12 Reasons I’m Excited about Doing Evangelism Today

This article may surprise you a bit. I know that culture is increasingly anti-Christian, and the

work of the gospel ministry faces new challenges every day. I also recognize that sharing the gospel with people seems to be increasingly difficult. On the other hand, I’m excited about doing evangelism today. Here’s why: 

1. The gospel is still good news. That truth hasn’t changed. Men and women are still sinners, but God sent His Son to die for us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8). Those who turn to Jesus in repentance and faith can still become God’s children. No matter what direction culture takes, and regardless of how difficult evangelism might seem, that truth still stands. 

2. Many non-believers have never been a part of church. Here’s what that reality means: evangelizing them doesn’t require helping them overcome bad church memories. We don’t have to convince them to become a believer over against their previous church experiences. They know nothing about church, and sometimes that’s not a bad thing. 

3. Some of those people know little or nothing about Jesus. Even in North America, it’s possible to find some who’ve had little or no exposure to the gospel story. They’re not biased against it, however; they’re just ignorant of it. They simply do not know the good news. For some of those folks, the gospel is revolutionary and redemptive when they hear it. 

4. Resources for evangelism training abound. It’s hard for me to imagine a church that could not find some tool to help them teach their members how to evangelize. The problem has been a lack of commitment more than a lack of resources. One simple resource I recommend is the Hope Initiative produced by Thom Rainer’s Church Answers group. 

5. Some pastors are realizing that their church won’t do more evangelism than they do. Frankly, I’ve never seen a strongly evangelistic church without a strongly evangelistic pastor. Ever. The shadow of the pastor falls long on the church, and the congregation won’t be evangelistic if the pastor isn’t. It’s happening slowly, but more and more pastors are accepting this responsibility. 

6. Many church leaders are recognizing the power of prayer in evangelism. Some evangelism strategies, in my opinion, give far too little attention to prayer for the witness and the non-believer. Prayer is perfunctory at best; it’s not a built-in essential component of most evangelism training. I’m seeing that change, however, as leaders remember that evangelism means taking the light of the gospel into the darkness, and doing evangelism thus invites the enemy’s attacks. 

7. The Internet makes it possible to evangelize the world. This approach may not be the most effective means to evangelize and disciple, but it does assist us in getting the gospel to our neighbors and the nations. With the stroke of a key on a keyboard, we can be sharing the good news with people throughout the world. And, this approach is one way that believers who fear doing evangelism can start engaging non-believers.  

8. All of us who are believers have a story to tell. We don’t need special training to tell people about Jesus; we simply need our story and our willingness to tell it. All Christians can tell others (1) what our life was like before meeting Christ; (2) how we came to know Christ; and (3) how our life has changed since becoming a Christian. If we simply start talking about what Jesus means to us, we’ve moved in the right direction toward doing evangelism.  

9. My experience is that some folks are indeed looking for examples of genuine faith as they wrestle with the questions of life. They may be few, but they’re out there. In some cases, they’ve looked in multiple directions and have found them all wanting. Still others have enough Christian background that they think about its truth, but they’ve not seen it lived out well. Someone whose faith is genuine, deep, and enduring can catch their attention. 

10. God is still saving people. I have the privilege not only of teaching at Southeastern Seminary, but I also work with an international missions agency. I get to see what God is doing around the world. He is still gathering around His throne a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 7:9)—and we get to be a part of that process when we share the gospel with others. That’s exciting!  

11. It takes only a few evangelistic people in a church to light that fire in a congregation. Two or three people whose heart is on fire for evangelism can make a difference in a church. Their flame can ignite embers in others, and that growing flame begins to spread throughout the congregation. The process may be slow, but it does work when a few people are both passionate and persistent about sharing the gospel. Perhaps you are one of those persons in your church.  

12. At least for now, we can still speak the gospel freely. That situation may change at some point as Christianity gets marginalized in our country, but I don't want us to miss the blessing of telling the story without threat on our lives. Many people around the world have no such blessing—yet they often take significant risks to tell others about Jesus. We who have freedom to speak ought to be even more committed to this work.  

What about you? Are you excited or discouraged about evangelism?