Most believers know that they are commanded to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
Oh, there are a few who claim they don’t “have the gift of evangelism,” but most know better. There is no “gift of evangelism” listed in Romans 12 or 1 Corinthians 12. Sharing the good news of salvation is not a spiritual gift; it is a command for all Christians to obey: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…” (Acts 1:8).
So why do so few Christians witness?
Even preachers.
For many years, I traveled weekly. I typically ate in a restaurant with a preacher two or three times a week. And I was shocked at how seldom they gave a tract to a waitress, let alone attempted to present the gospel.
It seems to me that the main reason we fail is fear.
We are afraid people will be upset with us. We worry that we won’t know what to say. We fear being rejected.
One way to overcome this fear is to be well prepared. When I teach soulwinning, I encourage students to practice presenting the gospel. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice with a family member. Practice with a fellow student in the soulwinning class. Practice until it seems natural.
A second aid to overcoming fear is to remember that the Lord promised “I am with you alway” (Matthew 18:20). Imagine that Dr. Chappell invited you to go soulwinning with him. Would you be less frightened? He literally “wrote the book” on soulwinning. He could answer objections, give encouragement, and be a great support. Well, you may never go soulwinning with an author of a soulwinning manual. But Jesus will go soulwinning with you! And He really wrote the Book on soulwinning! Remembering His presence can disarm your fear.
A third help is to have a good way to introduce the subject. For years I would give people a tract and say, “May I give you some good news?” Or, “If you died today, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?”
Then I learned a better way from my friend Bryan Treadway. He would say, “Has anybody told you yet today that God loves you?” What a great idea!
When I was a pastor, I used our church tract as a business card. It had all my contact information, but it also had a clear, thorough presentation of the gospel. Anyone who wanted to get my contact details had to take the gospel as well.
When I stopped pastoring, my successor, of course, put his contact information on the tract. Since he knew how I had used the tract, my pastor very kindly said, “I want to print you a tract. What would you like it to say?” I asked him to have the front of the tract say, “Do You Know How Much God Loves You?” On the inside it has a picture of a cross and says, “I asked Jesus how much He loved me and He spread His arms wide and said, ‘This much.’”
The results have been amazing. Muslims, people who identify with the LGBTQ community, and many others have gladly accepted that tract. On many occasions I have had someone say, “Thanks. I needed that today.”
About a year ago, I was waiting at a car dealership for an oil change. I rather routinely gave the lady sitting next to me a tract, saying, “Has anyone told you yet today how much God loves you?” She accepted the tract, and I went back to reading the Bible on my phone. After a moment or two, she said, “Thank you. I really needed that today.” By this time the Holy Spirit had my attention.
I said, “Ma’am, I can tell you what’s in that brochure in just a few minutes.” She listened to the gospel and willingly prayed asking the Lord Jesus to be her Savior. A couple of weeks later, she came to church to make a public profession of faith.
Finally, I would suggest that boldness in sharing the gospel is encouraged if we have a biblical view of what we are doing. Many believers see soulwinning as a burden, a responsibility, an obligation, a difficult but commanded task. In reality, it is a fabulous privilege that God allows us to be His messengers in sharing with others the greatest news in the world.
When I was a boy, there was a program on television called “The Millionaire.” Every week the same man would knock on the door of a different person. When they came to the door, he handed them an envelope and said: “Inside this envelope is a check for a million dollars. And the tax on it has already been paid.”
Imagine having that job! Delivering a million dollars to perfect strangers. Sharing news with them that would change their lives forever. (The program ended in 1960. One million dollars then would be worth well over ten million today.)
Would some people be suspicious? Might the occasional recipient refuse the gift? Could someone be upset with you for knocking on their door? Perhaps. But many would receive it with great joy. And those who did not would only be hurting themselves, not the messenger.
God had given us the glorious opportunity to spread the gospel, worth far more than a million dollars. It is a message that redeems souls, each one of whom is worth more than the combined wealth of the world. Let’s rejoice that we have been given such a special message. And let’s share it with everybody we can.