Coming to Terms with Evangelism
After hours of conversation with Angel and Sandra last night about politics, education, culture, and religion, Angel observed, “You’re not like other evangelists. Some of my neighbors were asking me about you, and they were surprised when I told them that you were a Christian missionary. Most of the people around here are used to evangelists knocking on their doors and telling them all about their religion. You want to sit down and talk; you are offering to tutor our children in English for free. You’re not trying to preach at us and convert us.” The observation reveals the vastly different perceptions of and approaches to evangelism that exist across cultures, religions, and even within denominations.
Christians and non-Christians alike often find evangelism an uncomfortable and intimidating topic. What exactly is evangelism? We have come to associate the term with men in suits knocking on the door and handing out literature; people standing on street corners preaching of the terrible reality of hell; television evangelists performing miraculous healings and then pleading for donations. Is this evangelism? Is this what Jesus meant when he commanded his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”? (Matthew 28:19-20)
It’s no wonder that the idea of “evangelism” makes us a little nervous, given the number of poor examples we see on a regular basis. The fact that we live in a post-modern society that values tolerance and diversity makes us even more sensitive to causing offense through evangelism. Perhaps the very term “evangelism” has come to signify an in-your-face type of religious encounter. Most of us have no desire to be involved in this type of encounter; we don’t want to offend or be offended. So we resort to a non-confrontational method—ok, so, let’s be honest, we really don’t share our faith at all. Maybe we invite someone to church and hope that the pastor’s sermon will touch him or her in some way and save us the uncomfortable effort of…of putting into words the very thing, the very person who means the world to us! Well this doesn’t seem to be the solution at all, does it? I mean, if we are totally in love with someone, than how can we keep from talking about the relationship? And yet our fear of offending, of driving people away from Jesus in the manner that some evangelists have done, paralyzes us. There must be something between the two extremes of cramming religion down someone’s throat and complete passivity! It seems most logical to look to the example of Jesus for our answer.
When I look at Jesus, I observe first the great depth of his concern for people. He really saw people; even before meeting their needs, he saw them and loved them. Jesus seemed to have a particular concern for the outcasts of society—for the poor and marginalized, for sinners and those disdained by everyone else. There are exceptions, of course, and even in his anger with the religious Pharisees, Jesus was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5). So here is the question: “Do I see people, really see them, and am I deeply distressed by their needs?” I think that the problem is often that we come to people with an agenda—whether to convince or to obtain something or even to provide some kind of service. And yet the first step has to be to see people and to care about them.
When I look at Jesus, I see secondly that he cared for physical needs. He provided food and wine, healed diseases, cast out demons, and raised the dead. He recognized that, in almost all cases, the needs of the body must be met before addressing the needs of the soul. After all, we are persons of body, mind, and spirit. If we truly see a person, then we must see him or her as a whole. Evangelism that responds to only the needs of the spirit shows a real lack of vision and compassion, in my opinion, and it is bound to be ineffective in most situations. So, how am I meeting the needs of people? How am I showing them in a practical way that I care and that I want to serve them? For me, this is where teaching English comes in or providing a meal or offering a listening ear. For other Christians, it might mean offering medical care, providing childcare, or building a house. The idea is not to create a dependency or sense of indebtedness but rather to show practical love.
When I look at Jesus, I also see that he spoke the truth without fear of offending. Although Jesus had a huge number of followers, he also made quite a few enemies. Obviously he didn’t try to hide the fact that he was the Son of God and promised Messiah, the only way to salvation. The Pharisees knew exactly who he claimed to be, and it was for this reason that they brought him before the Roman officials to have him killed. He demanded a lot from people; he called his disciples away from their families and professions; he warned them that they would suffer terrible persecution; he told the rich young ruler that he must give away all he owned. Yet he also extended an incredible invitation and promise: “Believe and you will be saved! Seek and you will find! Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!” The Gospel isn’t complex; Christianity isn’t for the religious scholars—if it were, then the Pharisees would have been the first disciples. No, it’s for the “least of these,” so why make the Gospel more complex than it is? Yes, as evangelists, we must communicate the truth, but Jesus is the Truth, so really, we need to introduce people to him. And how do we do that? By opening up the Bible and by walking in his footsteps, as enabled by the Holy Spirit. Why fear offending? Jesus didn’t. We know that the Truth will be a stumbling stone to many, but it is life itself to those that believe. But let us be careful that it is not our lack of love or care for the person that leads to offense!
Finally, when I look at Jesus, I see that he sometimes had to “shake the dust off his feet” and leave a place where the people refused to believe. He realized that not all people would accept him for who he was; not all people would have ears to hear and eyes to see the meaning in the parables told. As believers and evangelists, we must realize that we cannot convince anyone to accept the Gospel. It is God that works in and draws hearts. We can only faithfully speak of the One who has loved us, saved us, and is sanctifying us through his Spirit—our personal relationship with Jesus must be both the motive and method for evangelism.
