“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16–20)
The Great Commission, evangelism, discipleship, sharing the gospel — many of us have heard of these and been taught to do them. But do we? Have we even done it once?
Growing up, I definitely knew these verses and was aware of this crucial commandment. Yet it definitely was not a priority in my life — it was more of an afterthought. Some of you might feel similar. I would do it occasionally, perhaps only if I was asked or prompted by non-Christian friends. Fast-forward to now, even through my limited experiences, I still find it quite daunting to evangelize to both people that I know and don’t.
Of course, this is expected. Evangelism tends to be a struggle, and for some reason finds itself more difficult to follow than other commands given to us. But the question is why?
In my personal experience, I’ve seen two different types of evangelism — campus/street evangelism, and discipleship-focused evangelism to non-Christian friends. Both are extremely essential, and both have some common difficulties. I’ve come up with a few reasons that might be applicable to you as well.
The first and greatest reason why I’ve found evangelism difficult is because of fear. Fear of a lot of things. Could be something related to the other person, such as fear of confrontation, rejection or offensiveness. Or, something related to oneself, like fear of the lack of knowledge, eloquence or losing one’s reputation.
In my defence, all of these things are pretty scary — walking up to a person and implying an eternal death can definitely seem confrontational. Or, discussing religion with an old friend who never even knew you were Christian can seem like an impossible task. To the normal person, these are scary and valid reasons to avoid these sorts of conversations in everyday life.
However, we are not called to live just ‘normal’ lives. We recognize that on our own, we are incapable of any good works. But, as Christians, we have the Holy Trinity on our side. Firstly, we know God the Father is orchestrating everything for us: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). Secondly, we have Jesus’ human example to closely follow and imitate in Scripture. Thirdly, we have the Holy Spirit to fill us up — guiding and comforting us along the way. Because of this, we do not have to fear these scary things. Even more, the last part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28 is often left out or forgotten. Yet it can offer us great assurance. Jesus says:
“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Regardless of your type of fear, look beyond that. Look to our Almighty Creator, our Loving Saviour, and our Father. The root of fear should shrivel up in the presence of Christ. In Romans 8:28, God promises us that, “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” In a way, we are simply the vessels and handiwork of God. If we have the right heart and attitude while doing God’s will through evangelism, it is quite literally impossible for us to fail God! What now can possibly be holding us back?
In a more practical sense, there are also things we can do to encourage one another to evangelize. Going out to evangelize with a Christian community such as CCF or through local churches can help to alleviate the initial fear of campus/street evangelism. Practicing and conferring with other Christians can be an effective way to learn to evangelize and foster discipleship to non-Christian friends. Another way that I’ve found useful is by immersing oneself in knowledge from mature and proven Christians. From YouTube debates to apologetic books and more, there are countless Christian resources out there that can help equip one to obey. (I’ve linked some personally useful resources at the end.)
Overall, everyone naturally fears, yet through Christ and His grace, these fears can and should diminish.
Another reason I’ve found evangelism difficult is through the art of compromise. I’ve found that I’m suspiciously good at tricking myself. So, I will often convince myself that I am doing the right thing, even though it may be wrong. An example may be letting the “more qualified” people witness to others, so that more effective evangelism is done. Or, it may be that one is too busy with schoolwork and that since God has called us to be students, it is justified. However, what does the Bible say about this?
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.’” (Jeremiah 17:9–10)
Our own thoughts, feelings, and convictions are deceitful if they are not in sync with God’s will for us. Luckily, God has made much of His will known to us through reading the Bible. Therefore, it would be prudent to take the effort and time to closely examine one’s heart to see if it aligns with what the Bible truly says.
The last reason why evangelism might be difficult is laziness. By no means is evangelism easy! How much easier and more comfortable would it be to stay sleeping or keep casual conversation when it comes to evangelism? Much much easier! However, we must actively resist this temptation. Practically, asking God for the strength to initially start each task has helped me greatly. We need to recognize that:
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Clearly, there are many reasons to dismiss evangelism and discipleship as unimportant and disobey God’s command. Are there any good ones? No. Do I still use them? Yes. It’s an intentional work in progress as I hope to become more and more like Jesus Christ.
On a more positive note, there is also great joy and fulfillment that God graces us with as we evangelize and disciple non-believers. We see the power of the Triune God at work, changing both our own and others’ hearts. We marvel at God’s redemptive plan and are reminded of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us. Even all of heaven rejoices greatly: “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)
To close off, someone once said to me regarding Christians witnessing to non-believers: “We might be the only glimpse of Jesus they ever see.”
Obeying the call to evangelize can be difficult, yet it will be simultaneously joyful and fulfilling.
Some helpful resources:
