I have found that the secret to powerful and effective evangelism should be a natural outpouring of a deeper walk with the greatest evangelist, Jesus Christ!
Method is helpful, but the church has focused on method; as man would be inclined to do, naturally leaning to his own ability. However, in doing so, we have made the focus man’s ability to convey the word and man’s ability will never be the reason someone is saved nor will it be the reason a Christian becomes zealous to preach the gospel! The reason will be the word of God and the work of the Spirit! You and I are the least important part of that process. I see three components to effective and powerful evangelism. The why, the what and the how. The why has to do with our motivation, which is our gratitude and love for God! The what is God’s word and His Spirit. We need to know the word, memorize it, meditate on it and practice it because it is the power of God unto salvation. See Romans 1:16. The Spirit of God draws and convicts the unbeliever. See: John 6:44 & 16:8. Finally and least important is the how or method that we use to convey the gospel. Once again, I believe the method should come from the greatest evangelist, Jesus and the examples that are demonstrated in God’s word. The Old Testament, Acts, the four gospels and the epistles are full of examples and instructions to present the gospel but would never suggest that there is any particular way that the gospel should be preached. Why not? Because it would put the emphasis on the evangelist and not the LORD and His Spirit. The LORD is to receive all of the glory for salvation, not you and I. You and I are just the conduit God would like to use us. But we are so inadequate! Why then would He use us? Because it is His delight and for His glory!
Therefore, if we are so inadequate and truly the least important reason anyone will ever be saved; why has the church put so much importance on the “methodology” of preaching Gods’ word, when Gods’ word doesn’t? The reality is that we are totally incapable of sharing the gospel without God’s help and yet if you were to attend an evangelism course; the focus would probably be on the “methodology” of evangelism. We need to realize that the first century church that turned the world upside-down with the preaching of God’s word, never had any training course, nor did they have a copy of Bible. Read the book of Acts and see how it was done. They were filled with the Spirit, they prayed for boldness, they preached Christ and Him crucified and most importantly; they had been with Jesus! Brothers and sisters in Christ, the how of the gospel is so simple that any child can understand and convey it! Use the method God has put in your heart as He leads you. The what is God’s word in the power of the Spirit. It cannot be improved on! God had perfected salvation before the world was made, as you and I know it. Our brother Paul, as eloquent as we know him to be; said, “I preach Christ and Him crucified” See: 1st Corinthians 2:1-5. Finally, I truly believe it boils down to this issue as to why we preach the gospel. Are you zealous to tell the lost about Him? Do you love Him? Are you grateful about what He has done for you? Do you daily observe people and wonder where they will spend eternity? Does their eternal destiny burden your heart? Are you trying to speak for Jesus or is He speaking through you? Have you been with Jesus?
Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter & John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they knew that they had been with Jesus.” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus Christ is the Evangelist, if you will spend enough time with Him; you will not have to worry so much about the method that you employ because He will evangelize through you!