These thoughts are nothing new and nothing complex or profound. I do not speak of researched methods or step-by-step formulas for evangelism because, first or all, I am not particularly familiar with any such methods, and second, because I don’t believe that people are saved by methods. They’re saved by Jesus, and what “method” could be more natural, authentic, and effective than sharing personally and from my own experience about my Lord, friend, and the lover of my soul? Although I hope to learn much about evangelism from the seasoned missionaries here in Corrientes, I realize that Jesus is my best teacher and that his love and truth must be at the core of any evangelization effort.
Christians and non-Christians alike often find evangelism an uncomfortable and intimidating topic. What exactly is evangelism? We have come to associate the term with men in suits knocking on the door and handing out literature; people standing on street corners preaching of the terrible reality of hell; television evangelists performing miraculous healings and then pleading for donations. Is this evangelism? Is this what Jesus meant when he commanded his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”? (Matthew 28:19-20)
It’s no wonder that the idea of “evangelism” makes us a little nervous, given the number of poor examples we see on a regular basis. The fact that we live in a post-modern society that values tolerance and diversity makes us even more sensitive to causing offense through evangelism. Perhaps the very term “evangelism” has come to signify an in-your-face type of religious encounter. Most of us have no desire to be involved in this type of encounter; we don’t want to offend or be offended. So we resort to a non-confrontational method—ok, so, let’s be honest, we really don’t share our faith at all. Maybe we invite someone to church and hope that the pastor’s sermon will touch him or her in some way and save us the uncomfortable effort of…of putting into words the very thing, the very person who means the world to us! Well this doesn’t seem to be the solution at all, does it? I mean, if we are totally in love with someone, than how can we keep from talking about the relationship? And yet our fear of offending, of driving people away from Jesus in the manner that some evangelists have done, paralyzes us. There must be something between the two extremes of cramming religion down someone’s throat and complete passivity! It seems most logical to look to the example of Jesus for our answer.
When I look at Jesus, I observe first the great depth of his concern for people. He really saw people; even before meeting their needs, he saw them and loved them. Jesus seemed to have a particular concern for the outcasts of society—for the poor and marginalized, for sinners and those disdained by everyone else. There are exceptions, of course, and even in his anger with the religious Pharisees, Jesus was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5). So here is the question: “Do I see people, really see them, and am I deeply distressed by their needs?” I think that the problem is often that we come to people with an agenda—whether to convince or to obtain something or even to provide some kind of service. And yet the first step has to be to see people and to care about them.
When I look at Jesus, I see secondly that he cared for physical needs. He provided food and wine, healed diseases, cast out demons, and raised the dead. He recognized that, in almost all cases, the needs of the body must be met before addressing the needs of the soul. After all, we are persons of body, mind, and spirit. If we truly see a person, then we must see him or her as a whole. Evangelism that responds to only the needs of the spirit shows a real lack of vision and compassion, in my opinion, and it is bound to be ineffective in most situations. So, how am I meeting the needs of people? How am I showing them in a practical way that I care and that I want to serve them? For me, this is where teaching English comes in or providing a meal or offering a listening ear. For other Christians, it might mean offering medical care, providing childcare, or building a house. The idea is not to create a dependency or sense of indebtedness but rather to show practical love.
When I look at Jesus, I also see that he spoke the truth without fear of offending. Although Jesus had a huge number of followers, he also made quite a few enemies. Obviously he didn’t try to hide the fact that he was the Son of God and promised Messiah, the only way to salvation. The Pharisees knew exactly who he claimed to be, and it was for this reason that they brought him before the Roman officials to have him killed. He demanded a lot from people; he called his disciples away from their families and professions; he warned them that they would suffer terrible persecution; he told the rich young ruler that he must give away all he owned. Yet he also extended an incredible invitation and promise: “Believe and you will be saved! Seek and you will find! Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!” The Gospel isn’t complex; Christianity isn’t for the religious scholars—if it were, then the Pharisees would have been the first disciples. No, it’s for the “least of these,” so why make the Gospel more complex than it is? Yes, as evangelists, we must communicate the truth, but Jesus is the Truth, so really, we need to introduce people to him. And how do we do that? By opening up the Bible and by walking in his footsteps, as enabled by the Holy Spirit. Why fear offending? Jesus didn’t. We know that the Truth will be a stumbling stone to many, but it is life itself to those that believe. But let us be careful that it is not our lack of love or care for the person that leads to offense!
Finally, when I look at Jesus, I see that he sometimes had to “shake the dust off his feet” and leave a place where the people refused to believe. He realized that not all people would accept him for who he was; not all people would have ears to hear and eyes to see the meaning in the parables told. As believers and evangelists, we must realize that we cannot convince anyone to accept the Gospel. It is God that works in and draws hearts. We can only faithfully speak of the One who has loved us, saved us, and is sanctifying us through his Spirit—our personal relationship with Jesus must be both the motive and method for evangelism.
These thoughts are nothing new and nothing complex or profound. I do not speak of researched methods or step-by-step formulas for evangelism because, first or all, I am not particularly familiar with any such methods, and second, because I don’t believe that people are saved by methods. They’re saved by Jesus, and what “method” could be more natural, authentic, and effective than sharing personally and from my own experience about my Lord, friend, and the lover of my soul? Although I hope to learn much about evangelism from the seasoned missionaries here in Corrientes, I realize that Jesus is my best teacher and that his love and truth must be at the core of any evangelization effort.
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