Fear Not!
But beyond all the excuses lurks the real reason for their Gospel silence: fear and shame.
The fear of rejection, of losing friends, keeps them silent. As a result, they’re not willing to pay the price of following Jesus by risking their relationships by bringing up the Gospel. Down deep inside, they’re ashamed to rock the relational boat by sharing the very exclusive message of Jesus to their inclusive peers. They don’t want to bring discomfort to their peers because that may bring discomfort to them.
It’s like having a syringe full of the cure to cancer but refusing to use it on a friend with cancer because you’re afraid of hurting them with the needle.
Too many Christians hide behind evangelistic philosophies that fall short of the New Testament norm. That’s because they’re afraid of the friction, the frustration and the potential fallout of a Gospel conversation.
But in Mark 8:38 Jesus made it crystal clear to his disciples that, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Don’t be ashamed of Jesus. Don’t be ashamed of his words. What’s evangelism? It means communicating these words with a humble heart and a listening ear, but communicating them…with your life AND with your lips.
So the next time someone asks you, “What’s evangelism?” you can emphasize this key component: “Use your words!”
For help using your words to share the Gospel, download free faith-sharing mobile apps.
