Week 1: The Gospel We Don’t Share

You can usually go out once and tell people about Christ. It’s the second or third time when the pressure comes—social rejection, legal trouble, prison, even violence.

Most of us aren’t living under that kind of threat.

Basic Excuse 3: “Evangelism could cause problems at work.”

Even in places where evangelism is totally legal, that doesn’t mean every moment is the right moment.

A lot of us have jobs where we’re being paid to do a task.

And our bosses have a real expectation that we’ll stay focused and not pull others off task either

So while we absolutely want to be faithful with opportunities, we also need to be wise.

If the gospel offends, let it be the message that offends.

Not our timing.

Not our tone.

Not our disregard for the responsibilities we’ve been given.

Basic Excuse 4: “Other things seem more urgent.”

Life fills up fast.

We’ve got families to care for, jobs to finish, bills to pay, meals to prep, errands to run, people to text back.

Sometimes the baby’s crying and needs to go home now.

Sometimes there’s tension with your spouse and it can’t wait.

Sometimes the paper’s due tomorrow, and the only window to finish it is tonight.

None of those are wrong.

They’re part of what it means to be faithful in the life God’s given us.

But here’s the question:

Are we letting our other responsibilities crowd out the mission?

Do we ever look up and realize we’ve made time for everything but evangelism?

And if so… what does that say about what really matters to us?

Basic Excuse 5: “I don’t know non-Christians.”

One of the biggest reasons we don’t evangelize is simple.

We’re not around unbelievers.

And for a lot of mature Christians, that’s not an excuse—it’s just reality.

I’ve felt this myself.

Most of my week is spent preaching, counseling, discipling, planning, answering calls…

Sometimes even writing about evangelism.

And nearly all of it happens inside the church.

I’m surrounded by mostly believers.

So when exactly am I supposed to be reaching the lost?

But that’s not just a pastor problem.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, your world might revolve around the kids.

If you’re retired, it might feel hard to build new connections.

If you’re a new believer, you’ve probably been encouraged (rightly) to stay grounded in Christian community.

And if you’ve walked with Christ for years, your time is likely full of ministry, service, and pouring into others.

Those are all good things.

But if we never step outside those circles, we shouldn’t be surprised when no one comes to Christ through us.

If you don’t go fishing, don’t be surprised when you don’t catch any fish.

So what’s the solution?

Start by praying.

Then talk with a trusted friend, and get honest about your life rhythms.

How can I stay faithful at home, in the church, and at work…

but still build real relationships with people who don’t know Jesus?

That doesn’t mean adding needless pressure.

It means living on purpose.

At the musical illustration.

examples.

Bad Excuse 6: People aren’t interested.

How often do these subtle excuses creep into my mind when I think about sharing the gospel?

“People don’t want to hear.”

“They won’t be interested.”

“They probably already know.”

“It probably won’t work.”

Instead of remembering the power of the gospel, I slip into a hopeless mindset.

But that’s being faithless.

Paul asked the Corinthians,

1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Why assume we would respond, but someone else wouldn’t?

Haven’t you seen God save some of the least likely people?

Think of your own conversion.

Jonathan Edwards once titled a work A Narrative of Surprising Conversions.

And in truth, every conversion is surprising.

Enemies become beloved children.

The guilty are given eternal life.

That’s what should drive us to speak:

God may save anyone.

And the less likely it seems, the greater the glory when He does.

Bad Excuse 7: I won’t be any good at it

explain

Here is the Heart of the Matter:

By not planning to evangelize,

we plan to NOT evangelelie...

Which means to fix the problem is to plan to Stop Not Evangelizing.

Did everyone follow the double negative?

I’m saying, “We have to PLAN to evangelize, or we won’t evangelize.”

It’s really THAT simple.

And here is a 12 step plan to that.

1. Pray

Many times we don’t evangelize because we try to do it in our own strength.

We forget it’s God’s will and delight for His gospel to be known, and that He wants sinners saved.

The truth is, we often don’t even pray for opportunities.

So why be surprised when none seem to come? If you feel like you lack them, start praying—and watch how God answers.

2. Plan.

One common excuse is, “I’m too busy right now. When life slows down, then I’ll share the gospel.”

