Escape Gospel Sharing Myths
“Preach the Gospel all the time; when necessary, use words.”
For the average Christian, the 10 words in this quote have been detrimental to obeying the Great Commission. Often attributed to St. Francis, this is one of several myths on evangelism that cripple old and new believers alike in making disciples. In reality, however, the closest quote that can be attributed to St. Francis is a Rule from his Order: “All the Friars should preach by their deeds.” Francis of Assisi didn’t say the leading quote at all. Yet, wide swaths of the Christian West believe this and take it to heart, thinking that if we live well enough outwardly, people will naturally want to experience the same forgiveness and salvation we have in Christ.
If this is our strategy, then it is fair to ask: How is it going? Think back. After opening the door for a stranger, when was the last time he or she asked the reason for the hope that is in you? After leaving a nice tip, when has a waitress run you down to ask, “What must I do to be saved?” What about more sacrificial things like volunteering to mentor in the inner city or helping someone in need to pay their electricity bill? Did they repent and believe? With honest reflection, most of us can say, “never.” Not without words.
This is not the only myth. Some other popular ones are saying, “God can use that” when doing something like buying the person’s meal in the car behind you in the drive-thru. There’s also “I just need to invite them to church,” when there’s a good chance they will decline the invitation or your pastor’s sermon will not have an explicit Gospel explanation that week. A third myth is “They will know us by our love.” Although this is a phrase similar to something Jesus said (John 13:35 NIV), it is often applied poorly as if all we need to do is invite some unbelieving friends and neighbors to a backyard party, and they will want to repent of their sin after watching us interact. Cornhole for Jesus. Whether the words are from a historic saint like Francis or Jesus himself, we have a temptation to twist the truth for our own comfort. The actual truth is that God wants us to both share the Gospel explicitly AND “conduct [ourselves] in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27 NIV).
In most of these examples, isn’t it more likely that the unbeliever will simply assume you are a good person or attribute your actions to some religious cultural oddity before going on their merry way than it is that he will repent and believe without specific Gospel words? Sure, in theory, it is possible, and these good deeds are worthy of doing, but no one guesses at the Gospel. Rather, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Rom. 10:17 NIV). The Bible says words are necessary.
Why then do believers in Christ believe in these myths? I submit to you the most obvious answer: They are convenient excuses to do something easier than obeying Christ’s command to make disciples. Yes, it is time to consider changing course in regard to evangelism. We need to change course toward more sacrifice, more awkwardness, more “embarrassment,” and ultimately toward more effectiveness, more obedience to Christ, and more disciples made. More on how we can get started in a bit …
When I was in Methodist Sunday School, we kids were quick to discover the right answer to every question was “JESUS!” This was an easy transition for me into my Lutheran middle school’s Religion class, where most of the answers in my workbook were that we needed to “spread the Word.” By the time I was in non-denominational (Baptist) high school, I had a good understanding that Protestants were supposed to share the Gospel. You could argue that I only believe that because it’s what I’ve been taught, but I find it hard to believe that someone can read Matthew 28 and come away saying that they are exempt from Jesus’s instructions. We know that, unless someone hears the Good News and believes it, they are hopeless and headed for hell.
Still, knowing all this, I struggled to share the Gospel in high school and college. In high school, I was in a Christian bubble so maybe that’s part of it, but I still interacted with tons of non-believers in those four years without making disciples. Headed into college, I was discontent with my progress in this and decided to make friends with lost people to share the Gospel – not knowing how. My primary method was to start a spiritual conversation somewhat haphazardly and then go from there. For the most part, it didn’t work out, unless you count as success starting an argument at the dormitory lunch table or shaming a Catholic resident for being unable to show me verses in support of purgatory.
The Gospel is simple, so why was sharing it so hard? After all, it can be explained in two short verses: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: 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” (1 Cor. 15:3-4 NIV). There. Done. We are sinners, but Christ died for our sins and in our place, and then God raised Him to life and defeated sin and death for those who believe in Him. The reason it was so hard for me to learn to share it was not because the Gospel is complex. Neither was it that I lacked motivation. The reason was that there was no one to show me how. There was no one to show me how, because most of our leaders in my church didn’t know how either.
I am now a dad of young children, and my kids are currently walking and wearing shoes – the Velcro and slip-on kind. I can tell you with confidence that I am not worried at all about teaching them how to tie their shoes. I know how to tie my shoes. My parents taught me, and now I’ve been tying them well for decades (no applause necessary really. It’s kind of expected of me). For my kids, I’ll start by showing them and doing it for them. Make an “X.” Cross one under and pull. Then there are different methods like “bunny ears” and the “loop and wrap.” I’ll hold off on the runner’s knot until they’re older, which involves pinky fingers and magic. So I’ll pick, say, bunny ears because it’s more fun, and after showing my kids, I’ll give them opportunities to try for themselves. Eventually, they’ll start to get it and only need the occasional correction before they are fully equipped shoe tyers like the rest of us. Welcome to the club, kids!
In our churches, however, most people have forgotten how to tie their shoes – that is, to share the Gospel (I know I’m taking this metaphor too far). They all wear slip-on Skechers or Clarks. Except maybe the pastor. He ties his shoes on stage in front of a crowd in a very particular way, but he won’t give you an opportunity from there, and rightfully so, as you are not confident in that method. You might need to go to shoe-tying college to learn that.
Learning to proclaim the Good News to lost people is a lot like this. You will need a little help, a simple method to get started, and a lot of opportunities to try. Someone needs to show you how to share the Gospel. Eventually, with opportunities, you’ll get the hang of it. Maybe later you can learn those advanced shoe-tying techniques, like how to share more effectively with Muslims. With consistency, you will become fully equipped to share the Gospel. Jesus expects it of you. It is not very hard, and soon you will be in the Gospel-sharing club. Welcome! Then, you can pass on your know-how to your kids, both physical and spiritual.
How to get started:
Help: Find the few people in your church most passionate about evangelism and ask them to show you how to share the Gospel. They should know how to share the Gospel message in five minutes or less. If they can do that, learn by doing what they do. Ask to go with them to share with the lost. Otherwise, check out some resource videos on YouTube and practice with a family member or friend.
Method: Pick one and roll with it. The “Romans Road” is a greatest hit. In recent years, a tool called the “3 Circles” has been effective and is at the top of the charts. As long as it is a faithful message and short enough, the tool doesn’t matter. It helps you share the Good News, invite the unbeliever to repent and follow Christ, and start a conversation with them. God is not absent. He is using both you and the tool to work on them. Don’t be weird. Talk to them like they are a real person after they hear what you have to say. Get their contact number if they want to meet up later to learn more, discuss further, or study stories from the Bible with you.
Opportunities: Unlike opportunities to give a sermon, you can have or make opportunities to share the Gospel every day. Think of the lost people you know. Think of the strangers you interact with daily. Those are the people God wants you to share with. Go share with all of them, and you will have plenty of opportunities to improve. I highly recommend taking a friend along with you if it makes sense to do so.
I didn’t make any of this up. Somebody showed it to me. Somebody showed me how. I improved a little and saw some fruit even without a mentor or a good tool. With those things, though, I grew in disciple-making much more rapidly. I started sharing and doing follow-up meetings more regularly, and I started to see a lot more disciples made – not just the ones who you see once and never again, but those who stick with you and keep learning how to follow Jesus. Sometimes people say yes to Jesus and get baptized that week or even that day! “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Lk. 10:2). Do you believe it?
There is something to say about not seeing fruit right away. If the seed is a Gospel message shared by you with words, God does often use that, even if you are unable to reap the harvest. I’ve seen someone I met at their door reject Jesus after studying the passage about Zacchaeus, only to years later find out that a different house church met him separately and led him to the Lord. Praise God! One sows, another reaps. This is true. God can use anything, even drive-thru evangelism or saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes. However, God more often uses the times when you directly share the Gospel to bring new people into the Kingdom. He wants you to plant that Gospel seed right in the dirt and tend to it instead of hoping your actions are accidentally yielding fruit somewhere.
My hope is that you will be encouraged to escape the myths and twisted words we often encounter in Christian culture and that you will overcome all of Satan’s barriers to be obedient to Jesus’s command to make disciples. Remember that we are meant to do this with our brothers and sisters. When I stand before the throne, my desire is that Jesus will describe me as one who “preached the Gospel all the time.” No qualifiers. And that many who hear through me will be there to celebrate with me. Pray that for me as I pray that for you.
And now to take our metaphor entirely too far: “Therefore put on the full armor of God … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:13-15, NIV). Time to lace up!
Notes:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/
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