Optimistic Evangelism
Optimistic Evangelism
“I know that God can save people, but he probably won’t”
This was a quote shared by Ray Galea at the recent Reach Australia Conference and it hit me between the eyes! I wonder if you share that view when it comes to God’s sovereignty and evangelism? Yes, of course God is sovereign in salvation, we think, he is God. But, in reality, I don’t really expect to see people becoming Christians in Glasgow in 2024. I know God can, but he probably won’t.
If that is our view, then we need to be challenged by the Bible! There are reasons for optimism when it comes to evangelism. God is at work in his world and he is saving people, all the time, even in Glasgow.
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus recorded for us in Matthew chapter 9v37: “the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.”
The problem is not that there are no people interested in Jesus in our city. Rather the problem is a lack of labourers. We, the church, are the problem!
Recent research affirms what the Bible teaches us. A national survey reported that approximately half of non-Christians in the UK would feel comfortable talking with a friend about Jesus and a similar proportion would be comfortable attending a normal Sunday church service. That is a lot of people! If that is even remotely close to the truth then there are tens of thousands of people in Glasgow who would welcome a chat about faith or accept an invitation to church. The harvest is plentiful.
The problem is that the labourers are few. That was true when Jesus first spoke these words and it’s true today. What is it that stops us from sharing our faith? Why, when the harvest is plentiful, are Christians hesitant when it comes to evangelism?
It boils down to fear doesn’t it? Fear of rejection. Fear of destroying a relationship. Ultimately it is fear of humiliation because, deep down, we really care what other people think about us.
So then, what is the cure for our fear? How can we overcome our fear so that we might reach the abundant harvest with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Three things to say:
One: Seeing people the same way that Jesus does.
As Jesus looks into the lives and hearts of the people all around us in Glasgow he sees not only their circumstances and dreams and heartaches, he sees their eternities. Without Jesus, people are destined to a Christ-less eternity in hell. The greatest need for every person in our city and every city and town and village in this world, is that they would hear and then respond to the gospel.
There is a heaven and there is a hell and every person on this planet is destined for one or the other. They are both real and they are both forever. Jesus saw that clearer than anyone else! Later in Matthew 10v28 he says ‘do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell’.
As we see people in the same way that Jesus does we will cultivate a real concern for their eternal wellbeing and a real love for them. And having cultivated a love for the lost of our city we’ll find our fear diminishing and we’ll pray for them. It’s hard to be fearful of those you love.
Two: Encountering rejection is not a sign of failure, rather it is a sign of faithfulness.
It’s not that we’re to aim for rejection or to seek it out. But rejection will come as we seek to share the gospel. Just after these words from Jesus we read in the next chapter these words:
‘I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves…beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the gentiles.’ (Matthew 10v16)
Rejection will come from some and we’re to expect that. Rejection is not a sign that we’re doing something wrong (usually!). The New Testament constantly and consistently teaches us to expect, alongside glad acceptance of the gospel message, hostile rejection. Just read through the book of Acts and you see great gospel growth, but rejection at the same time.
Sometimes you cannot do anything to remove the sting of God’s Word. You can speak as winsomely and persuasively and articulately as you possibly can about God’s design for marriage, but for some they will not like it at all. It will, for them, be a bitter word and there is nothing we can do about it. Don’t panic if the world thinks God’s word is bitter. We know it’s sweet. And when folk repent they too will see its sweetness. But if we’re hoping that people will applaud us and celebrate us every time we share the Word of God, then we don’t know much about Elijah, or Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, or John the Baptist, or Peter, or Paul, or Jesus!
Three: Think about the harvest in the same way that Jesus does.
The harvest is plentiful.
There are many, many people in our streets, workplaces, classrooms, who are eager to hear the gospel. The problem is that we don’t know who those people are! Unfortunately people do not go around wearing t-shirts with invitations to talk about Jesus written on them. Perhaps one in three, or one in four, or one in five people might respond well to a conversation about Jesus or an invitation to church.
The question is: are we willing to endure the pain of rejection three, four or five times, before we find the one who is interested?
We’ll not be willing to endure that pain unless we remember to see people as Jesus does and realising that there are people out there who are interested. The harvest is plentiful. The labourers are few.
Are you willing to go? Jesus, in the next verse urges his disciples to pray to that end: “therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Having commanded them to pay for labourers, Jesus then promptly send them out!
So, will you earnestly pray to the Lord and ask him to send out labourers? And, are you willing to be the answers to your own prayers? Will you go? Will you issue the invitation to church? Will you ask the question: what do you think about Jesus? The harvest is plentiful.