news. We are to preach to all, but when one is met with hatred and reviling, should we continue at length to debate with one who is surely set in their ways and pridefully so? Should we share with all, but spend our time more wisely, with those who are willing to have a discussion instead of a debate? There is a lot more to this topic, and I hope to start a discussion here. The comments section below is fine for conversation, and the linked thread on Facebook is a fine place to talk this over also.

Read the article mentioned at http://carm.org/profile-of-a-hatetheist for Robin Shumacher's insights also. There are many other great articles at CARM, so browse around there when you get time.

Recent pics

January 2, 2012

Here are some recent pics from our place. Included are nights of Bible study, fellowship, Christmas Day, and a recent visit from the Good News on the Move team (GNOM).

GNOM visit to our house

We had a pretty busy weekend, met some new friends and got to see some friends from long ago. Our family spent Friday evening hosting the Love and Respect DVD study and fellowship time. We spent New Year's Eve with some of the Christians here in McDonough, but got home long before the new year arrived in the Eastern time zone.

Sunday, our family went to Gwinnett Bible Chapel just north of here, met some families that were quite welcoming, and we also saw our friends Sam and Elsa Matthai from Dallas. They were visiting for the first time also, so it was providential that the Lord let us see them for a quick visit after the meetings. I was invited to speak during the teaching hour, but due to seizures I was not able. I had a 5 minute long seizure that led a string of other seizures that lasted 1/2 hour or so. Tough morning, but I only had one seizure that night during the meeting at the Scarbrough home. One brother, John Michael Thomas, who we had met at Gwinnett that morning came to visit. This was a blessing, as he shared from God's Word in a lesson that blessed the youngest to the oldest in our group.

Also visiting our meeting in McDonough Sunday evening was the Groover family from Augusta, GA area. One of the ladies Sara meets with regularly from our church was not expecting to see her mother, brothers and sisters all show up at the Scarbrough home, but it was a welcome surprise. We had a blessed time of fellowship and fun, and then came the GNOM team!

The young men from Good News on the Move arrived at 730pm and the fellowship turned up a notch. This lively, fun, godly young men brought lots of energy and joy to our meeting, and we had a blast. Last night, JJ Ferrier, Caleb Harris, and Josh Baker stayed with the Scarbrough family, while Caleb Caeton, Josh Blessman, and Ian Milbrath stayed at our home. This morning the Scarbrough family had to drive to Albany for a funeral, so we hosted the team for breakfast. We then spent the rest of the morning talking, preparing them for Florida, and playing games on the Wii. You can see pictures, along with Mark's tongue-in-cheek commentary on our Picasa album online.

All in all, we had a great time with the guys, especially seeing Caleb Caeton again, with whom Mark had a great talk until about 1am. After the guys left about 1130am, Sara headed for a nap (missed 2 days worth of naps with the chaos of the weekend) and Mark kept the kids under control. That was all fine, well, and good until Mark had another string of seizures that lasted about 15 minutes and was more difficult to recover from than most events like this.

That is our update for the day. Sara is feeling better after a good nap, Mark is recovering and writing this all down as folks have asked for more information. Sara is talking with a friend on the phone while Nathaniel makes supper, and the youngest three are playing princess and prince. Some sort of argument about princesses, ballerinas, and what a servant's job should be. Just another day here at the funny farm.

Water on the fire

Yesterday, I posted a new gospel tract that I put together. Just a simple verse from God's Word and a short message on the back of this 2.5" x 3.5" card, but a message that needs to be shared. You may be wondering what this has to do with water and fire. There are a few ways in which we can allow water to put out our fire, so bear with me as I share some things that have been on my heart. 

One incidence of water on the fire happens when a Christian gets excited about sharing the Gospel. Those who are not obedient to the call of every Christian to go and tell the good news are sometimes guilty of watering on the fire. You have probably seen this before, or maybe even been guilty of it yourself. A believer has such a fire for the Lord, they want to see all their friends and loved ones come to Christ. I have to add that those faithfully obeying the Lord's call to share the Gospel should never become prideful in their obedience, but rather desire to serve the Lord and be an example, to encourage others to come along in the work. This is to be done in love and exhortation, not judgment.

Let's be honest here and admit that when someone else is excited about the Lord and we have become apathetic about reaching the lost, these fired up new believers make us feel guilty. And well they should! We ought never let the fire burn out in our hearts. Those with more years following the Lord should be serving as an example to the new Christians, teaching them to follow what the Lord commands. We should stand with Jeremiah the prophet in saying:

"If I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it. 

