Evangelism: Guilt, Shame and Reality

You should be a better evangelist. Jesus wants you to. How can you stand by while millions of people die every millisecond of every day without you having personally shared the Gospel with them? Shame on you.

Or, at least, that’s what many Christians believe.

For the last two weeks I have been inundated by Christians giving me all sorts of out of context scriptures and false analogies to demonstrate why every Christian must spend all of his/her time trying to sell Jesus to people who have zero interest.

Atheists are a particularly juicy target as they earn extra salvation points. Richard Dawkins wins you and three friends of your choice instant salvation.

At the risk of losing my own salvation I’m going to tell you the truth: Jesus isn’t interested in you selling him to your friends. At least, not in the way you’ve probably been taught.

(Use the link below now to read the rest of this informative, mildly hilarious, guilt-free post. And do it now–you make Jesus cry when you don’t read my posts…)

Types of Evangelism

Missionary Evangelism

Did you hear the one about the Christian who visited a brothel? He was looking for a missionary position.

OK, that’s an old joke.

Missionaries use a variety of means to share the Gospel (one or more of the methods below), but they get their own topic because it certainly is not something the institutional church teaches everyone must do.

Chances are you don’t feel guilty about not being a missionary.

(Unless you’re a Mormon, but that’s a whole other joke.)

Mass Evangelism

Think Billy and/or Franklin Graham. This is where a single speaker shares the Gospel with a large number of people all at once. Most individuals don’t see themselves in this role—they leave it to the professionals.

One on One Programmed Evangelism

This is Evangelism Explosion and its ilk. You go to the church, learn a technique (much the same way a sales person learns to sell a car or vacuum cleaner) then are sent out to nail—I mean “Share the Love of Christ”—with your friends, or assigned people who live in a certain neighborhood, or visitors from the church.

Chances are this is the type of thing your church wants you to do and your Pastor will use the manipulative tactics of shame and guilt to get you to do it.

One on One Relationship Evangelism

This is the type of evangelism that grows out of a real relationship. You live your life like a normal person who is also a Christian. There is no script to follow. Your friends may or may not ask about your faith, but if they do you share yourself and your experience. You don’t have two special questions and you don’t have to memorize any scripture.

The Bible and Evangelism

Here are some of the most common scriptures used to “prove” every Christian needs to “do evangelism” and they need to do it in the “way” the preacher is telling them they need to. Here is also why your preacher is wrong.

Matthew 28:19-20 (The so-called “Great Commission”)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Now your preacher probably tries to tell you this command is “for all Christians” and that you need to be making disciples through evangelism (read one-on-one programmed evangelism) and then taking them to Sunday School.

But this wasn’t spoken to all believers. It was spoken to the 11 (the 12 disciples minus Judy.) They had a special place in God’s plan and Kingdom (see for instance Luke 22:29-30.) To say everything Jesus spoke to the 11/12 was for every believer is to take these verses completely out of their context.

But preachers like to take verses out of context. Literalists (fundamentalists) give lip service to the “respect they have in the Word of God,” yet they see no problem with chopping it up into sound bites that support whatever pet doctrine they want to promote.

Keep that in mind as you read a second scripture often used to shame you into sharing your faith:

Mark 16:15-16

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Gee, you better get your passport. Jesus commands you. Or does he? Here is verse 14:

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Yeah, the 11 again. Not you. Not me. Not even Billy Graham.

(By the way, as you may know Billy Graham is tragically stricken with Parkinson’s disease. It makes him shake uncontrollably. But since God has a purpose in everything, Ruth found a way for him to use his disease to glorify God. When his shaking is at its worst she helps him into the bathtub, fills it with water and detergent then throws in a load of laundry. Praise Jesus.)

So what is the role of evangelism in the life of a functional Christian?

Genuine evangelism is not shame or guilt based.

The reason we tell others about Jesus is not because we’ve been shamed into it. The reason we tell others about Jesus is not because we heard a false analogy motivating us to. The reason we tell others about Jesus is because we already care about the person and they know it because we have demonstrated our love for them over time.

Genuine evangelism is based in open, loving relationships.

This is where most Christians get messed up. They see evangelism as a duty, so they “do their Godly duty.” I have heard Christian teachers say things like “Make it a point to befriend non-Christians so you can tell them about Jesus.”

You can’t get much worse than that. (Well, unless you try missionary dating—going out with someone you have no interest in just to “evangelize” them. I knew a guy in college who actually did that. With the ugly girls. You can’t make this shit up.)

Real evangelism is just a natural outgrowth of loving relationship. You love someone. Again and again you love them. They might be your spouse, your child or the guy next store. You love them just because you love them, with no ulterior motive.

Genuine evangelism begins with the non-Christian, not the Christian.

As you carry on this loving relationship over the months, weeks years; through good times and bad; they see who you really are. Maybe they see faith in you.

Then, one day, your non-Christian friend asks you about your faith. Or maybe he asks how you coped with the death of your child. Or your divorce. Or his divorce. Or maybe there’s no crisis at all, she just asks.

You don’t whip out the “4 Spiritual Laws” or ask “If you died tonight have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for certain you would go to heaven?” Those just aren’t you. They just aren’t your relationship.

Instead, you just answer her the way you always would: As her friend. Who loves her. Who she knows loves her.

Genuine evangelism is based on your own reasons, not a canned response.

I love a particular scripture along these lines. It’s found in I Peter 3:15:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Now when Peter wrote this it was to Christians who were experiencing persecution and might be hauled in just for being followers of Christ. It was about how they should reply in those situations.

But I think it pictures how I try to respond to those who ask about my faith: I tell them why I believe and why I follow Christ. I give them my opinions and experiences. Just like I would about football, baseball or President Bush.

Because we are already friends, and they know I love them, they listen.

And your friends will too.




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Tags: Billy Graham, Christian Guilt, Christian Shame, D. James Kennedy, EE, Evangelism Explosion, Franklin Graham, Guilt, Institutional Church, Mega Church, Organized Religion, Shame