We must understand the balance between the need to earn the right to speak about Christ and the Hoy Spirit leading us to speak in a situation. It is our responsibility to obey God, not to force a conversation and conversion.
We must be sensitive to the individual and their responsiveness.
As Christians, we often have a narrow field of interests which may leave us at a disadvantage. It is important for Christians to keep abreast of what is happening in the world. By broadening our horizon it helps us to enter into conversation more easily.
Witnessing is like fishing. You bait the hook and throw it into the water. If there's a nibble, you draw it in a little. Then you wait, draw the line in a little again, and wait for the fish to renew its interest. When you feel that the fish has a firm hold of the bait and hook, you reel it in.
We should whet a person's curiosity by sharing things that are precious to us in the hope that they want to know more. We should not give a twenty-point sermon on justification of our faith.
Jesus was a master of this. He told parables that aroused people's interest.
Evangelism is not just talking. It plays an important role, but ultimately, it is the motive behind what we say and the attitude in which we speak, rather than the actual words we use, that makes the greatest impact.
Genuine-ness and honesty, not eloquence, will win the hearts of men and women.
Humility Not Humiliation
There are Christians who are determined to bully others into agreeing with them regardless of the cost to human relationships. However, we are called to be witnesses, not warriors, in the cause of evangelism. We are not out to conquer by sheer force of will and words those we witness to.
The key is to love people, not manipulate them. Let them sense our love and concern while challenging their minds.
In the end, we must respect their right and ability to make their own choice about what we have shared.
It is important to find a common ground with the person we're witnessing to. It is much easier to work from some commonly held interest or belief than it is to attack a person's belief.
Paul, in Acts 17:22-23, was a master at finding common ground. After finding a point that the philosophers agreed upon, he goes on to give a very clear summary of the gospel adapted to their understanding.
The aim is to show them the truth by respecting their beliefs, and not to alienate them by attacking.
The most important point of all is to be a servant. We should avoid putting ourselves above those we are trying to reach. We can freely admit our sins and weaknesses instead of dominating people by the sheer power of our personalities or the cleverness of our words.
A humble attitude has more impact in evangelism than anything else we can do.
Planting, Not Forcing Growth
God does not sanction or require that we bring conviction of sin to those people we talk to about salvation. If we try to do this we have stepped over the line and taken upon us the job of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict one of his or her sin. (John 16:8)
We have to learn that in His own time and way, the Holy Spirit will do the convicting.
We must always remember that in evangelism our job is to sow the seed of the gospel in a person's heart. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to cause that seed to take root and bring forth a harvest of conviction, repentance and new life.
Choice Not Manipulation
We should not manipulate people. Rather, we should present the truth in love and allow people the latitude to act upon it as they saw fit. Some might respond, some might not.
People must choose for themselves based on the truth and love - that is the only way evangelism will be effective and long lasting.
People Not Targets
People are not objects or souls to be won. They are people to be loved and respected. To treat people only as "lost souls" is to reduce them to the level of an object.
A Better Way
Jesus and His disciples presented the gospel in a variety of ways. Instead of giving them a formula to recite, Jesus told His disciples to be witness to what they had seen.
Our witnessing must be to the truth. The person we are witnessing to is not the focus. The focus is on Jesus and all that He has done for us.
All Jesus requires of us is that we have faithfully witnessed to the truth of what we understand and have experienced. It then becomes the job of the Holy Spirit to take our witness and use it to draw the person to Jesus. It is His job and we cannot do it for Him.
It can be advantageous to learn how to effectively share our faith by gathering our thoughts into a systematic framework.
Techniques are nothing more than tools which are sometimes appropriate to draw people into conversation and should be used sparingly and wisely.
We, not our technique, are witnesses to the truth.
No matter how elaborate our technique is, our life, as a living reflection of Jesus, is what will touch the hearts of men and women.
If we're asked a question and do not know the answer, we should be honest with the person.
Honesty is necessary and has a powerful effect when it comes from the heart.
We are not trying to dazzle people with our knowledge, we are trying to communicate Jesus' love for them.
However, a lack of answers can also be a barrier to the person making a commitment to Christ. In this case, take note of the question and consult with others.
Become familiar with good Christian books which covers the most commonly asked questions and give that person a copy if possible, and do a follow up.
Patience
There are no shortcuts in friendship evangelism. There are no substitutes for taking time to develop relationships with the people we are seeking to lead to the Lord.
We may spend weeks, months and even years praying for the salvation of a person before we ever have the opportunity to witness to them.
Friendship evangelism is not for the impatient or intolerant.
Successful Evangelism
Successful evangelism is not based on the number of converts you have made, the variety of techniques you know or how many evangelism seminars you had attended.
Successful evangelism is firmly rooted in our willingness to get personally involved in the lives of non-Christians with a view to being a faithful witness to Christ. If that life is shallow and ineffectual, then our evangelism will be the same.
To be effective evangelists, we first must spend time developing our relationship with the Lord. That is not to say though, that we should not share our faith until we are mature Christians - we should. What it means is that the emphasis must be on the quality of our Christian lives and not the words of techniques we use.
Jesus demonstrated this. It was his life, and not his words, which drew people.
We must respect people, honour them, win their confidence, and in doing so, earn the right to speak with them about the Lord. When we make this our priority, the words we speak will deeply touch a person's life.
Getting Started
1. Pray regularly for 3-4 friends who are not Christians.
Ask God for ways to serve your friends and how you can get more involved in their lives.
2. Establish social relationships with the people you are praying for.
Build friendships with them through activities they enjoy.
3. Respond to the felt needs of your friends.
Respond by getting involved in what they need.
4. Get to know their objections to Christianity and give them thoughtful answers.
As we respond to people's questions, we can do so with the knowledge that as Christians ,we have much to learn from them as well.
5. Invite your friends to activities and events with other Christians
We should be sensitive to what types of events they would be most comfortable attending. Hopefully, they can taste the power of Christian fellowship.
6. If they show interest in spiritual things, offer to study the Bible with your friends, or invite them to a small group Bible study.
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