~ Jeremiah 20:9 ~

Moving on , we see another way we can have water on the fire. We can also water down the Biblical message so that it will be more palatable to the hearer. While I have no desire to be offensive, and I have great love for those I wish to reach, I must see the importance of being honest to what God's Word actually says. The message of the Gospel is offensive to those who reject God, hate Him, or deny His existence. Not all are ignorant of God, and many unknowingly have placed themselves in God's place, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong for them. God's creation proclaiming themselves wiser than the Creator is offensive to God, and we ought to remember that we belong to Him, purchased with the blood of Christ.

Christians are called as ambassadors, to speak on behalf of the Lord, not to be politically correct in an attempt to please men. There is a reason that when Paul spoke in Acts 17, the result was mixed. Some mocked, others agreed to hear more. Of those who heard, not many believed. We must be honest in our proclamation of the Gospel. Paul spoke of God as Creator, of judgment, and of repentance. Note the text of the message I wrote: 

God created the Earth and all it contains. Some day He will destroy the Earth in judgment, by fire. Do you think God will save from judgment those who hate Him and deny His existence? Sin separates you from God and makes Him your enemy. God is just, and those who die in their sin will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Please humble yourself before God, for you, as all others, have sinned against Him. Jesus Christ took the judgment on Himself., to redeem those who will repent and believe. Only Jesus Christ can save you.

This was a hard message for me to write, even after all these years of preaching the Gospel. Why? Because in the flesh, I want to be liked, and I know that most will reject a message of judgment. I would like to have more space, more words to say, but if I only have so much time, what is the most important thing to say? Due to the watered down message so often preached, many don't believe God will judge anyone. It has been said by many that God forgives all by default, but that is not the message of the Bible. God will punish eternally those who die in their sin. God will burn up the heavens and the Earth, the elements will melt with a fervent heat! That is God's Word, and a warning to those who are attached to the material world and neglect God. 

God's Word says that being friends with the world is to make oneself His enemy. James 4:8-10 is a harsh passage, written to Christians. Proclaiming God's righteous jealousy when His own cross the line, going from seeking and saving the lost to dismissing sin, and God calls it adultery against Him in James 4:4. This passage does not paint a pretty picture, but rather speaks of the need for purity, mourning, weeping, and humility as we approach the Lord. 

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

We don't find in the Bible anyone being led in a "sinner's prayer", telling someone to "just ask Jesus into their heart", or any such thing. The message of Jesus was "Repent, or you will all likewise perish" and "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Peter's message to the Jews was that they killed the Messiah. Stephen preached the history of the Jewish nation and pointed his  finger at those responsible for the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I believe some have gone too far in the love movement and forgotten that sin separates us from God. Sin deserves the payment of death. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, and that is a just penalty for all, as all have sinned and fallen immensely short of God's glory. All have sinned, but not all have been saved. One must repent and believe.

I don't believe we should join the crowd who is crying "God hates you" or protest funerals, as some have done. I also don't think we should create crafty slogans and fun church services to attract sinners to attend, lulling them to a false sense of security if they indeed are headed for Hell. We must love the lost enough to show them the Light. We must do as Jesus commanded, to go forth, preach the Gospel, and live a life that is a living sacrifice as an example of what it truly means to follow Christ. In our desire to bring people to Christ, let us be careful not to lead them to water that will not satisfy, to a false sense of security for those who have not repented or trusted in Christ. They cannot just come to the church and try to clean up their lives in their own strength, they must come through Christ. 

I urge you to consider how you ought to share the Gospel in your home, workplace, school, and neighborhood. I am not saying the same methods will be used by all, but the message cannot be changed to make people accept it. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and is for all who believe. Let us proclaim the truth in love, and let God convict the hearts of the hearer. We must not attempt to do the work of God, or even worse, to subvert the power of God's Word in order to see what we believe to be better results. 

Fishless Fishermen- video and review

I was sent this video by Way of the Master. Emeal Zwayne shares a cautionary tale with a very important point of obedience that should be heeded by every Christian. Please watch this short video (3 minutes) and see what we should be doing as those called as fishers of men by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.



