In contrast to radio, TV, literature, etc., personal evangelism has these advantages:
Everyone can do it: 1 Peter 3:15–16. As a Christian, “What is it that gives you such hope and keeps you going in the midst of hard times?” Out of a heart filled with Jesus Christ you can “tell them how much the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19–20). It’s like one beggar telling another where he found bread.
Opportunities abound: There are ties that draw people heavenward. How would you describe the following ties? 1. John 1:35 –37, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus..” 2. John 1:40–42, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” 3. John 1:45–46, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”. Notice how this scenario falls out: John Baptist pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples (leadership evangelism): Andrew was one of the disciples. Andrew went to Simon Peter, his brother (family evangelism), with the good news. Afterward Jesus found Philip in Bethsaida, the city of Simon and Andrew (city evangelism). After Jesus had called Philip, Philip went to Nathanael (friend evangelism) and bid him come to see Jesus.
Think: Who, what, and where are your ties?
It enables you to deal with the foundational problems of individuals. People
are “hurting” and broken in a thousand different ways. We know what the root problem is (sin), and we have the remedy (the gospel). We don’t need to be expert lawyers or debaters, just witnesses (those who truthfully tell what they know).
It gets us away from the professional idea. Think about this: 1. Contrast a product being sold by a door-to-door salesman with it being recommended by a trusted friend. 2. Church-growth research reveals that of all the people attending an evangelical church, more than 90% are there as a result of a friend-to-friend contact (i.e., a friend inviting and oftentimes bringing them).
Personal evangelism! Is it for us? Believing that it is, let’s resolve to be faithful in mastering the material in this course. In addition, let’s renew our resolve to pray for people—all kinds of people—asking God to soften their hearts toward the gospel. And let us pray that Christ will increasingly dwell in our own hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17), so that a holy zeal for reaching the lost will flow out from us. To God be the glory!
Many tools are available to assist in evangelism. One of the greatest tools can be found at The Pocket Testament League website. When you visit their site you should become excited about what you can do in evangelism, no matter who you are. You can get to their site by clicking on the highlighted link above or just click on the picture below.
Article adapted from “Personal Evangelism Made Less Difficult” by George C. Miladin.
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