8 convictions concerning evangelism

For most of my time in ministry, I’ve focused on helping pastors, from seminarians to veteran pastors, lead their churches in evangelism. Here are the key convictions as to why I think evangelism is as vital today as it ever has been and why I am devoted to it.

1. Men and women are without hope until they receive salvation through Jesus.

Therefore, we must evangelize urgently. People apart from Christ are lost (Luke 15), dead in sins (Eph. 2:1), under sin (Rom. 3:9), and under condemnation (John 3:18).

2. Many people are ready to respond to the gospel.

Therefore, we must evangelize regularly. Paul told Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season—or when we feel like it and when we don’t! Just this Sunday I had a guest share her story with our young professionals ministry at our church. I met Alisa in Thailand 10 years ago. She and her husband, Daniel, now live in DC. She was a despondent, disillusioned Buddhist when we met her, but she was ready to follow Jesus! Today, she is a soul-winner, sharing Christ everywhere she goes.

3. Believers are commanded in the Bible to evangelize.

Therefore, we must evangelize obediently. Obedience matters to God. In this day of consumer Christianity, which focuses on meeting our needs, obedience has become low on the priority list of many believers.

4. Most believers want to witness but do not.

Therefore, we must evangelize purposefully. I’ve spoken in over 2,000 Southern Baptist churches, and I am convinced our churches teem with believers who long to share Jesus with others. We must encourage and equip them.

5. The gospel is the greatest message we could ever tell.

Therefore, we must evangelize confidently. As a college student, I was discipled by a man who asked me a simple question that changed my life.

“Alvin,” he said, “what is the best thing that ever happened to you?”

“The day I was saved,” I heartily replied, with my Sunday School smile.

“Then, Alvin,” he continued, “what is the best thing you can do for someone else?”

The answer was obvious, yet I was immediately embarrassed at it because I knew my life did not reflect the joy of introducing others to the Jesus whom I knew so well.
 
6. We must rethink the way we understand and practice evangelism.

Therefore, we must evangelize conversationally. A shift from one-size-fits-all training to helping believers share Christ in everyday conversations is essential.
 
7. We must recover an understanding of evangelism and discipleship that sees them less as one of two options to choose and more as a process we embrace.

Therefore, we evangelize holistically. We don’t just want to reach the lost; we want to make disciples who grow and share Christ and make disciples as well.
 
8. We must understand the spirit of the times.

Therefore, we must evangelize with clarity. Evangelism is less a technique and more a lifestyle, less a method and more a movement. We must take the timeless message and communicate it in a timely manner. This is why I’ve shifted personally to share the gospel from the perspective of the grand narrative of Scripture, helping people to see the great Story God is telling.

Do you really believe the greatest thing you can tell another person is the good news about Jesus? Then tell someone!

Dr. Alvin Reid

Dr. Reid is Senior Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry/Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.