Practical Evangelism - Introduction
Sharing our hope
Evangelism is giving a clear and honest explanation of our hope in Christ, in a way that matches our message and gives glory to God.
This chapter is designed for slow reading and reflection. Consider reading it in sections, either on your own or with one or two discipleship partners, allowing time for prayer and honest discussion.
Introduction
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
I would like to begin this book with a confession: for much of my life, I believed that I was not an evangelist. I was convinced that evangelists were people who loved to debate about religion, to speak about their faith in front of large crowds, and to ask complete strangers questions like, “If you died today, do you think you would go to heaven or hell?” I thought that to be an evangelist you had to be overconfident, argumentative, and insensitive. And since I considered myself a pretty nice guy, I was sure that I was not an evangelist.
The problem was that I repeatedly heard Christ saying in the Gospels that His followers were to be fishers of men and witnesses to His kingdom. It was clear that Jesus was calling His people to go into the world and make disciples. This seemed important to Him, and the more I followed Him, the more I felt a growing tension between my life and His call.
One afternoon over coffee, I shared this tension with my friend Matthew. “I am not an evangelist—it isn’t my spiritual gift,” I told him. I often used this spiritual-sounding excuse to justify why I did not share my faith with others.
To my surprise, Matthew did not agree. “How do you know you are not an evangelist?” he asked.
“Well, I know that God has called some to be evangelists. But I don’t like offending people or arguing with them. I am not good at talking with strangers. I don’t have a public ministry…” I began to list in my defense.
Before I could finish, he interrupted me and, like a good friend, challenged me: “Is it possible that you have a wrong understanding of what it means to be a witness?” He then encouraged me to study how Jesus and the apostles interacted with others and shared the good news.
That question stayed with me, and I began to realize that my understanding of evangelism had been shaped more by assumptions than by Scripture.
That conversation led me into a long study of Scripture on evangelism. I was often surprised and challenged by what I read, and over time my understanding of what it means to share the good news began to change. As I sought to put into practice what I was learning—often with fear and hesitation—I began to see a growing desire to participate in God’s mission.
Is it possible that you have a wrong understanding of what it means to be a witness?
This was something I never expected. To my great wonder, Jesus began leading me into opportunities to serve and pray for others, to enter into meaningful spiritual conversations, and to watch as He drew people to Himself. I am still far from perfect and have much to learn. I still make mistakes and continue to struggle with fear in evangelism. Yet Jesus continues to grow in me a desire to follow Him in this area of discipleship.
I share this at the beginning of the book because I imagine many of you may feel the same way I once did. You may wonder whether evangelism is really for you. Perhaps you know that Jesus calls you to be His witness, but you feel paralyzed by fear, unsure of what to say, or discouraged by your lack of experience. I understand that struggle.
This book is not written by someone for whom evangelism comes naturally, or by someone with countless stories of success. I am still learning, day by day, what it means to be faithful to Jesus as He calls us to be His witnesses. But I have become convinced that sharing the good news is not a burden—it is a joy and a privilege.
It is my hope and prayer that you will come to experience this same joy as you learn to follow our Master in His mission in this world.
Sharing our Hope
The passage from 1 Peter summarizes well what I have learned through my study of evangelism. At its foundation, evangelism begins as we live out our Christian faith. Following Jesus transforms us into a people of hope because of the great salvation and abundant life into which He leads us. The people of this world long for real and lasting hope, and when they encounter those shaped by God and His hope, they begin to ask questions. Evangelism, then, is simply giving a clear and honest testimony and explanation for our hope in Christ in a way that matches our message and gives glory to God.
In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Evangelism begins with following Jesus as Lord and allowing Him to direct our lives. As His disciples, we are being transformed so that we begin to speak and act like Him—becoming a people who love God and love others. This transformation has two natural consequences.
First, it makes us different from the world around us. We become a people known for love and hope in action. This is one of our greatest witnesses. As Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). As we live out our discipleship in the world, we are given many opportunities to point to the source of that love and hope.
Second, as we follow Jesus, we are led into witness and evangelism because He is a missionary God. We follow Him into His mission to reach the lost because this is the heart of Christ.
In other words, Christian discipleship and Christian witness cannot be separated—and we should not try. No one truly witnesses to Christ without also revering Him as Lord, and no one follows Jesus without going with Him into the world and sharing the good news. Discipleship leads to witness, and witness flows from discipleship. At the heart of our witness is not technique, but transformation—as we follow Jesus and learn to revere Him as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks... Our discipleship will naturally lead us into many opportunities to share the good news with those around us. Seeing in us a unique love and hope, our friends, colleagues, and family members will begin asking about the source of that hope. Being a witness for Christ means always being prepared to give helpful and truthful answers to this most important question.
This has important implications for how we understand evangelism. First, it reminds us that witness is relational. It takes place as people know us, observe a real difference, and feel safe enough to ask and listen. This does not mean there is never a place for speaking with strangers—Scripture gives many examples of this—but even then, witness is more than passing on information. It is personal and relational in nature.
At the heart of our witness is not technique, but transformation—as we follow Jesus and learn to revere Him as Lord.
