Missions Textbook 48 Evangelism for the Fainthearted

We Never Saw It Coming: An Introduction to Christian Missions (textbook)

How did Jesus evangelize people? A study of the three stories in John 2-4 shows that He gave people answers based on their openness to the message. This article is a brief synopsis of the information in my (Floyd’s) book, Evangelism for the Fainthearted.[1]

In chapter three I explain in detail how Jesus answered people’s questions. If they didn’t want an honest answer, Jesus said something that they couldn’t understand (John 2:19) to pique their curiosity. If they were seeking, but arrogant, Jesus addressed their arrogance (John 3:9-10) and then gave them an answer (John 3:14-21). If they were truly, desperately seeking, He gave them a very direct answer (John 4:15-26). He based His answer on what they wanted

An example: Let’s just say: two people meet Jesus personally for one hour in a coffee shop today. They ask Him lots of questions and He gives them answers. At the end of the hour, they leave. One of them thinks, “Wow, I want to spend more time with that man!” The other one thinks, “I can’t stand that person. I’ve never going to talk to him again!”

Why these two different responses? Simple. Some people are looking for more than this life has to offer, and they are open to God being the answer. Others want nothing to do with God. Jesus told the woman in John 4: 23 that the Father is seeking people who are seeking God – people who want to worship God in spirit and truth.

So how can we find seekers to witness to? How can we avoid wasting time trying to evangelize people who want nothing to do with God?

A little theology: Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both divine. They both have the same “aroma,” so to speak. If a person likes Jesus, he will like the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins in order to draw them to Jesus (John 16:8). Since the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible through human authors, the Bible will have the same “aroma” as Jesus. Therefore, if a person is open to reading the Bible, they are more likely to being drawn to Jesus. In reality, the Holy Spirit is Jesus in that coffee shop. Reading or hearing the Gospel from the Bible is the tool used by the Holy Spirit.

How can we find seekers? Ask a person if he or she would be willing to read the Bible with you. You don’t need to defend the Bible or prove that it’s from God. In Austria, before my German was passable, I could not hold a conversation. I could only say, “Would you like to read the Bible with me?” Their answer was yes or no. Reading the Bible was what led them to follow Christ, not my imperfect words. Just convince people to read the Bible with you – one time. Don’t “teach” them or give them the verses they “need; just start reading with them at the beginning of a Gospel. In context. Together. Like reading a novel. Let the Holy Spirit do all the work.

For a complete description – with lots of stories and examples – of this very simple method of evangelism, read my book, also available on Audible.com.[2]

[1] Floyd Schneider, Evangelism for the Fainthearted, (Spokane, WA: Keybobby Books, 2017).

[2] https://amzn.to/3aeokaR

FaintHFront

We Never Saw It Coming: An Introduction to Christian Missions (textbook)

SHOP

Privacy Policy