(Practice of Grace: 2023 Evangelism Sermon)
(Practice of Grace: 2024 Evangelism Sermon—excuse the poor audio quality)
The Tension of Evangelism
Most of us don’t enjoy being sold something. We prefer to do our own research, land on our own opinions, and make big decisions on our own. Perhaps this is why almost half of practicing Christian Millennials say evangelism, as a Christian practice, is wrong. Yet, culturally, evangelism is more prominent than ever before — just not in the church. Varying industries have latched onto the term “evangelism” as a practice of describing how a “product or service can improve people’s lives.” Software evangelists have been around since the 1990’s, and now if you look closely enough, you can even find cider evangelists!
So what explains the difference in perception towards software evangelism and Christian evangelism? Experiences and expectations.
Story-Selling or Story-Reimagining?
For many Christians, evangelism has been framed as a Story “selling” practice. You have good news (the Story of God) and you need to figure out a way to convince your neighbor’s to buy it. In a culture that is mostly convinced they don’t want to be sold something, this method of evangelism is going to cause frustration (for everyone). The expectation to sell people on the Story of God, and the experience of it being done in pushy and unkind ways, understandably turns most of us off from the practice.
But what if evangelism could be more than Story-selling?
The theologian, Walter Brueggemann, defines evangelism as “the invitation to reimagine our lives…an invitation and summons to ‘switch stories’ and therefore to change lives.” Story-reimagining doesn't need a sales pitch or manufactured pressure to force a decision. It’s a non-anxious confidence that you have the best news in the world — and the simple invitation to reimagine life in the more true and better Story of God.
But it’s not for everyone, right?
One of the most widely credited and wildly inaccurate myths is that Christianity is dull. It's nothing of the kind. Formal religion is as dull as ditchwater. But the friendship of Jesus, which lies at the heart of true Christianity, is the most exhilarating thing in the world.
Michael Green
The Vocation of Evangelism
The Story of God (the grand narrative of the Bible) has a distinct trajectory. It’s a story of good design that experienced brokenness and is in the process of being restored to a future glory that’ll somehow be better than the original (yes, it’s a really good story). And throughout the story, there’s this theme of grace that permeates every beat. Grace being the good gifts of God generously given to people that don’t deserve them. The unique thing about grace is that it’s generative. It’s a good gift for you that does not end with you. Notice how that plays out in the Story of God:
- In Genesis 12, God blesses Abraham so that he will be a blessing to his neighbors
- In Matthew 28, Jesus' words to his followers after his resurrection were to go and make disciples
- In Romans 10, Paul is emphasizing the beauty and importance of delivering (Gospel) good news
To put it simply, the Christian life has a “going” trajectory to it. Evangelism is the grace-motivated practice of “going” with the good news of the Gospel. It’s not something for someone else to do. It’s the vocation of all Christians. Sure, some people have gifts and skills that might make it easier to embrace, but that only highlights the opportunity for evangelism to look different as it mirrors our differences.
So, how do we steward this vocation of evangelism?
We are finite, very limited in our knowledge, power, and love. But God sets us in particular places, in contexts of work, study, and play where we meet a limited number of people. He wants us to pray for them, for our relationships with them, for the impact of our lives on them, and for their salvation.
Jerram Barrs
Stepping Into Evangelism
The night before Jesus’ death, he prayed that his Father would send his followers into the world just as he was sent into this world (John 17). The “going into the world” of the Christian life is intended to mirror the “going into the world” of Jesus’ life. As such, the starting point (and model) for learning how to steward our vocation of evangelism is the life of Jesus. Here’s three tangible ways to step into the grace-motivated practice of evangelism…
Practice Story-Learning
When we're Story unfamiliar, our invitations to reimagine are not too compelling. Being a Story-learner involves meditating on how God's story is intersecting (and shaping) our own story, as well as considering how our story intersects with our neighbor's story. If the motivation to invite others to reimagine themselves in the Story of God is lacking, spend time savoring the Story of God yourself.
Jesus modeled curiosity to help people understand themselves (Mark 10, John 4). Curiosity with the stories of people right in front of us isn't merely about knowing them, it's inviting them to know themselves — and perhaps consider what their story would look like in the Story of God. Whether seeking to better know your neighbor's story or God's story, start by asking God where to start.
Practice Story-Embodying
Jesus' courageous care for people was provocative. It was both uncommon and dignifying, and it raised questions. Jesus embodied what it meant to live under the redeeming, life-giving, deeply satisfying rule of God, and the goodness of his life was provocatively attractive (Luke 5). Stewarding our vocation as evangelists involves growing in our Story-embodiment. In other words, living Christian lives. The way we live tells a story, and often times its far more compelling than the words we choose to use. The church's embodiment of the redeeming, life-giving, deeply satisfying rule of God invites our neighbors to reimagine themselves in His true and better Story. What story is your life telling? Is it the one you want it to tell? Consider pressing into practices like friendship, celebration, giving, and rest to grow in your Story-embodiment.
Practice Story-Telling
There are numerous examples of Jesus' actions drawing people to himself, and in nearly every instance he uses words to call people to faith and repentance. Our words are necessary for telling the Story of God. Story-telling isn't the only vocational aspect of evangelism, but it's an essential component. Francis Schaffer is known for saying that if he had one hour with someone he would spend 55 minutes asking questions and 5 minutes trying to say words that would connect the Story of God to the story of the person in front of him. It's easy to be encouraged by the 55 minutes of question asking and neglect to recognize the vital importance of the last 5 minutes. For Christians, our words can be a gift to a world seeking goodness, justice, contentment, and hope — for we know the joy of experiencing those realities in Jesus!
It can feel a bit overwhelming trying to tell someone the entire Story of God. That's understandable. But what about telling your own story? How can you share your story, and the ways grace is making you a new person, with someone right in front of you? Two practical ways to try this on: 1) Pray and ask God to help you know your story, direct you towards someone to share your story, and give you courage to follow his lead. 2) Practice writing out your story, highlighting how Jesus has been with you and holding you together in the highs and lows.
“…If a church wants to be effective evangelistically, it had better not start with evangelism. This is by no means to relegate is to the back burner. It is, however, to locate it properly within a church’s own self-understanding. Instead, the church had better start with just trying to be itself.”
Graham Tomlin
However you choose to press into this practice, we recognize that each of us brings a unique story to the conversation. Perhaps there's some processing and healing that need to happen before trying on one of these practices; or perhaps you'd like to explore some nuances about evangelism in a more personal way. Don't hesitate to reach out to Paul or Justin to pick up the conversation further.
Resources:
- The Heart of Evangelism, Jerram Barrs
- Learning Evangelism from Jesus, Jerram Barrs
- Provocative Church, Graham Tomlin
- Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer
- Evangelism In the Early Church, Michael Green