My experience tends to imitate this video. For some time I was passionate about sharing the Gospel. I had lots of experience and stories to share, and I praise God for the fruit He brings out of our faithful obedience to spread the seed, plant, and water. It is God alone who brings the increase.

As time went on, many figured that my passion for sharing the Gospel was the gift of evangelist found in Ephesians chapter 4. Sadly, I believe that though God granted much grace and fruit from this ministry to the church, I am not truly gifted as an evangelist. I do know a few who truly have this gift, and I am happy to share names and contact information for those seeking this ministry for their church. The gift of an evangelist is, according to my understanding of Scripture, a divinely given desire and ability to share the Gospel in truth, to labor hard in the field of harvest, and to equip others to do likewise. Many believe that a true evangelist  will also have great fruit to show from his labors, but this lacks certainty from God's Word in specific.

Partnering with a true evangelist, a brother we still minister in partnership with today, we took the job seriously of not only sharing the Gospel but also equipping others to adequately do the work. Time was spent teaching from God's Word what the true Gospel is, sharing tips on how to start conversation for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. I still often encourage and teach others in the work of evangelism, and have written custom Gospel literature for many outreach situations. I plan to put together a new tract each week and post it here on the blog. All these tracts are free for download, though you will have to pay printing costs for whatever you would like to have printed. We do this because we love the Lord, we love God's people, and we love to help any way we can in the proclamation of the Gospel.

What saddens me most as I think about the difference between a faithful witness and an evangelist is that most every time I see a young man or woman who is passionate about reaching the lost, they are told they have the "gift of evangelism". I have not yet found such a term in the Bible. Instead, Jesus commands all His followers to preach the Gospel faithfully, to be true fishers of men. There are those who are gifted as evangelists, that is what I believe we see in Paul's words to the church at Ephesus. For those who are scratching their heads as to the difference, let's look at God's Word.

And [Christ] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. ~Ephesians 4:11,12 NKJV

Let us all be careful not to relegate the spread of the Gospel to those who are often called "evangelists" but take up the work of spreading God's truth and the message of eternal life ourselves. It is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian to share in this work. The evangelist is doing that work, to be sure, but also helping to equip others to do their part by God's grace in the work of fishing for men.

I hope this short message was an encouragement to think more and then DO more about your desire to share the Gospel. Truly James was correct when he said the following:

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." ~James 1:22-25 ESV

May we all be doers of God's Word, not leaving the work for others to do, nor spending all our time talking about what we ought to do. Prayer is necessary in preparation for Gospel proclamation, and planning is needed when putting together a large outreach, yet the day to day interactions with your friends, neighbors, coworkers, fellow students, and family members are often the most fruitful times of evangelism. Be faithful to not only hear, but to obey God's Word. Great blessings are in store for those who love Him, and remember that Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Thanks for listening, until next time, may the Lord bless your faithful service for His glory.
Mark Cowperthwaite

Sermon July 31 Fort Lauderdale Bible Chapel

The message texts were Numbers 13 and 14, Haggai 1. God had spoken, He had promised the victory to the children of Israel so that they could go into the Promised Land. However, the disobedience and lack of faith in God prevented that generation from claiming that promise. What promises has God given us that we are too fearful or unbelieving to fulfill?

The urgency of preaching the Gospel

The Need for Preaching the Gospel

On October 10, 1856, Hudson Taylor was traveling by a small boat on the river from Shanghai to Ningpo. He was in his cabin when he heard a loud splash and heard the cry of man-overboard. He sped to the deck and looked around, immediately missing his Chinese friend ‘Peter.’
“Yes,” exclaimed the boatmen unconcernedly, “it was over there he went down.”
Hudson searched all around, but saw nothing. Then he spotted some fishermen with a dragnet - just the thing needed!
“Come,” he cried as his hope revived, “come and drag over this spot. A man is drowning!”
“Veh bin,” was the amazing reply: “It is not convenient.”
“Don’t talk of convenience! Quickly come, or it will be too late!”
“We are busy fishing.”
“Never mind your fishing! Come - only come at once! I will pay you well.”
“How much will you give us?”
“Five dollars! Only don’t stand talking. Save life without delay!”
“Too little!” they shouted across the water. “We will not come for less than thirty dollars.”
“But I have not so much with me! I will give you all I’ve got.”
“And how much may that be?”
“Oh, I don’t know. About 14 dollars.”
At this, they finally came. Their first pass brought up the missing man in their net. Despite Hudson’s efforts to revive him, it was too late. It was only too plain that his life had fled, sacrificed to the callous indifference of those who might have easily saved it.

