Evangelism Resources
Learning to Answer "Their" Questions
You may find the following books helpful as you seek to help people move beyond the hurdles and questions that separate them from faith in Jesus Christ. Buy one. Enjoy a good read. And share the book with someone else.
Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith,
Chuck Smith and Matt Whitlock (Baker Books), 2005
How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil,
D. A. Carson (Baker Books).
I'd Like to Believe, But...: Answers for Spiritual Seekers,
Michael Green and Nick Spencer (Baker Books).
Is Jesus the Only Savior?,
James R. Edwards (Eerdmans).
Is the New Testament Reliable?: A Look at the Historical Evidence,
Paul Barnett (InterVarsity).
The Problem of Pain,
C. S. Lewis (HarperSanFrancisco).
Twinkle: Sharing Your Faith, One Light at a Time,
Elisa Morgan (Revell).
"The Historicity of the New Testament",
from Scaling the Secular City. J. P. Moreland.
More...
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That we have been called by Jesus Christ to share the gospel is not challenged by most believers. It is fundamental to who we are in Jesus Christ. That we are to tell others how they might find what we enjoy is not in question. But what we are to tell others seems to be in question even in great doubt, by too many believers.
The "what?" of witnessing is a matter of gross misunderstanding for too many Christians. That the Bible guides us into the Light is rather clear. Many verses declare this truth. But that the Bible does not offer three or four steps on "how to be saved" creates, for many, a problem. Left to our own devices, we stumble and falter to clearly define what we mean by "gospel." Some say too little. Some say too much. Some add extra steps. While others miss the mark altogether. Confusion reigns! And this confusion often serves to silence members of the Church who have been called to speak.
Our lack of willingness or confidence to share the gospel is often a function of not knowing. We may be saved, but could never explain what happened to us, to another. We, ourselves, may have been presented with a wobbly form of the gospel. Though adequately prepared to receive Jesus, our uncertain steps into the Light cannot be explained.
Furthermore, we may have walked away from our conversion experience with a sense of grand awe over the content of this mysterious life-changing message. The "how" and "what" of the presentation and message may have seemed something unrepeatable, even the work best left to an expert. I believe, however, that each believer is, or should be, the expert.
Let's take a closer look at the gospel message in search of the real message. I believe a comfortable knowledge of what the gospel is will free us to share the gospel. We may be confused. Let's take a closer look at what the Bible says "is" the gospel. Many of us might be surprised to discover that the gospel is rather simple. Let's begin with a couple of favorite passages that help define the content of the gospel message.
The favorite verse of most Christians when it comes to witnessing for Jesus Christ is a very simple statement:
John 3:16 . . . For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Whatever else we might say, eternal life, being saved, is a matter of trust. To believe in Jesus Christ is all that is necessary to be saved. The apostle Paul clarifies this idea:
Ephesians 2:8-9 . . . For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
It seems rather clear that salvation is not an earned reward. It is a gift received by those who have faith in God. Finally, we must note that being saved is not a private matter. No! It is a public affair:
Romans 10:9-10 . . . That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. {10} For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
There is an inner event that will be publicly announced. True salvation is an inner rebirth, publicly proclaimed. Notice Paul's words:
Romans 10:9-10 . . . That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. {10} For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
"Believe" and "confess" are the key functions of salvation.
To believe is an inner activity, a willful work of the mind, heart and soul. We must know truth: "Jesus is Lord" and "Jesus was raised." We must choose to trust that these truths are indeed the Truth, and believe that God will save us by trusting these truths.
To confess is to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And according to Paul, it is with our mouth that we confirm the act of faith. Now, I must admit that there is much debate regarding the exact moment wherein our salvation is accomplished. Is it accomplished at the moment we first believe? Or is it accomplished at the moment we proclaim our faith? Is there a specific moment? I'm thinking that it does not matter all that much since most sincere acts of faith are quickly followed by verbal expression regarding the act of faith. We'll leave the theological quibbling to the ivory tower thinkers.
Furthermore, the very act of verbalizing one's moment of first-faith is confirmation of understanding. The newly saved confirm the fact by their words. God may know the heart, and know the exact moment of rebirth, but I need to hear that my message was understood.
Finally, I believe it is good for the newly saved to give voice to their faith, seeking and finding confirmation that Truth and Life have been appropriately received. As a witness, we become the first to hear that another has entered the Kingdom. And as a witness, I always encourage the newly saved to tell other people.
Initial excitement moves lips. It is only as we age in Jesus Christ that we become mute. And the newly saved often have the most lost friends. The longer we are Christians, the more likely we will develop Christian friends and lose contact with those outside of the Church.
I like God's design: "believe" rather than exacting work, and "confess," verifying what we have believed. I think the biggest question most potential witnesses want answered is: "How much do we need to say and how much do they need to know in order to be saved?" Great question! Paul offers a very simple outline that helps us answer this question:
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 . . . Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. {2} By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. {3} For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, {4} that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, {5} and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
In verses one and two, Paul clearly explained that what he was about to say is the content of the message by which they had been saved. It was by this message, and this message alone, that they had found Life. All other messages are not unto Life and may be unto death.
If you are saved, if Heaven is your permanent mailing address, this gospel message is what enabled you to be saved. Your salvation is not a matter of saying certain words or joining a church. Your salvation is a matter of faith and confession. What you know, believe and confess is what is important. Verses three through five contain the basics of the gospel:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
Paul offered four truths that must be believed:
Christ died for our sins,
Christ was buried,
Christ was raised on the third day,
Christ was seen according to the Scriptures.
Allow me to preface my explanation with a bold statement: the accurate gospel message is a matter of good news and bad news. The bad news is that we are lost sinners in need of rescue. The good news is that God came looking for us in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Now, let's look at Paul's gospel outline: "Christ died for our sins." Because death is a serious matter, it only makes sense to acknowledge the problem of our sin. Christ died to pay for the debt caused by your sin and my sin. Now, if sin separates us from God and results in death, most would agree that being a sinner is bad news. An effective gospel presentation makes this piece of bad news obvious.
The best bad news is bad news that is countered by good news, good news that cancels the bad news. Paul wrote: "Christ was buried." Other than an occasional mistake, we normally only bury dead people. That Christ was buried is one proof that He had indeed died. If He had only fainted from loss of blood or pain, He would have been taken for medical care. Jesus died on the Cross. And He was buried because He was dead. An effective gospel presentation makes this piece of good news obvious.
Paul's next point announces that the good news only gets better: "Christ was raised on the third day." Dead is dead unless death is reversed. That's exactly what Jesus did through His resurrection. He canceled death. If Jesus had remained dead, His death would have only been for Himself. By rising from the dead, Jesus proved that His death, and His life, was for all people. An effective gospel presentation makes this piece of good news obvious.
Finally, Paul offers one last piece of good news: "Christ was seen according to the Scriptures." You might be thinking this is no big deal. But it is. That Jesus died and was buried in a tomb is a matter of public record. It only makes sense that His return to life should be a public matter.
The Bible and other pieces of ancient literature record the public appearances of the risen Christ. This is indeed very good news. If Jesus had remained in the tomb where His body had been placed, He would be just like the founders of all other religions: dead and gone, and not God. But Jesus is not in His tomb. His tomb is empty. And we can find life by faith in Jesus Christ.
And that is a simple outline for sharing the gospel message: Christ died for our sins, Christ was buried, Christ was raised on the third day, Christ was seen according to the Scriptures. Think about it. What did you believe that moved you to claim Christ as Savior? Think about it. What is it you share with others when opportunity arises to talk about Jesus? I hope it is simple!
