Taking the Pressure Off Evangelism

We make evangelism more difficult than it should be. Our methods and philosophies for missions, outreach, and sharing the gospel often set unreasonable and unbiblical expectations that paralyze most Christians.

How can we overcome this and make evangelism easy?

You might be thinking, "How in the world could evangelism ever be easy?" But it's all about perspective. If you believe success in evangelism is measured by the number of converts you make, or by the fact that everybody loves you and thinks you're a great person, evangelism will be difficult. You'd have to develop a kind of charisma almost no one can achieve and learn to speak in a manipulative way to move the masses.

This is how many people have thought evangelism should be done for the past 200 years. In the late 1700s, revival broke out in America. This was the second time in that century that revival had occurred, and no one had expected or planned it. It just happened. It came through ordinary preachers delivering ordinary, yet faithful, sermons. 

This second revival was different from the first. It had a wider impact in America, and instead of only localized revivals like the first, it reached every state. As Christianity became more popular, conversions quickly became a contest. As the faithful preachers grew older, the new preachers and evangelists competed with each other over how many people were converted. One had 100 people fall over during his message, while the next had 250. Then the bar was set lower. 300 people raised their hands at one event, but only 50 at the other. Evangelism became a game. 

What happened next is a sad chapter in modern Christian history. The gospel was watered down to the point that it had little effect on its hearers. Even Mark Twain mocked the revival meetings in his book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, for their ineffectiveness. They weren't really saving anyone anymore.

Success in evangelism is not measured by the number of converts or fame; it's measured by faithfulness.

When you look at Jesus' parable of the Sower and the Soils (Matthew 13:1-23), it's clear that Jesus cares more about faithfulness than about numbers. It's a parable about parables and evangelism, and Jesus prepares His disciples to expect a wide range of responses to the gospel. From it, we learn why so many people reject the gospel and that their response is outside our control.

As we look at the short little story Jesus tells, one thing stands out. The sower is secondary. He's a background character. All he does is walk around the field, throwing the seed. He doesn't distinguish where he's throwing, making sure the seed lands only on good soil. He simply and faithfully throws. 

The blame for failure or praise for success in the parable rests not with the sower but with the soil. Even the good soil yields different results ("some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty"). Jesus' point is that personality and methods are secondary to faithfulness. All that matters is that he sowed seed.

As the story concludes, another point becomes clear: the seed was capable of producing fruit. That means it was a good seed. We don't have time in this short article to explore this observation in depth, but the biblical faithfulness of our gospel is essential to successful evangelism. The gospel we share and believe must be biblical.

Let's take a look at what this means for our evangelism efforts.

1. The result isn't up to us

Too often, we think we've failed when people reject the gospel. Our personalities and charisma feel as if they've been punched in the gut, and our methods are put under interrogation. We want to know what went wrong.

Jesus' parable relieves the pressure on us by showing that what went wrong when others reject the gospel was not within our control. Those who heard the gospel weren't ready at that time. Some were like the path: indifferent and careless about the truth. Others were like the stony ground: happy to hear the gospel, but quick to walk away when the going gets tough. Many were like the soil with weeds: so full of the cares of this world (especially money, status, and possessions) that the gospel had no room to grow in their lives. Yet, we take comfort in knowing there is good soil out there that will produce good fruit for a lifetime. 

2. Cultivating is hard work

Jesus doesn't mention the Holy Spirit's cultivation and preparation in this parable, not because the Holy Spirit's work is unimportant or absent, but because it's not the point He's making. Read John 3:1-8, and you will see how crucial the Holy Spirit's role in cultivation and growth is. 

But the question Jesus' parable asks is, "How can we cultivate hearts to receive the Word?" I think one of the best answers the New Testament gives is found in the first three chapters of Romans. God's law cuts through the hardness of our hearts, revealing our sin for what it is and showing our need for Jesus. This is why Paul says that "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance" (Romans 3:4). The law rips through our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness, preparing us to receive God's kindness through Jesus Christ. 

3. Get the right motivation for evangelism

   
   

John Piper famously wrote, "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." The psalmist tells us that’s where we're all headed: “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name” (Psalm 86:9).

In Jesus' parable, the sower’s ultimate goal is not to sow but to reap a harvest. That harvest is the worship of God. Our ultimate motivating goal in evangelism must not be to make converts, grow our local churches, or increase our influence in the world. That will happen, but those are terrible motivators. We must be motivated by something higher, something eternal, and something outside ourselves. Evangelism is not about us; it's about Jesus' glory.

When we adopt this attitude, all the pressure of evangelism is lifted from us. All we need to do is be faithful and available. God takes care of the rest.