We tell ourselves it’ll happen after the paper is done, when the kids are older, when work settles, when health improves.

But the truth is, unless we plan, that day never comes.

We make time for so many lesser things—why not plan for evangelism?

3. Accept

Sometimes we don’t evangelize because we assume it’s someone else’s job

the preacher’s, the missionary’s, the professional’s.

But if we’re honest, that’s just dodging our duty.

We may be the closest Christian to a particular unbeliever, even the very answer to someone else’s prayers for them.

So we need to accept the role God has given us, and even more, rejoice that He lets us be part of His saving work.

4. Understand

Sometimes we don’t evangelize because we think, “That’s not my gift.”

But a lack of gifting doesn’t cancel out responsibility.

Not everyone has the gift of mercy, yet all are called to be merciful.

In the same way, God may raise up Peters and Spurgeons,

but He also calls every believer to share the good news.

5. Be Faithful

Sometimes we care more about not offending someone than God’s glory.

We stay polite instead of speaking the truth.

But God hates having His truth suppressed (Rom. 1:18).

Good manners are no excuse for unfaithfulness,

yet too often that’s exactly how we’ve used them.

6. Risk

Faithfulness means being willing to risk.

We can’t wait until we’re sure how someone will respond.

Maybe you’re shy, or the thought feels awkward and exhausting.

But you can still invite someone to hear the gospel, share a book, tell your own salvation testimony,

or simply build a friendship that opens a door later.

Evangelism always carries risk, but it’s a risk worth taking.

7. Prepare.

Sometimes we don’t evangelize because we feel unprepared.

We don’t know how to turn the conversation, or we fear our ignorance will discredit the gospel.

We think it’s on us to make it sensible or to answer every question.

With such inflated expectations, we convince ourselves we can’t do it and so we don’t.

Instead, we should prepare:

know the gospel, grow in humility, and keep learning.

8. Look

Have you ever prayed for something and then been surprised when God answered?

That can happen with evangelism too.

We pray for opportunities,

but then we don’t really expect them, and so we miss them.

Sometimes we’re too busy or tired.

Sometimes we just don’t want to be inconvenienced.

At bottom, it can be selfishness or apathy.

We close our eyes in prayer, but then forget to open them to see the person in front of us.

9. Love

The truth is: We share the gospel because we love people, and we stay silent because we don’t.

Too often we fear awkwardness more than we fear for their souls.

We want respect, so we protect our pride at their expense.

Phone call from a lady asking for financial help illustration

(I was busy, but was able to talk for 90 minutes and share the gospel).

10 Fear

Our problem is not that we fear too much, but that we fear the wrong thing.

We fear people more than God.

When we stay silent, we are refusing to live in the fear of the Lord.

To fear Him is to love Him: the all-powerful Creator and Judge who is also our merciful Redeemer.

That devotion should move us to speak of Him.

So we pray for hearts that fear—and love—God more than man

11. Stop

We must stop blaming God for our silence.

His sovereignty is never an excuse for our disobedience.

Yes, He is all powerful,

but He has also promised to save people from every tribe and nation.

That truth should encourage us, just as it did Paul in Corinth (Acts 18).

Conversion comes through the gospel and the Spirit’s work.

Our job is to simply proclaim the gospel message.

And it’s God’s job is to give life.

This is why Paul could write Romans 9 on God’s sovereignty and Romans 10 on our responsibility without contradiction.

So who are we to hide behind His sovereignty as cover for our sin?

12. Consider

Hebrews 12:3 says, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”

When we fail to dwell on Christ’s sacrifice and love, our hearts grow cold,

our minds shrink to passing concerns,

and our lips fall silent.

God is glorified when we speak of His love,

and yet, too often, we keep silent.

If we fueled our hearts with love, gratitude, and hope in Christ,

our tongues would not be slow to speak.

As Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34).

ILLUSTRATION: We talk about what we love/are excited about.

When it comes to the gospel, there is NOTHING we should be excited about more!

because it is the best GOOD NEWS of all.

That’s what gospel means - it means: “Good news.”

The good news isn’t a later Christian invention.

Jesus Himself spoke of the good news, drawing on the language of Isaiah’s prophecies written centuries earlier (Isa. 52:7; 61:1).

