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Evangelism simply means presenting your life and the message of Jesus Christ to others. Why is it necessary?

1) 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to "always be ready" to give an account of the hope that is within you.

2) 2 Timothy 4:1-5 tells us to "preach the Word in season and out of season. Do the work of an evangelist." This did not appear to be one of Timothy's gifts, yet Paul encouraged him to be one.

3) The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) tells us to "Go and make disciples." (See earlier comments on Great Commission).

4) Matthew 4:19 -- "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

5) It stretches our own faith. Allows us to see God's power.

6) No experience is more exciting for us to see than when people believe.

7) Philemon 6 -- "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

There are many other supporting verses, yet each of them is not simply a request but a command with a related promise. The Lord will honor you for sharing your life with other people.

This is not to say that all of us are gifted evangelists. Yet, all of us are called to be witnesses. You may never lead someone to the Lord, yet you can still sow seeds. Why don't people evangelize? Here are a few reasons:

1) Fear of rejection

2) Feel inadequate in what to say

3) Don't want to be pushy

4) Too busy

5) Disobedient

6) Selfish

How do we get over these fears and questions?

1) Pray. For the individual and yourself before, during and after sharing (Colossians 4:3-4).

2) Realize God is at work and not you on your own. People don't reject you, but the message of Christ. God alone, by His Spirit, produces faith and changes hearts (John 16:8; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Cor. 3:7).

3) Meet them where they are at, not where you want them to be. Jesus illustrates this beautifully with the woman at the well in John 4.

4) Maintains balance. Expose our faith, don't impose it. You can't make anyone accept Christ. If they don't want to talk about it, then don't. God has people at different places. Don't crush the seed you've planted.

5) Be confident (2 Tim. 1:7). God is with you. He promised He would be.

The actual act of evangelism can take place in many situations. On a plane, buts, at the park, etc. With the people whom you live with, work with, play with, etc. With some people you will only have one time to share you faith. With others, your faith is very evident. Remember that "your actions speak very loudly." Also "evangelism isn't necessarily something that you do, it is a lifestyle."

There are people we see day after day. Identify yourself with Jesus to these people. Then love them day after day and know that the fact that you claim to know Christ and your life shows Him makes a radical difference in their lives. Then, look for opportunities to share the specifics of what it means to know Christ. This, after all, is the reason why we are different!

Evangelism is preaching the Gospel. Thus, an evangelist is a preacher of the Gospel. Evangelism is one of the spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:11). A witness on the other hand is one who sees or knows by personal presence and perception and testifies of that knowledge. We are all called to be witnesses for Christ (1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:8). Remember, Christ says to be His witnesses.

Fears can hinder any witness. Questions like: Do I now enough? Will I have the right answers? What If I get embarrassed or scared? Calm down, God is a big God. He wants you to be honest and let Him do the rest. We all use excuses because down deep we are afraid.

In sharing your faith, remember Jesus' example. He asked lots of questions to get to the heart of a person (John 4, Luke 18:18). He was caring, sensitive, compassionate, perceptive, consistent, and He enjoyed people. He also showed genuine concern for the people He was with.

Other keys to sharing your faith are:

1) Be yourself. Tell people about your life. Don't hide what God is doing in you and through you.

2) Evangelism isn't so much going out and talking to people about Jesus, but it is looking for opportunities to share in your daily life.

3) Ask some leading questions about what is going on in the world or on campus. Ask people their opinion on issues such as drugs, sex, AIDS, the homeless, TV preachers, etc.

4) Ask personal questions about situations they may be going through. If they don't want to talk about it, they won't. Don't be afraid to get into their life. And don't be scared to reveal yourself to them also. People need to see our life, to share their life.

5) Talk normally. Throw away the Christian jargon.

6) Don't have a "holier than thou" attitude. Share your struggles.

7) Try not to get caught up in needless questions like predestination or creation/evolution (you can answer those questions at another time). Your life is a testimony of God's love. People cannot argue against that.

8) List, Listen, Listen and Pray, Pray Pray! Everyone can talk, that's easy. Most people are dying for someone to listen to them.

9) There is no "magic formula." Every situation is different. We are called to do our best and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Thus, relax and don't be afraid of telling someone you don't know all the answers or relaying your own fears. "God will not allow my fear or lack of knowledge from preventing a person from knowing Him."

10) It is not our responsibility to see someone accept Jesus. Our responsibility is to tell them the Good News in love and with genuine concern.

11) Don't assume someone is not open to Christianity. Try and see where they are coming from and identify with their situation.

12) Try to understand why they think the way they do. Put yourself in their shoes. This can give insight into how to relate to them and increase your compassion for them.

In life-style evangelism, they will know we are Christians by our love for each other and for them. But we must not think that this is a substitute to telling people about Jesus. Initiative evangelism (taking the initiative to tell someone about Christ) and lifestyle evangelism work together to maximize our witness.

In our modern, depersonalized society, we are taught to stand on our own two feet and NOT depend on others. Above all, we are told "do not let anyone see your mistakes, failures, or pain." Is this a biblical picture?

Instead, Romans 12:9 tells us, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

2 Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." In addition, 1 Peter 1:22 commands us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, deeply, from the heart.

It is too easy in life to keep people at a distance; to not allow them to see the "real" us (problems and all). Being transparent can be both scary and difficult. But, as we can see form the previous verses, God wants us to be in close relationship to some Christians. Hebrews 3:13 tells us to "...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Be careful that your heart does not become hardened.

Encouragement from one another works to keep this from happening. Allow other Christians to see your whole life. James 5:16 tells us to "confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we can be healed."

Be accountable to someone. No one wants to be accountable to someone else. Accountability breeds transparency. If we let someone know us than they will really know who we are. And they may encourage us to change and that is something we don't want to do because it is hard. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." As we are open and honest with our friends in Christ we help each other to deal with the struggles of life. Ecclesiastes 4:10 reminds us that we need one another, "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up."

*Warning: Shear accountability without love in the relationship becomes a law, and a "law" is powerless in helping us overcome SIN. Love has to be overarching, undergirding, and yes, even permeating accountability.

Leadership Guide:

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