Let’s imagine that you have somehow come into possession of an important piece of information that affects every single person you know. Everyone in your neighborhood. Everyone in your family. Everyone you work with. Everyone you meet at the bank, or the grocery store, or the mall as you go through the day. What would you do? What if this were good news, very good news, the best news you had ever heard in your life? Not something that you could make money from, but something that would change people’s lives for the better. What would you do?You would start telling people, right? Of course you would! You wouldn’t want to keep it to yourself; you couldn’t keep it to yourself. First, you would call your family and your close friends and tell them. Then, you would tell your acquaintances, the people on your street, the people at the office. You’d send out an email to everyone in your address list. Maybe you’d call the television stations or the newspapers to get the word out. You would want to tell as many people as possible, by any means possible. That’s what you would do, for instance, if you found a cure for cancer, or a way to reverse the aging process, or a way to double your children’s IQ.
Last week, I traveled to a customer site for my work as a computer programmer. There were five of us in a conference room where they had set up some computer terminals. Our makeshift office was next to the cafeteria, and so during the course of the afternoon I walked over to get some coffee. I found the vending machine; it had coffee, and cappuccino, and espresso, and even vegetable soup. I looked for the place to put in the coins, and there was a little sign, "no coins required." That seemed a little odd, but I punched in my selection (cappuccino), and out popped the little cup, and a couple of seconds later, here came the cappuccino. It was free! Now, whether this was an employee benefit, or just a way to keep their people hopped up on caffeine all day, I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. Free coffee! So what do you think I did? I went back in the room and told everyone else. "Hey! The coffee in the vending machines is free! Go check it out!" I had such good news that I wanted to share it with everyone! That’s what you do when you have good news.
Now, let’s imagine a different scenario: you have some extremely important news, but you don’t tell anyone. You don’t send out emails; you don’t phone your brother-in-law; you don’t knock on your neighbors’ doors. You stay mum. You keep it to yourself. What would someone conclude from this kind of behavior? That it’s bad news. That you don’t want to tell people because you’re afraid of how they’ll react. That you don’t want to be the one to give them unpleasant or upsetting information.
With me so far? OK, here’s the question: Is the gospel of Jesus Christ good news or bad news? It’s good news, of course! It’s the best news of all! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has risen from the dead, and so can we! We can live forever. We can be forgiven of our sins, our slate wiped completely clean! We can have a relationship with the living God! And all we have to do is place our trust in Jesus Christ. What amazing news! But if that’s true, and it is, then why are we so reluctant to tell people? Why do we often behave as if the Good News were bad news? There are lots of reasons. One is our busy schedules. We get so caught up in the events of daily life, that it’s hard to keep our focus on the things that matter most. Evangelism takes a back seat to things like getting the kids to soccer practice and buying the groceries. But I think one of the main reasons we aren’t more active in sharing the faith is that we feel alone out there; we don’t feel supported and encouraged. We don’t have a sense of being part of a team effort. And sometimes, frankly, we just lack the tools. We feel awkward, we don’t know what to say. We’re afraid of making a mistake, of not being able to answer a question, of saying something foolish.
And so this morning, I’d like to address both of those concerns. First, we’ll look at what part the church plays in getting the word out. We need to understand that evangelism is not just an individual activity, but rather a shared responsibility of the whole faith community. And after that, I’m going to suggest a simple strategy to make you more effective as a bearer and sharer of the good news.
First, evangelism is a community activity because people need to see the gospel in action. Remember, Jesus said the one thing which would distinguish us as Christ-followers, the one thing which would provide irrefutable proof of the truth of the gospel, would be our love for one another.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35 (NIV)
Why is that? Because genuine love is the only thing that can’t be can’t be successfully counterfeited. You don’t need God to build large, impressive buildings with spires and steeples. You don’t need God to get people to come to church, or to sing hymns, or listen to a sermon. You don’t even need God to live an upright moral life. But we do need God, we do need Jesus Christ, to truly love one another. When we’ve got that, then it’s a sign that something real is here; that God is here. It’s a witness to the world of the power and authenticity of the gospel. Genuine love and forgiveness between Christians is evidence of God’s presence; evidence that’s more potent and persuasive than miraculous healings, or speaking in tongues, or any of the so-called supernatural "signs and wonders". And this kind of love takes a church. You can’t do it alone; you need at least two people. It’s one thing for you to love an unbeliever. But it’s quite another for them to come into a church gathering - a Sunday service, or a potluck, or a church picnic, or a small group meeting - and see, not just one person, but dozens or even hundreds of people who love one another with a depth and sincerity of love that goes beyond mere friendship. How do they see it? By the way we treat one another. By our conversation, our tone of voice, our facial expressions. By how we listen. By how we respond when someone wrongs us. By how we respond when someone in the congregation is in need. They can’t see our heart. But they can see what comes from our heart.
That’s why Jesus and all the New Testament writers strongly emphasize the importance of love. Because that’s the primary evidence of the gospel! If we don’t love one another, then we’re denying the gospel. We’re telling the world that there’s nothing to this religion of Christianity, that they can safely ignore whatever we have to say, because it’s just a big empty show. On the other hand, if we do love one another, then we’re telling them there’s something here worth investigating.
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor."
- Romans 12:10 (NIV)
"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins." - 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
"This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us." - 1 John 3:23 (NIV)
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)
You often hear this last passage read at weddings, but Paul is writing to a church. If we have all of these other things, but don’t have love for one another, then our religion is worthless.
