There was a famous German opera that lasted more than 12 hours whenever it was performed. As the story came to a conclusion, the character who sang the final piece was always played by a large woman wearing a helmet with horns or wings on top of it. As the long story unfolded, people would hopefully ask the person they were sitting with, “Is this the final piece?” The proverbial answer would come back, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings!”
It’s true that evangelism is not only about sharing the gospel. People journey towards Christ for some time before crossing the line to faith in him and we choose a narrow understanding of evangelism if we think evangelism only includes helping a person take the final step of faith.
Anytime you help someone in your life take a step towards Jesus, you are taking part in their salvation.
But you need to understand that just like the opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings, evangelism is never complete until
1) you arrive at the gospel and the person understands what Jesus did for them on the cross and that he rose and is alive today and can change their lives, and
2) you have invited the person to receive his gift of grace!
Don’t ever force the gospel on anyone. They will only resist it. Rather than pushing them to Christ, ask God to draw them to him through you. Build a relationship with people. Let them see Christ in you. Ask them questions that can lead to spiritual conversations. Share with them about your own walk with God. Pray for them all the time.
Do all this, but never forget your end goal if you truly love this person. Your end goal is for them to hear and understand the gospel, to know what Jesus has done for them and how they can experience his forgiveness and restoration. Never be satisfied to simply “sow seeds”. Yes, sow seeds, and water them, and let them grow. But why do farmers sow seeds and water them? So that he can reap the harvest!
At some point, you will have to swallow your self-consciousness and say, “Has anyone ever shared with you how you can start a good relationship with God?” “Could I share that with you now? It’s had such an impact on my own life.”
Last thoughts
To be ready for that conversation, you should memorize the simple points of the gospel, along with a verse that affirms it from the Bible:
1. God loves you dearly – John 3:16; Romans 5:8
2. Our need for God (our inner brokenness – Mark 7:21-23; sin – Romans 3:23 and 6:23
3. What God has done to remove the barrier – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 5:8 (because we couldn’t remove the barrier by living good lives or being religious – Ephesians 2:8-9)
Ask God to give you the opportunity and the boldness to share the gospel with someone in your life this week.
Lifestyle Priority 8: Clearly communicate the gospel and invite the person to put their trust in Christ
2 Responses
I enjoyed reading this. It makes both points very well – the importance of leading people toward Jesus without coercion and the importance of the person coming to faith. On a much smaller scale, I look back at when I taught swimming and coached Special Olympics. I did not want to destroy anyone’s trust because that was all that I had to work with. I would encourage and try things that had worked and if they did not work, I would pray and often think of something new. Still, there came a time when I would say, “It is time for you to swim.” There comes a time when searching to know, to understand, should lead to saving faith. As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Abolition of Man, “The point of seeing through something is to see something through it. If you see through everything it is the same as seeing nothing.”
“There came a time when I would say, ‘It is time for you to swim.'” – Yes, I so agree.