Basics of Evangelism

God loves all people and desires that no one goes to hell.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus Commanded Us to Go

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave us this command found in Mark 16:15, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

There is a real hell to shun and a heaven to gain.

In Revelation 20:15 it says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” We must warn people of this place and tell them that the only way to get our names written into the book of life is by turning from our sins and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

God has promised us an abundant life here on this earth.

Despite all appearances, people who do not have a relationship with God through Jesus do not have true peace or joy. “…the way of transgressors is hard.” (Proverbs 13:15) “…There is no peace with the wicked (Isaiah 48:22). Evil pursueth sinners:” (Proverbs 13: 21) The eyes of man are never satisfied.

Jesus has called us to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23) but He also promised that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30). Submitting to the Lordship of Christ is the most fulfilling thing a person can do.

Pray Before You Go

Pray for God to bring you divine appointments.
Pray for favor, Psalm 5:12, Proverbs 3:4
Bind the strongman, Matthew 12:29
Pray for protection, Psalm 91
Pray for the anointing, Luke 4:18-19

Witness in Love and Stay in Love

An argument will not win someone to Christ but love never fails, 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Be led by the Holy Spirit

As our example, Jesus did nothing in His own initiative but only did and spoke what the Father told Him to, John 5:19 and 12:49. Jesus did not minister to every person the same way. His encounters with the woman at the well (John 4:3-43), Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) are examples of how He listened to and was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and so was able to minister to individuals in a way that they would receive.

Use Gospel Tracts

One statistic states that 60% of the people who get saved say that a tract or book was instrumental in them coming to the Lord. A good tract will include the plan of salvation, a sample sinner’s prayer and contact information for your church or group so that people know where to turn if they have questions or need help.

Work Hard and Take it Seriously

Although witnessing and leading people to Christ is very rewarding there is work involved and our flesh will not want to do it. Your obedience to God could be the difference between an eternity in heaven or hell for a person.

Learn and Become Familiar with the Simple Gospel Message

Don’t let not knowing a lot of scriptures keep you from witnessing, but always strive to learn more. 2 Timothy 2:15

Share Your Testimony

People can dispute the truth of God’s word or what preachers say but they cannot dispute what you say has happened to you personally. Your testimony may be exactly what someone needs to hear to encourage them to get saved.

Conversation Starters

Initiating dialog can be as simple as the clothes you wear. T-shirts with a sports logo or advertising a favorite city can be a great conversation starter. Use the testimonies of famous athletes or other celebrities that the person may have an interest in. We should follow Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 9:22 and be all things to all people that we might win some. Don’t be so religious that you lose some. Tracts are a great conversation starter. People will ask you what they are and then you can explain the Gospel message. If you feel awkward keep going. Plant seed and the Holy Spirit can work with that.

Locate Someone Spiritually

Use questions to discover where someone is at spiritually; to find out if they are saved or not. The answers people give you will help you to know how witness to them.

If you were to die right now do you know if you would go to heaven?

They may say… “I hope so.” “I don’t know.” “No, I’m not going to heaven.”
You can say… “You can know for sure because Romans 10:9 says that if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord you will be saved, not you might be saved.” “You should know for sure because we are saved by grace through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8)

If you were to stand before God right now and He asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would your answer be?

They may say… “I’m a good person.” “I go to church” “I’ve been baptized.” “I help people” “I have a good personality.”
You can say… “That is good but it won’t get you into heaven. There is only one way to heaven (John 14:6) and that is by believing, receiving and following Jesus.”

Questions to avoid are: “Are you a Christian?” “Have you asked Jesus into your heart?” Many people think that they are Christians because they go to church or come from a Christian family. There are also many who have prayed a sinner’s prayer but have not repented from their sins and old ways and made Jesus Lord of their lives. They would answer “yes” to these questions but they may not really know Jesus.

Preach Repentance, Turning from Sin and the Old Way of Living

It is so important that we preach repentance and not just try to lead people in a sinners’ prayer. Make sure that they really want a new life in Christ. It was a message preached by Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul. In our society today there are too many people who think that they can say a sinner’s prayer and then continue to live any way they want. Romans 10:9 says that we need to confess Jesus as Lord and that is giving Him control over our lives. Also we need to emphasize that we can’t live the Christian life in our own strength and power. When we invite Jesus into our lives His strength becomes ours and we can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13).

Parks and Fairs

Use sports, food, puppets, drama, tracts, etc. as conversation starters or as a way to gather a crowd. Rent a Booth at a fair and give out salvation bracelets, magazines, tracts, books, Bibles, etc. as a way to share the Gospel.

Strike While the Iron is Hot

Lead people in a sinner’s prayer if they are ready. After you have explained the Gospel message tell them that you can pray a simple prayer with them to receive forgiveness, give their lives to Jesus and know for sure that they will go to heaven when they die if they want to.

If they say no, tell them that today is the day of salvation and that they are not promised tomorrow. Also remind them of how much God loves them.

Try to bring them to a decision for Christ but do not force the issue. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to bring them to Christ, your job is to be obedient to share the gospel with them. If they refuse to pray with you show them the sinner’s prayer in the tract. Tell them that they can pray it on their own and that they shouldn’t put it off. Explain that God is always waiting and He will hear them at anytime, anywhere.

If they say yes, then pray a sinner’s prayer having them repeat it after you.

Sample Sinners Prayer:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, but I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. Please forgive me and make me new. Wash away my sins with your blood. I turn from my sins and surrender my life to you. Come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Live your life through me and change me. Give me your peace. Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me through your Son Jesus. Help me to follow you all the days of my life. Amen.”

Follow Up

First of all do instant follow up. Tell the new convert that if they prayed the prayer with you and meant it that they met God today and that now they need to get to know Him better by doing the following things:

Spend time daily in prayer, 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Daily read the Bible, Romans 10:17 (Give them a Bible if they don’t have one).
Attend a church where the Bible is preached, Hebrews 10:25.
Share your faith with others, Acts 1:8.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12:2

Beyond instant follow up you can visit them, call them, bring them to church and become their friend and disciple them.