Second, evangelism is a whole church activity because in the church the seeker can hear multiple testimonies of how God has worked in people’s lives. It’s one thing for you to tell your story. And I’m not minimizing that; many people have been converted to Christ on the basis of one person’s heartfelt testimony. I hope you will tell your story. But as powerful as that may be, it’s only one voice. The unbeliever may discount it as a quirk of your personality, something unique to you as an individual. It’s much harder, on the other hand, to disregard the witness of an entire church. When people come to WestShore, and they listen during the "open mike time" as person after person stands up to tell what God has done for them, it has a greater impact than the word of any single person.
"But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." - 1 Corinthians 14:24-26 (NIV)
Third, evangelism requires a church because of the relationships that a church provides. Coming to faith is a process, a journey, and it may take weeks, or months, or even years of being around the church, and hearing the word preached, and seeing it lived out, before it finally all clicks and the person says, "I believe". During that time, it’s going to be the relationships with folks in the church that keeps them coming back. It’s the kindness, and caring, and love that they receive from the church that keeps them in contact with the message long enough for the truth of the gospel to make its way into their heart. The church provides an essential network of loving relationships to support seekers as they are considering the claims of Christ.
Fourth, evangelism is a community effort because we all have different strengths and weaknesses. We all have different personalities. We all relate more naturally to some people than to others; none of us is equipped to reach every person who might cross our path. For instance, I’ll probably never be able to relate to bikers the way that Curt F. can. So if I run across somebody who is really into Harleys [how that would happen, I have no idea, but if I did - ], I might say, "Hey, I’ve got a friend who’s into that, too. Why don’t you come to church sometime and meet him?" By the same token, if a lawyer happened to walk through the door some Sunday, I might introduce him to Mike A. Or someone who likes to make plastic models of monsters - Dave M. Whatever their stage in life might be, we’ve got somebody they can relate to: single; newly married; divorced and remarried; married with pre-teenagers; young; old. Here’s the point: each of us is a unique combination of personality, life experiences, hobbies, interests, age, gender, etc. Therefore, each of us is uniquely prepared and gifted to relate to certain people. I’m not saying that we should segregate ourselves into little cliques, and talk only to those who are just like us. God forbid! I’m just saying that as the wonderfully diverse body of Christ, we can establish connections with many different kinds of people that will help lead to Christ.
Fifth, evangelism is a work of the whole church because we need encouragement. We need to feel that we’re not the only ones out there sharing the gospel. We need people with whom we can share our joys and our disappointments. Listen to the words of Jesus:
""Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’’’ - Luke 15:8-10 (NIV)
The angels around the throne of God rejoice when someone comes to faith, and God rejoices with them. In the same way, we need people to rejoice with us when someone we know comes to faith. Just last Sunday, we were able to rejoice with the Crowleys as they shared that their daughter Sarah had trusted in Christ while at camp. We need to encourage one another when the message is rejected; and we need to pray together for those who need Christ. If someone’s husband, or wife, or mother, or father, or friend is not yet a believer, it’s not just their burden. It’s ours as well. We need that sense of shared mission, that sense of solidarity, to help us persevere, to keep us faithful in sharing the gospel. We need to be able to come back and report how things are going at the battlefront, and to know that we’ll receive encouragement and help from our comrades-in-arms.
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12:15 (NIV)
I hope I’ve demonstrated that evangelism is one of the main purposes for which God created the church; that it’s not just an individual activity. I hope you’re convinced of the necessity of involving the whole church body in the work of reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ as Savior. But that’s not the whole story. Yes, invite people to church, where they can see the faith lived out in our love for one another, where they can hear the gospel preached, where they can hear testimonies of how God is working in all of our lives. But each of us also needs to know how to share their faith. We each have that responsibility. As the apostle Peter writes,
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." - 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
So here it is in a nutshell. A gospel presentation so simple that anyone can do it. You can even write the verses on a 3x5 card and carry them around with you, so that you don’t have to memorize them. First, ask them to tell their story. Ask an open-ended question, like "what kind of religious background did you have growing up?" or, "what are your thoughts on life after death?" And listen to the answer. Let them talk as long as they want. At some point, they’ll probably say, "what about you?" and you’ll have the opportunity to tell your story. If not, wait until they’re done, and then say, "would it be OK if I told you something that happened to me, that changed how I thought about religion?" If they say, "no", then stop. God hasn’t opened their heart yet. Don’t push it. But most people will say, "Sure. I’d like to hear that."
Then, in about 2-3 minutes, tell the story of how you came to faith in Christ. If there was a clear point at which you made the decision to follow Christ, then mention that. Talk about what your life was before your conversion, and how it has been different since then. If your conversion was more of a process, then talk about the process. Don’t try to make it more dramatic than it was; just be genuine. Don’t worry if you can’t answer all of their questions. I can’t even answer all of the questions. But during the course of your talk, include these four verses which contain the core of the gospel. In fact, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to write the verse references on the front page of your Bible.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23 (NIV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23 (NIV)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 (NIV)
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9
That’s the gospel: that we are all guilty of sin; and that our sin separates us from God now and forever; that God loved us and sent his own son to pay the penalty for our sin; that all we have to do in order to be forgiven and have eternal life is to trust in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as the Lord of our lives. The rest of the Bible is just commentary on those simple truths.
Brothers and sisters, each of us is here today because someone told us the story. Someday, God is going to throw a party in heaven; it will be more glorious than we can possibly imagine, and it’s going to last forever. But you can’t get in without an invitation. Amazingly, God has given us the privilege of issuing the invitations. Won’t you do that? Won’t you tell the story of Christ and His love, over and over again, so that every chair at that heavenly banquet will be full?
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
