An Evangelism Professor’s List of Personal Lessons Learned about Telling the Good News

I’ve been a believer almost 50 years—26 of which I’ve also been a professor of evangelism. So, here are some of the lessons on evangelism I’ve learned over those years:

1. Evangelistic passion is usually most potent when we first become believers. That’s when the gospel is most fresh, alive, real, and personal. We almost can’t help but talk about Jesus. 
2. Regardless of what your position or title is, it’s easy for evangelistic zeal to wane. I’ve been a lead pastor or interim pastor, missionary trainer, and professor—sometimes all at the same time. I’d be lying, though, if I said evangelism is always natural and normal for me. All of us can lose our passion when our Christianity becomes routine. 
3. Sometimes we must do evangelism out of obedience more than out of enthusiasm. For me, that’s when I must lean on my belief in the message of the gospel and tell others its truth. My experience, though, is that obedience usually leads to increased joy and returning zeal. 
4. It’s easy to think we’ve proclaimed the gospel when we’ve actually failed to lay out God’s plan of salvation. Just because we preach or teach does not mean we have told people how to be saved. Most of us need to be more intentional in this task. 
5. Living a good life in front of non-believers is not sufficient for leading them to Christ. Yes, their seeing lives transformed by the gospel is powerful, but it’s the hearing or reading of the gospel that moves them toward salvation. God sends us to our neighbors and the nations so we might tell the story. 
6. It’s tough to be evangelistic when we don’t know any non-believers anyway. I know we must tell the good news to everyone, including people we don’t know well, but genuine, light-bearing relationships do open the door to evangelism. We church leaders too often get caught in the Christian bubble. 
7. We will not likely do evangelism if we’re not broken over lostness. Separation from God is real. Judgment on non-believers is going to happen. Eternal lostness is agonizing. Knowing those truths—while also knowing the accompanying truths of the joy and peace of knowing Christ—should compel us to evangelize. 
8. Evangelism is offensive spiritual warfare. We are trying to reach people following the prince of the air (Eph 2:1-3), blinded by the god of this age (2 Cor 4:3-4), living in darkness (Col 1:13), caught in the devll’s trap (2 Tim 2:26), and under the power of Satan (Acts 26:18). It’s no wonder evangelism is hard—the enemy fights back against our efforts. 
9. Local churches must offer evangelism training. At a minimum, we must train believers how to (a) connect with non-believers; (b) actually share the gospel; (c) respond to questions and objections; and (d) follow up with those who believe. A lack of intentional training is almost a guarantee of a non-evangelistic church. 
10. God is still drawing people to Himself. Revelation 7:9 reminds us of that truth. We keep loving non-believers, keep walking faithfully with Christ, and keep proclaiming His message because we know He is still working. Somebody is waiting to hear. 

If you’re looking for resources for doing evangelism, here are a few:

• Nobodies for Jesus (a short, simple book about fascination over Jesus)
• Lord, I’m Caught in the Bubble (a free e-book)
• the “Hope Initiative,” a Church Answers (with Thom Rainer) strategy for turning churches outward that will be launched in May