Jump Start # 2967

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

Evangelism—we know that we ought to be doing more of it, but it also makes us very uncomfortable. We fear rejection. We fear questions that we don’t know the answer to. We fear being put on the spot. We fear an argument. We fear losing friends. It’s much easier to be silent than it is to tell others about Jesus. Sermons and classes on evangelism help, but still, that fear factor is real. Talking naturally, calmly and confidently is not easy for many when it comes to evangelism.

Whatever the mountain we must face, we must work at it. God has no other plan than for His people to tell others about Jesus. There is no slick marketing team that can be hired. There is no outside agency that will do the work for us. Evangelism falls to us. It’s up to us. If we don’t, no one will.

Here are five simple things to remember:

First, be friendly and be positive. Talk about your God and the worship of God in glowing, positive words. Worshipping God is awesome. Believe it. Tell others about it. Be genuine and be yourself. The word “Gospel” means ‘Good News.’ You have good news to tell someone.

Second, be interested in the lives of those you are leading to Christ. Ask about their children. Ask about how things are going. Find chances and opportunities to serve. Knowing that you care makes a difference. One of the police officers hired to protect our building mentioned that his wife had cancer. The next time he came some money was handed to him by a few that knew his story. He was touched. Caring is important.

Third, to win others to Jesus, you first must show the way. You must live the way the Lord wants you to. People notice. Your words and your actions have to match. If they don’t your message will seem hollow and inconsistent. Day after day, at work, at home, you are illustrating what you want others to be. You are showing others what living for Jesus looks like.

Fourth, don’t be argumentative or judgmental. That usually ends all discussions and closes the door to listening any more with you. You can disagree, but do it kindly and with the other person in mind. Teach the Bible and let the Bible be what they come to terms with. Have them see in their own Bibles the passages that you are teaching. Be patient and kind. God’s word works. You don’t need to name call, ridicule others or be arrogant. Let God speak through His word. Stick with a few passages and stay on them.

Fifth, don’t quit. Keep praying for them. Keep looking for opportunities. Keep working at it. The salvation of their souls is at stake. You’ll likely think more about their soul than they will. You may care more about their salvation than they do. Just hang in there and stay at it.

Teaching God’s word and showing others the way to salvation is such an incredible opportunity and blessing. Years ago, someone helped us. Now, it is our turn to them others.

If you noticed, this week, we have built these Jump Starts around “Five things.” These thoughts came from a booklet we put out last year. Every Friday we post “Friday Fives” on our website (www.charlestownroad.org). They are just five statements about spiritual life. We gathered last year’s list and put them in categories. This booklet makes a useful tool for those who want to come up with ideas for invitations, articles or even sermons. “The Friday Five” is free and available to mail to you if you would like.

Contact me at: Rogshouse@aol.com. Be sure an include your mailing address. And, you can find today’s Friday Five on our website.

Roger