Evangelism Tips
Evangelism is simply sharing your faith in
Christ with others. It focusses 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. If it is someone who is suffering with a
long term illness, I might share my story of being healed of Rheumatoid
Arthritis and how God has worked in my life through it. If they are
lonely or depressed I share the difference Christ has made in my life
and how that I never feel alone any more. If they can't see anything
good in the future or have lost hope, I share how Christ has given me
hope, direction and a purpose for living.
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.
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. You can even put a library pocket in the back of all your
books. Instead of a library card, put a tract in it!
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.
By Dave Quinn
Founder of PASSION Australia
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