Pleasing God Podcast
Pleasing God Podcast
Everyday Evangelism: Breaking Down Barriers to Sharing Christ
Feeling anxious about sharing your faith? You're not alone. That flutter of nervousness when evangelism comes up is something many Christians experience—even those who deeply desire to share Christ with others.
The good news? Effective evangelism doesn't require theological degrees or extraordinary speaking skills. In this episode, we explore how to integrate gospel conversations naturally into your everyday life, just as Jesus did with the Samaritan woman and Zacchaeus. These weren't planned outreach events; they were divine appointments that occurred as Jesus lived his normal life.
We examine the biblical foundations for everyday evangelism, demonstrating that while not everyone has the specific gift of evangelism, all believers are called to share the good news. Practical strategies discussed include living a life that provokes curiosity, leveraging ordinary moments for spiritual conversations, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing your personal testimony. Rather than focusing on one-time gospel presentations, we explore evangelism as an ongoing journey where relationship and invitation play crucial roles.
The most significant barriers to sharing faith—fear of rejection, feeling unqualified, and not knowing what to say—are addressed with biblical encouragement and practical wisdom. Remember Paul's words: the power isn't in your eloquence but in the gospel message itself. Your job is simply to serve it up faithfully—like a waiter bringing food to the table—while trusting the Holy Spirit to work.
Ready to move beyond fear and into faithful witness? Challenge yourself to look for just one opportunity this week to share your faith, and pray specifically for God to provide it. As ordinary people telling other ordinary people about our extraordinary Savior, we participate in God's redemptive work through the simple, faithful moments of everyday life.
Stock Music provided by wolfgangwoehrle, from Pond5
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God podcast, a show focused on helping Christians to think biblically, engage practically and live faithfully for the glory of God. I'm your host, jonathan Soule. On this episode, I want to talk about evangelism in everyday life. Now, even just hearing that might make some of us nervous. Evangelism can be an exciting word and also, for some of us, can be a frightening word because there's just so much involved talking to strangers, talking to people and engaging and there's a whole ball of anxiety that can come from it. And I know, trust me, I know the feeling. So I definitely want to approach this subject because I think it's helpful for us to think through as Christians and understand why it's important and how we can kind of create a rhythm of evangelism in our own lives. Even if we're not gifted evangelists, I still think it's important to address. So evangelism in everyday life. I want you to think for a moment when was the last opportunity or time that you had that you shared your faith with someone? Was it just recently? Has there been some time? Has there been some time Maybe the question even is answered that I can't even remember the last time that I shared my faith with someone. Well, I hope that by listening to this show and thinking about some of these ideas, it might encourage you and build confidence in you to be about this work of sharing the message of Jesus Christ with those in need.
Speaker 1:There's common misconceptions when it comes to evangelism. Some think, well, it's only for those that are gifted. Well, that person is a gifted evangelist. That's what they do. Well, I would say that is a misunderstanding of evangelism. I think we're all called to share. Now, some of us might be more effective, some of us might get more opportunities, but all of God's people are called to share God's message of Jesus Christ with a lost world. Now the thought is, it's only for pastors, it's for the professionals, it's for the professionals. Again, that's just a misunderstanding and almost kind of a punting of responsibility to someone else. So the goal here is I want to help you, as a believer, to integrate evangelism into daily life where it's natural and it's biblical. And so, to start, we need to understand the biblical mandate for evangelism.
Speaker 1:This is found in one of my favorite passages in Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20, known as the Great Commission, jesus looks at his disciples at the end of his earthly ministry. According to Matthew's record. He summons them to the mountain and he says to them that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and, behold, I'm with you always, to the end of the age. You might've been listening to that and you said well, I didn't hear evangelism in there.
Speaker 1:Correct Discipleship, making disciples. The first part of that is evangelism, because you have to share the message of Jesus, you have to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and so the evangelism is not its own, and so the evangelism is not its own discipline or practice. It really is the first part of obeying the Great Commission and making disciples. It's discipleship, but not just there. Also in Acts, chapter 1, verse 8, this is how Luke records the final words of Jesus to his disciples. He gathers them and he tells them that they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, judea, samaria and to the ends of the earth. Their job was to bear witness to the things that they had seen and heard. They were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are living eyewitnesses of the gospel that was played out before them and they are to go and they are to tell others what they have seen. This is evangelism.
Speaker 1:Now, clearly, we are 21 centuries removed from the resurrection of Jesus. We are not eyewitnesses of Jesus and his resurrection, but we are earwitnesses. We are earwitnesses of the message from the apostles that has been passed down faithfully through 21 centuries. And so now that apostolic message, that message of Jesus, is given to us, the baton is in our hands and we are to carry on this message as ear witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We tell others also.
