What usually happens when you hear the idea of evangelism - insert guilty feeling. Slight glimpse of I should do that quickly passes by as fears come one by one to grip you and remind you why you haven't done it. I'll do it after... and your schedule suddenly is much fuller and there's just not the right time fit in there. If there was time, you wouldn't really know what to say, how to start? How to close? What to say in the middle? I should know this! Ah dang it. More guilt now.
I think this all comes down to what we assume "evangelism" means. Jesus said to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I've commanded you." -Matt 28:18.
So that was the command to the disciples, lets see how they carried it out. They turned around and told people about Jesus that they had walked with, who they talked with. They went to the places they knew people were and places God's Spirit or an Angel told them to and just shared with them. In fact like the second or third time they've gotten busted for blowing up peoples paradigms and religious boxes, they respond with "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20) That's it. That's it? What's it?
What are we sharing with people? Are we sharing an idea and a philosophy? Are we sharing a concept or belief that we're holding onto? Or have we experienced life with this God we talk about and sing songs to every Sunday? If we've actually experienced life with Him, then share that. That's what the disciples were doing. They were like "Pssh, I don't know about you, but I saw Jesus heal this guy of cancer and the tumor just disappeared, another chick had a demon (or a couple) inside of her and was all messed up but as soon as J-man said one word to her, BAM! Flat laid out on the ground like a 3 month old baby sleeping. Dude, it was trippy, but awesome." Then they went on to share the rest of the story. "Man, then a bunch of religious people didn't understand Him and thought He was starting up His own path away from God. Dudes got jealous and killed Jesus. Man, made it rough too. It's not like He couldn't have stopped them though. Shoot, all the stuff we saw Jesus do, He could have stopped them all at any point. I mean, I know that now, looking back. At the time, man, I chickened out and went running for the hills. I was loaded down with questions and fear and doubts and...I was just a pansy. So Jesus dies, right? We're all mourning over Him, our friend, our teacher, this father figure/big brother. Dang, we had bought into this and left everything, burnt a lot of bridges, and cut a lot of ties in the process. But then God raised Him from the dead. I know, I know, I didn't believe it at first either. But I saw Him, I talked with Him, I touched Him, I ate with Him. He really did come back to life. He really is the Savior, the Hero that we've been told about in prophesies/legends past. They're all true and it's all Him. He's given us a chance to turn from being selfish, ignorant, indifferent, lazy, evil, and just plain dumb and chose Him and follow Him. His ways mean life because He is life. It's your call, but I'd almost beg you to do this. It's been hard at times, but this is what I was made for. This is what it means to finally come alive. This is the full weight of all our hopes and dreams. This is life, dude. This is it. There's no other way to have this. No other way to have this intimate, euphoric connection with God - it's just Jesus."
They weren't sharing a theoretical standpoint. They weren't trying to convince someone of a standpoint they were banking in. They just straight up walked with God and shared out of that. Yeah, but they at least got to talk and walk with Jesus. That would have been a lot easier to believe.Yeah, I've thought that too. But I realized I had a few things wrong, 1) I was having issues believing, 2) I didn't realize how hard that would be to start something out of nothing when the whole world is against you. They weren't creating a new product to sell, they were actually going against the majority of the world's thoughts and starting something new. 3) I didn't understand John 20:29 as Jesus is talking and says it's good that you see me and believe, but blessed/happy/happier is everyone who believes and hasn't seen me. He said we'd be happier than they were. Jackpot. and 4) I didn't understand the benefits of having the Holy Spirit with us. Jesus said it's actually better if I leave so you can have Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). That messes me up cause personally, I would enjoy having Jesus on my couch. But I'm learning the amazingness of having the Holy Spirit inside of me working in and through me. It looks a lot more like surrender than it does getting it right.
Ok, ok... so what does this look like?
I don't know. What does your relationship with God look like? What stories do you have together? How has God been there for you, with you, through you? Have you had a bad day and it got better? Have you almost ran out of gas and prayed and you made it? Have you prayed for a job opportunity? Have you prayed and seen someone healed of cancer, broken leg, headache? Have you asked for a very specific sign and He came through? Have you had a dream and shared it with someone who had the same dream? Have you had a dream that explained what was going to happen in the future and it did? Have you spoke in languages you didn't understand but other people did? Have you spoke in other languages you didn't know and somehow your heart felt comforted? Have you had a thought or idea about someone and shared it and it was exactly what they needed to hear? Have you ever been overwhelmed with compassion for some stranger that you had no idea who it was or why? Have you ever randomly just broke out in laughter so much you felt drunk? Did you have horrible parents but somehow you have this healing because you've heard God say I love you? Have you ever caught a sunset or song or movie and for some reason it had more weight to it than ever before? Maybe your life with God looks something like that? Maybe that's where you start? It's your relationship. If you don't have anything to share from your relationship with God, then ask Him to start one. Then make history with God. Invite Him in on your life and see what happens. Make history with God, build that relationship.
Evangelism is just relationship sharing and love sharing. You know how to share a relationship and introduce a person. That's all that evangelism is. Share your relationship, introduce Jesus. Let Him woo the other person. Ready...Set...Love.
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