Isaiah 52:7 ESV

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Now… before we go any further, does anyone know what the word “Evangelize” even means?

it comes from two words

EU = Good

and

angelion = News (or gospel)

Eu - angelion = Good news.

That’s what we are doing when we share the hope of salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

So what is this good news?

Is it that “I’m okay” or “God is love”? Is it that “Jesus is my friend” or “I should live right”?

Christianity isn’t about telling ourselves, “I’m OK, you’re OK.”

Or, as some churches sadly put it: “it’s OK to NOT be OK.”

That’s NOT the good news…

The Bible says we are not fine as we are.

In Adam we all sinned, and by nature we are dead in our trespasses, guilty before God, and under His judgment (Eph. 2; Rom. 6:23).

Even one sin is serious, because God’s law reflects His holy character.

To break His commands is to reject and rebel against God.

This is what theologians call depravity.

Our problem is not just unfulfilled potential

but rebellion against a holy, loving God.

And yet, this is why the gospel is truly good news.

Christianity is not about numbing life’s pain and being an emotional crutch,

it is about hope, transformation, and life through Christ,

Who delivers us from sin and death.

Secondly, the gospel is not simply “God is love.”

That statement is true,

but by itself it is incomplete and even misleading if we fill it with our own ideas of love.

Real love does not always approve—it also restrains and even disciplines.

The Bible says God is love, but also that He is holy, righteous, and unlike any other.

We cannot define His love by our own experience; we must learn it from Him.

As John Calvin observed: “We only know ourselves rightly when we first know God’s character.

The Bible is clear:

Hebrews 12:14 NIV

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

The truth is, it is only when we see God’s holiness that we will begin to grasp the depth and wonder of His love.

Third, the gospel is not simply that “Jesus wants to be our friend” or even our example.

Real sins have been committed, real guilt incurred,

and a holy God must deal with it.

Jesus did not come just to teach but to die:

Mark 10:45 ESV

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The apostles, following Jesus’ own teaching,

describe His death with images of sacrifice, redemption, reconciliation, justification, victory, and propitiation (which is the idea of payment for sin).

Each of these shows that Christ’s death accomplished something real:

sinners reconciled, wrath satisfied, captives freed.

The cross stands at the center of Jesus’s ministry.

In it, God’s love and justice meet,

and Christ is revealed as both the slain Lamb and the conquering Lion (Rev. 5:5–9).

Yes, He is our friend—but He’s far more.

He is our Redeemer, the one who has purchased us for God by His blood.

Fourth, the good news is not that we can or should live rightly.

Sadly, so many people mistake Christianity for little more than morality, rituals, or community service.

But the gospel is not about our love, our effort, or our virtue.

It is not an additive to improve an already good life.

The gospel is God’s good news to the desperate

those who know they stand guilty before Him and need His mercy.

The Gospel is NOT what we can do for God, it’s what God has done for us.

So how should we respond to the gospel?

God calls us to repent of our sins and rely on Christ alone.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

When it comes to faith,

it is more than mental agreement.

It’s not less than mental agreement…

but it’s more than that.

Instead, it is leaning wholly on Christ,

trusting Him fully for salvation,

not partly in ourselves and partly in Him.

And when we do that,

true belief always brings change,

which is why repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin.

As J. C. Ryle warned,

“A cheap Christianity…costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”

J. C. Ryle

Real repentance means a change of mind that leads to a change of life.

Christianity is not just an addition to what we already are,

but 180 turn, that is grounded in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Abraham, the apostles, and Christ himself show us that faith works itself out in life.

For those of you who were here when we did our study through the book of James:

Another way we often put it was:

“Yes, we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that remains alone.”

Because Faith always PRODUCES works,

for faith without works is DEAD - as James says.

With this in mind, I have a special challenge for us.

Can you share the gospel in less than 30 seconds?

Because you should be able to.

The holy God made us in His image, but we sinned and cut ourselves off from Him.

In His love, He sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die in our place, and rise from the dead.

By His sacrifice our sins are paid, God’s wrath is satisfied, and we are offered forgiveness.

Now He calls us to repent, trust, and follow Christ alone,

and all who do are born again to eternal life with God.

Now that is good news worth sharing.

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