Barriers
In last month's blog, titled "Redeeming Evangelism," I shared my belief that evangelism, speaking the good news of Jesus Christ, is more about a mindset than a method, more about posture than a program. I believe that the way many Christians understand evangelism, has led to their lack of participation in this practice. Many allow barriers to keep them from intentionally engaging others in spiritual conversations that can lead to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In my studies, I have found that many Christ-followers see evangelism through the lens of needing to understand and practice a specific methodology, including memorizing a script and reciting specific scriptural references when prompted to do so. Over my thirty-plus years of following Jesus Christ, I have been trained in many of the successful evangelism methodologies. I have used what is known as the Romans Road to Salvation, written in 1948 by Dr. Jack Hyles[1] and The Four Spiritual Laws written by Dr. Bill Bright in 1956[2] . I used and practiced the teachings of D. James Kennedy and his Evangelism Explosion[3] curriculum that he wrote in 1970, as well as Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg's Becoming a Contagious Christian[4] which came out in 1994. All of these have proven to be excellent tools in training the Christian church on how to share its faith.
However, up to 85% of the Christ-followers who participated in recent studies[5], admitted to allowing a barrier to keep them from verbally proclaiming the Gospel. Could it be that the reasons why these barriers exist come from an improper understanding of what, precisely, evangelism is? Cultural practices and church traditions are the typical teachers of evangelism methodologies. However, barriers still exist with the majority of Christ's followers.
Do you see evangelism as an aggressive confrontational activity?
The first barrier that keeps Christ-followers from engaging in verbal gospel proclamation is the fear of not wanting to be pushy or confrontational. My research informed me that many felt the need to bring up a person's shortcomings (sin) and the consequences of that sin in order to participate in evangelism.
Jesus’ example!
There are examples in Scripture where Jesus teaches his followers how to engage others in spiritual conversations without being pushy. In John 4, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at the well. If we take a look at Jesus's posture as he engaged this woman, we see he was not pushy; he did not call her out on her sin, as he offered her living water. Now, I am not saying here that a person should not share about sin or the consequences of sin when sharing the Gospel with a non-Christ follower. What I am saying, instead, is that it is not mandatory, nor is it a prerequisite in the first conversation with a non-Christ follower that one needs to bring up the issue of sin.
Do you feel you have to obtain a certain level of holiness before you can share?
The second barrier that keeps Christ-followers from engaging the lost in spiritual conversations was that they did not feel qualified in sharing their faith with others. In my interviews, the subject of shame, or "I am not a good example of what being a Christians is supposed to look like," emerged as a primary reason as to why people feel unqualified. They are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; they are though, ashamed of their representation of the Gospel. None of us who are followers of Jesus Christ can claim to have it all together or that they are a perfect example.
Jesus Qualifies!
In Luke 5, Jesus selects his first disciples as he comes alongside the seashore and requests the help of Simon, the fisherman. Simon realizes that Jesus is Lord after he experiences a supernatural encounter with him. In doing so, Simon recognizes his feelings of inadequacies as he falls to his knees and says, "Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man" (Luke 5:8, NIV).
He is merely stating that he is not qualified to be with Jesus. Jesus' response is interesting. First, knowing Simon's inadequacies, Jesus still invites him to participate in his mission with "Follow me." Then he tells Simon, he is the one that makes his followers "fishers of men and women." Jesus is the one that qualifies his followers.
Do you not know what to say without being confrontational or hypocritical?
The third barrier discovered in this study reveals that the proclaimers do not know what to say. They understood different evangelism methodologies but felt that most involved being pushy, confrontational, or required to share things that they were not good examples of. Not knowing how to engage people in spiritual conversations that are neither pushy nor seemed hypocritical is an issue needing to be addressed.
Jesus’ Instructions!
In Luke 10, Jesus appoints 72 of his followers to go out and speak good news. Jesus taught his followers:
1) Speak Peace (vv. 5-6) – Jesus tells them to speak peace to those they engage (v. 5), and this is far from being pushy.
2) Prioritize Relationships (vv. 7-8) – Jesus instructed his followers to eat what was set before them, encouraging them to seek personal connections and relationships.
3) Heal the sick (v. 9a) – he then tells them to heal their sick. This healing speaks to any of the ills that people are experiencing and can also demonstrate the Gospel.
4) Proclaim the kingdom (v. 9b) – Then Jesus instructs the seventy-two to tell (emphasis added) them that the kingdom of God is near them. 'Tell them' speaks of talking to them about spiritual things.
Simply because someone practiced evangelism and found success in one manner during a particular period does not mean that it is the only method that one should use. Intentionally engaging the lost with the correct posture, heart and mindset will dismantle many of the critical barriers voiced by Christians. In next month's blog, I will expand on the proper mindset and posture of using Jesus' encouragement to the 72 in Luke 10.
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[1] Hyles Home Page." 1970. http://www.jackhyles.com/muchland.htm.
[2] Turner, John G., 2009. Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ: The Renewal of Evangelicalism in Postwar America. Univ of North Carolina Press.
[3] Kennedy, D. James. 1970. Evangelism Explosion. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Hybels, Bill, and Mark Mittelberg. 1994. Becoming a Contagious Christian. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House.
[5] Schaal, David. 2020. “Intentional Engagement: Toward an Evangelistic Initiative of Gospel Proclamation.” Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies.
And
Reviving Mission: Equipping Your Church to Engage in Spiritual Conversations. 2021. Colorado Springs, CO: Every Home for Christ. Revivingmission.com.