In fact, many people today come to faith not because they heard a powerful sermon, but because they had a relationship with a Christian who explained their hope and invited them to follow Jesus.
This understanding also means that evangelism is not primarily about techniques or strategies, but about sincerely loving others. We cannot change people, but we can lead them to the One who can. Evangelism is not an event or a project, nor something we do occasionally or check off a list. It is a way of life—part of our identity as followers of Jesus.
We are witnesses in every moment: as we travel, work, gather with the church, and spend time with family. In all these settings, we are called to be ready to share our hope in a way that honors others and gives them the freedom to respond to Christ’s invitation.
But do this with gentleness and respect. Our witness must reflect our message. If we proclaim a Savior who loves others, then our words and actions must also be marked by love, gentleness, and respect. Otherwise, we contradict what we are trying to communicate.
Dallas Willard writes:
However firm we may be in our convictions, we do not become overbearing, contemptuous, hostile, or defensive. We know that Jesus himself would not do so, because we cannot help people in that way. And in apologetics, as everywhere, he is our model and our master. Our confidence is totally in him… The means of our communication needs to be gentle, because gentleness also characterizes the subject of our communication. What we are seeking to explain is Jesus himself, who is a gentle, loving shepherd. If we are not gentle in how we present the good news, how will people encounter the gentle and loving Messiah we want to point to?
These convictions shape my understanding of evangelism and everything that follows in this book. Each of us is called to follow Jesus, to be ready to share the message of hope in every circumstance, and to do so in a way that truly loves those we speak with.
We will not all witness in the same way. God has made us differently, with different gifts and experiences. Yet these core qualities remain the same for every follower of Christ.
Discipleship leads to witness, and witness flows from discipleship.
Faithfulness in evangelism is not measured by the number of conversions, but by our faithfulness to Jesus—His message and His way. My hope and prayer is that the studies and practices in this book will help you grow in living a life of witness in the places where God has placed you.
About this book
This book, in many ways, is the fruit of the study I began after my conversation with Matt years ago. I have sought to include many of the lessons I have learned about sharing the good news, along with practical activities that have helped me grow as a witness of Christ. It is my conviction that three things are essential for growth in this area of our lives: God-inspired vision, intention, and means.
First, we need a clear vision of what Jesus is calling us into. There is much misunderstanding in the Church today about what it means to share the good news, and these misunderstandings often keep us from living faithfully as Christ’s witnesses. To help bring clarity, each chapter includes a study of a Bible passage related to witness, along with reflections on the passage and its significance.
Second, we need an intention to obey Jesus in His calling to share our faith. This requires honest reflection on our beliefs, fears, and actions, as well as our desire to grow in faithfulness and fruitfulness. To support this, each chapter includes questions designed to help you process what you are learning and consider how you want to grow.
Finally, we not only need right understanding and intention, but also practical means for growth. Knowledge alone is not enough—we must act. Yet it is often difficult to know where to begin. This book is designed to offer helpful, concrete next steps to help you grow as a witness of Christ. Many of these steps may feel challenging and require you to step outside your comfort zone, but they are all realistic and have been practiced by others. I encourage you to take risks and to live out what you are learning in practical ways.
One more element is essential for growth in evangelism: God-led community. Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs, assuming that we would follow Him and share in His mission together. This book is not meant to be used alone, but with one or two other believers—your discipleship partners. Together you can pray for one another, encourage one another to take steps of faith, discuss what you are learning, and share how God is at work in your lives. To benefit fully, come prepared by studying the passage, reading the teaching, and reflecting on the questions beforehand.
With a God-given vision, intention, and means, lived out in the context of a supportive community, you will grow in being prepared to share your hope in Christ—and to do so with joy.
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
-
What does it mean to revere Christ as Lord? What regular practices help—or could help—you to do this?
-
If others observed your life, would they describe you as a person of hope? Why or why not?
-
If someone asked you about the reason for your hope, how would you respond?
-
Why is it important to answer others with gentleness and respect? Can you think of examples—positive or negative—that show the importance of this?
Responding to the Word
The following practices are meant to help you live out what this chapter has explored. Select those that will both support and stretch you as you follow Jesus.
Discipleship Partners
Take time to read “Appendix 1: Discipleship Partners,” and then discuss together:
-
What do you understand about discipleship partners?
-
Have you had relationships like this before? What were your experiences, and what did you learn?
-
What are your hopes and expectations for your time together as you read this book?
Getting to Know You
As you begin your meetings together, it might be helpful to spend time continuing to get to know one another and sharing about your journey of faith. In the spaces of the coat of arms write or draw about:
-
Your family and close relationships
-
Your hobbies and interests
-
A testimony of God’s goodness in your life
-
Something God has been teaching you recently
-
Your current attitudes and beliefs about evangelism
-
Current prayer requests
Praying for one another
Pray for one another, that you would grow into people who faithfully share the reason for your hope with others. Pray also that God would use your relationship to help each of you grow as Christ’s witnesses.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the life and hope You have given us. We thank You that You love us and sent Your Son so that we might be saved. We ask that Your Spirit would fill us, empower us, and guide us, so that we may become people who share this good news with others in a way that brings You glory. AMEN.