The biggest misunderstandings and hindrances to evangelism
People need to be saved. This comes mainly through evangelism. The Bible is clear that we need to take the gospel to people. Jesus said He came for the unsaved – Luke 5:32. When He left for heaven, He said: “Go into all the world – make disciples.” Disciples must be made from converts. This means: first, the converts; then, the discipling.
Whether we admit it or not, many Christians are terrified of evangelism – including pastors and missionaries. To many, sharing the Gospel is more or less as terrifying as being chased by a lion. Yet, evangelism is an urgent task of the Church. As Oswald J. Smith points out, “we talk of the Second Coming, but half the world has never heard of the first one.” Evangelism is not about pushing the Gospel down a reluctant person’s throat. It’s not about being obsessed with numbers and “getting converts”. Or, merely getting someone to “say the sinner’s prayer.”
The vast majority of Christians I know do not reach out to unsaved people or are afraid to do so. Many want to do it, but are not doing it. It is important to identify why people are not doing it.
When most people think about the word “evangelism”, they see someone “confronting” someone else and asking them where they think they will go when they die. Or they think about a pastor inviting people at the end of the service to follow Jesus, or an evangelistic crusade inviting people to come forward to pray and surrender their lives to Jesus.
While I think these are valid and useful ways to reach people for Christ, it is important to remember that this type of evangelism is only effective with a very small percentage of people. We need, however, to remember that this is only one of many ways to talk to people about Jesus.
The most effective way of “evangelism, is relational evangelism. The first and foremost way to reach people with the gospel is to build relationships.
There are many ways to do it, and somewhere, among the different ways of reaching people through “relational evangelism,” you will find a way where you will be able to say: “I can do that.” Even the most resistant and scariest among us will find at least one way in which they can talk to people about Jesus. I will list a number of these ways.
This means: be interested in people for who they are, start conversations with them, build relationships, and quite often it can lead to friendships.
Day 3
Why do so many Christians not speak to the unsaved about Jesus Christ? (1)
There are several reasons why some Christians struggle to be a witness, to share the good news with people.
Hindrance 1 – People are afraid they will be rejected and belittled.
Some are afraid they will be rejected or offend people. In some cases, people will be afraid because they do not know enough or because they will fail. Some are afraid that they will damage relationships or that they will be belittled, persecuted, or subjected to hostility. Still others are afraid that it will come across as being judgmental. It is quite common for people not to know how to start such conversations.
Hindrance 2: “I am a failure” mentality.
One of the greatest fallacies in our idea of evangelism is the association of evangelism with reaping – getting converts. We wrongly think, “If I share the Gospel and that person didn’t accept Christ, then I’m a failure.” We forget that some sow, others water, and eventually, some reap (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).
In the encounter with Nicodemus (John 3), Jesus would have been considered a failure as He didn’t “reap immediately.” Nicodemus was probably not converted that night. Notice that Jesus did not employ a high-pressure approach. The only failure is when we fail to act upon the Lord’s prompting.
Hindrance 3: “He cannot be saved” mentality.
The problem with this misconception is that we try to do the work of the Holy Spirit. However, unlike the Spirit, we often look at the outside and say, “This person cannot be saved.” We will start to avoid anyone whom we deem “hopeless” or “hard to convert” because of our own insecurities and misunderstanding of how God works and the power of the Holy Spirit. Some think, “He is so rich, or he has got his act together, or is so negative against the church and God, so he does not need God right now.” Again, we look at the outward, but God sees the heart. He might be leading you to someone who seems to have it all together outwardly, but who is crying out to God inwardly!
Day 4
Why do so many Christians not speak to the unsaved about Jesus Christ? (2)
Hindrance 4: “I must get the Gospel through to them” mentality.
Many try to convince people by using strong measures. They will scare people with hell or how evil they are. They will focus on asking where they will be when they die right now. This is “high-pressure selling” of the Gospel. They have not learned to be culturally sensitive and wise in their approach. Evangelists obsessed with reaping often offend and alienate people, which often leads to premature decisions.
Regeneration, being born again, is the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 6:63 (BSB), we read, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” It is not us but the Holy Spirit who converts the human heart. Salvation comes through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.
Hindrance 5 – Not all have the gift of evangelism, and I certainly do not have it.
There is an unbiblical belief that only a few people have the “gift of evangelism”, and we must leave the work to them. People simply feel they do not have that gift and excuse themselves from the responsibility and privilege of sharing the gospel and being witnesses. Such people will say, “Some are called to witnessing; others are not. Even if all Christians are called to witnessing, I are somehow ‘not the witnessing type.” Let us ask the question: When you walk past someone dying from hunger, what should be your reaction as a Christian? Give him some food, or will you simply say: “You know I am not the ‘food kitchen type?” We must understand that while not all have the “gift of evangelism”, we all have the responsibility of being witnesses unto Christ (just as not all have the gift of giving, but we all have the responsibility in Christian stewardship to give). In fact, all Christians are witnesses before the watching world — either positively or negatively. Let’s strive to be positive witnesses unto God!
Hindrance 6 – I am not the talking type
Some Christians actually think of evangelism as optional, or as an exercise reserved only for the spiritual elite. In their minds, one of two excuses prevails: Some are called to witness, others are not – they are somehow “not the witnessing type.” After all, not all have the gift of evangelism, right? Wrong.
We must understand that while not all have the gift of evangelism, we all have the responsibility of being witnesses unto Christ. In fact, all Christians ARE witnesses before the watching world — either positively or negatively. Let’s strive to be positive witnesses unto God!
Day 5
Why do so many Christians not speak to the unsaved about Jesus Christ? (3)
Hindrance 7 – “Some people are doing it the wrong way.”
We often hear: “That person is overdoing it”, or “I do not like the way that lady is sharing the gospel.” If someone is not doing it right (or at least to our understanding), it doesn’t mean we have the right to stop doing it just because, in our opinion, someone is doing it wrong. To prove the point: If someone is driving their car in a reckless manner, under the influence, or irresponsibly, does it mean the rest of us should stop making use of cars as a means of transport? Of course not. It is like saying, “I do not care if people go to hell because some people do evangelism the wrong way. Therefore, I am not going to talk and reach out to people who do not know Jesus.”
Hindrance 8: “I will wait until I can.”
These are the procrastinators. Awaiting the ideal situation, they would say that they are “untrained” (but they never get around to undergoing any training whatsoever). They give the excuse that a relationship must first be built (which is true), but they are not doing it.
Evangelism is both a lifestyle and a proclamation; both an event and a process. We are not to make “waiting” an excuse for not sharing the good news. Start with our loved ones!
Hindrance 9: “Evangelism is an event.”
These are the ones with truncated efforts. They see evangelism merely as an event rather than a process. As such, they might invite a pre-believer to an evangelistic event, but they do not follow up as part of the process.
We must understand that evangelism is a process. And it’s more than just “witnessing and preaching and reaping.” It essentially involves loving people in the name of Jesus. Together, as a redeemed community, we each can do our part – some sow, some water, and some reap – all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
Indeed, as Elton Trueblood said, “In the New Testament, evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”
