The Fear: Overcoming Evangelism Jitters

Let me begin with a statement that sums up Floyd Schneider’s approach to evangelism.

What could be more basic to evangelism than the Bible? Or more effective in leading people to faith in Jesus Christ than reading – simply reading – God’s Word with them?

Read Foreword evangelism account.

The Experience We All Dread

“Have you ever thought about God?” Mark asked, as Anthony set his lunch tray on the table and took a seat opposite him. ​Anthony’s expression told Mark that it was going to be an unpleasant lunch hour. “You’re not on a religious trip, are you?” Anthony sneered. ​“No, I just wondered if you ever thought about God.” The dining room was filling up quickly and others were sitting near them. Mark wished he hadn’t asked the question. ​“Why should I think about God?” Anthony retorted – louder than necessary, Mark thought. “When has he ever spared a thought about me?” ​Two girls looked in their direction.

Mark felt his face start to turn red.  Why had he tried to witness to Anthony? He had known he would fail. ​Anthony had picked up his fork but hadn’t eaten anything yet. He was waiting in mocking expectancy for Mark’s reply. ​Mark swallowed and answered, “He died on the cross for your sins, for one thing.” ​The giggles and muffled laughter from the two girls and two men at their table reached Mark’s ears almost before he had finished his sentence. ​Anthony took advantage of being in the majority. “That’s a joke! Jesus may have been a good man, but he was certainly misguided. Look where it got him – a cross. His crazy disciples cooked up that story of his dying for sins so they could justify having followed him.” ​Before Mark could respond, Anthony continued. “Mark, how can you believe in a god? I’m really disappointed in you. I really didn’t expect that you would throw out your logic for an old wives’ tale. How can a thinking person believe in religion?” ​

Mark knew he was lost, but now his pride was wounded, so he said defensively, “I’ve read the Bible.” ​One of the young men at the other end of the table applauded loud enough for all in the dining room to hear, “Bravo!” ​Anthony shook his head and replied, “You don’t take the Bible seriously, do you? The Bible is completely unscientific and out-of-date. The only people who use the Bible are either very naive or they use the Bible to prey on the ignorance and superstitions of others.” ​

Mark opened his mouth to reply, but as he glanced around, he saw all eyes on him, as if the entire student body were waiting, breathlessly, for him to stick his foot into his mouth again. He could see sheer delight on a number of faces, as they watched him squirm in his seat. ​And then a bell rang, and the spell was broken. ​Anthony left without his usual “see you later,” and many others looked pointedly in Mark’s direction and snickered as they left the dining room. ​Mark felt that his best option would be to change his identity and leave the country.

Have you ever had this kind of experience? Have you ever imagined such an experience like this happening to you?

How do fears like this effect our efforts at evangelism?

You believe that your efforts will only make things worse.

You believe that you are better off saying nothing.

You believe that it is best if you just leave the evangelism to the experts.

On the other hand I think any genuine follower of Christ wants to obey the Great Commission. We think, with frustration, why didn’t God give all of us the “gift of evangelism”?

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Who did Jesus speak these words to? A few of his disciples or all of his disciples?

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Who is this verse for? Only those with the gift of evangelism?

So, over the years, many good godly individuals have created many different methods of evangelism. Can you name a few?

Outdoor tent meetings

Door-to-door

Tract distribution

Various evangelistic visitation programs

City-wide campaigns carried out by churches working together to bring a well know evangelist to their city

Apart from times of great revivals, however, these methods have normally produced the best results only because they were coupled with the personal contact between believers and their unsaved friends.  Missionaries and believers from America, various countries in Europe, and Israel, among others, have told me over the past few years, that although they have tried various evangelistic methods in these modern, advanced countries, the only real visible progress they have made in evangelism has been through personal friendship with the unsaved.  These friendships then led to Bible studies or evangelistic meetings or campaigns.

Thoughts?

Why do you think this is true?

In our study we want to prepare, not only to invite an unsaved person to a church service or event. I want you to experience the joy of actually leading one of your friends to Christ.

The Method We Will be Studying

The method we will be studying together (if you can call it a method) is simply this- reading the Bible with a friend.

This study is not meant to be used as a spur-of-the-moment witnessing tool, in which the believer gives an unsaved person the whole gospel in one short five-minute shot.

Our goal is to make our friends curious enough to read the Bible with us.

Time will be required to develop a personal relationship with an unsaved person. Reading the Bible with an unsaved friend is our ultimate objective.

Why read the Bible together, instead of simply telling our friends the gospel?