Hudson related this event to a conference back in England 9 years later. A burning sense of indignation swept over the great audience. Could it be that anywhere on earth people were to be found so utterly callous and selfish! But the earnest voice of Hudson Taylor went on:
“Is the body, then, of so much more value than the soul? We condemn those heathen fishermen. We say they were guilty of the man’s death - because they could easily have saved him, and did not do it. But what of the millions whom we leave to perish, and that eternally? What of the plain command, ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature,’ and the searching question inspired by God Himself, ‘If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if you say, ‘Behold, we knew it not;’ does not He that ponders the heart consider it? And He that keeps your soul does not He know it? And shall He not render to every man according to his works?’ ” [Prov. 24:11-12]



What else does Scripture say about our responsibility: (let me just read)

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19)

What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. (Matt. 10:27)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20)

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)

Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:47-48)

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. (John 4:35)

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. (Matt. 9:36-37)

Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you. (John 20:21)

You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ (Rom. 10:13-15)

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16)

Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. (Ezek. 33:7-8)

And for those who don’t believe this applies to us, Paul says…
Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. (Acts 20:26-27)

Tell me Hudson Taylor didn’t agree, also.

As Ray Comfort has said, we as Christians have not been given tickets for a pleasure cruise headed for heaven, but rather called up to serve on a battleship stationed at the gates of Hell.

How can we call Him Lord and not do what He commands? If we love Him, will we not obey His commands? Are we truly seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness?

What we spend our time and our money on, much more than our words, reveals our priorities. (for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also - Matt. 6:21) Do our priorities match those of our Lord and Savior?
I’m not asking for your money, though. God wants more than that. I’m echoing God’s call for your very lives!!! He gave His life to rescue each one of us. Will we give just a portion of ours to rescue those around us?

150,000 people die in the world every day, most of them headed to an eternal separation from God in Hell.

What are you doing to warn them, to rescue them, to beg them on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God?

Or is it ‘inconvenient’? (like the Chinese fishermen)
Or are you too fearful? (aka ashamed of the gospel, more afraid of men than of God)

We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day and give an answer for what has been entrusted to us. What excuses will we use then?

This material is free to distribute, quote, or copy.
Justin Humes - jhumesfamily@hotmail.com
Mark Cowperthwaite- cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Preparation for sharing the Gospel

How to Prepare

Get on your knees - every day! Ask God to give you compassion & boldness & zeal for reaching the lost. “Ask and it will be given to you.” God is delighted to give us a heart like His.

Open your Bible - every day! Hunger for His Word. Let Him speak to you, convict you, open your eyes and heart to His thoughts and His ways. Study the words of our Master Teacher in the gospels. Study the sermons preached in Acts. We have a sure guide for this endeavor.

The first 2 lead to this - offer ourselves up as a clean vessel for use by God. The testimony of our lives must match the testimony of our words. Hypocrisy in churches is an oft-quoted objection to Christianity. And sin blocks us from hearing the Holy Spirit’s leading when we desire to witness for Him.

Read biographies of bold, faithful servants of Christ who have gone before. (This isn’t hero worship - we have such a biblical example in Hebrews 11) Go for the classics: Hudson Taylor, George Muller, D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Stanley, etc. Then remember we might not have the same gifts as these men, but we are indwelt by the same Spirit who empowered them in their lives, and are promised that very same power when we are witnesses.

Get out and start doing it! Grab a friend and go. There’s no teacher like experience.

The order of these is important: do all of them at once!

Where to share the Gospel

Where to Share?

Events & locations: Paul used synagogues, marketplaces, the streets, the temple, prisons, courtrooms, even riots as opportunities to preach the gospel. Why break our necks & spend a fortune trying to create our own crowds - use the crowds the world brings together for us. Anywhere you see a group of people makes for a good place to preach the gospel or hand out tracts. It is perfectly legal to do so in any public place in this country. When in doubt, do it anyway. Someone will request that you stop before they throw you in jail. J

Make your own opportunities: Knock on doors in your neighborhood. Invite people for something fun - friends and neighbors over for a Saturday BBQ. Get a group together to go sing hymns at nursing homes (works all year - not just at Christmas). Rent a booth at the local fair. Be creative - God is!
*** Warning: inviting people to events at your church building is akin to inviting criminals to the police station. You can chrome plate the bars, carpet the cells, have an international police speaker and a great police band, but you’re still not going to get many criminals to come to the police station. The church is where the saints gather together. The world is where we go out into with the gospel. They’ll come when they’re converted, but probably not before (not if we’re preaching things like sin, righteousness and judgment).

