Evangelism: Super Awesome or Super Awkward?

October 30 2011, 10:44 pm | Blake Hudspeth

“Evangelism”

Am I the only guy who feels really awkward any time that word is used?  We hear pastors say it all the time. “We need to evangelize the world!”  To me, evangelism is like the Christian version of helping someone move.  You know it’s important and it would really help them out…but you would rather someone else volunteer for the job.  In reality, we usually wind up doing both out of duty and obligation.

I mean, that’s why we pay people to do evangelism right?  We throw a concert/event and bring in an evangelist who “does the preachin’” and we’ll just be there to support as crowd control and mop up.  I’m good with that…that’s not awkward.

But the more I understand the Gospel, the more I realize that evangelism (or telling other people about Christ) might be way more natural than I once thought. Perhaps it is as simple as living every moment of my life in light of the Gospel. Maybe I need to learn how to look at everyday events, like with Shelly (our waitress who was having a stressful morning last Monday), and ask, “how do I respond to this situation in light of the Gospel?”  Or hearing a student’s story and asking, “where are the gaps in his story that don’t line up with the Story of God, and how do I fill those gaps with the Gospel?”

That’s not too awkward…but it takes boldness.

That’s not preaching on a platform…but it takes preparation.

As I continue to better understand evangelism…I’m going to write about what I learn and the stories that come out of my evangelistic opportunities.  This is important because we learn in stories and examples.  Jesus didn’t just say, “You need to care about God’s Kingdom and not storing up stuff on earth!”  He told a STORY about a man who built a barn, got wealthier, tore down that barn and built bigger ones to store his treasure for himself.  Then GOD said, “tonight, you’re going to die…what are you going to do with all your stuff now?” That story helped me better understand what Jesus was talking about in Luke 12. Perhaps the stories to come will help you better understand evangelism.

That way it isn’t as awkward anymore.

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