Evangelism for the Regular Folk...

[Socialite]

Some citing here from the Gospel Coalition:

Evangelism for the Rest of Us
Praise God for those around us who always seem to be leading others to Christ. You know who I’m talking about, the person who always seems to have a visitor sitting next to them at church or the pastor who is unusually fruitful with unbelievers. For the rest of us, we struggle to find the courage or resources to talk to unbelievers. We stumble over difficult questions or flounder to find ways to lead our discussions to spiritual things.

So what books, sermons, or articles have been helpful for you to grow in evangelism? Below are some helpful resources The Gospel Coalition recommends for overcoming fears and practicing evangelism:

* How Can I Witness to a Person Who Thinks the Gospel is Just My Opinion?, John Piper: He instructs us to point people beyond our opinions and to the Bible, making an effort to display the words and life of Jesus as compelling to unbelievers.
* How Can I Speak More Boldly About Christ?, John Piper: He gives a short encouragement that evangelism usually flows from a growing and deep love for Jesus Christ. So greater passion for evangelism comes from a greater passion for Christ.
* Biblical Evangelism, Ligon Duncan: In this sermon he argues that a healthy local congregation will be laboring to share the gospel with the lost. Duncan helpfully defines what exactly evangelism is, its objective, what we are supposed to do in evangelism, and what is the power behind it.
* “Biblical Evangelism in the 21st Century” Part (1), (2), and (3), Don Carson: There are unique challenges to sharing Christ in the 21st century that Carson thinks Acts 13 and 17 can help us overcome. Carson points out some underlying barriers to the gospel that we would do well to heed.

[Socialite]

My primary advice for people (and a reminder to myself) is that the Spirit of God does the work of evangelism. The message we have is one humanity desires. We don't have to force feed this message. Praying about people in our circle, our neighborhood and our lives, intentionally crossing paths with them in conversation, coffee/tea/beer, having them over for dinner, establishing relationships with the intention of sharing the Good News... these are some things we can do.

And finally, combating fear with a reminder that Jesus is most glorious, and because we believe He is glorious, we don't have to fear others. I always think of life as something so short --- that at the end, those momentary fears and anxieties about sharing the Gospel look quite silly. All who ever lived a life worth writing about, lived it boldly. May the Spirit of God grant us that boldness.