tagged: Church, Church Life, Evangelism, Rob Ayers

Personal Evangelism – What Opportunities Are You Given?

Posted by Rob Ayers in Church & Missions

I was recently asked how I personally “evangelize.”  Now, I had to think about my answer because I rarely use the same “method” twice in a row. God has gifted (or cursed me!) with a certain affinity which a former pastor of mine called “approachability.” I just have this mug of a face that people find acceptable for some reason or another. Sometimes that is very distracting when all you want to do is get home, and the person next to you in line wants to tell you their life story. Because of this gift, I certainly get a lot of opportunities to share. As you Pastors should know, sometimes they just come through the door seeking answers to life and it’s troubling questions. I suspect that in the next few months, we all will be busy entertaining complete strangers who are seeking answers to life and it’s questions. Will we be ready to share God’s answer for them at that moment?

My personal evangelism can then be said to be tuned to that set of unique circumstances, the venue, and the leading of the Spirit of God. Just lately I had a couple in to speak to me about getting married. I get a lot of these couples “just off the street” because it is fairly well known in the community that I am also a marriage counselor as well as a Pastor. With this couple I started off basically with the question, “Why me – why not a judge in a civil ceremony?”  They basically answered, “well, you’re a man of God and we wanted to be married by one.” I answer, “what does God mean to you?” They both each claimed a belief in God, a slim background in church as a child, but never a time where they have felt any importance to be in church since. Of course the important thing here is not their relationship to a church, but their relationship to Christ. I then ask the questions from Evangelism Explosion, “If you were to die right now, where would you go?” and “If you were to stand before God right now, and if He were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you in my heaven’ what would you say?” They both respond by stating that they hope that they would be in heaven, and that they are not evil people, and they often give to charity?!

I then turn to Exodus 20 and go through the standard of God’s Law, the 10 Commandments. I get them to admit after listing all ten where they have failed in keeping God’s Law. I remind them that a violation of even one of these commands would condemn a person to eternal separation from God in Hell. Each has to admit that they are multiple violators from God’s Law, and that they deserve Hell as a consequence. I then turn their direction toward Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  How Jesus alone has taken away their sins and was nailed to a tree so that their sin would be remembered no more. And how He now is inviting them to repent of their sins, and to seek Him as their Savior and Lord.

Depending upon how God is working, I will either ask them to receive Christ as Savior, or allow the Spirit of God to continue His work. I do not want my weakness to manipulate them in a decision I want them to make, but I am desirous that the Spirit of God bring them to faith and repentance His way. For this couple, I will ask the question again the next time we meet (next week!) and in the mean time I will pray for them.

Sometimes I get the opportunity to share my personal story of how I became a Christian, and the passion I now have in serving Christ. Many people, like this young couple, are seeking answers to questions that they do not have the answers for. As God has given me His answer, I in turn give them His answer. I expect before the marriage ceremony that I will have a couple of more opportunities to give this couple and their family an opportunity to respond to the invitation of the gospel. I am merely the messenger, and I pray that God will allow me the opportunity to be the one who sees the birth of two new creatures for His glory. I am wondering if you would pray for me and these precious two and their families that I be a faithful witness, and that their hearts will be open and prepared to receive God’s grace.