What do people really think of evangelism? Many assume that it involves a group of people standing on a street corner, carrying signs and yelling at people to follow Jesus Christ.
But Hillsong pastors Carl Lentz and Darren Kitto said there's more to evangelism than causing a scene on the streets. The two shared on the church's website that there is a more effective and fruitful approach in saving people: living a life of bold evangelism.
"Bold evangelism is about being willing to do the hard work in order to help people find Jesus," they said. "It's about being committed to building relationships with people. It's about being in the fight with the people around you and earning a right to speak into their life."
Bold evangelism requires people to sacrifice their time, money and even personal comfort if it means it will help someone encounter Jesus and experience His grace. Even when it gets inconvenient, evangelists should never give up on people and remain committed to them throughout their entire journey.
"Evangelism is relationally driven. How can you talk to someone about Jesus and expect for them to not only listen, but buy into what you have to say if you haven't built any credibility in their eyes? Why should they have to listen to you if they don't know anything about who you are, how you live and what you stand for?" asked Lentz and Kitto.
The two said most of the time, people are unable to spread the message of the gospel because they do not approach people with the love, grace and dignity they truly deserve. Evangelists should make it a point to show love first before inviting others to the church.
"Let's be passionate about helping people find Jesus. Passion is not about volume. Passion is about purposeful living," they said. "God wants to work through you to reach the people around you. Our prayer is that we would be willing to do the hard work in helping people find Jesus, experience His grace and become more like Him."
