Monthly Archives: March 2009

In our high school ministry we go evangelizing. I’m talking about walking up to people you don’t know on the street evangelizing. On dark, Saturday nights we approach complete strangers and try to strike up conversations about Jesus Christ.

At first, this type of evangelism seemed scary to the students. Many people don’t want to talk to us. Some cuss or blow smoke in our faces. Sometimes it is even clear that people are not completely in control of their mental faculties because of drugs or alcohol. We talk to many people who have hardness in their hearts to the gospel. It’s like they have closed the door to Jesus Christ.

So, why do we do it? Here’s the reason:

- I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

We spread the gospel of Jesus because it is how God saves people!

It is not easy. There is often a negative response. In fact, there is an ever-present temptation to be ashamed and keep quiet. Some might say we should just give up on going up to people we don’t know. Let’s just talk to our family and friends. Yes, we need to evangelize everyone we know. And yes, it is a lot better to build on relationships we already have, but this does not take away the fear of rejection and shame. In fact, evangelizing someone you know might even be more difficult because if they reject the gospel message it could cost you the relationship!

No matter how we evangelize we are going to have to get over our tendency for timidity. Here is what Paul said to Timothy when he was facing the same temptation:

- So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God

Paul’s confidence is the power of God! There is something exciting about the Greek word that is used here. It is the word we get dynamite from! Exactly what our favorite TV character pulls out when facing an impossible situation! We need to turn our focus from fearing people to trusting that God’s power can break through the hardest of hearts. Even if someone has put up a spiritual wall in opposition to the gospel, the powerful message of Christ can blast an open door!

A few weeks ago, we were on one of our evangelism nights and someone pointed out a group of high school students on top of a hill. It was pretty clear that they were doing something sketchy up there. But some of our students boldly went straight up the hill to talk with them. When I looked up at how they were doing a few minutes later, our students were the only ones still standing there. All they had done was ask people simple questions about Jesus Christ and they had taken that hill in his name. You see, we aren’t the ones who need to be ashamed. The power of God is with us.