Speaker 1:So I want us to think of evangelism not as simply an event, an outreach event that we do, or we go to a place, or we set up shop in a public area, pass out tracks, show a movie, do a thing, not like that. I want us to think of evangelism more as a lifestyle, part of our daily obedience. If we can partimentalize evangelism simply to events, it's kind of like dropping a strike, dropping a Jesus bomb in the park, and then going off and going back to our quote-unquote, normal Christian living. And we want to incorporate evangelism into our daily routine, into the habits of our life. Think about Jesus's example. Jesus the evangelist how did he approach sharing the message? Was it simply as an event? Well, there were events that he did. I mean feeding of the 5,000, miracles in front of large crowds. But there's also just the simple lifestyle.
Speaker 1:In John, chapter 4, we have the account of Jesus and the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman. This wasn't an event. He was going to the well to get water at midday and he came across a Samaritan woman and through his dialogue with her, he reveals to her who he is, he evangelizes her and the outcome is that she goes back and she tells all the people of her town who she has met. She goes and evangelizes as a result of being with Jesus. It wasn't an event, it was just going to the well to get water and the outcome was staggering. Luke, chapter 19, verses 1 through 10, also record an event of Jesus's life, this kind of lifestyle, natural, just as you are going evangelizing.
Speaker 1:And this is the account of Jesus and Zacchaeus. And we read in chapter 19, verse 1, he entered Jericho and was passing through. He wasn't stopping there, he was just passing through. He's on his journey to Jerusalem. He's on his. Really, jericho is the last city before Jerusalem of significance. And when he's going to Jerusalem, he's going because he has set his face to Jerusalem to carry out the work the Father had given him. He has set his mind on the cross that is before him and he's going to die to be a sacrifice for the sins of his people.
Speaker 1:But as he's passing through Jericho, we read that, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, a terrible man. He was a chief tax collector. He was rich and he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd, he couldn't see. He was small in stature, so he climbed up the sycamore tree. If you grew up in the church, you probably sung songs about Zacchaeus climbing up the tree. And what does Jesus do? He looks up at him and says Zacchaeus, come down. And I can almost hear the jingle in my head. I'm not going to sing it, but he comes down and he says I'm going to your house today. And when the crowd saw it, they all grumbled, saying he had gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.
Speaker 1:And Jesus spends time with this man, evangelizes this man and at the end, in verse 9, jesus says today, salvation has come to this house, for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. As he was going through Jericho, he had so many other things on his mind. He could have just continued on his way to Jerusalem, but he stops and he touches the life of Zacchaeus and makes Again this is everyday life, but this is also the example and the mandate that we see from Jesus. So what is it then for us that causes almost a disconnect from what we see in the New Testament to our practice in our lives when it comes to evangelism in everyday life? Well, I can think of three from my even own personal experience, and I'm sure you can relate to one, if not all, of these three barriers to evangelism.
Speaker 1:And the first is fear of rejection. We're afraid to be rejected by others. I know that is something that I have struggled with Fear of rejection. Let me just remind you here of the Apostle Paul's words in Galatians 1.10. He says For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God, or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. And so Paul's saying here it doesn't matter what people think about me. I'm not here to please people but to please God, and I think that is so important for all of the Christian life, especially in everyday life.
Speaker 1:Evangelism If our focus is on pleasing God, then it doesn't matter who we displease. But if we focus only on pleasing man, we will become paralyzed. Fear of rejection will sink in. Remember, brothers and sisters we share in obedience to the scriptures. Let the results be up to God. So fear of rejection is certainly a barrier. Also, I think there's a sense of feeling unqualified, that I don't know enough or I haven't taken enough classes, or I haven't been trained in evangelistic practices and so I'm not qualified. Let me just leave that up to those that are trained and, again, more professional in this.
Speaker 1:I just want to again remind you of the apostle Paul's words in first Corinthians, chapter two. He says when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified, and I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Here Paul is saying I don't have eloquent speech, because the power in evangelism is in the gospel. We proclaim not in our method of persuasion or our eloquence the word at work and we are to be faithful in delivering that word. We are to deliver up that word.
Speaker 1:Think of evangelism as being a waiter. Your job is to serve the plate, is just to bring out the plate. How you bring it out, as long as you get it to the destination, that's of the most importance. We are to serve up the gospel truthfully and faithfully. And the third kind of barrier kind of goes along with this is that sometimes we just don't know what to say. We don't know how to get to Jesus, or we don't know how to start that conversation, or even just you know, we get kind of tongue-tied in our own thoughts and our own minds. It is a true and it is a right feeling that we have and there is sometimes a place for evangelism, training kind of knowing categories, how to talk through the gospel. Start with God, who he is man, his condition, condition when you set God and man is kind of an understanding of who God is holy God, man, sinful, fallen. So that raises the need for Christ and then we call in response. So there's God man, christ response. This is a great framework for walking through the gospel message with somebody.