A few years ago, a Christian attended a university on the east coast of America and shared a room with a young man who was a Muslim. During the first few weeks they became friends and one night the conversation turned to their different beliefs. After a couple of long conversations, the believer asked the Muslim if he had ever read the Bible. The young man answered, no, but then asked if the Christian had ever read the Koran. ​The believer responded, “No, I haven’t read the Koran, but I’m sure it would be very interesting. Why don’t we read both together, once a week, alternating books?” ​The young man accepted the challenge and their friendship deepened over the weeks.

During the second term, the Muslim became a believer in Jesus Christ. ​One evening, toward the end of the second term, he burst into the room and shouted at the believer, “You deceived me!” ​Bewildered, the believer asked, “What are you talking about?” ​

The new believer opened his Bible to Hebrews and said, “I’ve been reading the New Testament through, like you told me to do, and I just read: ‘For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.’”

He then slammed his Bible shut and grinned. “You knew all along that the Bible contained God’s power and that the Koran is just a dead book, like any other book. I never had a chance!” ​The believer smiled and asked, “And now you hate me for life?” ​“No,” came his immediate answer, “but you have to admit that it was an unfair contest.”

Let’s take a closer look at Hebrews 4:12-13

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Why read the Bible together, instead of simply telling our friends the gospel?

Because our gospel presentations will never convey the message with the same authority as God’s Word can. It is God’s Word, not my word or your word or the preacher’s word, that is living and active and sharper that any two-edged sword.

“When we read the Word of God, our hearts are judged for what they are. The Holy Spirit, through the reading of the Scriptures, will pierce through the outer layer of man’s phony righteousness, penetrate down into the soul and spirit of a person, and convict that person of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Word of God can do these things in ways that we humans, who cannot read the hearts of men, can never do.”

Isaiah 55:8–11 ESV

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

“God’s thoughts, as found in his Word, will do a far better job of convicting our unsaved friends than we can with our explanations of his Word. Therefore, we emphasize reading the Bible with our friends, not just giving them a gospel presentation.”

The Theology of Reading the Bible with Our Unsaved Friends

Floyd offers three theological reasons that drive his method of evangelism.

1. Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are Deity

By this he points out merely that all three members of the Trinity have all the same attributes.

2. These same attributes in both the Holy Spirit and in Jesus give them the same “aroma”

Floyd argues that the Holy Spirit’s main function in the Church Age is to draw people to Jesus.

John 16:14 ESV

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

How does the Holy Spirit draw people to Jesus?

Initially he may use things like other believer, problems, etc.

Eventually the Holy Spirit will use the Bible to draw and teach a person about Jesus.

3. Since the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit’s “aroma” throughout the Scriptures is the same “aroma” found in the person of Jesus

Floyd uses these three conclusions to make this statement:

“We have discovered that if a person is even remotely serious about seeking God, whether they recognize this about themselves or not, they will be attracted to the Bible.”

They may be skeptical, at first, but the truthfulness of the Scriptures will eventually win them over to taking the Scriptures seriously.”

“This “sameness” of the Holy Spirit and Jesus, and the coming together of these Two in the Bible has led us to initially perceive an unsaved person’s willingness to begin and continue reading the Bible with us.”

Understanding this influence of the “aroma” of the Scriptures on an unbeliever relieves us from the disappointment that comes when an unsaved person chooses to refuse to read with us or to walk away and stop reading with us. In our experience, the majority of those who read the Bible with us do leave early.

Those who continue to read with us are more likely to come to faith in Christ.

Two Built-In Advantages to Reading the Bible with an Unbeliever

Floyd first of all talks about the act of becoming a Christian as a process.

Unbelief ---- Decision ---- Sanctification

In what way is the act of becoming a Christian not a process?

In what way is the act of becoming a Christian a process?

2 Advantages to reading the Bible as a method of evangelism.

1. It gives people time to understand the gospel, preventing them from making a premature “decision.”

True regeneration does not take place until a person has reached the point where he recognizes his personal sin and accepts Christ in genuine repentance and faith. Since growth takes time, we do not want to rush the process. Very few people learn things without repetition. Reading the Bible over a period of weeks or months will give the unbeliever time to process the gospel message in his thinking. The Holy Spirit will weave thoughts in and out of his mind during his daily routines, forcing him to think through the practical implications of accepting the Lord Jesus as his Savior.

2. When someone finally does make a decision, it will be based firmly on the Scriptures, not on an emotional response.

Nourished by this solid foundation of Bible knowledge (especially if he has read through most of John’s Gospel), he will mature in his faith much faster than if we had forced a premature decision upon him.

DO IT!

Begin praying now for one unsaved friend with whom you can start reading John’s Gospel.

Begin reading John’s Gospel and asking yourself the following questions:

- What would my unsaved friend think about this verse?