I’ll use this opportunity to pitch door-to-door visitation. It is the most thorough way possible for us to fulfill the Great Commission:
By going house to house, we can honestly say we have preached the gospel to every creature.
If no one’s home, make note and keep returning until someone is.
You meet people you might never otherwise at stores, at work, on the street, etc.
People connect better when you associate with their community.
People are more at ease at the door of their own home than in many other places you might approach them with the gospel.
Leaving something for them to read allows even more opportunity for the Holy Spirit to continue working after you’ve left.
At the door, you only deal with one person at a time (usually).
Follow-up is possible in ways not possible with other public witnessing (you know where they live).

Everyday life: There are lots of places to meet people that are perfect for telling people the gospel - at work, in line at the grocery store, standing around pumping gas, eating dinner at a restaurant - everywhere you are! We are ambassadors for Christ - that’s our calling as saints.
Tracts aren’t just for bringing to doors and distributing on the street. Give them and leave them everywhere you go. Each tract is a mini gospel preacher that can go places we never could, and continue to speak to people long after we’ve gone home at night. I love to use tracts, but lets not think that’s all we’re called to do. The gospel coming from our mouth is a powerful tool, which is then enhanced by tracts.

Now seems a good time to address ‘Friendship Evangelism.’ I whole-heartedly endorse it, so long as you really mean using friendships as opportunity for evangelism.
More often, though, people say ‘Friendship Evangelism’ when they mean ‘Lifestyle Evangelism,’ which is an excuse for people to live as a good testimony without opening their mouths with the gospel. “Faith comes by hearing.”
Or they say ‘Friendship Evangelism’ which in practice is ‘Friendship-Today-Evangelism-Someday.’ We make friends with them now, then at some point when we’ve built up a good relationship with the person, we’ll tell them the gospel. The problem is that ‘someday’ never comes, because the longer we’re silent, the harder it becomes to open our mouths with the gospel. “What fellowship does light have with darkness?”
‘Friendship Evangelism’ is telling someone the gospel right up front, and then being friendly with them and showing them the testimony of our lives, which backs up our claim of knowing Christ as our Savior.

Summary: Where to share? Where not?

Do we regard every contact we make as an opportunity to save someone from eternal damnation? “making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:16)

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. “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Matt 12:34)

Sharing the Gospel

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.

What is the Gospel - text

What is the gospel? 5 points:

1. Who God is. God is holy (perfect), creator, sets the standard. God is who He is, not who we decide He is! The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to us.

2. Who man is. Rebelled against God by choice, sinner (not in a generic sense, but individually). The Law is the place to start with someone who doesn’t think they’re that bad.
Rom. 3:10, 23 [Scriptures are few & given for example only - it will be best
Ex. 20 for you to search out your own]

3. The penalty for sin. Death (eternal in Hell) is the punishment for our rebellion. (not purgatory, not annihilation, no 2nd chances with reincarnation)
Heb. 9:27
Rom. 6:23a
Rev. 20:11-15

4. What God did. Took on a body of flesh, lived a sinless life, died a death undeserved, paid the penalty due to us for our sins.
Jn. 3:16; Rom 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21

5. What man must do. Repent (change mind, see self as sinful and unable to save himself) and believe (place trust in Christ’s death on his behalf, and resurrection as promise of eternal life).
Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 10:9-10

Don’t hurry on to the next point if someone doesn’t agree with your current point. The order is important in understanding salvation.

Remember, we are not out selling people a ticket to heaven! We are warning them of the wrath that will come upon them as reasonable judgment for their sins, and introducing them to the Person of Jesus Christ.

Stress the urgency of making this decision. We won’t get a second chance to change our minds after we die & we’re not guaranteed tomorrow. We never know when our time will come to face God in judgment.

Our job is to bring people to the point of making a decision (not to make it for them). We present them with the facts of the gospel, answer their questions, point them to Christ, pray for them… but ultimately, the rest is between them and the Holy Spirit.

Preparing to witness

Gospel training materials

Gospel trainings