Speaker 1:But we have to understand that in the moment, in that time, that sovereign moment, opportunity, appointment that God has given us to share his message, we need to rely upon the Holy Spirit. In Luke, chapter 12, verse 12, speaking of acknowledging Christ before men, jesus says the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. So we need to trust the ministry of the Holy Spirit to take even our fumblings and our bumblings and our best efforts and attempts, because he is at work and he convicts the heart and he shows people the beauty of Christ. Our job, like the waiters, to serve it up. So, as we think about some of these fears and barriers to evangelism, what are some practical ways then we can evangelize, naturally, without seeming clunky, overly aggressive, just trying to kind of shove Jesus down the throat of people. How do we do this in a natural way.
Speaker 1:Well, the Bible tells us, and the first I would say is make sure your life is one that would provoke curiosity. What do I mean by that? Colossians, chapter 4, verses 5 and 6, says outsiders making the best use of time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person here. Paul's talking about your manner of life. Let it provoke curiosity. Hey, you don't laugh at those jokes at work. You don't talk and use that same profanity in that language that other people do. Wow, you're someone that always has something nice to say. Or you look for the best, even in a bad situation. Oh, wow, when in doubt, you're somebody that is always charitable. I don't hear you griping and complaining. You don't grumble often. Some of these things. That's a life that provokes curiosity, and living in this way, this kind of lifestyle of evangelism, can spark gospel conversations. Why do you have so much joy? Questions like that, people see that, they look and they see. I mean, as Jesus says, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Let your life spark curiosity and conversations.
Speaker 1:Another practical way to evangelize is use everyday moments. This is where we need to be sensitive to opportunities. We need to be prayerful about them, whether it be at work, in line at the store, with your neighbors on social media. Find the moments when there seems to be a door open. Be tactful, be thoughtful, be deliberate, be intentional about using the everyday moments of life for evangelism. And here's a really good one Ask good questions Instead of forcing the conversation.
Speaker 1:Are you trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Man? You might put someone on the defensive real fast. Maybe you ask open-ended questions that you want to know the answers to. It doesn't take someone very long before they realize you're asking them questions because you want to get them somewhere and you don't actually want to hear their responses. Maybe start with questions as a moment arises and a conversation leads itself to this direction. Do you have any spiritual beliefs or what gives you hope in difficult times? Those are deep questions, but they again can open opportunities for greater conversations with others. So live a life that provokes curiosity. Use everyday moments, ask good questions.
Speaker 1:Share your testimony. What has God done in your life? It is an amazing and powerful tool, the testimony of the redeemed, and you see that throughout scripture. Paul does it in philippians, chapter 3, and he talks about that everything that he had gained in his life was rubbish. He counted everything as loss for the sake of christ. He talked about his transformation in his life. We also have in Revelation, chapter 12, verse 11, talking about the saints, and it says that they have conquered him, satan, by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives, even unto death. The testimony of the saints is powerful. Do not underestimate your own personal stories and how they open doors for the gospel. Everyone who is a Christian has the story of what God has done in their life, and so use and share your testimony. Think about it. Maybe, if you haven't before, write it down and so that you can really think through your journey and what God has been doing and is doing in your life.
Speaker 1:Also, invite, don't just instruct so in evangelism. Invite people to church, invite people to Bible studies, invite people to read the Bible together. Maybe it's a journey. Maybe you know you don't get from A to Z. Death, burial, resurrection, response. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You might not get that in one conversation, but we can continue that conversation over multiple meetings. So don't just instruct, but also invite, so that that door keeps open, because remember how I began, so that that door keeps open, because remember how I began.
Speaker 1:Evangelism is a subcategory of discipleship. Once evangelism has gone through and the outcome of evangelism, somebody puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the journey begins, not ends. Evangelism is initiation, and so we want to keep those conversations open. Invite to church, don't just instruct. So let me encourage you as you think through evangelism in everyday life.
Speaker 1:Remember evangelism is a journey. It's not just a one-time event. It's not the big outreach event at the church, at the park, whatever it is. It's the way in which you conduct and carry your life. Every Christian has a role. God works through ordinary people and we are all ordinary people. There's only one who is extraordinary and that's Jesus Christ, and so our job as ordinary people are to tell other ordinary people about our extraordinary Savior.
Speaker 1:So let me challenge you as you venture off this week and you go about your everyday life in the world that God has you in in your sphere of influence, look for one opportunity this week to share your faith and make the attempt Again. You might not get to death, burial resurrection, but you can open the door for conversation, whether it be through your life, through the questions you asked, through a chance to share your testimony. Look for one opportunity this week to share your faith and pray for that opportunity. If you are earnestly and honestly praying that the Lord would give you an opportunity to share his gospel with an unbeliever, I am convinced that is a prayer God delights to answer. So my prayer for you and for all of us is that we would be bold, we would have wisdom and we would have discernment in witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the world around us.
Speaker 1:I want to thank you for listening to the Pleasing God podcast. If you have any questions, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach out at questions at pleasinggodpodcastorg. And remember 1 Thessalonians 4.3. This is the will of God your sanctification.
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