“The most helpful thing anyone’s told me about evangelism is…”
How would you complete that sentence? I’ve been a Christian for almost fourteen years, and when it comes to evangelism I’ve felt in turns fired-up, complacent, defeated, useless, proud, guilty and privileged. I’ve read books, I’ve heard sermons, I’ve been to training days, I’ve drunk in new techniques. And in all that time, the most helpful, liberating and motivating thing anyone’s told me about evangelism is…
Know what your job is, and know what success is.
What your job is
When Paul was in Philippi, his mission team find a place of prayer—a place where people who followed the God of the Bible but had not heard of Jesus gathered.
“We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the Paul’s message … she and her household were baptised” (Acts 16 v 15).
What was Paul’s job? To communicate the message—the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord, who came as King (“Christ”), died to save (“Jesus”), and rose to reign over eternity as God the Son (“Lord”).
Paul’s job was to speak the gospel. His job was not to bring Lydia to faith. God did that—he is the one who opens hearts to respond to the gospel message.
The God who used words to bring creation into existence can use words to bring faith into existence. When I forget that, I need to look at Exhibit A, by looking in a mirror. He had done it for Paul; Paul knew he could do it for those women in Philippi. He has done it for you; he can do it for anyone you know, as they hear the gospel.
If you’ve stopped evangelising because no one ever responds, remember that God is able to bring to faith the next person you tell the gospel to. And remember that only God is able to do that. Your job is to communicate the message. God’s job is to work the miracle.
What success is
That completely changes how we view “successful evangelism” or “good evangelism”. We tend to be results oriented. But actually evangelism is means-tested.
Listen to Paul reflecting on his mission trip to Thessalonica, which was met with rioting and ended with a swift exit:
“Our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of God we dared to tell you his gospel.”
Successful evangelism is telling someone the gospel. Their response, good or bad, neither adds to nor eradicate that success.
If you tell someone the gospel, prayerfully and as best you can, you have been a successful witness.
The Christian who tells ten people the gospel, all of whom mock and laugh, is just as good an evangelist as the Christians who tells ten people the gospel, all of whom repent and believe. After all, neither of those Christians caused the rejection nor the repentance. That is SO encouraging for those of us who do our best, and don’t (ever or often) find anyone responding in faith.
Failure in evangelism is not sharing the gospel and being rejected. Failure is not sharing it at all.
The most helpful thing anyone’s told me about evangelism is…
Know your job is to share, not to convert. Know success is communication, not conversion.
Carl is Publisher and Co-CEO at The Good Book Company and is a member of Life Church Hackbridge in south London. He is the bestselling author of The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross and God's Big Promises Bible Storybook, and also serves as Series Editor of the God's Word For You series. Before joining TGBC, he worked as a journalist and then as a teacher, and pastored a congregation in Hull. Carl is married to Lizzie, and they have two children. He studied history at Oxford University.
