Praise God for those around us who always seem to be leading others to Christ. You know who I’m talking about, the person who always seems to have a visitor sitting next to them at church or the pastor who is unusually fruitful with unbelievers. For the rest of us, we struggle to find the courage or resources to talk to unbelievers. We stumble over difficult questions or flounder to find ways to lead our discussions to spiritual things.
So what books, sermons, or articles have been helpful for you to grow in evangelism? Below are some helpful resources The Gospel Coalition recommends for overcoming fears and practicing evangelism:
- How Can I Witness to a Person Who Thinks the Gospel is Just My Opinion?, John Piper: He instructs us to point people beyond our opinions and to the Bible, making an effort to display the words and life of Jesus as compelling to unbelievers.
- How Can I Speak More Boldly About Christ?, John Piper: He gives a short encouragement that evangelism usually flows from a growing and deep love for Jesus Christ. So greater passion for evangelism comes from a greater passion for Christ.
- Biblical Evangelism, Ligon Duncan: In this sermon he argues that a healthy local congregation will be laboring to share the gospel with the lost. Duncan helpfully defines what exactly evangelism is, its objective, what we are supposed to do in evangelism, and what is the power behind it.
- “Biblical Evangelism in the 21st Century” Part (1), (2), and (3), Don Carson: There are unique challenges to sharing Christ in the 21st century that Carson thinks Acts 13 and 17 can help us overcome. Carson points out some underlying barriers to the gospel that we would do well to heed.
To help us even further, we asked Randy Newman, who will be conducting a workshop at The Gospel Coalition’s National Conference and author of Questioning Evangelism and the forthcoming Bringing the Gospel Home, How would you encourage those of us who don’t feel particular gifted at evangelism to strengthen our practice?
First, accept the reality that, for most Christians, evangelism is not easy. Far too many training seminars, books, and guides imply that witnessing can be “natural,” “easy,” or “without fear.” For the vast majority of us, it comes with “much fear and trembling.” (Apparently that was Paul’s experience as well—see I Cor. 2:3). That’s no excuse for clamming up. Instead, witness with fear, anxiety, and trembling and watch God work.
Second, try the gradual, installment plan rather than the dump truck mode. This may be counterintuitive for a lot of us, but many non-Christians need to hear parts of the gospel, take time to digest them, and then hear more the next time. Aim for two-way dialogues more than one-way sales pitches. Ask questions and listen carefully to what people already do believe and show how the gospel both connects to and differs from their belief systems.
Let me suggest some other helpful resources:
- Tim Downs’s Finding Common Ground
- Tim Keller’s The Reason for God
In this post we’ve only scratched the surface with the best resources that encourage and equip Christians to share the good news of Jesus Christ. What in your experience has helped you step out in faith to evangelize?
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
