Evangelism Isn't A Sales Presentation

Written by Ray Willis

“Hey, Ray, we’ve discipled everyone in our church and need more people to disciple. What do we do?” Occasionally, this question appears in my inbox or comes to me in the form of a frantic voicemail. It’s a fair question, and my response—over and over—is (drum roll please) evangelize.

Discipleship assumes that we are sharing the gospel with those who need to be reconciled to the Lord. Once reconciled, they need to grow and become rooted in the faith through spiritual disciplines, and the most overlooked spiritual discipline is sharing our faith. But, like most things, sharing our faith can take on the feel of recruiting people into a multi-level marketing scheme. So, what’s a good way to share the gospel with others? Glad you asked.

Realizing there are numerous ways, methods, techniques, plans and processes for evangelizing, my one recommendation is to resist making it a sales presentation. If you’ve ever been to a time-share presentation to purchase a condo in the Pines of Mar Gables or Del Boca Vista Phase III, you know what I mean. Instead, make it relational. Share what God did in your life and how he transformed you. Whenever I bring people on a missions trip, I ask them to write out their testimony with three key components: 1) What was your life like before Jesus?; 2) How did you come to know Jesus?; and 3) What is your life like now that you know Jesus? It’s simple, easy and helps people relate to the relevance of the gospel. Plus, because we can more readily influence those within our sphere of relationships, the truth of the gospel message is on full display in a transformed life.

Further explore this Swimming Lessons focus (pp.130-132). Buy the book at our online store; share it with a friend.