- In recent weeks we’ve looked at and critiqued some of the flawed views on apologetics and evangelism that are often found within the Church today. We now want to turn our attention over the next two weeks to some positive principles and strategies for effective evangelism.
- First, we need to remember that we are called to take the Gospel to the world. Jesus called his disciples to be “fishers of men”. A fisherman cannot catch fish without going to where the fish are! We must follow the example given to us by the early Christians who went into their culture and engaged people with the good news of the Gospel (Acts 17:17).
- Second, we need to verbally communicate the gospel. People need to hear and understand the message of the Gospel in order to receive it (Romans 10:14-15). This means that lifestyle evangelism alone is inadequate. We cannot assume that we will influence people for the Gospel by simply being good friends and neighbors. Ultimately they must be told of their need for salvation and of the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.
- Third, we must relate to people and build relationships. While lifestyle evangelism alone is inadequate, it is a valuable and often necessary aid in communicating the Gospel. We must remember that people’s hearts as well as their heads must be won! Once again, the apostle Paul provides a great model for us in this area (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
- Fourth, we need to build bridges for the Gospel. This means that we are to be looking for opportunities and openings for Gospel conversations from within another’s life, culture, or religion. As the apostle Paul demonstrates in Acts 17, it is wholly appropriate to use non-Christian sources to make connections to biblical truths for the sake of communicating the Gospel.
For more information on effectively sharing our faith in today’s culture, please check out the book, Apologetics For A New Generation, available in our online store.