Evangelism is simply sharing your faith in Christ with others. It focuses on telling those around us about God’s love for them, about His plan for their salvation and that Jesus came to die on the cross for our sin. It also explains that we can find forgiveness for our sin, peace with God and new life as we commit our lives to Christ.
Below are some tips that will help us all be more effective in our evangelism efforts and helping others to follow Christ on a daily basis.
1. Prayer
If we think about it, most of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour can probably look back and think of someone who prayed for us to be saved.
When I am praying for someone I ask the Holy Spirit to move in their lives, to draw them to Jesus Christ and make them aware of the need for a Saviour. It is the Holy Spirit who works in a persons life and brings them to Jesus. We play our part in praying and sharing our faith, but the Holy Spirit is the One who does the work of salvation.
I have found that prayer also helps you to know who to share your faith with. When I meet new people I always pray and ask God if this is someone I should share my faith with. If it is someone I need to talk to, I usually find I have the desire to pray for them and opportunities to talk open up in a natural way.
2. Prepare a Testimony
A testimony can bring the Bible to life. I have found that people love hearing stories of how God has done great things for you. When I share about my testimony I touch on three main areas. These three things really help me to structure my story and how Jesus’ story impacted and changed my life.
My life before Christ – I share things like how I felt, my illness, what sort of things I was in to, my upbringing and the sense of emptiness I had inside. These things set the scene.
My conversion – I then share how I came to Jesus. I talk about how I was feeling in the year before coming to Jesus, the people who helped me and the story of Jesus coming to die on the cross for me.
How my life has changed – In this final section I share how knowing Jesus personally has changed my whole life and outlook. I talk about the love, acceptance, hope, joy and purpose I now feel inside.
You can also share things some of the things that God has done for you. I actually have several short testimonies that I share with people depending on the situation.
3. Know relevant Bible verses
Work out a simple presentation by putting a few verses together and memorise them. You might like to write them in the back of your Bible so you can refer to them easily. If you can’t remember them all, remember the first one and put references to the next one in your margin of your Bible.
“Romans road” is a great place to start –
The Natural State Of Man – Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”
The Reason – Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
The Cause – Romans 5:12 “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
The Penalty – Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Love of God – Romans 5:8 “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ”
The Remedy – Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”
The Decision – Romans 10:13 “For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
4. Think about questions people may ask
Many people have big questions that act as sticking points, which prevent them from going further in accepting Christ. Some can be like a minor bump in the road, others can be like a roadblock! If you can answer these questions they might be able to move a step closer to receiving Christ.
Here are some that I have been asked –
Why is there so much suffering in this world if there is a loving God?
How could a loving God send people to hell if they don’t believe in Him?
Why do you believe Jesus Christ the only way to salvation?
What happens to those who don’t accept Jesus?
Why do you believe?
What does it means to be born again?
What happens when we die?
It is a great idea to have answers ready, especially Biblical answers! If you can’t answer a question be honest and let the person know. Tell them you will look it up or talk to a friend who can help and you will get back to them. GotQuestions.org is a great resource with over 9,000 answers to questions.
5. Have some evangelistic tools handy
There are a variety of evangelistic tools that you can use to reach people. Sometimes people seem to want to talk about things at the strangest times. Having something on hand can help in those situations. Here are a few examples –
Tracts – You can keep one handy in your purse or wallet just in case an opportunity arises. They are very handy if you don’t have much time or perhaps are a bit nervous about sharing your faith.
MP3s and CDs – A simple gospel message recorded may be all it takes to reach someone. Perhaps you could record your testimony or what you believe and give it to people who ask questions.
Books – Look out for books on different issues especially ones where you friends or family may be interested in or if they are going through hard times.
Websites – Look out for websites that may help you to reach your friends. Many websites have a “refer to a friend” page that sends an email message on your behalf bringing the site to their attention. You can also share things on Facebook or Twitter for a wider audience.
DVDs – The “Jesus” video is a great way to reach people. In just over an hour you see the whole life of Christ and at the end if gives the opportunity to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour. You could buy one for yourself and one to give away!
6. Learn the sinner’s prayer
The sinner’s prayer is a simple prayer that you can go through with someone to make their connection with Jesus Christ. It gives the person the opportunity to confess their sin to God and invite Jesus Christ into their lives as Lord and Saviour. There are two examples below that you can use or memorise.
From Billy Graham
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Saviour. In Your Name. Amen
From Campus Crusade for Christ
Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen
Prayer
Dear God,
I pray that You will use me to reach others for Christ. Please help me to be effective in sharing my faith. Please help me to know whom to talk to and I pray that You will give me the right words to say when the time comes. I pray for all my family, friends and neighbours. I pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Jesus and make them aware of their need for salvation. Please use me to lead them to Christ. I also pray Lord that when people come to You that You will help me to teach them about You and how to follow You each day. I pray that I will help make disciples.
I ask this in Jesus’, Amen.