Witnessing and Sharing The Good News

I am a Christian. I don't remember when I was not so I cannot tell you what my life was like before that (I have been criticized by my brother and sister Christians for saying this because they assumed that I was  special. That was not the case, I happened to be born in a Christian family and don't remember when Christ was not part of my life.) He is so part of me, I cannot really talk about myself without talking about Him. So, why do I get upset or angry at people who tried to sell (preach) Christ to others? It is because Christ is not a commodity we sell and buy in the open market. We can share Him but we cannot sell Him.

We all have our own idea of evangelism and it might have some truth in it, however, what does it mean to be an evangelist?  What is evangelism? But what does God think?  What does He say it is supposed to look like?  Does it have to be preachy?  Is it supposed to be intrusive?  Is that really what God wants from us?

It is hard for most of us to say that we love God and not care about His children. That will not be real love.  When we care about someone we care about theirs too. For most of us, the problem is not that we don't care about evangelism, but we don't know how to do it, or when to do it, or what to say, or how to say it, or who to say it to and who we shouldn't say it too.  Sometimes I listen to some people try to preach to unbelievers and say 'If that was me, I would run the other way from these people.'  I believe in the concept of evangelism but it is not an easy thing to do all the time.

The word evangelism comes from the Greek word “evangelion” – which originally meant “a reward for good news given to the messenger” (reference).  The word doesn't mean preaching; it just means “sharing good news.”  That’s it.  Nothing complicated.  It’s something we do all the time. That is evangelism! That is sharing good news.  Finding and sharing the good news. The point is this.  Evangelism isn't preachy.  It isn't offensive.  It is simply discovering something good and then sharing that good news with others.

The first evangelist appears in Luke 2:10-11: Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

That’s all evangelism is.  You don’t need an advanced degree for that.  You don’t need years of training.  You just need to be someone who has tasted of something good and then you’re able to point others in the right direction to find it too.

In Acts 1:8, the Jesus tells His disciples exactly what He expects from them in the way of evangelism: “You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Witnesses!  Not salesmen – trying to persuade people to believe.  Not scholars or philosophers – debating the unanswered questions of humanity.  No advanced degree or special training is needed to be a witness.  All you need is a willingness to open your mouth and say “This is what I have seen.”

So what is evangelism? Evangelism is sharing the good news and witnessing about what we have seen. We don’t need to sell anything or persuade anyone