Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with one of our neighbors in their home and share the gospel with them. In essence I told them (in a little more detail) the summary of the gospel that I presented in part 2 of this series:
The word gospel means "good news" -- a message that God has made known to us through Scripture. In fact, in a very real sense, the Bible is God's love letter to humanity. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about God and about ourselves. God, who is holy, made us in his image so that we could truly know and love him. But we sinned against God and became separated from him as a result. Yet because of his great love, God sent his one and only Son Jesus to rescue us from our sin. Jesus, as the God-man, is the one great mediator between God and man. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross for our sins, taking the punishment we deserved. He then rose from the dead, showing that God accepted his sacrifice for all who would repent and trust in him alone for salvation. Those who do so are forgiven of their sins and granted eternal life. By trusting in Christ, they become born again and begin a new life-giving relationship with God that will never end.
When I was done, the gentleman said nothing. He just looked at me with an emotionless expression. Talk about *crickets*. After a few seconds of awkward silence, his wife said, "We watch reruns of 'Touched by an Angel' on Sunday evenings."
What? Are you kidding me? Have you heard anything I've said? -- Truth is, I didn't even know how to respond. It was just downright awkward.
That's why it's good to wrap up this five-part series on evangelism by addressing the question: What should we do after we evangelize? This is a good question to consider, because we will most likely get all sorts of responses. In his book, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, Mark Dever gives some examples and how to engage with people at that point.
Negative Responses:
"I'm undecided." Folks may hem and haw for a few different reasons. Maybe there's still a mental hang-up in terms of God or the gospel, i.e. they're not sure what to believe. It could be that they're apathetic and indifferent, not really convinced of their perilous condition. Whatever the case, you can't be undecided and still be a disciple. Jesus said, "He wh his not with me is against me" (Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23). We can't force people to make up their minds, but we can inform them that when it comes to Jesus, there's no such thing as neutrality. You're either for him or against him.
"I want to wait." Some folks understand the gospel but aren't yet ready to commit their lives to Christ. No matter how politely they say it, "wait" is another form of "no." It means that they don't want Jesus to take control of their lives. Yet at the same time they may want to continue their relationship with you. They may appreciate the fact that you're a true friend who can be there for them, pray for them, be a positive influence on them, etc. It may also be that they are seriously considering the claims of the gospel and counting the cost of being Jesus' disciple (Luke 14:28-33). In that case, it's good to take stock before taking the plunge. This is where we need to pray for wisdom as to how to respond. The Lord could very much be at work in their lives, and their conversion could be just around the corner.
"Not now." This is a little different than "I want to wait" in that it's a little more definitive. In some cases the response may be even more resolute and definitive: "No, never." This response shows how strongly the person feels. It's a good reminder that we have no power to convert anyone. Non-Christians by nature are spiritually blind. They are dead to the things of God. The best thing we can do is to pray for them and also to expose them to our lives, our character, our Christian community.
Positive Responses:
When people actually repent and believe the gospel, a whole new life and love relationship with Jesus Christ begins. There is much truth to be learned and lived. Thankfully, the Bible gives us all the instructions and guidance we need. It is the very Word of God.
One of the most important things for a new Christian to do, according to Scripture, is to get plugged into the local church. Now that they are part of God's family, they're to be given all the family privileges and family responsibilities. They are to be baptized and admitted to the Lord's Table. They are to be given guidance and counsel, love and support, prayer and teaching. Mark Dever reminds us, "The good news is not merely about the commuting of an eternal sentence but about the commencing of an eternal relationship. Truly trusting Christ will always show itself by following him" (p. 91).
In some cases we'll see people respond positively to the gospel, but then after time they seem to lose interest. They still claim to know Christ, but following him is of little practical concern to them. Jesus spoke to this issue by telling a parable about plants that sprang up quickly but then died (Mark 4:5-7). This parable reminds us that some professions of faith, while appearing to be sincere, are actually false. The 18th century evangelist George Whitefield said, "There are so many stony ground hearers, who receive the Word with joy, that I have determined to suspend my judgement till I know the tree by its fruits. I cannot believe they are converts until I see the fruit brought back; it will never do a sincere soul any harm" (p. 92).
Evangelism is an adventure, motivated by our love for God, our love for others, and our desire to please the Lord who gave his life for us. I close with these stirring words from Mark Dever (p. 112):
This good news of Jesus Christ is crucial. ... When the message of the cross captures your heart, then your tongue -- stammering, halting, insulting, awkward, sarcastic, and imperfect as it may be -- won't be far behind. As Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34).
What is your heart full of?
What do you spend your words on?
... We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all.