Biblical Evangelism Is Easier than Most Think and Very Exciting.

Biblical evangelism is one of the major concepts of the Christian faith. Without it the church would not grow and the believers within the church would grow stagnant. Evangelizing a lost world pushes Christians out of their comfort zone and forces them to face fears and deal with unpleasant circumstances, but when done correctly, gives the believer a feeling of great accomplishment. When we really know and value what the Bible says about Jesus and true evangelism then our evangelism techniques will be modeled after Him.

God wants His disciples to share His saving and redemptive message to the world, and He is giving His people not only the responsibility, but the privilege of accomplishing this task. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the topic of biblical evangelism be taken seriously and studied very carefully. To miss the mark on this task is to miss the will of God for our lives.

There was a point in my Christian walk where I believed that evangelism basically consisted of leading people to a decision for Christ and getting them to pray a 'sinner's prayer'. This narrow view caused me to not have much excitement about evangelism for one major reason. I had seen the scenario over and over again of someone who would make a sinner's prayer confession and never see any fruit of the Christian life develop in their lives.

It seemed to me that people needed more than a one time prayer to experience the transformation that comes from truly following Christ. Therefore, my major interest was discipleship. I believed that my major mission was to help those who were already believers become closer followers of Christ. However, the same process of bringing a believer closer to Christ can and should implemented to bring an unbeliever closer to Christ, ultimately leading to salvation and discipleship. My narrow view of biblical evangelism caused me to neglect this extremely vital role of the Christian faith. Understanding the truth about what biblical evangelism really is has set me free to evangelize the World as Jesus has commanded. After all, "The truth will set you free." (John 8:32b NIV)

A healthy view of biblical evangelism is one that incorporates all believers in the process of sharing their faith with the lost people around them. Philemon 1:6 says, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ". (NIV) In sharing ones faith a person does not have to do an exposition on the Roman Road. Rather, someone can share through conversation something that God is doing in their life, whether it be an answered prayer or something God showed them in the church service the previous week. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it has something to do with the believers relationship with God. In doing so, Christians would constantly be sowing and watering the fields of people's hearts, creating an atmosphere for God to touch them and draw them to Himself. This is the philosophy that Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 3:6, when he said, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." (NIV) Everyday Christians can be effective in biblical evangelism just by sharing their faith, as opportunity presents itself, with the people they are around on a daily basis. Those who follow this plan are effective Biblical witnesses.

In Paul's illustration of planting and watering, planting refers to the speaking of the Word and of the things God has done in your life. The watering is everything else that causes those spoken words to become real in an unbelievers heart. Watering can include praying for the individual, living out the fruits of the Spirit in everyday life, and being real and transparent in who you are so that the non-Christian can hear the words you speak and see that you also follow those words. Basically living out biblical love in and around them.

The truth of the matter is that Christians will do the most effective evangelism in the place where the spend the most time. Some have the mind-set that in order to do biblical evangelism they must go to the jails, the streets, or foreign countries. These are great and some are called to do these things, but the type of biblical evangelism that involves planting and watering, and allowing God to give the increase, will take place in normal, everyday situations, such as the work place. As Christians see the people around them as a mission field they are bound to increase the Kingdom of Heaven.

All Christians have a responsibility to do biblical evangelism, but their responsibility is not a burdensome one; rather it is a joy. If we hope to reach our friends, neighbors, and co-workers for Christ we must commit to planting and watering the Word of God in their hearts. Once we have done our job then we will get to watch God work as He gives the increase. Watching God work in someones life is a thrill and having the satisfaction that you were obedient to God in evangelizing is awesome.